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| - A great restaurant. Extremely expensive by any standard.
For appetizers we ordered pork belly and a sausage and onion soup. The pork belly was nicely crispy and very fatty, though a little bland considering all of the plate's components. The soup was constructed out of several separately prepared items including an onion red wine reduction, sausage, and a marrow-based thick broth. It was good, but elevated to destination dining by, of all things, the best god danged croutons we've ever tasted. The croutons held strong garlic overtones and were covered with a parmesan crust that was just outasite.
For entrees we had steak, and wild bass on a ham and cabbage base. The bass was great though it seemed wildly overpriced. The steak was perfectly charred on the outside and perfectly medium rare on the inside. I love steaks in general and this held up to the very best Chicago steakhouse offerings, and in fact surpassed most. Probably in the top 3 I've ever had.
For dessert we ate a 'chocolate cake' which was actually four different (and large) servings of dark chocolate preparation with a caramel iced cream. Best dessert we've ever had anywhere.
So is the food at L'Etoile worth twice as much as the next-most-expensive-restaurant in Madison? Three of our items, including the unexpected magic crouton (plus steak and dessert), were among the very best we've ever had. The pork belly appetizer cost as much as an entree at Lombardino's, but not as good. Service is fine, nothing too special. Expect to pay upwards of $200 for your meal. Appetizers: 8/10, Entrees: 9/10, Dessert: 10/10
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