Okay so full disclosure, I'm really torn on this review. I loved L'Etoile years ago when it was in an upstairs space just a block away from it's current location. You walked up a flight of narrow, rickety stairs to an intimate dining room of perhaps 20 tables and a small bar with a handful of stools. The menu was unapologetically classic French cuisine with no foams, fuss or fusion.
Today, L'Etoile is on the forefront of Madison's contemporary food scene with accolades and new blood in the kitchen. The space is voluminous with floor to ceiling windows, a crowd of well appointed people and a handful of folks whose laughter cuts through dinner conversation thanks to the acoustics. The menu is progressive and creative, well-deserving of recognition and indicative of great technique, the staff is knowledgeable and the wine menu is one of the best in Madison (if not the best).
These are habitually the characteristics of what I crave in fine dining but every once in a while a memory makes an indelible mark and you just want that same meal, same service and same experience to last forever.