Call it Asian Cajun. Fisherman’s Bucket in Duluth joins the ranks of Asian-owned restaurants that feature the flavors of Southwest Louisiana. Along with the likes of boiled crawfish and oyster po’ boys, the draw is market fresh seafood, a comfortable contemporary setting and table service.
The look: Situated next to a Toys R Us store in a strip center off Pleasant Hill Road, Fisherman's announces its presence with a hulking neon sign and bright flame decals around the front windows. Inside, the spacious dining room is appointed with tile floors, field stone arches and wooden beams. Tables, booths and a rectangular bar are surrounded by nautical knickknacks.
The scene: One recent evening, a vivacious young server introduced herself by attaching butcher paper to the table, then took out a crayon, wrote down her name and drew a smiley face next to it. At a nearby booth, a family with two hungry adolescents made a happy mess of cracking crabs and ripping the heads and shells off a pile of jumbo shrimp.
The menu: Seafood can be ordered by weight at market price or as bucket specials, steamed or with garlic butter or house "hot and juicy" seasoning. The least expensive bucket ($20.95) includes a couple of blue crabs, a pound of crawfish, a half-pound of shrimp and one side. The most expensive ($100.95) includes shrimp, lobster and three kinds of crab, plus four sides. Sides range from fries ($1.95) and coleslaw ($2.50) to fritter-like sweet corn puffs ($3.95).
The drinks: Fisherman's doesn't have an alcohol license yet, but the bartender was experimenting with a "virgin" strawberry daiquiri, served in a martini glass with a cocktail umbrella. Otherwise, it's iced tea or soft drinks.
The extras: Mondays-Fridays, look for lunch specials, including a fried crawfish po' boy ($7.95), a grilled fish sandwich ($8.25), and a seasoned burger ($7.95) with all sorts of toppings, such as baby spinach and pesto or ranch dressing.
Dining out
Fisherman’s Bucket in Duluth
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; noon-10 p.m. Sundays. Lunch specials: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.
Starters, soups and salads, $3.95-$9.95; sandwiches and burgers, $7.25-$8.95; seafood buckets and platters, $10.95-$110.95; sides, $1.95-$3.95; desserts, $4.95-$5.95.
2205 Pleasant Hill Road, Suite 130, Duluth, 770-813-8122, www.fishermansbucket.com
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