Old Feed Mill

In a word: Get your feed on.

The specs: #0441    
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Madison Fish Fry, Yelp, Althouse, collected at del.icio.us; official web site.

JM ate the queen cut prime rib and a lemonade.
Nichole ate the cider chicken and a coffee.
The bill was $35, or $17.50/person, plus tip.
JM gave Old Feed Mill an A; Nichole gave Old Feed Mill an A- (see our grading rubric).

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Old Feed Mill, as quaint as anything in Mazomanie, is on the way to American Players' Theatre from Madison and is definitely worth a stop. We were impressed by the character - rural but not saccharine, with a candy counter, gift shop and quilts balanced by slightly funky mismatched wooden furniture. Housed literally in an airy old mill, they still grind their own grain for the bread. The food was a great value (even if you account for a comped dessert - more on that later) and offered reasonable portions of comforting classics.

Dinner started with a sweet, soft and nutty loaf of warm whole wheat bread, the kind that is ephemeral in its many charms and therefore disappears quickly. JM's salad included the first really delicious cherry tomato of our year, even if it wasn't from around here.

Nichole's cider-roasted chicken came from the "lighter appetites" menu, which served smaller portions of favorites. In this case, two pieces of lightly sweet and apple-infused chicken came with vegetables and potatoes, instead of a half bird, still an ample meal. The dark leg was very juicy, while the breast was rather dry.

JM's prime rib was cooked to order and served with a peppery jus. The garlic mashed potatoes had large quantities of fresh garlic (so much they almost tasted hot), with the skin in. The mixed vegetables on both our dishes were a bit softer than al dente but not overbuttered.The whole meal was a robust sensory experience, warm and delicious.

The only drawback to our meal was the hectic service - we were greeted by three different people, served by a fourth, and got uneven refills. While we didn't see this as a huge problem, our server seemed to think so and offered us a dessert (something that never happens in Madison, even with far worse service), which is how we ended up with a brownie cheesecake a la mode. A sweet yet dark and very moist chocolate brownie foundation supported a layer of tart, sticky cheesecake. Oddly, the brownie was smoother than the cheesecake. The accompanying ice cream served in a martini glass was vanilla plus chocolate, nuts, and caramel.

While Nichole was pleased with Old Feed Mill, she wasn't as thrilled as JM. His excitement rubbed off, however; anywhere that isn't BK that JM gets excited about eating at is worth returning to, in Nichole's opinion. And so we hope we haven't jinxed yet another good restaurant.

Comments

[LMH]

We had our wedding here and the whole experience was phenomenal. The owner worked with us, and the food and drink were good and plentiful. I can recommend all the soups I've ever had, the bread and also the pot roast. AWESOME!

It's not fancy food, but it's homey and comforting, filling and good. I always feel that I get what I pay for and usually the service is very good and not hectic. Also, notice that for a mill, it's very clean and there were few cobwebs in the rafters. After you live in an old house a while, you realize that this is a special thing!

[Keddie]

My husband and I have eaten here a few times. Loved the homestyle pot roast and potatoes which hit the spot on a cold, rainy Sunday. Some of the food can be hit or miss, but all in all it's a nice place to go when you're in the area and in need of some tasty comfort food.

[Liz A]

Wonder about vegetarian options at places like this. hubby is not veg, I am. At certain kinds of restaurants, veg options are assured, but at homestyle places you never know. Do you recall? Sounds fab, and I've always 'meant' to go there, but also have always 'meant' to investigate the veg. picks.

And.. what about a word on that when it is notable?

[catwoman]

last time I was there (which was quite awhile ago), they had Pasta Primavera. I think that was the only veg entree on their menu.

[catwoman]

Looks like the menu's changed a bit since I was last there. Here it is:

http://www.oldfeedmill.com/feedmill/dinner.html

[liz]

looks very promising. perhaps i'll even do just apps plus salad, tho two veg choices is great for a place like this.

[m]

the brunch on a sunday was really disappointing. should have avoided it for the price!

[catwoman]

I went out there again tonight for the first time in at least 4 or 5 years. The food is good - although maybe not phenomenal - and the same with the service. My main beef is that the menu seemed very "wintery" - too heavy for July. Beef with bourbon sauce, pork chops stuffed with sausage and maple , pot roast, mac & cheese, that sort of thing - i.e., heavy. Too bad they don't lighten it up a bit in the summer. The pasta primavera they used to have would have fit the bill perfectly - but that's disappeared from the menu. I guess this is a place we'll visit most often when it's cold...