TRU Tavern and Grill opened in April, but we hadn’t had the opportunity to go and check it out.  Located on Main Street in an old mill that is over 150 years of age, this once housed the rather infamous Clay Market Cafe.  We most recently visited the building when Serendipty occupied the mill.  In the beginning we had been excited about Seredipity and it’s promise, but it fizzled in execution and in atmosphere and eventually closed doors.

Enter TRU.  We were a bit leery of the press coming out of this restaurant.  TRU seemed to be offering high quality meals at extremely reasonable prices.  In fact, rumor had it that there was no meal over $20 on the menu.  This we had to see to believe.

Being either naive or foolish (or perhaps a bit of both), we ventured to the quasi-tourist town of Cambridge the day before the Fourth of July holiday to try TRU out.  Living slightly southeast of Madison, it was easier to get to this restaurant than to any restaurant on Madison’s West Side.  A quick 18 minutes in the car and we arrived at TRU, eager to test it out.  We arrived early by some dining standards, asking for a table at 5:30.  Because we did not have reservations, we were told there would be a 25 minute wait.  This was perfectly understandable, and we settled ourselves in the still relatively quiet bar.

By the time our table became available, people were lined up deep at the bar battling for drinks.  TRU had quickly filled up and was buzzing with patrons.  We were seated within the promised timespan.  The dining room was packed, and had been upgraded since our last visit.  It had a cleaner, more cared-for atmosphere than when Serendipity occupied the space, but it was still noisy, with voices bouncing off the walls and around the room.

(Note:  I’m going to post some photos that I took with my camera phone.  Don’t laugh.  I need a serious camera phone upgrade!  You can click them to enlarge them.)

Rumor had it that the menu was varied, interesting, and reasonable in terms of price.  We found that to be the case, and spent quite some time debating our selections.  The menu ran the gamut, with an array of tempting appetizers including the “Wood Oven Bake”, a spread of spinach and artichokes baked in a parmesan cheese sauce and served with wood fired pizza bread.  This appetizer cost $6.50, and looked intriguing, but we had gone into the dinner with images of a wood burning oven baked pizza dancing in our heads.  And so we ordered the aptly named Wood Fired Pizza to kick off our meal.  The menu promised a pesto tomato basil sauced crust, mozzerella, goat cheese cream, spinach, roasted peppers, and wild mushrooms, for a mere $7.50.

And that is almost what we got, too.  The pizza was delivered to us a short while later and it was more than amply sized.  It could have well served 4 people as a split appetizer.  And it almost lived up to it’s promise.  (You will note that this statement becomes a theme for the evening).  The crust edges were crisp and had the consistency that one expects from a wood oven pizza.  But the middle of the pizza was underdone, with the toppings cold and the crust soggy.  The promised wild mushrooms turned out to be some seriously undercooked plain jane button mushrooms.

But the flavor was good, and we can only imagine that this pizza will become a favorite if prepared properly and as promised in the future.

In fairness, we must take a moment to now note that the crowd in the restaurant had become close to unmanageable.  The place was packed to the gills with not only no empty tables, but all chairs occupied as well!

Our entree choice was difficult.  TRU offers everything from grilled salads to tempting sandwiches, to seafood, pasta, pork, chicken, steaks and combos.  The fresh Wild Alaskan Salmon Grill ($12.95) can be prepared a number of different ways, including pesto brushed, or with lemon white wine, butter, shallots and capers.  The Skillet Chicken ($12.50) was described as breast cutlets topped with spinach, proscuitto, red wine sauce, asiago and parmesan cheeses.  We were incredibly amused by the description of the Beer Battered Shrimp.  Described as large shrimp with cheese curd filling, wrapped with bacon, then fried and served crisp, we tossed around the idea that the only thing this item needed to become the quintessential Wisconsin dish was a grilled split boiled in beer bratwurst serving as the base of the dish.

We chose two of the steak dishes for a few reasons.  First, we’re steak eaters, we admit.  But we were curious to see how the promise of their low cost yet quality steaks held up.  We know quality steaks, and we are not afraid to spend $40 to get one, so this was a real challenge in our opinions.  We ordered the Tavern Filet, a black pepper crusted filet served with roasted red peppers in a red ale tomato sauce for $17.50.  Also ordered was the Tavern and Grill Strip Steak, $18.95, topped and crusted with shaved proscuitto, bruschetta tomatoes, and parmesan cheese.

And once again, TRU almost lived up to the promise.  First, I know we don’t have to tell you this, but I still feel the need to say it.  When someone who is not your server rushes out with your meals after a significant wait, their hands wrapped in towels so that they can carry the plate, proudly proclaiming, “These plates are REALLY HOT!”, don’t for an instant believe that this is a good thing.  It merely means that it’s been sitting under the heat lamp begging for your server’s attention, while the plate heats up and the food gets cold.

And so it was.

The Steaks were of adequate quality for the price, and the effort put into the steaks to make them unique dishes was appreciated.  However, the steaks were cold.  They weren’t lukewarm.  They weren’t even really room temperature.   While the flavor was great, and the presentation was nice, the steaks were cold.  And that is the bottom line.

The steaks came with a choice of sides.  We choose the garlic parmesan fries and the wild rice blend with vegetables.  The fries would have been spectacular if they hadn’t suffered the ill effects of the heat lamp.  The wild rice blend was good as a dish, but disappointing if you expected more than a speck or two of real wild rice.  It was mainly your average white rice.

Our server, who had been absent for most of the meal, tried to entice us into dessert as well, with the warning that they seemed to be out of many of the items on the menu.  Instead, as is our tradition, we finished the meal with a couple of glasses of port.  After another wait, we got our port served in tequila sipping glasses rather than port glasses.  Showing a sense of humor, our server hastened to assure us that they simply did not have port glasses, but don’t worry, he wasn’t giving us tequila.

In fairness to the restaurant, we believe that we picked what was probably their busiest evening that they’ve experienced since opening.  The wait staff seemed extremely competent, but very overwhelmed.  The kitchen was operating under the same conditions.

And so we wrapped up our excursion to TRU Tavern and Grill with mixed emotions.  We like the menu and the atmosphere.  We really like the prices.  We liked the promise of the flavors, and we believe that if the food were served at the right temperatures and without the obvious waiting time under the heat lamp, it would be really very good.  We believe that the waitstaff would be top notch under a more controlled crowd situation.

So, we’ll go back and give them another try on a quieter evening.  We hope that they truly do live up to their possibilities during that visit.

[where: 159 W. Main Street, Cambridge, WI]

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Madison has a new upscale steakhouse that easily competes with the established area establishments.  Fleming’s Steakhouse and Wine Bar, located in the Sentry parking lot in Hilldale Mall opened recently, to large crowds and good preliminary reviews.

Madison Dining Online checked out Fleming’s on a recent Friday evening.  Reservations were nearly impossible to come by, but by agreeing to dine early (5:30), we were put on the reservation list.

The first thing that we noticed was that Flemings has valet parking.  We can’t be sure, but we debated whether or not this is the only valet parking in Madison, and came to the conclusion that it may well be.  We were early enough that we did not need to partake in that service, however, finding a convenient spot near the entrance.

The second thing that we noticed was the decor of the restaurant.  Dimly lit and elegantly designed, the atmosphere was pleasant, quiet, and again upscale.  Upscale is a word that we will use often in this Spotlight.

And the third thing we noticed were the wonderful homemade potato chips being served at the bar.  Arriving early for our reservations, we opted to have a drink at the bar to scope it out.  Fleming’s barstaff was pleasant and friendly, serving up the chips along with the drinks.  Extra points were earned by providing blue cheese stuffed olives to go along with the vodka martini that was ordered.

Shortly after being seated for dinner, the waitstaff brought a relish tray to the table.  Yes, I’ll say it again… it was an upscale relish tray, with crisp breads and various butters.  The menu was extensive, with selection to appeal to all.  Main entrees with sold ala carte, with appetizers, salads, soups and side dished available for purchase.

Our party of three started with the Artisan Cheese selection, a nice serving of assorted cheeses and fresh fruit.  We moved on to salads, ordering both the classic caesar salad and the mozzerella and tomato salad.  The caesar salads had a good, garlicy dressing, while the tomato salad was presented with slices of fresh mozzerella and cherry tomatoes.  This salad will probably be better in season.

Entrees ordered included the bone-in New York Strip, the bone-in ribeye, and the large tenderloin filet.  The steaks were excellent, cooked as ordered and served on very hot dishes.  These steaks easily compete with, and sometimes best, the steaks available at the more elite Madison steakhouses.

Side dishes ordered included the sauteed mushrooms and the mashed potatoes with gorgonzola compound butter.  The potatoes were extremely flavorful and interesting.  A side dish of interest which was not ordered was the chipotle cheddar macaroni and cheese.

The wine list was interesting and affordable, which tends to be a challenge for other elite Madison steakhouses.

Too full to even think about dessert after the meal, we ended the evening sated and very satisfied with the food, the atmosphere and the top-notch service.

Flemings Steakhouse is not for the faint of wallet.  This was easily one of the most expensive dinners that we’ve ordered in Madison.  But we don’t believe that Flemings is attempting to attract those concerned with cost.  Their appeal is towards those who appreciate an upscale dining experience without concern for the tab.

So, does Madison really need another chain restaurant?  In this case, we’ll say yes.  While we will not turn our backs on locally owned Madison steakhouses, there is definitely a place for Flemings in our area.  If nothing else, it will raise the bar of competition, which will benefit local diners.

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(This review has been updated.  Click here to read the update to this review)

Madison’s East side has a new restaurant, and it is something to write home about.

The Cloud 9 Grille, located on the far east side off of Cottage Grove Road, brings a much needed new element to the Madison dining scene. While new, interesting restaurants are springing up all over the west side and downtown, this new entrant onto the Madison restaurant scene is one of the first of its kind on the east side, long an area of fast food restaurants, chains, and mom and pop locally owned spots.

We’ve visited The Cloud 9 Grille three times now, for differing reasons and to varying degrees of success. The first time we stopped in, we were merely checking it out after dining out elsewhere. We sat in the bar for an after dinner drink and checked out the bar, the crowd, and the restaurant in general. And crowded it was. It is clear that the east side has been starved for a more upscale, grownup watering spot. The service in the bar was friendly, the wine and beer selections were more than adequate, and the crowd was indulging in a wide array of drinks, appetizers and light dinners. We did not try the food on this trip.

Our second journey to the Cloud Grille was to test their dinner menu on a weekend evening. Seated upstairs, away from the hustle and bustle of the sports bar atmosphere below, we were thrilled with the birds-eye view of Madison from our perch above the city. The capital and the lakes were laid out in front of us as the sun set to the west. It is very easy to state that this is perhaps the best view you will find from a Madison restaurant.

And the food and service was equally as pleasing. Entrees ordered included the Roasted 1/2 Chicken and the Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta. A side Caesar Salad was added, as the entrees do not come with a salad included.

The Roasted Chicken had been in marinaded olive oil, garlic, basil and thyme. Served with finishing touch of lemon-butter, this chicken was moist, tender and very flavorful. The only quibble to be had was that the entree was a bit too oily, with olive oil/butter pooling on the plate it was served on.

The Pasta was chock full of truly spicy Italian sausage. The sauce was just thick enough to hold the pasta and sausage together without completely overwhelming it. A hearty portion, it was one of the better pasta dishes to be had on Madison’s east side.

The wine list is not robust, but full of enough solid and reasonably priced choices that there were no quibbles with it.

On this trip the service was spectacular, with the server being efficient, friendly and helpful.

Our next trip was again for dinner. While the food was still good, our choices weren’t quite as pleasing, and the service, to be honest, was terrible.

On this trip entrees ordered included the Kansas City Strip steak, the center cut filet steak, the double porkchop, and the ground sirloin burger.

The Kansas City Stip was ordered medium rare and delivered slightly undercooked, but edible. This cut of meat is not the best steak in Madison, but we have had far, far worse, at more expensive prices.

The filet was somewhat disappointing. Though a perfectly okay cut of meat, higher quality and better preparation would have been appreciated. Having said that, we would probably order it again in the future.

The Double Pork Chop was a very large 18 ounce cut of pork, brined and then grilled with a mustard and bacon sauce. Though at first the salty flavor was a bit overwhelming, it settled in to a very good entree. We would definitely order this again.

The sirloin burger was large, and was offered with cheese, bacon, onions and mushrooms.

The service was not good. Our server did not bring the bread until asked, about half way through the meal. The bottle of wine that was ordered did not make its appearance until the meals were almost 2/3 of the way done, and again, we had to ask for it. The server was scarce, which caused us the delay in asking for the missing items. She seemed unenthused and uncaring, and was far more interested in her young male coworkers than she was in the tables that she had been assigned to wait on.

We would encourage our readers to not let that stop them from trying this restaurant, however, as this problem seemed to be the exception rather than the rule.

All in all, this restaurant is exactly what the east side of Madison needed, and we’ll be going back – often!

(This review has been updated.  Click here to read the update to this review)

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