If there’s one thing that I really appreciate, it has got to be food that is prepared from scratch. And one place that can easily make that claim is the restaurant that Lauren and I tried last Thursday evening: Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen.
High-Quality, Fresh Seafood Flown in Daily
Interestingly, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen is one of many restaurants in a private, family-owned company based in Houston, Texas. Their history actually dates back to 1897. And with restaurants located in Georgia, Illinois (Arlington Heights and Westmont), Arizona and Colorado, as well as Texas, one would have to assume that the family has gotten something right… That assumption is 100% right on the money, at least in terms of Pappadeaux’s in Westmont. The atmosphere is lively, fun, comfortable – even somewhat upscale – and relaxing. But the key is to be found in the variety of high-quality, fresh seafood that is flown in daily and used to create the many fish and seafood creations on the menu. Call it Cajun and Creole-inspired seafood cuisine…
Why The Place Was So Busy
I was surprised at the size of the restaurant… it looked capable of seating 200-250 diners, not counting use of the outdoor patio, a very inviting area of brick, fountains, and plenty of plants. Perhaps it is because of the constant attention the economy has received of late, but I was also surprised by the number of people at the restaurant on a Thursday – the place was almost full. We were early for our reservation, so we decided to have a seat at the bar, enjoy a cocktail, and take a peek at the menu. And I now had a pretty good idea why the place was so busy.
Menu loaded with Great Fish and Seafood
For starters, all Grey Goose cocktails were priced at $5.50. I’m sure you can guess that I acquired an immediate smile! I then noticed a bar-back busily shucking oysters that looked awfully good from where I was sitting, so I naturally had to ask the bartender about them. His reply? “They are very fresh, and tonight the oysters are on special at $5.95… per dozen.” This was half of normal price, which is still a great deal, especially if the oysters are good ones! Combine those two notables with a menu loaded with great fish and seafood items – along with steaks, chicken and pastas – all at great prices. And now you have the necessary ingredients for a busy restaurant full of happy diners. Sipping on my Grey Goose, I was hoping that the rest of the evening would be as good as what I was anticipating.
We settled our bar tab and a hostess escorted us into the dining room where we were seated at a polished and shiny four-top, lighted by a small spotlight from above the table, as were each of the tables in the dining room. As large as the dining room was, the lighting and décor gave a small sense of intimacy, and the noise level was subdued by the carpeted floor. Water was brought out immediately, along with a loaf of warm and crusty bread.
Top Shelf Margarita: Superb!
Our waitress explained the menu for us, since we informed her that this was our first visit. She told that fresh seafood is flown in daily and brought to the restaurant by company-owned trucks, and that every ingredient is made from scratch, including the mayonnaise, salad dressings, tartar, cocktail and chili sauces – as well as many others – well, let’s just say that we were really ready to enjoy dinner. But first, and strictly because of the “made from scratch” claim, we decided we just had to try a “Top Shelf Margarita.” Made with 1800 Reposado tequila & Grand Marnier with fresh lemon & lime, it was one of the best I have tasted… and the drink was definitely made from scratch with real lemon and lime – no bar mix used here – superb!
Fresh Alligator, Crispy Batter & Exquisite Sauce
Dinner started with a half dozen Oysters on the Half Shell accompanied by some spicy and excellent dipping sauces (I was really tempted to get the full dozen – at that price, who wouldn’t? But as I have gotten older, the richness of the food is not as easily tolerated as it once was…), and an order of Crispy Fried Alligator with fresh cut potato sticks & Creole dipping sauce. The oysters were as fresh as those I once harvested with my uncle in the panhandle of Florida: plump, sweet and full of salty liqueur, these were incredibly good. I once had fresh alligator (both fried and in a stew) – many years ago – while visiting Pawleys Island, North Carolina. I thought it to be quite tasty. But with its light, crispy batter and exquisite Creole sauce, Pappadeaux’s version was clearly better.
I am a salad lover – especially if the dressing is homemade – so I also ordered a Crisp Wedge Salad with bleu cheese dressing, bacon, tomatoes, carrots & green onion. It appeared to be an entire quarter of a head of lettuce! The tomatoes were bright red and very ripe, the bacon crispy and the bleu cheese dressing excellent. This salad was plentiful enough for the biggest of appetites and certainly more than ample for Lauren and me to split.
Dinner Selections
Between the Citrus Crusted Halibut (oven baked citrus-crusted fillet with sautéed zucchini ribbons over beurre blanc) and Halibut Piccata (pan-grilled halibut fillet topped with jumbo lump crabmeat, capers & lemon slices in beurre blanc with smashed parmesan potatoes), Lauren had a tough time deciding. I think the latter won out due to the crabmeat and capers advertised – piccata is one of her favorite ways to prepare fish. The giant portion of fresh halibut was well plated, white, dense and flaky. A scosche heavy on the lemon perhaps, the fish was as if it had just come from the ocean. I was swayed by the description of Mahi Quepos (blackened mahi fillet topped with jumbo lump crabmeat, shrimp & fresh basil finished with a citrus herb sauce and dirty rice).
For a moment, I forgot that blackened food (mostly fish) has its roots in Cajun style cooking. It owes its popularity – if not its total fame – to Cajun country’s own Chef Paul Prudhomme, who first developed the style back in the early 1970s. I was a tad surprised by the spice level of the mahi. But the citrus herb sauce was wonderful and successfully tempered the heat. And while the accompanying dirty rice also had its share of bite, it was well prepared and quite tasty. The crab was in short supply atop the mahi, but four large and perfectly-cooked shrimp made up for that.
Only Forty Minutes From the Fox Valley to Pappadeaux
I would hazard a guess that the rest of the menu (check it out here) would provide you with just about any of your favorite dishes and at a cost that would provide you with a pleasant surprise. As usual, we had not saved any room for the dessert menu… I would definitely have ordered a piece of Key Lime Pie in a graham cracker pecan crust. Apparently it must have been an omen that we would need to return on another occasion – which would be fine with me. It took only forty minutes in heavy traffic/road construction to get to the front door of Pappadeaux from the Fox Valley.
Extreme Freshness of the Food
As another “white-table-cloths-aren’t-needed-to-have-a-great-dinner” kind of place, I was impressed by the level of quality and the extreme freshness of the food, the relaxed and friendly atmosphere and the pricing structure of both food and drinks. Even the wine – they have over 2,000 bottles – was reasonably priced. Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen is a great place to go for quality fare, whether the occasion is business, pleasure or special event. I give Pappadeaux’s Three-and-a-Half Zins, and I recommend that you move it to the top of your “gotta try this one” list!
Your Table is Waiting…
Ralph Pancetta
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen is located at 921 Pasquinelli Drive in Westmont, Illinois not far from Oak Brook Mall! They also have a number of other locations in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Georgia, Ohio & Colorado.
Lauren’s Links
- Outset Oyster Tray, 6 Slots and Condiment Cup
- Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen by Paul Prudhomme
- 40QT Stainless Steel Stock pot 6-Piece For Seafood Boil Pot with Basket and Steamer Rack, Cookware for Crawfish Crab Shrimp Lobster Boiling Pot
