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| - Took my wife here for her birthday. We are both fans of cajun and creole food, New Orleans culture, and fine dining, so I assumed this would be an excellent choice.
It's tucked away downstairs and really does feel like a speakeasy in New Orleans. I did not know there would be live jazz and it was very well respected local musicians which was very impressive. Unfortunately there wasnt really anywhere to sit where you could still have a conversation at your table. We ended up sitting by the kitchen and the temperature was very, very hot. We considered leaving based on the temperature.
They have a large selection of appetizers and given that my wife LOVES crab and similar seafood, we tried the crawfish cheesecake, pecan crab cakes, and crab puffs. The cheesecake was served with French bread (think crab bread if you're not familiar with this particular New Orleans treat) and my wife loved it. I thought it was a little cheap tasting. The crab cakes were a little dry but paired with a wet slaw that complimented them well. The crab puffs were perfect.
For entrees we tried the crawfish etouffee and tasso and shrimp fettuccine. We found them both to be bland compared to the actual New Orleans versions-- I actually believe that, in Madison, New Orleans Takeout has better etouffee and Angelo's has better cajun fettuccine. The menu says they can be made hotter upon request but the issue wasnt just heat-- they were missing flavor. Same with the included gumbo, it was quite bland.
For desserts we sampled the peanut butter pie, creme brulee, and mocha mousse torte. They were all excellent although not particularly New Orleansy. Perhaps we should have tried the pecan pie.
The service was excellent, our servers were kind and very attentive.
My wife says she would definitely come back. I have mixed feelings. I am more critical than her, but she's also more of a gourmet foodee than I-- I just know what I like.
It was a memorable, affordable, quasi-fine dining experience. There are some cajun/creole dishes here you cant find elsewhere in Madison, but plenty of others you can find better elsewhere in Madison.
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