Brasserie V
In a word: The upscale beer and cheese place.
The specs: #0287
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Food Racket, Madison Beer Review, the Other Side of the Ocean, Yelp, food608, Cap Times 1/12/2008 and 1/24/2008, Ruppert Food Blog; TDPF commentary; mention at Isthmus; Madison Originals profile; official web site;
Latest Brasserie V news and reviews
Chris ate the rosemary chicken with a Blanche de Bruxelles.
JM ate the ham and cheese sandwich.
Nichole ate the avocado BLT with a Lindeman's Framboise.
We split a piece of cheesecake.
The bill was $49, or $16.33/person, plus tip.
Chris gave Brasserie V an A; JM and Nichole gave Brasserie V an A- (see our grading rubric).
Brasserie V (as in "vantastic") was packed the Wednesday night we went. Most of the clientele wore tiny, chic eyeglasses and looked right at home sipping from any of a number of the Belgian beers on tap. The small menu was nonetheless decently balanced, and though we left judgment of the frites to other palates, we did sample an entree and 2 sandwiches. And, of course, some beer.
Chris' Blanche de Bruxelles was eminently pleasing to his palate. Nichole went out on a limb with the raspberry beer and can now say she knows what an actual girly beer is like. The Framboise got cloying after a little while, but it was worth trying once. It would have paired well with the night's cheese plate, which featured 3 Wisconsin cow cheeses and 2 imported non-cow varieties. It made us proud to be 'Sconnies.
A bread and cracker plate featuring Potter's crackers accompanied the orange rosemary chicken entree. The butter seemed to be infused with orange zest, a nice surprise. (Unfortunately at this point our camera konked out.)
Something we all noticed was how well-appointed the table was, with large, high-quality white napkins and hefty tableware. The latter came in especially handy for Chris, whose orange rosemary chicken came on the bone. He found that the skin was highly seasoned and flavorful, but not necessarily with orange and rosemary as the top notes. It was still pleasing, it just wasn't what he'd expected. The mashed potatoes with garlic and parmesan, as well as the green beans, were good sides, and everything was presented well.
Nichole and JM opted for sandwiches. JM's was an unusually designed creature, a ham and cheese with the cheese broiled on top of the bun. (Come to think of it, the silverware came in handy with this dish too.) The flavors in the sandwich were very complementary. The bag of Miss Vickie's chips was a little incongruous, however.
The avocado BLT was a good choice for Nichole. The bread was grilled to an exceeding crunchiness, and came topped with Nueske's B, fresh, thinly cut T, plenty of mayo, and ripe squishy avocado. It all added up to a deceptively filling dinner.
One slice of cheesecake proved to be a good sweet to end with. It had a soft crust of Potter's graham crackers, and was actually quite light for a cheesecake. More whipped than the dense rich things that one would find at an even higher-scale 'aurant. We left off the Door County cherries, the absence of which made the cake's intense sweetness all the more noticeable.
The waitstaff was pleasant and very knowledgeable. We thought her recommendations for beer and food were quite good. We'd come back, especially on a weeknight when a table would be easier to get. From the looks of it, Brasserie V stands for victory.
Can't wait to try this place. But it's all about the frites for me! I'll have to investigate on my own.
Posted by: JSE | October 15, 2007 at 08:27 PM
Well, either that or without legible handwriting.
Posted by: nichole | October 16, 2007 at 11:21 AM
best place for beer and fries in town. this place smells great too! a must visit. A+
Posted by: Smith | October 21, 2007 at 07:17 PM
I also liked their frites, especially the yummy mayo-type sauces that came with it.
I had the mussels and frites and was quite happy with it.
Posted by: Crystal | October 23, 2007 at 10:21 AM
We went there this weekend and it really is a nice place. The beer offerings are FANTASTIC! I can't comment on the wine as I fully confess I have no clue, but it seemed to offer enough options. There was an air of pretentiousness, but the beer and food makes it worth it. I am really disappointed to say though, that while we ordered frites, there was a mix-up and we did not receive any, so I cannot attest to how those were. Though they looked delicious, which made not getting them all the more painful. It was pretty busy in there for a Saturday and they don't take reservations. But I saw many eating appetizers at the bar. Definitely worth going!
Posted by: Catlady | December 10, 2007 at 09:38 PM
Never got around to posting about it, but we hit Brasserie V for lunch on a very bacchanalian weekend with a visiting-from-out-of-town friend, and it was really nice. I wasn't crazy about the pasta salad (because I'm not big on sun-dried tomatoes), but everything else was very tasty--including the croque monsieur!
Posted by: Kyle | May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM
The better half and I finally got to Brasserie V last night, and neither of us were disappointed. The food was excellent and the service was exceptional. We will definitely go again, but due to budgetary restrictions, we'll need to limit it to lunch.
Posted by: kat | June 10, 2008 at 05:46 PM
Brunch was awesome. We went a week ago last Sunday. They bust out the croque madame for brunches (awesome, BTW), and all parties were happy with the wide variety of dishes that made it to our table.
Amazingly, no one got waffles.
Posted by: Kyle | June 10, 2008 at 06:55 PM
Went there on Friday for lunch - very crowded. But the food was worth it. I had a chicken and blue cheese sandwich and pasta salad. LOVED IT! My boyfriend had the reuben and thought it was wonderful too. I'd love to hit there again for dinner some time - when I can order a glass of frambois.
Posted by: Heather | July 20, 2008 at 09:00 AM
Have been here a few times for lunch. The Reuben was surprisingly disappointing and sub par. But the muffaletta was one of the top sandwiches I've yet had in Madison and fairly priced. I'd also argue that their fries are almost definitely the best in town. I'm a big fan of Belgian beers, and this is clearly the place to be for high octane imports. Highly recommended.
Posted by: Timmy | October 14, 2008 at 05:14 PM
Grr. Brasserie V still amazing, as close to a sure-thing as you could ever want to get. But they've closed their brunch operation in favor of 4-10pm Sunday hours featuring a "lite" menu that for now, at least, is just their lunch menu.
I can't think of a reason other than profit margin or Sunday AM staffing patterns. I don't know why, but I'd be disappointed if it were the former. Their brunch was terrific.
Posted by: Kyle | October 05, 2009 at 09:21 AM
New "late-winter" dinner menu rolled out last night at Brasserie V, and the wife and I decided to burn our gift certificate to splurge a little. She had the pork loin with cheddar polenta (delicious), and I had the duck confit, which we were told was a returning favorite from an old version of the menu (and also extraordinarily delicious).
The creme caramel at the end was lovely. Can't say enough about this place; even without brunch, it's a restaurant I wish I could go to every. damn. day.
Posted by: Kyle | February 09, 2010 at 02:53 PM
I love this place. This is one of those places that I just love to bring visitors to because the prices are reasonable, and the food is amazing. Mmm frites!
Posted by: Amanda | February 11, 2010 at 03:16 PM