Eating in Madison A to Z

Fair Oaks

In a word: More Fair than Oaks.

The specs: #0170
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; snappy little review by Jennifer Garrett; reviews at Yelp;

Latest Fair Oaks Diner news and reviews at del.icio.us

Amanda ate the popeye omelet.
Carlos ate the bomblet.
Emo had a pancake and chocolate milk.
JM ate the steak sandwich.
Nichole ate the Fair Oaks skillet.
Sabi ate the grilled cheese.
The bill was $33, or $5.50/person, plus tip.
Nichole gave Fair Oaks a B-; Amanda gave Fair Oaks a C+; Carlos and JM gave Fair Oaks a C (see our grading rubric).

We ducked into Fair Oaks on a rainy Sunday, incognito.

"Cozy" is an understatement. The dining room seats about 25, but it's OK because it's such a friendly place.

Amanda's popeye (spinach & cheese) omelet was good, but the potatoes were kind of flavorless and not impressive.  Carlos said his bomblet didn't really explode. What did was JM's steak sandwich. Even a pickle would have gone a long way to help out what was literally meat on toast.

They usually have raisin toast, but they were out this time. Since the spread didn't seem to be real butter, though, maybe we didn't miss out on much.

The Fair Oaks Skillet seemed to be the best value of the bunch, with a scramble of various meat, veg and cheese that was quite filling (especially at the same price as the infamous steak sandwich).

The kids seemed to have the best time. Sabi liked her grilled cheese a lot. Emo had fun with the animal spoons & forks (and the camera).

We may have experierenced better diners in Madison, but Fair Oaks is authentic and the food lives up (or down) to the diner philosophy.  All in all, your mileage may vary.

There's no denying their sign is perfect, though.

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Dobhan

In a word: Sublimely subcontinental.

The specs: #0169
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Dane101, Yelp, Something Else to Do, 77 Square, Madison Fish Fry;

Latest Dobhan news and reviews at del.icio.us

JM ate the lamb kebab and a lemonade.
Nichole ate the cauli bhat tarkari and lalmohan.
The bill was $38, or $19/person, plus tip.
JM gave Dobhan an A-; Nichole gave Dobhan an A (see our grading rubric).

We liked Dobhan's older sibling Chautara, but we'd probably go back to Dobhan first. We almost wanted to say "In a word: Subcontinental 101" because of its uniquely accessible, yet  not watered-down, menu.

First of all, the place is beautiful. The bright colors, inlaid tile floor, and even the napkin rings, which begged to be played with (but please don't) provide a refreshing experience.

JM is always a touch hesitant to try food form south-central Asia.  His lamb entree, however, was excellent, as was the salad and even the veggies.  That's 3 things JM officially doesn't like that ended up good to excellent. Bravo! This was fortunate because the lamb kebab was the only thing on the menu he felt confident trying.  The prices were a little high, especially since he walked out without being full.

Dobhan must have improved since the State Journal's review, since the bhat tarkari veggie stew Nichole ate was cooked just the right amount (essential, especially for cauliflower). The service, too, was polished and attentive.

At our server's recommendation, Nichole tried the lalmohan dessert - a new experience that didn't diasappoint. Lalmohan, at least the way Dobhan's owner bakes them, are, crudely put, like donut holes served chilled and soaked in orange blossom water.  Yummy.

Del-Bar

In a word: Could be Del-Icious or Del-Eterious.

The specs: #0168
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews by Rick, DL Madison Restaurant Reviews, Madison Fish Fry; official web site (beware the piano);

Latest Del-Bar news and reviews at del.icio.us

JM ate the clam chowder, flatiron steak, and peanut butter pie.
Nichole ate the spinach salad and ahi steak.
The bill was $68, or $34/person, plus tip.
JM gave Del-Bar a B+; Nichole gave Del-Bar a D+ (see our grading rubric).

Del-Bar sits right on the Strip in the Wisconsin Dells (800 Dells Parkway South). It could be a pretty nice respite from the Dells kitsch that crowds it on all sides. But we made a special trip to eat there, and our expectations were quite high based on other reviews.

And in fact, Nichole's first bite of seared ahi tuna steak was heaven - rare and sweet inside, pepper-crusted outside. With each successive bite, however, the spell wore off until a glob of lukewarm raw fish was all that was left. If the portion had been smaller, maybe it would have kept its charm to the end.

The side dishes with the tuna were a cucumber-dill-rice vinegar salad like we make at home, only more rubbery, and a molded patty of crunchy white rice mixed with parsley (and the straw that broke the camel's back, as it were).

JM was much happier than Nichole with the overall experience. His first course, clam chowder, was the best he'd ever had.  The clam was springy and fresh -- the whole soup was filled with a rich and woody flavor that just played out quite well. His steak was also very good, with props for being juicy and tender while still actually cooked to medium.

His hash browns and peanut butter pie (which traveled home well) had to wait for another meal, as the Del-Bar follows the current obsession for filling you up with a backhoe of food.  His opinion was that the Del-Bar was trying really hard... but not always succeeding.

Before we left, Nichole visited Ladie's Lounge. Who's Ladie? We may never know.

This seems like a good time to say that the service was extraordinarily friendly and attentive - truly the high point of the meal. But when you add up the cost of the meal (high), the cost of the drive (climbing) and the cost of time spent to get there (equal to a movie), we cannot recommend this if you're not in the Dells already (or from Illinois or both). If you are, stick with the steak. Mmm, steak.

Curry in the Box

In a word: Scurry and hurry if you like the curry.

The specs: #0167
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews by Samara Kalk Derby, Ruppert Food Blog, 77 Square, the Culinary Adventures of Jahboh and Tossy; official web site;

JM ate the chicken tikka masala and a fountain drink.
John ate the chicken ranmi and Nantucket Nectars OJ.
Nichole ate the chicken Murg SaaGwala and a fountain drink.
The bill was about $30, or $10/person, plus tip.
JM gave Curry in the Box a B+; John gave Curry in the Box an A-; Nichole gave Curry in the Box an A (see our grading rubric).

So, Curry n' Hurry moved out of University Square and sold their recipes to Curry in the Box, Fitchburg.

Thank goodness the peacock moved with them! It's about the only character in the pleasant, but (in)distinctly Fitchburger atmosphere. Comparisons to Noodles and Cranberry Creek are not without merit.

Nichole's murg saagwala, or chicken & spinach curry, was creamy and delish. Curry in the Box has spruced up the presentation a bit over Curry n' Hurry's styrofoam plates. (That must be where the $2 increase goes.)

They still serve their entrees with the same spicy papad bread and deceptively cooling/fiery raita cucumber yogurt on the side.

John wrote of his chicken dish that sweet and spicy made a wonderfully tasty combination. It set a benchmark for his future curry meals (of which this was the first). In sum, "Nummy nummy!"

The chicken tikka masala JM ordered was better than Curry 'n' Hurry's. He said he enjoyed it, but he's not the world's biggest curry fan.  The portions here were a little large, and to him curry (esp. this kind for some reason) tends to be a bit of a one-note flavor.  Enjoyable but better as a flavor in a side dish, hethinks.

It's hard not to compare Curry in a Box to its predecessor, but we think it stands tall on its own.

Creamery Cafe

In a word: In small town Wisconsin, things can move at a different pace.

The specs: #0166
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Cap Times, 77Square, official gallery web site;

Latest Creamery Cafe news and reviews at del.icio.us

JM ate the Albuquerque Melt with a side salad and a root beer.
Nichole ate the prosciutto salad with coffee and a slice of key lime pie.
The bill was about $30, or $15/person, plus tip.
JM and Nichole both gave Creamery Cafe a B+ (see our grading rubric).

Creamery Cafe is located in the bustling metropolis of Paoli (actual motto seen on bumper stickers: "We've got everything but gas").    The drive was beautiful and not too long once out of Madison.  On this beautiful spring afternoon, we opted to eat al fresco.

The bread was pretty to look at, but was low on flavor and texture. The sweet-ish butter (and this is where we reveal our culinary naivete again) seemed to be pink from red pepper infusion.

Is this not the sexiest grilled ham and cheese sandwich you have ever seen? Messy too.

Nice legs on the salad, also. Even JM applauded his side salad, saying it was well-made considering he didn't like any of the ingredients.

Truth be told, the key lime pie was the high note.

On the 30-minute ride home, after the bloom of beautiful-food lust had worn off, we reflected that the lunch took a lot longer than it should have. Even with reservations, we were made to wait before getting seated. Meanwhile, other folks just wandered onto the dining patio from the bike path and got served. The lone server seemed unduly harried by the handful of laid-back tables, and while the menu even begged our patience for the handcrafted art that was our nosh, topping 80 minutes for a light lunch tried our patience. It's a different world, the rural art gallery scene.

Bull's BBQ

Update: Bull's has closed.

In a word: OMGWTFBBQ! Best. Chicken. Evar.

The specs: #0165
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; official web site.

JM and Nichole split Combo #2, chicken and a 1/2 rack of ribs with mac & cheese and smoked corn. We each had a bottled soda.
The bill was $20. or $10/person, plus tip.
JM and Nichole both gave Bull's BBQ an A (see our grading rubric).

We both swear the BBQ chicken at Bull's is way up there in the top 5 chicken dinners ever list. O RLY? YA RLY!

Meanwhile, the St. Louis-style ribs were merely excellent, not quite divine, while the mac and cheese was OK but not institutional. Their high standards were evident in the super-clean, bright dining room and the friendly service (not to mention a pretty decent web site).

The chicken, though, pwn3d. Get the chicken. You don't know from moist and flavorful until you've tried it. The whole experience was the perfect inaugural meal for the 2006 BBQ season.  It was teh r0xx0r!!!one!1! g2g

Brewer Square Gallery Bistro

update 10/20/06: Brewer Square gallery Bistro has closed.

In a word: Nice and small.

The specs: #0164
JM ate the crab cakes with a Sierra Mist.
Nichole ate the wine country salad with a syrah.
The bill was $21, or $10.50/person, plus tip (thanks, 2-for-1 from 5-6!).
JM and Nichole both gave Brewer Square Gallery Bistro an A- (see our grading rubric).

It's easy to find Brewer Square Gallery Bistro, at least for now while its huge red billboard hovers over downtown Sun Prairie. It's not a bad little place to get a light, slightly fancy dinner. As the name implies, the bistro is connected to the Brewer Square gallery (which we sadly didn't take the time to see).

JM was at first very taken aback.  They did not have lemonade!  Despite this, JM enjoyed this 'straunt because of his great crab cakes which were warm and not too gooey with a zesty kick (the sauce was a great complement) and he also enjoyed the cheesy bread basket. He also was a bit disappointed to find only cheesecake and truffles for dessert -- but he knows many, many people who wouldn't be.

The salad Nichole got was perfectly balanced: lightly candied walnuts and sweet raspberry vinaigrette were given substance with fresh greens and piquant gorgonzola, while the pear slices were cool and refreshing. We were also impressed with the waiter's straightforward wine help and that the chef came out to say hi.

There were some other dishes we'd like to try, especially the mustard remoulade pork tenderloin and duck salad. Not bad for a menu with just 14 items. We really warmed up to Brewer Square when we realized our timing was perfect: entrees are 2-for-1 from 5 to 6pm, which left enough for a Blizzard (gasp) on the way home to Madison.

Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy

In a word: Again with the Middletonian middle of the road - we demand chiplomatic immunity from this chain.

The specs: #0163
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at B^2, Rick, and Yelp; official web site;

JM ate two enchiladas (one shredded beef with chile con queso, and one chicken with green chile) and a lemonade.
Nichole also ate two enchiladas (cheese with chile colorado, and espinaca with salsa ranchera) and a Dr Pepper.
The bill was $19, or $9.50/person, plus tip.
JM gave Abuelo's a B; Nichole gave Abuelo's a C+ (see our grading rubric).

Though our server broke ranks from the phalanx of idle black-clad waitstaff to ably and warmly take care of our meal, her hospitality wasn't quite enough to make us want to come back.

The food was OK. If you do go, the "papas con chile," while incongruous (they're just cheezy potatoes), were fine comfort food for this rainy day. But the venue would not have passed Rose's white glove test. How can a place that's been open only a couple weeks have sauce of indeterminable origin splattered on the walls and inside the menus? That was unsettling, to say the least. As was the cathedral-like space, the overstaffed floor, and the total lack of customers.

We know that places with Mexican food and an attached bar on the West side have been limited since Chi-Chi's closed, but seriously, you can find better in town.

"E" is for Epitome

E, with a scant 16 restaurants, displays Madison in a microcosm.  It featured pricey restaurants with wildly varying quality (Esquire Club, Eldorado Grill, Essen Haus, Eno Vino, Edo Japanese Restaurant), too many coffee shops (Einstein Bros. Bagels, EVP, Escape Java Joint, Espresso Royale, Electric Earth) and kitschy Madison-only type restaurants with wildly varying gemütlichkeit (Ella's Deli, ESBMA, Echo Tap & Grill, Edo Sushi Bar & Buffet, Emian's). And the East Towne Mall Food Court, which must represent something.

Our grades thus far:

	Nichole	JM
A	68 42%	54 34%
B	66 41%	92 57%
C	25 16%	13 8%
D	2 1%	2 1%

Our favorite Es:
Breakfast: EVP Coffee
Lunch: Emian's European Bakery
Dinner: Ella's Deli