Oh. My. God.
This place was fantastic! By far one of the best meals I have had in Madison. I went with a couple friends for restaurant week, and we were all completely blown away!
The only thing that was a little strange was my dirty martini. I learned that they don't even carry brand name alcohol like Tanqueray, so the waitress suggested a gin from Chicago which had a very unique flavor - like cardamom, and it was not really what I was expecting. But it's ok, I can look past that.
The food was SO good. To start I had a salad with picked pears and a walnut bread and my friend had the game bird terrine which was fantastic. For the entree I had the braised pancetta, a piece of pork belly served over a white bean stew with croutons. It was one of the best things I had ever eaten.... until I had dessert. The affogato was probably the best dessert I have ever eaten. Salted caramel gelato with hot espresso poured over it served with freshly fried donuts coated in salt and sugar. Amazing.
The ambiance is pretty, it feels pretty fancy and hip, more like something you would find in a city, but I liked it.
Overall our experience here was outstanding, and I would definitely return. I looked at the menu online and their restaurant week menu is quite a bargain at $35. The regularly priced items are quite expensive, so I think it's more of a special occasion restaurant. Someone mentioned it was more expensive than L'Etoile - that is false.