Vies with L'Etoile for most elegant food in Madison (but at a lower price!).
My boyfriend and I went here for Valentines Day dinner (actually the weekend afterward) and were amazed by every part of our meal. After asking for and receiving great recommendations from our server, we decided to split two entree dishes - rabbit and gnocchi. Both were, in a word, delicious. Though we were both stuffed after dinner, we couldn't resist getting the Affogato desert. Truly a treat. A modern, quirky Italian treat.
The ambiance was fancy, but also modern and somehow midwestern. The dinner-time look was candlelit dinner mixed with [hip] nostalgia with hints of Italy, sharp angles, and a farm. The clientelle were almost all date-goers.
Will definitely go back for another special occasion in the future.