Restaurant Week - 43 North

Summer restaurant week is always a favorite time of mine in Madison. It is an opportunity to try new restaurants, enjoy restaurants that I would not necessarily regularly frequent because of their prices and unlike the winter restaurant week, I don't have to dig through snow to get to them. For those unfamiliar with Madison's restaurant weeks, they occur twice a year, once in the winter and once in the summer. Local restaurants offer a choice of a set 3 course menu for $25. Some restaurants also offer a less expensive $15 lunch option during restaurant week. Reservations are highly recommended because many of the restaurants are full during peak times.

Today marked the first day of summer restaurant week and I thought we would give 43 North a try. We made reservations a few weeks ago after calling ahead to ask if there would be gluten free options on their menu. They assured me that there would be. 43 North is located on King Street, just off the square in the old Cafe Continental location. They are another restaurant that opened relatively recently and I've been wanting to give them a try, but until today hadn't made it in. After today, I think I'm going to be a regular.

I did have to consult with the waiter a few times before settling on an order because the initial menu options presented did not sound particularly appealing to me, although mostly because I don't particularly care for chilled soups or salmon which were the two suggestions offered for the first two courses. After further consulting with the kitchen, I ended up ordering the trout, the game hen and the chocolate dessert.

The waiter started us off with a chilled watercress and apple soup with a tomato fennel oil on top. Likely because of my already mentioned dislike of chilled soup, this was my least favorite of the offerings. I wonder if they meant to make the tomato fennel oil look like a face...

Next up was the trout which was pan seared instead of deep fried to make it gluten free. The trout was amazing! It was crispy on the outside, perfectly cooked and served on top of cucumbers and scallions with lemongrass, ginger and macademia nuts. It's not a combination that I would necessarily think would work well together, but I don't know how I'll be able to eat trout any other way now. Apparently this is not an item that is regularly on their menu, but I hope it gets added, because I must have this again!

For the entree, I ordered the Game Hen which is typically offered with Gnocchi but they were able to substitute a potato puree to make it gluten free. The game hen was also perfectly done and served with the aforementioned potato puree, wild mushrooms, sorrel and a mustard caramel. I was already getting full by the time this dish came out and in an attempt to have room for dessert, I asked to have half of it boxed and look forward to reliving this meal as I eat the rest of it sometime this week.

For the grand finale, I ordered the chocolate dessert with a hibiscus panna cotta and a curry flavored sauce - another unexpectedly delicious flavor combination and the perfect end to a wonderful meal.

I can't recommend 43 North highly enough. My only reservation is that the waiter did not seem particularly educated on gluten and did offer me both bread at the beginning of the meal and coffee cake at the end, but I was able to eat there safely after he graciously continued to check with the kitchen prior to me ordering. It certainly appeared that the kitchen had a good handle on gluten issues. The waiter did mention that the restaurant will be starting a happy hour menu in August and I look forward to going back then - hopefully they'll bring back the trout for that menu. As of right now, the only happy hour option with good gluten free appetizers has been Ocean Grill and I'm eager for another option. Hopefully you'll have the opportunity to get out there and try something new this week and if you're still looking for ideas, give 43 North a call! Enjoy!

jacs

It is no small wonder that this blog is 6 months old and so far jacs has only been mentioned as a small part of a previous post since we're there so often. It's probably because we're there so much that I've neglected to write a review on jacs and have instead written about other restaurants that I visit less frequently since I'm not sure when I'll return to those to write about them. It's finally time for me to give jacs it's due as the most fantastic restaurant for gluten free dining for it's style of cuisine and probably more than most other restaurants in town because of the special efforts it makes for it's gluten free diners. It is certainly one of my favorite restaurants in Madison.

jacs is located on Monroe Street on the same end as Bluephies and Taste of India. It has a dedicated fryer for gluten free food and are able to produce yummy gluten free frites and even a gluten free breaded fish fry on Fridays as a result. They are able to make almost any item on their menu gluten free, including those that contain bread products. Also, unlike most other restaurants who accommodate a GF diet by providing the menu item minus the offending gluten containing item, jacs provides a substitute including a gluten free flatbread, gluten free buns and bread for it's burgers and sandwiches and even a gluten free English muffin on their brunch menu!

I've had many of the menu items including a few of their flatbreads (the margarita is my favorite although the veggie looks delicious and I haven't tried that one yet), the duck, the burgers, the mussels and the smoked salmon benedict and can recommend them all in their own right. I've not been as impressed with their dessert, but I've only ordered it once and there's not typically room at the end of the meal anyway! jacs also carries GF beer and a cider as well as wine if you're looking to just stop in for drinks or to have a drink with dinner.

This Friday we had the fish fry which is probably what I go there most often to eat. It includes two breaded pieces of fish with tartar sauce, frites with aioli, coleslaw and applesauce which are all really good. There's typically nothing left on my plate at the end of the meal which attests to how good everything is, because it is a lot of food and apple sauce and coleslaw are not typically favorites of mine, but jacs does even these basics well.

The staff at jacs is knowledgeable about their gluten free items and very friendly and efficient. There's a strong need to be efficient too because jacs is frequently crowded with a wait for tables, especially on a Friday. They will do call ahead seating and we do typically call from home before we leave and ask to have our names put on the list. This can be done 30 minutes in advance. They do also take reservations, but I'm not sure if they do so every night.

I'm sure most people who live in Madison who are on a gluten free diet have already discovered jacs, but if you haven't, I would make it your next stop. Also, if anyone from jacs is listening out there, I'm making a special request for gluten free fried chicken. Enjoy!

Vin Santo

Tuesday was my first visit to Vin Santo in Middleton although I've passed it by many times on my trips to Bloom and been curious about what it has to offer by way of gluten free meals. I finally ventured in with a friend after previewing their menu online and seeing that they do have a number of gluten free items available.

Both myself and my dining companion found the ambiance of Vin Santo to be somewhat unusual for an Italian restaurant. To start, there is a strange disconnect between the dark windows and awning on the outside of the building and what greets you upon entering the restaurant. The inside seems to be a strange combination of Southwest colors and a supper club theme - antlers on the wall and all. Although the decor seemed unusual, the smells upon entering the restaurant are classic Italian and the diners certainly seemed to be enjoying their meals with gusto.

After a quick review of the menu and a description of their daily specials, I ordered the soup special which was a creamy spinach soup. Although they do not seem to carry gluten free pasta and the majority of their menu consists of pasta dishes, they do have a number of menu items listed as house specials which all seem to be gluten free. In addition, although their mussels are not listed as gluten free on their menu, the waitress indicated that they were indeed gluten free and I ordered those as well.

I enjoyed the idea of being able to order soup in a restaurant more than the reality of the soup itself which was a bit thin and not particularly flavorful. The mussels were a different story altogether.  They are on the Antipasto menu and although the quantity is indicated on the menu, for some reason, I expected a smaller portion. However, given that I ordered it as an entree, I was happy for the 2 1/2 dozen mussels that were presented. The mussels were perfectly cooked and not at all rubbery like they can sometimes be. The sauce was a delicious white wine broth that was great for dipping each yummy mussel into.

Overall, I would recommend Vin Santo as a solid choice for gluten free Italian food, although if they offered gluten free pasta, I would give it an even higher recommendation. My friend enjoyed her ravioli dish and as I mentioned, the meals at the other tables all looked and smelled delicious so it seems like a great option for non-GF diners as well. Enjoy!

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.

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Yesterday was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and we were in search of somewhere fun to sit outside, enjoy the weather and maybe have a summery drink before continuing on with the errands for the day. It would have been nice to sit out by the lake, but for all the lakefront property in the area, good restaurants on the lake seem to be a rarity in Madison (we do enjoy Sardine, but they're not exactly on the lake, so much as have a reasonable view of it).

We decided on Cheeseburger in Paradise in Greenway Station in Middleton which has a fun atmosphere and does have outdoor seating and a huge drink menu. Unfortunately, the outdoor seating looks out onto a parking lot and some of the shops of Greenway Station, but with the fun music in the background, if you have a good imagination, you can pretend you're on an island.

Cheeseburger in Paradise offers a number of the requisite cheeseburgers as well as salads, sandwiches and "specialties" as well as the aforementioned summery drinks. The restaurant has an island theme in both the food and drink menu as well as the atmosphere. They also have a gluten free menu available and the staff seem to have a good understanding of it and the relevant issues. Our waitress was very nice and patient with my multiple reminders about needing my meal to be gluten free.

I have had their burgers before, but unlike other restaurants, Cheeseburger in Paradise does not provide gluten free buns and on this occasion, I wasn't in the mood for just a meat patty with condiments. I ended up ordering the ribs with a side of french fries which are both gluten free. The fries are made in a dedicated fryer and both the ribs and the fries were very tasty! The meal also came with a slaw, which I did not particularly enjoy because of the raisins which were featured in it, but others may find it enjoyable.

Overall, I can recommend Cheeseburger in Paradise if you are looking for a fun, outdoor atmosphere and are in some mood for some American fare with an island twist. Any ideas for other gluten free friendly outdoor dining experiences welcome!

Quivey's Grove

Madison has finally started being consistently warm this month and for us that usually means it's time for out of town visitors. One of the places that I like taking people who are here to visit from out of town is Quivey's Grove. It's actually one of the first restaurants I ate at when I moved here and it gave me a sense of the type of down to earth style of cooking that is typical of classic Wisconsin fare. It was also one of my first introductions to how easy it is to eat gluten free in Madison in comparison to other cities that I've visited and/or lived.

As many people may know, Quivey's is actually two different restaurants - the more upscale Stone House and the more casual Stable Grill. They both have gluten free menus and although I've typically eaten at the Stable Grill, I've also found the Stone House to be delicious and accessible to a gluten free diet. If you've never gone through the tunnel from one to the other, it's a fun experience - at least once!

On this occasion I noticed that the menu had changed since my last visit there and one of the dishes that I typically order - the trout is no longer on the menu. The waitress seemed somewhat unsure about what was gluten free on the new menu and after checking with the kitchen I ended up getting the Windsor Whitefish, which is actually quite similar to the trout. The Whitefish is baked in a dill and mustard butter sauce and served with parmesan potatoes. The fish was perfectly cooked and has a mild flavor.

I've been to Quivey's many times and have always safely eaten a good meal there. They're also well known for their fish fry and they do have a gluten free option, although it's not breaded like the one offered at jacs (which I promise to review one of these days!). I would definitely recommend Quivey's and my only complaint is that the restaurant always seems full and the wait staff seem to have more tables than they can successfully attend to and ordering can sometimes feel rushed. With a little patience and good company, however, Quivey's is a great gluten free option. Enjoy!

Liliana's

You may have read about my disappointing experience at the Bayou, so you can imagine how excited I was to find a New Orleans style restaurant in Fitchburg with a gluten free menu and I was even more excited when I looked at their website and saw their gluten free offerings. Their GF menu had many choices and they even stock Silly Yak bread. In short, I had very high expectations for Liliana's before going there.

That said, I hesitate somewhat to write this review, because I can't imagine that my experience was typical. The experience started out poorly. Upon walking into the restaurant we asked for a GF menu and were told that they just changed their menu and hadn't yet printed new GF ones so the hostess had us stand and wait while she went and asked the chef to identify the gluten free items. I'm used to the staff having to check with the chef, but it would have been nice if we'd been seated while this was happening. We were eventually seated and waited for a waiter/waitress for over 15 minutes while the diners around us who arrived after us put their drink orders in and placed their orders. Eventually I asked for our waiter/waitress and someone came over shortly after and apologized for not realizing that we had been seated. Now I assume that these situations don't occur commonly and they really wouldn't have been much of an issue if the rest of the evening had not progressed as it did.

Now I must admit that I'm a bit lax about educating staff about gluten intolerance when they have GF menus, because I assume that someone's already done so if they have a GF menu. I will try not to make that mistake after this experience and am happy that I was more vigilant than usual as I ordered, although I probably should have been more so. I was eager to try the cornmeal crusted calamari, but quickly double checked that it was made in a dedicated fryer. It is not. The most challenging moment of the evening was when the waitress brought out my GF bread from the kitchen and proceeded to try to dump it in the bread basket with the regular bread which had been provided earlier. She seemed surprised by my request not to so and indicated that many people with gluten intolerance come in and this does not seem to bother them. When my GF bread came out with grill marks, I asked about the equipment it was made on and again learned that the equipment is shared, so I sent it back. They did offer a Crudites plate as a replacement, but I declined. It is unfortunate that they go through all the effort of getting GF bread and then don't seem to know what needs to be done to keep it that way.

I did eventually order the jambalaya which they are reportedly well known for as well as the creme brulee. They were both very delicious. The waitress also offered a couple recommendations for wine which were great. They have a very extensive wine menu and the live jazz in the background was really nice.

The creme brulee even looked so delicious that I dug in before I took a picture for you :) It was divine! As you may guess, I did get glutened and I won't be back, at least not for dinner. It's really a shame, because I think this restaurant does have the potential to serve gluten free food if their staff were more educated on cross contamination issues.

I think Liliana's is a great restaurant for diners who are not on a GF diet. I like the atmosphere, the wine list and the live music, but I wouldn't dine there again unless there were improvements made to the cross contamination issues.

I have one more soap box for the day. I LOVE that so many people are living healthier lives on a GF diet than they have in the past and realize that everyone's got different levels of tolerance for gluten. It's certainly increased the demand for GF products and the quality of them as well as encouraged more restaurants to try to accommodate GF diners. However, it seems that because of less sensitivity of some patrons, some restaurants have not been as attentive to cross contamination issues which makes dining at some places more difficult for those of us who are more sensitive to gluten than others. When I complain about some issues, I often hear that many GF diners are able to safely eat at a particular restaurant when I've had clear issues because of cross contamination. Of course, there are other restaurants who are wonderful about these issues and which I often enjoy eating at and it is certainly a personal risk when eating at a restaurant versus at home. It is still frustrating when restaurants claim to be able to offer GF menus and then are not educated on the issues. Hopefully you have many safe  and delicious dining experiences in your future!