It's funny how things happen. We were just in Madison for the afternoon and evening on our way up to our family camping experience in Northern Wisconsin, so we wanted to find some fun things to do in a short amount of time. During a stop to another great local business - the Chocolaterian Cafe - I picked up a magazine which featured a story on the owner of The Old Fashioned and it hit a nerve. Being the (somewhat) savvy Yelper, I did check the reviews first, and it did live up to expectations.
Located in the heart of the Capitol Square, we found the restaurant easily and I was impressed instantly with the service. My daughter put our names in and she was treated with respect by the host. Nice touch.
After a reasonable wait, we arrived at our table and made our selections. For the beer fan in your group, there is a sizable selection of local options from all over the great state of Wisconsin. I went with the Fatty Boombalatty from the folks at Furthermore - that's could be the subject of a separate review, of course.
Cheese curds. Yep. Homemade - fresh - beer battered and so delicious they just couldn't be good for you. A treat like no other. They are the benchmark to which all other appetizers should be measured. I think if you put an order of mozzarella sticks next to these little nuggets of goodness, they would first become sentient beings...and then begin to cry knowing that they would never measure up as a side dish.
As for my main dish, I ordered the vegetarian option: the grilled eggplant with portabella mushroom, roasted red peppers & zucchini and my new favorite - goat cheese. It was like nothing I've ever tasted before. Just the right balance of complimentary tastes. Humbling, knowing that to try to replicate it would be a challenge.
Many happy returns, Old Fashioned. Another example of a local business providing excellent food and equally outstanding service.