Restaurant Review: Liliana's

Welcome to my Restaurant Review corner! The first thing I think I need to make clear is that I have not taken a single free item or money from any restaurant that I have reviewed. Not that I am against it, it's just that no one has offered. Some people just don't understand good food critic service...

Liliana's is a New Orleans style restaurant in Fitchburg. See their website here: Liliana's Restaurant

Charlie's bar is named after the Chef's Son, Liliana is his daughter.

My biggest complaint is that this restaurant is not 15 paces from my house. I've implored the owner/Chef Dave Heide to move his well appointed restaurant to my remote outpost on the west side, but he politely declined. Some people just don't understand good food critic service...

On one visit for lunch when we requested the blackened catfish po' boy, we were told that they were out. Not 5 minutes later the waiter came back to tell us, the truck had arrived! Blackened catfish for all! Talk about fresh seafood...

Blackened Catfish Po' Boy

I have been to Liliana's many times over the last 2 years, it's one of the most consistent and tasty restaurants in Madison. This is one of the keys to a great restaurant: if the chef takes the night off you should never be able to tell. I have never once been disappointed in a single dish. From the hot, sweet cornbread and jalapeño butter that is served when you order, to the decadent desserts, it's all amazing and is always tastes the same each time you order it.

Things which aren't to be missed:

Crabby Jacks

Crabby Jacks is the #1 reason to have a car when visiting New Orleans. This is (one of) the best po-boy shops in the city. They are also famous for their fried chicken which is fried to order. It comes back with a nice thick layer of crisp crunchy breading surrounding a molten layer of fat and nuclear hot tender meat. The texture and freshness was phenomenal however… the flavor was a little lacking.

This… THIS on the other hand was what Jessie got.

Fried Green Tomato and Shrimp Remoulade Po boy.

Boyld Crawfish, crayfish, crawdad mudpuppy, yabbies, (New Orleans)

It seems upon arriving in New Orleans you are immediately indoctrinated to “pinch the tail and suck the head”. This isn’t bawdy happenings on Bourbon Street, but rather a lesson on how to eat Crawfish.


Oh the humanity! Tiny spicy lobsters!!! These are the infamous Crawfish AKA mud bugs, crawdads, mudpuppies, crayfish, yabbies, head suckers (I made the last one up.) These are boiled in a spicy hellbroth which fills their every nook and cranny with spicy goodness. The broth is doctored with gobs of cayenne, thyme, oregano, dill, allspice, coriander etc. This even comes as a spice mix; look for crawfish boil seasoning from your favorite spice purveyor.

Sweet sweet New Orleans

Hello fans, friends, and people I forced to “follow” me. Sorry I have been remiss in updating this blog in about a million years. Working a real job is really a drag, at least when it comes to extra curricular food travel blogging!

Over Christmas and New Years Jessie and I went on a road trip to New Orleans! It’s oyster season, and the start of crawfish season which to me is plenty reason to drive 1038 miles each way!

Unfortunately Jessie made the decision not to bring the camera charging cable so we were very sparing with the photos. I have condensed this 10 day trip into a two part post Sweet and savory. Why she thought the car couldn’t handle an additional 2-3 grams of that cable the world will never know. I’m pretty sure I gained more then a few grams before we got back to Madison.

Have you ever seen a grown woman cooing to a daiquiri machine? I have. Of course I won’t publish that picture… we don’t even have a couch to sleep on.