Sharing plates (small and large). Menu changes often
A fine-dining, farm-to-table restaurant right on Capitol Square. One of downtown Madison’s most celebrated chefs at the moment is Tory Miller (2012 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Midwest) who took over L’Etoile when chef-founder Odessa Piper retired in 2005.
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Kindred’s opening menu starts in its small but share-able way, with lemongrass mussels, piri piri fried chicken leg, duck confit flatbread, parsnip gnocchi, fontina-stuffed lamb meatballs with spicy tomato sauce and edam cheese croquette. Read more…
Former Eddie Martini’s chef Jason Tofte offers up diverse shareable plates – such as friend chicken drumstick and meatloaf and mashed potatoes – in a warm, informal setting.
When Jason Tofte helmed the kitchen of Eddie Martini’s, he suited up in a white chef’s coat, cooked on the line and rarely ventured out to chat with patrons. That changed when the 18-year Tosa steakhouse vet left to run Waukesha’s The Steaming Cup with his wife, Cristina. The Cup came with a sizable built-in clientele, and serving up lattes with hummus wraps required interaction with customers. Read more…
The menu at this restaurant located in a renovated 1855 building utilizes ingredients from Twisted Willow Farm. Plates range from “almost famous” meatloaf and baby-back ribs to Asian BBQ Atlantic salmon.
Mentioned in: Restaurants Worth a Drive
Think of this high-end restaurant and adjacent bar as restored old Cream City brick building meets Ernest Hemingway-esque hunting lodge. The service aims to match the expensive house dry-aged steaks. Steaks are a menu highlight.
“Fine dining” has more than once been pronounced close to death’s door. Despite those claims, there’s still life in the concept. But what constitutes fine dining has changed, in keeping with broader lifestyle trends of the last 15 years or so.
The center of this open, modern space is a wood-burning hearth, used for everything from bread-baking to roasting meats and fish. High marks for shareable menu items like roasted parsnips, sunflower seed risotto and whole chicken with BBQ carrots. Open for Sat-Sun brunch as well.
When I talked with co-owner Miles Borghgraef by phone a few months before Birch + Butcher’s opening – in Barry Mandel’s North End development on Water Street – the carpentry was finished, light fixtures installed and Borghgraef and his crew were christening the wood- burning hearth at the center of his kitchen.
Menu of small and large plates, including scallops and a burger. Dim sum cart offers a selection of dumplings.
The remodeled, refreshed former Stonefly is back to doing what the space was known for – brewing beer (try the Pomp & Pamplemousse Imperial IPA) and serving food (best bet: fried chicken).
An easy little east-of-Oakland spot to roll into for apps at the bar or a more organized affair in the cozy white-tablecloth dining room. Beer dinners are becoming Tess’ claim to fame. The cozy, private garden patio makes a lovely setting for a summer night.
Related Story: A Summer at Tess
Founded by James Beard Award-winning chef Sanford D??Amato; owned by JBA winner Justin Aprahamian. Unsurpassed for service and impeccable food. The global cuisine incorporates products from a long list of Wisconsin farms. The chefs prepare everything in-house, including butchering, preserving and canning. Elk, duck, fresh fish are all good choices. Offers surprise tasting and exploration menus. Desserts (a dozen offerings) is compulsory.
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