Description: We were out looking at houses on Milwaukee's north side, when we thought while in the neighborhood, we should stop in and try Alioto's for fish fry. They are often rated by locals as one of the best, and I hadn't been there in years, so it was a good call. We arrived at 5:30pm and they already had a wait. You can make a reservation, however, so if you want to call ahead I would encourage you to do so. Our 30 minute wait went quickly, however, so we didn't feel inconvenienced at all.
Once seated, service was very prompt in spite of this being the first Friday of Lent. I was actually surprised at the number of folks around us eating something other than the traditional family style Milwaukee meal. Our little corner of the restaurant, however, was all about the fish!
Their fish is Icelandic Cod, with a light batter and is served with a creamy cole slaw, crinkle cut fries and sliced bread w/butter. When our server brought out our platter of fish and fries, I must admit some slight disappointment given the $10.95 price and what seemed to be a small serving for two. I think there were five pieces of fish plus a respectable amount of fries.
As we were discussing the meal and considering how to position the fact that we loved the fish, the light flakey, delicate taste juxtaposed against what felt like skimpy portions; our server returned asking if we were ready for seconds. SECONDS? Wow nowhere on the menu was there reference to AYCE (how most fish fries here are promoted). So sure, we were ready for more.
She brought out another plate equal in portion to the first, both in terms of fish and fries. By the time we were done with this latest serving we were both full, but she came by again to offer yet another platter. Neither of us could eat another bite! So the experience went from marginal in serving size to more than adequate.
Alioto's does have a full service bar and features your traditional Italian menu to include desserts. Of course, we had no room for sweets, so we passed on the cheesecake and other items.
While I don't think they have a web site, they do participate in FoodSpot and have their menu posted here: http://www.foodspot.com/aliotos/menu.html.
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