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| - Hey you...yeah you...I got a hot tip for you....
If you're looking for some of the best sandwiches in Madison, Hamilton's on the Square is where you need to plant your derriere.
Alright, that wasn't as dramatic as "Blue Horseshoe Loves Anacott Steel", but you get my drift.
I've made couple of lunchtime excursions to Hamilton's and left extremely impressed both times with the food, the venue and the service. The only thing that shocks me was how empty the place was for its criminally underrated lunch service.
Given the small stature of the dining area, Hamilton's lunch time anonymity may be to my benefit. When the weather prohibits the restaurant from utilizing its outside seating with a killer view of the Capitol Square, there's just room for about a couple dozen diners in the intimate dining area. The interior of the restaurant features rustic stone behind the bar, abundant use of dark mahogany woodwork and understated geometric tiles. The distressed metal light fixtures augment the cozy vibe of the interior. Given all of the hard surfaces, it doesn't take much of a crowd for the noise level to escalate. During my most recent visit, the clamor in the restaurant from a party of six made things a bit unnerving. Expect difficulties conversing when a full house converges on Hamilton's.
During both my visits, Josh, the owner of Hamilton's, was performing all of the front of house duties. He always enthusiastically runs through all of the specials and provides tips on his favorite items on the regular menu. Despite being a one-man show, service during my forays has been superlative: attentive, personable and prompt.
During my first visit, I ordered the $11 duck confit sandwich (caramelized onions, smoked provolone cheese, duck jus on a rustic baguette) and the quinoa salad. Every component of my meal was spot on. It featured some of the best caramelized onions I've had in Madison, their sweetness paired masterfully with the slightly salty, umami-rich jus. The crusty fresh baguette provided texture and a surprising amount of flavor. The delicate smokiness of the provolone played well with the perfectly cooked duck breast. It was easily one of the best sandwiches I've consumed during the past year.
During my second visit, I elected to go with the Cuban sandwich after Josh indicated the chef wanted to make this a signature dish on Hamilton's lunch menu. The kitchen took a quality or quantity approach, which his appreciated in the era of super-sized lunch portions. Again, the bread choice was spot on, which spent the perfect amount of time in the press to create a buttery-rich, crunchy exterior. The deep roasted pork also was fantastic, fork tender and satisfyingly savory. The pickle added wonderful crunch and brightness. There were pockets of dryness - a more consistent application of mustard would easily remedy that problem. Overall, I loved my sammie, it's the best Cuban I've had in Madison so far. (If That BBQ Joint steps up its mustard game, it might be able to challenge for that title.)
The only beef I've had with my food at Hamilton's were with my roasted red potatoes. While generally well-prepared and perfectly seasoned, several potatoes gave off an acrid, bitter aftertaste due to some rosemary that spent far too much time under the broiler. Not cool, not cool.
Other random thoughts and musings:
* No Wi-Fi...ugh.
* I'm a fan of their jazz-laden background music playlist.
* Street parking downtown can be hit or miss. It seems like the worse the weather, the more likely the only available parking spots will be on the far side of the Square.
* There are a surprising number of tempting dessert options, which always seems to be the case when you're dieting.
Go to Hamilton's...now. When it becomes crowded and über-popular, you can tell everyone you know that you were a regular long before it became the "It" lunchtime spot.
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