Eating in Madison A to Z

Fugu

In a word: Eat with fishes.

The specs: #0456  
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Quomodocumque, 77 Square, Isthmus, Yelp, gcmadtown81, Badger Herald, QSC, Search for Authentic Food, Fugu website,

JM ate the honey walnut shrimp with a lemonade.
Nichole ate the twice cooked pork with black bean special.
Ross ate the cashew chicken with a Sam Adams.
Samantha ate the penang curry with chicken and a sake.
We split some crab rangoon.
The bill was $75, or $18.75/person, plus tip.
JM and Ross gave Fugu an A; Nichole gave Fugu an A-; Samantha gave Fugu a B+ (see our grading rubric).

Fugu has garnered local praise for trying to stay true to its roots and not dumb down its Szechuan menu for the masses. When we went for dinner on a Monday in late July, well after one would think their opening jitters had been smoothed over, there were still small issues with timing (our four entrees arrived over a quarter-hour span) and acoustics (unfortunately for us, the TV with tiki top was tuned to Family Guy). They also seemed to be doing some electrical work in the dining room in the middle of service, which was odd.

Despite these challenges, our meal was worth putting on the "destination" list. We started with our customary, unapologetic order of crab rangoon. These had a hefty, thick wrapper, pinched into charming pinwheels, and were stuffed liberally with a lightly sweet filling of imitation crab.

Nichole opted for a special off the board, the twice cooked pork with black bean sauce. Pieces of fatty pork - basically bacon - were mingled with fresh bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions in a gingery sauce with a good afterkick. The meat lent the dish an earthy, smoky flavor.

JM anted up with the honey walnut shrimp. It had an excellent sweet flavor with very fresh and plentiful broccoli. Ten big shrimp in a very light tempura batter made for a filling and well-presented meal. The sauce, however, was the star, accented by coconut and candied walnuts.

Samantha also commented on the huge portion of her curry dish, some of which came home for next day's lunch. Bite for bite, Ross's cashew chicken must have contained more meat than vegetables.

Fugu basically proved to us that there's not much reason to mourn over the demise of Yummy Buffet in that space, even if it does mess up our A to Z assonance.

David Bacco's Chocolats

Update: David Bacco's Chocolats is now DB Infusion Chocolates.

In a word: Luxury in little boxes.

The specs: #0455  
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Madison Dining Online, Yelp, Daily Cardinal, Reading This Will Not Make You Popular; interviews at Isthmus, WKOW; official web site.

Gery, JM, John R., Nichole, Rose, and Ross ate an eight-piece assortment and a chakra bar.
The bill was $21, or $3.50/person.
JM, Nichole and Ross gave David Bacco's Chocolats an A-; Rose gave David Bacco's Chocolats a B+; John gave David Bacco's Chocolats a B; Gery gave David Bacco's Chocolats a C (see our grading rubric).

Shopping for David Bacco chocolates at Hilldale Mall is a lot like buying jewelry. Not only is presentation more than half the fun, but the staff behind the counter is solicitous and knowledgeable - and no way did any part of your purchase come from Dane County.

As we assembled choices for our eight-piece, refillable (!) box, our chocolate concierge described each morsel and placed it delicately in its spot with white-gloved fingers. We got a fromage de bleu from the Earth assortment; a caramel and a cashew carmel to represent Air; for Fire, a white chocolate silk; and several - coconut rum, lemongrass citron, lychee orange blossom, and smoked Spanish paprika - from the seasonal selections.

Once home, we cut up most of the pieces and tried to share the love. Starting with the more mundane, the cashew caramel was a hit; salty and chewy, it had an enchanting sweetness we couldn't quite place. The plain caramel also garnered praise.

The lychee orange truffle was very sweet indeed, and quite tropical. The coconut rum was enrobed in dark, rich chocolate yet was ultimately light and flavorful.

The lemongrass-citron was a distillation of summer - so very Wisconsin-y, it tasted like cut grass and made John R. want to moo in appreciation.

On the more exotic end, the smoked Spanish paprika lent that truffle a nice pop of an aftertaste. The bleu cheese truffle hit both sides of one's mouth, practically independent of one another. Rose said she'd hoped for more chocolate than cheese flavor and was disappointed. Nichole was fascinated but wouldn't necessarily consider her chocolate fix sated.

Finally, of the bunch the white chocolate silk was not very tasty. As Gery observed, white chocolate is just the grease of the cocoa bean, and even David Bacco couldn't hide that fact.

Since Ross had a bit of a headache while we were shopping, we chose the Third Eye chakra bar with açai berry powder, lavender and poppy in hopes of a cure. While it wasn't magic, it sure was tasty, though the additives were subtle, but we wouldn't throw out a bottle of Excedrin for it.

We'd had the good fortune to try David Bacco's chocolates at Cocoliquot and Ma-Cha before, and our assessment stands: for flash and flair, they can't be topped. They are beautiful and exotic and flaunt their far-flung roots in imported ingredients and shiny finish. For real, deep, sensuous chocolate flavor, however, you may have to look closer.

Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery

In a word: Could be your cup(cake) of tea.

The specs: #0454 
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at 77 Square, Isthmus, Madison Dining Online, Yelp, bigYELLOWBowl, QSC, gastropacalypse, first day report from Isthmus; official web site,

Latest Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery news and reviews at del.icio.us

JM ate the Porchlight pancakes with a chocolate strawberry cupcake.
Nichole ate the Porchlight orzo salad with an orange banana cupcake.
Ross ate the potato leek soup, Sprecher root beer, and banana pecan cream cheese cupcake.
Samantha ate the half house salad with a cappuccino and a raspberry vanilla cupcake.
The bill was $30, or $7.50/person, plus tip.
Nichole gave Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery a B+; JM gave Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery an A-; Ross and Samantha gave Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery an A (see our grading rubric).

So, after Circolo's Atkins-like protein loading, we needed to celebrate a successful wedding task done and, incidentally, a birthday. We headed to Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery to get some vegetables and carbs.

Ross's potato leek soup was very creamy, and Sam's house salad was fresh. JM and Nichole appreciated the care the Porchlight folks had put into their pancake mix and orzo salad, respectively. The pancakes really soaked up the syrup, which was nothing too special, and the pasta salad was very dilly and had a nice quantity of good Havarti and snappy peas.

Of course, you come to a cupcakery for cupcakes. These were very good, indeed, especially if you like a light, fluffy frosting; the texture is delicate and the recipe must be simply superb. Ross graciously submitted to a rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" even after the betatted server called him a "sucka" for letting us submit him to annuitized birthday torture.

Circolo Supper Club

Update 5/26/11: Circolo is moving.

In a word: Doing their own thing, and doing it well.

The specs: #0453 
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; review at Isthmus; official web site.

Latest Circolo Supper Club news and reviews at del.icio.us

JM, Nichole, Ross, and Sam tried the wedding tasting offerings.
The tasting bill was $50 each see details in first comment-ed. (thanks, Ross and Sam!).
JM and Nichole both gave Circolo Supper Club an A- (see our grading rubric).

Circolo presented us with an unusual challenge. It's a supper club with themed dinners held about every three weeks in Gallup Coffee and Bakehouse in Verona; our summer schedules threatened to bump Circolo to the next make-up list. Conveniently, a family wedding allowed us the opportunity to see Circolo in action at a tasting, if only in highly polished, personalized, and focused form. Having been on exactly one wedding tasting in our lives, we can only say that this one was elegant, professional and warm, if not strictly representative of the supper club itself. (That said, if you've tried a real Circolo Supper Club meal, please comment; and direct criticisms of our methods to the blog police.)

We sampled mostly meat: a chicken satay skewer with smoked paprika; fajita beef strips seared outside, rare inside, and crusted with chili powder; and a dish of pulled BBQ pork in a sweet and vinegary tomato base. A creamy purple coleslaw knocked all our socks off.

The winner of the group, though, was an appetizer of sirloin on focaccia with horseradish sauce and red bell pepper tapenade. Nichole assured Sam and Ross that she'd personally assemble plates for them while they greeted their wedding guests, lest these exquisitely balanced nibbles disappear first.

Big sister (that's Nichole) threw her weight around (at least) once with regards to the cheese tray offerings. One tray was a choice of nondescript cheeses - Monterey Jack, Colby, cheddar, etc. - that sounded rather bland. And as it turns out, that tray was the economical option from Sysco, though Circolo does cut it themselves and they get big points for answering openly when asked where the cheese was from. Another option, an artisan cheese plate with Hook's aged cheddar, local manchego, and more, sounded up to the task of introducing guests from all over to the joys of real Wisconsin cheese, which cannot be overstressed.

Bottom line, Sam and Ross hired Circolo to cater their wedding. The proof will be in the pudding this fall, but for now, JM and Nichole give them the full circle.

Cannery Grill

In a word: Ho-hum.

The specs: #0452 
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Isthmus, 77 Square, Madison Fish Fry; official web site,

Latest Cannery Grill news and reviews at del.icio.us

JM ate the prime rib sandwich.
Jim N. ate the beer cheese soup and beef stroganoff.
Nichole ate the Cannery Burger and beef vegetable soup.
We split the fried cheese curds.
The bill was $38, or $12.67/person, plus tip.
JM gave Cannery Grill a B; Nichole gave Cannery Grill a C-, Jim gave Cannery Grill a D+ (see our grading rubric).

The Cannery Grill is tucked a few blocks from the main drag, spitting distance from Atlantis Taverna and Market Street Diner in a mixed-use building. We got a chuckle out of the sign reserving parking for residents of the "Cannery Grill Apartments" and wondered what would happen if the restaurant ever folded. After this lunch, though, such a scenario wouldn't surprise us in the least.

The meal didn't suffer for lack of good company, as we were joined by Jim Norton, half of the team that created "The Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin" and the editor of Heavy Table, one of the most read food sites in the Twin Cities. Rather, the meal suffered from a chain-like atmosphere and recipes that, at the very least, needed more testing.

The menu is standard Friday's fare with the attendant huge portions: flatbread and regular sandwiches, salads, pasta, and burgers. We started with some deep fried cheese curds that were uniform in size and coated in a quarter inch breading, offered with marinara or ranch. They weren't even a big so what, they were a little so what. Jim and Nichole sampled a different soup each; the beer cheese was not so much cheese-flavored as nacho cheez inspired, including flecks of red pepper. The beef vegetable was too salty to finish, with an almost gelatinous texture, but big chunks of beef.

Jim said he chose beef stroganoff because of its status as Midwestern "soul food" that shouldn't be hard to pull off. Unfortunately, the dish was a "train wreck." The noodles were very thin and weren't a good vehicle for the sauce. Like the beef vegetable soup, the overriding flavor of the stroganoff was salt. The beef was "chewing-gum tough" and the garnishes, sour cream and sad-looking scallions, made little difference to the dish.

Nichole's signature "Cannery Burger" was not as bad:

• Bun: toasted white with sesame seeds.
• Meat: decent, cooked to order.
• Bun/meat ratio: just fine.
• Cheese: sloppy guacamole substituted for cheese.
• Misc.: served with leaf lettuce, a thick slice of rather pink tomato, pickle slices, and long strips of bacon. About a 5 of 10 overall.

Of this crowd, JM was the most pleased with his dish off the daily specials menu. A thick slab (as opposed to thin slices) of tenderish prime rib topped a toasted bun.  The jus was fine but a thicker sauce would have been better. The haystack onions were very lightly fried but had soaked up a lot of grease; still, they might have been the best aspect of the meal. But, then again, he ordered the special - not a good sign when the best dish isn't on the menu.

Service throughout the meal was either solicitous or hovering, depending on your point of view. To sum up, in Jim's words:

At the same price point, I'd rather eat at Culver's where you can get more graceful execution of a similar Midwestern suburban contemporary menu; and since Culver's is actually much cheaper, the decision would be simple.