After one visit to Heritage Tavern, this place has leapfrogged about a dozen Madison restaurants into elite status as one of the top two or three best.
The crux was when I ordered a cocktail off the menu, yet my lovely and discerning date asked for a limoncello martini--off menu. After a moment, my drink arrived and I told my dining companion that she might just be SOL. Yet after another minute, the bartender, Grant, himself shows up with a NO2-charged carafe and a tall glass full of lemon and orange peel. He even checked in with her about exactly what she wanted and went quickly back to the bar for a fine tuning. He then explained how this NO2 process would favorably compare to the traditional limoncello soak. He got it all set up and used two NO2 cartridges for the charge. The result was exactly the lively citrus essence that my beautiful spouse was seeking.
The food was thrilling and adventurous. The dish with the sashimi, pork belly and foie gras was predictably rich, and too much after the few small courses that we'd already split. Next time we'll back off one appetizer.
Yes, the deviled eggs were spot on. The Wagyu and fried shrimp app was a revelation. Heirloom tomato salad was so tasty.
Then the coup de grace was the bill. We had feared that the elaborate custom cocktail would well exceed the cost of my $10 menu drink. Nope--$7. They probably paid nearly that much for the two NO2 cartridges.
Can't wait to get back and venture further.