Madison has a pretty good reputation as a food town, and it’s mostly quite well-earned. Nevertheless, collegetown sophistication notwithstanding, a lot of the food in Madison does have a little bit of a Midwestern feel. It tends to be a little milder than it is in other places. Just a touch more American. A little conservative. Heavy on sweet, pleasant but indistinct cheeses. This is particularly true when it comes to “nice” restaurants, as opposed to cheap-and-ethnic; these tend mostly to be pretty boring meat-and-potatoes joints. L’Etoile is an exceptional restaurant.
L’Etoile is the city’s foremost fine dining destination without much question. It’s an exquisite, very modern, sustainable new-American menu that wouldn’t be out of place in a city of any size or location. Also, the founding chef was a real pioneer in the slow food and local/sustainable food movements. This place deserves the honors it has received — it is without question among the country’s best restaurants.
over 4 years ago