Pandl’s New Venture
Agave Southwestern Grille
Pandl’s
has long been a familiar name in the North Shore, with restaurants in
Whitefish Bay and Bayside. The newer location in Bayside is owned by
Jim and Jere Pandl, who also own Eagan’s on Water and the Milwaukee
Waterfront Deli. They have now added a fourth property, this time in
Brookfield, and it’s completely unlike the others. The name is Agave,
and it’s billed as a Southwestern grill.
The
newly constructed location on Capitol Drive sits on a spot once
occupied by Seigo’s restaurant. The spacious barroom features a center
bar that is topped with tequila bottles. A
large, sunny dining room, a screened porch and a walled outdoor
terrace, complete with an adobe fireplace, add Spanish Colonial
touches. The place would look right at home in San Diego.
The
menu is an ambitious one, from the Mexican-inspired tapas to the novel
sliders and substantial entrees. The casual setting calls for salsa and
tortilla chips, though there
is a charge ($3.95-6.95). The white- and blue-corn chips are
accompanied by a salsa that changes daily. If the salsa happens to be
the one made of roasted tomato with jalapeno, cilantro and onion, the
price will be well worth it. Roasting brings out a flavor that is lacking in many fresh tomatoes. The chips would be better without the spice
dusting, however.
There
are three ceviches at moderate prices. The scallop with avocado ($4.50)
includes pieces of raw scallop and avocado in a martini glass with
minced tomato, onion and a citrus marinade. It is interesting, but not
entirely successful. The tapa of grilled shrimp with avocado
horseradish salsa ($4.50) is similarly intriguing, except that the
salsa is guacamole without a trace of horseradish. The fresh guacamole
has a nice texture, but it desperately needs some hot chile pepper or more cilantro.
Tortilla
soup ($3.95-6.95), a special one day, had the right appearance with
blue-corn tortilla chips, chicken and a myriad of vegetables. But
although the broth had the color of chile,
it lacked the flavor. The oysters ($9.95/6), raw and on the half shell,
are served with three different salsas that illustrate a more ambitious
kitchen. The West Coast oysters, served with lime wedges and with the
salsas already placed on them, are all interesting—especially the one
made of jalapeno peppers and marinated onions. Good oysters often
don’t need assistance, and these smallish oysters could do without this
amount of salsa.
The bar is a destination in itself, which is
sorely needed on Capitol Drive. Much of the menu is geared toward
diners who are watching one of the flat-panel televisions. For example, there are four different sliders, one of which is even a shrimp
BLT. The basic Agave burgers ($8.50) are a trio adorned with lettuce,
Roma tomato, Chihuahua cheese, avocado and a slice of roasted red
pepper—the perfect snack for watching a Packers game. The pizzas also
work well. One has pinon nuts ($9.95) with roasted poblano peppers,
spinach and cilantro pesto, which makes for a tasty combination of
flavors. It is topped with arugula that, while inoffensive, seems lost
in this picture. However, it’s still well worth trying.
The
entrees continue the Southwest theme. Sauteed shrimp ($18.95) in a
sauce of orange, tequila and cilantro is served with rice. The menu
forgets to mention that there also are a lot of vegetables—corn,
zucchini, red onion and bell peppers in three colors. The shrimp fights
it out for center stage, though it has a good flavor. Penne ($18.95) is
served with
shrimp and clams and a tomato sauce with chopped chorizo. The clams are
Manila clams, still in the shell. The chorizo is not fatty and contains mild accents of hot pepper, but more needs to be happening in
this dish. Why not use cilantro instead of chopped parsley? The flavors
that seem so promising in the roasted tomato salsa are completely
absent here.
While consistency is not Agave’s strength, they do know how to make a really good margarita ($6-$10). The margaritas are made with fresh squeezed lime juice, which makes all the difference in the world. And they are good-sized—always a plus.
The staff is trained well, providing service at the right time and even promptly removing and replacing plates for the discarded clam shells. Agave is a very attractive new restaurant. Let’s hope that the kitchen is able to rise to the challenge.
AGAVE SOUTHWESTERN GRILLE 18380 W. Capitol Drive (262) 439-8200 $$-$$$ Credit Cards: All major Smoking: Outdoors only Handicap Access: Yes
Photos by Tate Bunker
pjnothappy
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