Fin & Claw ll seafood restaurant, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton

Fin & Claw ll
(Recently received praise from Zagat 2008)
BY ROCHELLE KOFF rkoff@miamiherald.com

Fin and Claw ll is cozy and charming, done in coral hues, with lacy tablecloths and candlelight. There's also a tiny bar with a TV behind the 50-seat dining room. The dining room definitely has a romantic atmosphere.

Chef Willie offers dishes like freshly shredded potato pancakes or oyster stew or even just accommodate a diner's diet restriction. Pleasing customers is what the Schlagers are about. No gimmicks here; just very good food, at moderate prices and excellent service.

It's no surprise that the Fin & Claw specializes in fish and sea food, but the chef's repertoire also reflects his Austrian heritage. You'll find schnitzels, sauerbraten, spaetzle ant apple strudel plus standards like prime rib, pork chops ant chicken parmigiana.

We were welcomed with a Fin & Claw staple of sweet corn bread served right from the oven In cast-iron molds along with a bowl of crudites, celery, carrot stalk radishes, and tangy black and green olives atop crushed ice.

Don't fill up, because there are plenty of starters you'll want to sample, like crepe Singapore stuffed with chunks of fresh jumbo lump crab meat in a white wine sauce with a hint of yellow curry. The thin crepes are topped with toasted almonds; and a slice of orange dabbed with mango chutney adds a dash of color to the plate. It all works. Or savor the crisp, sauteed Baltimore-style crab cakes, with very ittle filler.

Entrees include soup or salad as well as two sides. Creamy New England clam chowder is chock full of clams, potatoes, onions and celery. The rich lobster bisque will wake you up. It's spiked with sherry and brandy, with bits of lobster, a touch of paprika and a little tomato paste. The house salad is plentiful with fresh, chilled greens, chopped veggies and a choice of dressings.

Fin & Claw still offers old fashioned deals, like its popular $17.95 early bird dinner, and the catch of the day—a complete dinner for $14.95. Schlager, a part-owner of former Fort Lauderdale restaurants, The Fisherman and Yesterday's, will skillfully broil, blacken, fry or poach your catch.

We ordered a special of trout almandine that was perfectly cooked. The mild fish was sauteed in a little white wine with a trace of lemon juice and covered with lots of sliced, toasted almonds. The fresh Snapper Gourmet was also delicious, embellished with artichoke hearts and mushrooms.

Richer dishes include seafood au gratin and one of our choices, shrimp and scallops in a yellow curry sauce, which was very flavorful. The Maine lobster tails were sweet, supple and succulent and an easy-to-digest $18.95.

From the Austrian side of the menu we chose sauerbraten the lean, braised beef slowly marinated in a heady mix of wine, thyme, pepper corn and red wine vinegar with ginger snaps added at the end for oomph. On the side: bracing red cabbage ant buttery homemade spaetzle.

Pair your meal with a German beer or a wine from the 22-label international list, half of them available by the glass. We felt transported to Austria with our first bite of heavenly apple strudel, layer of phyllo filled with warn cinnamony apples. Other hit include a delicate Key lime tart and New York-style cheesecake topped with fresh blackberry sauce.

Fin & Claw II may be a small restaurant, but it's a gigantic when it comes to flavor and top-shelf gourmet cooking,