8 Seasons Grille

This past Tuesday evening, I shared a yummy meal with a friend at 8 Seasons Grill. I was in the mood to try somewhere new and found this restaurant in the new Madison's Dining Guide. 8 Seasons Grill is a small bistro in downtown Madison a little bit away from the rest of the downtown restaurant scene. The inside of the restaurant has a comfortable neighborhood feel to it and a small bar area. The bartender seemed friendly and it seemed like a good place to stop in after work for a drink. The outdoor dining area where we sat is a good location for people watching and had a mellow mood, at least on the evening we were there. The restaurant changes it's menu 8 times per year as it's name suggests and seems to source locally.

The waitress was very friendly and assured me that they prepare gluten free meals "all the time" although she seemed somewhat unsure what this involved. After checking with the kitchen she was able to offer a number of choices, including the seafood special which I ended up ordering.  They also had a number of interesting salads such as the "Wisconsin" which is a watercress salad with cranberries and walnuts with a bacon vinaigrette. All their salads were described as gluten free, at least on the menu I ordered from and she assured me that many of the other entrees, including the breaded ones could be adapted to be gluten free.

The entree that I ordered consisted of scallops, shrimp and calamari with broccoli, onions and red bell peppers in a white wine sauce. It came with a side of Parmesan which I sprinkled generously on top (others may think it's a bit of overkill, but I love my cheese!). It was a nice light meal on a hot, almost summer evening. The scallops were perfectly cooked which is a success all on it's own!

My meal was good and safe as well, which is always a relief when I try somewhere new. I would definitely try them again and am excited to add this to the rotation of meals. The website suggests that a new menu is coming up at the end of June and I'm eager to go back and see what the new offerings are.