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| - Finally had a chance to get over to Monroe St and check out Gates & Brovi. The yelp reviews on here were such a mixed bag that I wasn't sure what to expect, but it looked like a cosy place from the outside and I generally like the Monroe street establishments.
We went on a Friday night after work, which I'd expect would be crazy busy but we were in the mood for a new place. It was reasonably busy considering, but they have a lot of open space so it didn't feel like it. I'll agree with other Yelpers here that the acoustics are pretty bad, being that it's one giant room. The atmosphere was fairly loud, although you can still hold a conversation.
The wait for a booth was going to be a while so we snagged a seat at the bar. They had one bartender for about 20-25 people there. He was a nice guy but not terribly attentative, and we were probably there a half hour more than we needed to be as a result. I ordered an Old Fashioned and wasn't too happy with the taste, but otherwise was enjoying a Friday night out.
Based on the bartender's suggestions my wife ordered a G&B burger and I ordered the lasagna special with side salad, along with some cheese curds for an appetizer. The cheese curds were really good as others had mentioned, I'd definitely rank them pretty high up for the Madison area. My wife enjoyed her burger, but my lasagna was extremely mediocre, which I was surprised by since it's virtually impossible to mess up pasta. It just had a bland taste and a sauce that didn't do much for it.
Prices were expensive. Granted we had a few beers, but at the end of the meal our check was $70/75 after tip for two people. If this were a place that I felt had more going for it I'd be comfortable with that amount, but I don't think I'll be making a return visit. Even if some food choices are better than others, the atmosphere is too disjointed, certainly not the cosy interior I perceived from driving by.
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