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| - After a five-night spree of dining out in Madison for birthdays and out-of-town visitors, a spree that included such well known fixtures as New Seoul, The Great Dane, and Restaurant Magnus the overwhelming week's victor was one of Madison's newest, The Cubano Room.
Walking into the Cubano, the place just explodes in confidence and style. Saturated crimsons color the walls, high key lighting adds accents around the room. The large room manages to feel sophisticated while calm, a feat that is easier said than done.
While our wait staff, far contrary to our bartender, could have been a bit more knowledgeable and opinionated on her descriptions and preferences than the "everything is really good" response, the truth was that everything was really good.
With the trademark Chimichurri Sauce, a sweet but punchy mix of lemon, vinegar, and spices, here a bit sweeter than usual, it melds perfectly and lets the dishes truly take off. A perfectly cooked and seasoned hamburger made with the finest angus beef is as tasty as they come. A rich salad executed with precision and balance. Finally, a more classical Cuban-pressed sandwich with melted goat cheese, a sweet variety of peppers, steak strips and of course beans and rice. The dishes designed with a respectful level handedness for all components create no element too strong, no factor less important, and all the better from their fantastic Chimichurri sauce.
The dishes sing without coming across as swanky blasting out aggressive flavors and a hefty tab, rather gently coming together in a sum-of-all-parts manner. This allows the Cubano's food to initially appear simple but taste refined; the amazing duality thus being such refinement actually makes it chic without the pomp.
Side bar. Visit the bar. With a truly impressive list of drafts and bottles which will have you stop in again just for a nightcap.
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