| rev:text
| - I will definitely be back. The food was good. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad, either. I will also note that my party and I dined during their first week, so I'm sure kinks were (and still) being worked out.
Occupying a space that was formerly Cafe Montmartre, for those of us who remember, Underground Kitchen has done a *spectacular* job of renovating the space. The decor is very rustic/Scandinavian but still very much modern. It is truly one of the better restaurant interiors in Madison.
We ordered a cheese plate, which was decent. The portions were scanty, though I shouldn't complain too much. I am a cheese glutton, and also, dare I say, somewhat of an expert. That said, the waitstaff didn't seem to have a clue what the cheeses were, or how to describe them, much less pronounce them. A very, very picky thing to point out, I know. After all, who goes to a restaurant just for the cheeseboard? But still, this is Madison, Wisconsin, and I expect a little better from our restaurants that claim to be all about local items.
I ordered a kamut salad just, plainly, fell short. The flavors were weak, unbalanced, and frankly out and out lacking. I was quite disappointed. I am a huge fan of kamut, and was excited to see a kitchen working with the weird grain, but I think this needs to go back to the drawing board.
By the time we arrived, they were out of the entree I ordered, which was disappointing. To be honest, I don't remember what it was. I won't fault Underground for being out of something, having worked in food myself, I know how it goes. I ended up with the rabbit and white beans, which was decent enough. I mean, I think it was trying to mimic Cassoulet, but just didn't really get there. Much like the kamut salad, it was unbalanced and lacking rounded flavors.
I will reiterate that I was there the first week they were open, so I'm sure there's been improvement. One thing I will say however, and something I don't think will ever improve, are the proprietors. Frankly, I was turned off by their haughty behavior in the kitchen. I know of them from around town, and was turned off to see them taking pictures of themselves in the kitchen area, in a kind of self-congratulatory way. Yes, good job on the restaurant, I'm sure it will do well, and you've definitely got a good thing going, but please, spare us the spectacle. Also, I take some issue with the theme of "rustic, local fare". L'Etoile has been doing this successfully for years, and is not a new concept by any means.
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