On Friday, we visited the original restaurant on Monroe Street. I didn't remember being particularly excited about the food at Bluephies two years ago, but when we were looking for somewhere new to go to for dinner, I figured that after two years, it kind of counted as "new." After taking a look at their website it seemed that they had made some changes to their menu including seeming to have more gluten free options like the option to have gluten free bread and pasta substituted in some dishes for an upcharge.
On previous visits, the Ooey Gooey Pasta had been recommended by one of the wait staff and I think that is what I'd had on both occasions. I remember it being good, but nothing to write home about, so I wanted to try something different on this visit. Plus, that was the whole point of going somewhere "new!" After going back and forth between ordering a burger or the risotto, the waitress rightly pointed out that I could make a burger at home and recommended the risotto. And so risotto it was. The waitress, asked me if my "gluten allergy was severe" which I thought was a bit strange, but I responded in the affirmative since I thought that meant that they would make extra efforts to avoid cross contamination, which it seemed they did, because I did not suffer any ill effects from my meal.
The risotto had bits of duck shredded and folded in with thin pieces of asparagus and mushrooms and was in a red wine reduction. As with my memory of the ooey gooey pasta, I found the risotto to be good, but not particularly great. The concept was better than the execution. It certainly was a generous serving and there was no room for dessert which was a good thing, because they were out of the flourless chocolate cake which is their only GF dessert option. I know that Bluephies is a Madison establishment and certainly has lots of fans, but I must be missing something or maybe just haven't ordered the right things, because I find myself not being one of them. I'd be interested to hear what others think about Bluephies.
