Caution:  Spectacular pictures of spectacular food follow.  We will let the pictures speak for the food and refrain from commentary! 

Samba Brazillian Grill (Chef Bob) & Lange Family Farm - Flanke Tostone

 Tornado Steakhouse (Chef Patrick) & Cherokee Bison and Black Earth Valley Farms - Marinated Bison Prime Rib with Sauteed Oyster Mushrooms and Au Jus.

A Caprese-like salad, for which we unfortunately lack official information.  If anyone can provide it to us, please contact us.  We would love to give this chef and this farm credit, because it was awesome!

Mermaid Cafe & Driftless Organics, Jordandal and Prairie Hill Farms - Gazpacho Andaluz

L’Etoile (Chef Tory) & Willow Creek and Normandy Valley Farms - Crispy Braised Pork Belley with Watermelon Tossed in a Spicy Mau Xiong Thai Chili Vinaigrette

The Madison Club – Fountain Prairie Farm - Sambal Marinated Beef Heart and House Fermented Market Vegetable Kimchee

The Madison Club & Artesian Trout Farm, New Century Farm - Pan Seared Rainbow Trout Served with Hard Boiled Egg Aioli, Shaved Radish, Bok Choy and House Made Tortone

The Madison Club - Dessert and Pastries, including Raspberry Cheesecake and Sour Cherry Tarts

Carr Valley Cheese

Fresco & Keewaydin Farms - Grilled Vegetable Gazpacho and Grilled Cheese

Sheraton Madison & MacFarlane Pheasant Farm, Castle Rock Organics, Merry’s Garden of Eatin, Farmers’ Market - Pheasant Roulade with Smoked Blue Cheese, Anaheim Peppers & Ground Cherry Relish served over Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes with Roasted German Brown Garlic

Jacs Dining & Tap House & Spring Valley Produce, Keewaydin Farms, L&L Greenhouse, Tipi Produce - Ratatouille Stuffed Gougeres

Ale Asylum - Hopalicious Pale Ale, Contorter Porter, Tripel Nova Belgian Tripel Ale

Crema Cafe & Langes Meats, New Century Eggs, Harmany Valley Farm, Farmer John’s Cheese, JenEhr Family Farm, Sassy Cow Creamery - Toasted Cedar Grove Cheddar Sammy with JenEhr Farm Cauliflower

The Madison Club & Black Earth Farms, Garden to Be - Summer Berry Sangria Cocktail

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                                                          L’Etoile truly represents the elitist of Madison.  Oh, not in the way that Flemings, or Delmonico’s, or Tornado Club do.  No, L’Etoile is old world Madison.  It’s for those old time Madisonians who remember the day when fine dining didn’t have choices, and L’Etoile was out of the reach of most… yet a shining star on the landscape which was Madison Dining.  The reputation was so far reaching that the former owner, Odessa Piper, became a nationally renowned entity.

Recently, I took part in a Madison foodie panel, during which there was surprising sentiment expressed that “Foodie” was a bad thing to be.  I’m pleased to say that L’Etoile caters to foodies.  More on why that is, sprinkled throughout this tale.

I called for reservations several days in advance.  I was counseled, upon request, that if I wanted a window table, we needed to be amongst the first in the restaurant.  And so I made reservations for 6 PM.  As I went to hang up the phone, I heard the voice at the other end question whether or not we were celebrating a special event.  Because, you know, it is that sort of special event place, in a very non-TGIF sort of way.

I’m somewhat embarrassed and yet still defiant enough to admit to the fact that I confirmed a special event celebration – an anniversary.  Now, reality is, it was not an anniversary.  Yet, I wanted to see what they did to honor that sort of event.  Additionally, after 18 years or so of co-habitating with another with nary an anniversary celebration observed, I didn’t see anything wrong with confirming that there was indeed an anniversary celebration to be had.

Blue Cheese Hand-Stuffed Olive

We arrived slightly early.  During the week dinner seatings begin at 6PM, yet one can sit in the very small bar starting at 5:30.  The bartender took very good care of us, disappearing for quite some time to fulfill my request of blue cheese stuffed olives to go with my martini.  As he came back from the kitchen, hand stuffing the olives with the cheese, he reverently pointed out the fact that he was using Hook’s Blue Paradise Cheese.  Hook’s cheese is a passion of ours, and so we appreciated the hushed confession.  Few places in Madison will hand stuff an olive with Blue Cheese upon request.  Even fewer will use Hook’s Artisinal Cheese.  Exhibit One as to why L’Etoile is a place for foodies.

The bartender served my martini with a flourish, and poured my companion his Lake Louie Scotch Ale.  He then called us by name as he wished us a Happy Anniversary.  To top off his attention to detail, I watched as he subtly inched a candle closer to the patrons next to us who were struggling to read the drink list in the dark recesses of the bar area.  I can not think of many bartenders who would even notice the need.

We were seated, eventually, at a prime table with the most amazing view of the Capital that one can find while dining.  There are not many scenes in the city that are as breathtaking.  We also noted that the staff had printed out a special menu for us, wishing us a personalized Happy Anniversary.  It was a nice touch.

Amuse Bouche

Our server approached with an Amuse Bouche – a very small hors d’œuvre meant to literally entertain the mouth.  In all the years that we’ve been going to L’Etoile, the Amuse Bouche has seldom changed dramatically.  It is a bite sized, wafer-thin cracker with herbed cheese and a nut on top.  And this is another reason that L’Etoile is a haven for foodies – the small attention to detail provided one very small bite of flavor to be savored.

Taste of the Season

Unexpectedly, we were served yet another small favor – the Taste of the Season.  This consisted of a very small tea cup filled with intense tomato flavor – clear tomato water infused with oregano with a skinless cherry tomato dropped into the liquid.  If you love tomatoes, this was simply amazing, and I am desperate to know how they infused such flavor into a clear water.  Now, having gone to L’Etoile at this particular time of year in hopes of finding the menu brimming with Heirloom Tomato based dishes, and discovering none to be found, this went a very long way in making up for the disappointment.  I suspect we scheduled our visit a week too late to partake in the heirloom tomato adventures.

Minestrone Soup

And because there were no heirloom tomato-based fist courses to be had, we settled for the Minestrone Soup ($11) and the Warm Chevre Salad ($12.50).  Each was topnotch.  The Minestrone was a rich broth brimming with seasonal vegetables and made with Willow Creek Farm Italian Sausage.  The Chevre Salad was made with Fantôme Farm cheese, and topped with Shooting Star Farm Frisée, Willow Creek Farm Bacon Lardons, and a Raspberry Vinaigrette.  It made for a fresh, light start to the meal.

Willow Creek Farm Pork Chop over a Creamy Herb Polenta

Our entrees arrived with perfect timing.  The Willow Creek Farm Pork Chop ($35) was sliced and served over a Creamy Herb Polenta.  The pork was tender, juicy and flavorful, and the Pork Dijon Jus and Concord Grape Gastrique added an elegant finishing touch to the preparation.  Served along side were perfectly sauteed Collard Greens.

Scottish Highland Sirloin

The Scottish Highland Sirloin ($38), from Fountain Prairie Farm, was also served sliced, atop Mashed Yukon Potatoes.  Cooked to a perfect Medium Rare, it was a very nice cut of beef.  Served along side the steak were Haricots Verts, a Spring Onion and Exotic Mushroom Ragout, some Hook’s Blue Cheese and Bone Marrow Compound Butter, and and a Red Wine Jus.

And the entrees again point out the Foodie allure at L’Etoile.  Ingredients are not only highly local and seasonal, but the originating local producers of the ingredients are proudly promoted throughout the menu and the meal.  This is what sets L’Etoile apart from many of the other upscale Madison restaurants.

L’Etoile won the 2006 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, and it is easy to see why.  The list has excellent variety and quality wines.   We chose a Tablas Creek Vineyard 2003 Esprit de Beaucastel, a Rhone blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, and Counoise ($65), and were pleased with it’s elegance and long finish.

Wisconsin Artisan Cheese Course

We finished our meal with a Flight of three Ports ($13), and the Wisconsin Artisan Cheese course.  We had a choice of five cheeses ($16).  We knew we wanted the Hooks Blue Paradise, and the Uplands 13-month Pleasant Ridge Reserve, as well as the Bleu Mont Dairy All-Cracked Up Gouda.  We asked our server to round out the rest of the selection, which he did very admirably.  The cheeses were served with Toasted Hazelnut and Apricot Bread and thin slices of Antique Apples.  We experienced yet another foodie moment as our server informed us that two of our cheeses, though from different cheesemakers, shared milk from the same local dairy.

We don’t go to L’Etoile often, reserving it as a special treat scheduled around our favorite points in the produce season.  And while the last few times we had gone, we had been less awed than usual, this trip to L’Etoile was a first class experience in terms of both the meal and the service.  If you consider yourself a foodie, or even if you simply enjoy creatively prepared, flavorful, seasonal food with excellent service, treat yourself to a trip to L’Etoile.  You won’t regret it!

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Hours:  Wednesday – Saturday 5:00 – 9:30

A short trek from Madison, nestled in the hills of Green County just 5 minutes south of New Glarus, awaits the Dining Room at 209 Main, a restaurant that makes the trip well worthwhile.

We first ran into David “Wave” Kasprzak at a cooking exhibition held at the Orange Tree Imports.  He was friendly and real, and he cooked in a way that was refreshing – I hate to use the term “fusion” because it has become so trendy, but Wave was fearless in his combination of ethnic flavors and influences, combining culinary styles with the blink of an eye.   Wave and his wife Jane Sybers opened the restaurant in 1996, and Asian, Southwestern, and Mexican flavors are found running through the dishes at The Dining Room, and all to good effect.

A recent Saturday night found us at The Dining Room at 209 Main, eagerly awaiting our dinner.  We’ve been here before, and we know the unique experience that was ahead.  We started our meal with two appetizers – Cornmeal Crusted Portabella Mushroom with pickled ginger, peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce ($10) and Grilled Sausage Trio with creamy sauerkraut and refrigerator pickles ($12).  Both were tremendous, but for uniqueness, the mushrooms won any appetizer contest that may have been ocurring at the table.

Entrees included Grilled Beef Tenderloin Filet with worchestershire sauce, blue cheese cream, fresh asparagus and mashed potatoes ($28), Ravioli stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses and shitake mushrooms served with seared spinach, roasted red pepper broth and garlic oil ($20), Cornmeal and Habanero Encrusted Pork Cutlets with pablano cream sauce, cheddar grits, and sweet pepper tortilla salad ($23), and the Mixed Grill of lamb tbone, flat iron steak, and pork tenderloin medallions with a red wine horseradish reduction sauce, mashed potatoes and asparagus ($28).

There was no doubt that the Pork Cutlets won the table’s entree contest.  The cornmeal and habanero added a crunchy, spicy crust to the ample cutlets, with the pablano cream sauce adding to the mild heat.  The cheddar grits provided a very robust backdrop to the meat and the sauce, more than adequately standing up to the flavors.

That is not to say that the beef tenderloin filet didn’t win praise from the diners.  A very nice cut of meat, decoratively placed on a bed of potatoes and surrounded artfully by the accompanying sauces, it is one of the better, more interesting upscale filets that you will find within driving distance of Madison.

The desserts were works of art.  They consisted of Sticky Toffee Pudding with Roasted Pecans ($6),  and Chocolate Tart with Raspberry Sauce ($6).  And of course we ordered the Cheese Course, consisting of Hooks Seven Year Cheddar with croutons, seed mustard and sliced apples ($8).  Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a weakness for any cheese coming from Hooks, a local Artisanal cheesemaker.

We heartily recommend The Dining Room at 209 Main.  Take the short drive in the fall, as the trees turn their colors, enjoy the scenery, and be prepared for one of the best meals that you will partake of in the Madison area.

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A Saturday morning trek around the Dane County Farmers Market on the Square is simply not complete without a stop at any one of the numerous establishments that offer up brunch.  Our routine is to arrive early at the Farmers Market,  grab some coffee, jaunt around the square, and settle in for more coffee and a very early brunch by 7:3o AM.  One of our favorite stops has turned into the Marigold Kitchen on Pinckney Street.

 Even by 7:30 AM, Marigold Kitchen is buzzing with activity.  You more than likely will need to have patience if your desire is to sit outside at a sidewalk table (and that should be your desire!)  There is a reason that the crowds gather here.  The food is terrific.  One orders their menu choices inside at the counter, then settles in at a table and waits for the meal to be served.

The choices at Marigold Kitchen are upscale, eclectic, and yet very reasonably priced.  Eggs and bacon run around $5.95, with omelettes coming in at $7.95.  On a recent morning we ordered the Breakfast Sandwich ($5.95) and the Salmon, Dill and Cream Cheese Omelette ($$7.95).  Photos can be seen below. (Mouse over the images to navigate!)

The Breakfast Sandwich consisted of fried egg, with cheddar-spiked boursin, applewood smoked bacon, tomato and green onion on toasted ciabatta.  It was a spectacular burst of flavor in every bite, with the ciabatta providing a very sturdy, flavorful platform for the boursin, bacon and tomato.  This is easily one of the best breakfasts in Madison.

The Salmon, Dill and Cream Cheese Omelette, served with Marigold potatoes, is delicate yet still flavorful.  If you love dill (and we do!) there are few dishes that showcase that fresh taste quite like this dish does.

Get there early, grab an outdoor seat, and watch the city awaken and come alive.  It’s a wonderful way to start your weekend.

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