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| - I will try the Statehouse again, perhaps in another year, at which point I hope they have their act together.
Positives:
- an outstanding location, ambiance, and interesting decor (history).
- a menu which is exciting and holds great promise.
- The burgers looked great. Perhaps we should have stuck with simplicity instead of the entrees.
Negatives: Please understand this visit was homecoming night ... perhaps they were overwhelmed, or not on their game that night, yet there were empty tables.
- Took 20 minutes to seat after reservation time (forgiveable).
- Waited over 15-20 minutes, while seated at the table, for a server to great us (not forgiveable). We saw the manager chatting with a server about who was assigned to our table.
- Server was really, really nice ... yet she disappeared frequently and was very inattentive. Cutlery wasn't cleared / replaced, had to finally ask for the bill, as she wasn't around ... and it was now 2 1/2 hours in... !!!! Several times she mentioned our food was coming, only to have it walked by us to other tables. The servers misplaced the salads and entree dishes to the incorrect diners.
- The food took forever ... and then was served as it came out, yet we saw plated entrees sitting under the heat lights for a while. Orders were confused, not properly cooked, and even the promising menu items were lacking the flavor they deserved, and I'll even say some were bland. A bright spot was the walleye.
- The prices were high for the offering, and I don't normally say that, because fine dining, flavor, presentation, and uniqueness deserve a premium value. It was not found here.
In general, given the prices, I would have expected more. At about $70-$80 / person, the Statehouse has a long way to go to gain a reputation worthy of the price, given the lack of value. Yet, with the transient and unknowing clientele, they will get it and continue to muddle by.
The service and food prep wouldn't last six months in a big city. Even in Madison, I wonder if the other restaurants gaining a good rep won't cut into the Statehouse future ... but the Edgewater will likely prop it up and provide a stream of diners.
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