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| - The reviews of the Avenue Club and the Bubble Up Bar are exactly what you'd expect.
Multiple 4 and 5 star reviews praising good food, a warm atmosphere and interesting drinks. Muddled by a series of grumpy 1 star-ers upset at the demise of the former Avenue Bar.
A couple of thoughts:
1) Read Avenue owner Joey C's comment to Eric M's one star review. She says: "Thanks for your post. I agree with you that the old Avenue had incredible charm and the most Wisconsin feel you could find in Madison, but it was not a busy restaurant. Friday nights were our busiest night of the week, but a business can't sustain itself on one night a week. We kept the tradition going with minimal change to the menu and interior, but it just wasn't sustainable. I'm sorry that you feel we've taken a classic away. Our hope is that with the changes we've made, the Avenue will continue on for 50 more years. "
It seems as though the previous Avenue, with all of its charm, was untenable.
2) The new management did go a bit... overboard. The entire restaurant screams "out with the old and in with the new!" between the mid 2000s indie jam playlist, the Ritzy "bubble up" bar design, and the contemporary decor. We were surrounded by tons of mid-20s/early-30s couples and groups, though, so it must be working.
3) As for the actual substance, we were very pleased. The cornmeal-breaded calamari was unique and delicious. My pastrami challah was well balanced, not too heavy, not too salty. My girlfriend wanted something "hearty" so she ordered the beef rib stroganoff, and said "wow, I feel like if I closed my eyes, I could be right back in the old Avenue." And she used to go there every Sunday AM with her grandparents, if that says anything for their cues towards tradition.
4) Drinks were good. Variations on classics. Not too much mind-blowing novelty, but definitely a menu created by someone who inherently understands the component creation of drinks. We were happy.
So overall? As long as Avenue continues to weather the inevitability of criticism that comes with change, I'm sure it will do well. The simple busyness of the restaurant seems to assure that. And, for all their insistence on the new, it seems their heart is in the right place.
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