Work took me to Madison, Wisconsin this week for consultant meetings. Besides being the coldest weather I can ever remember experiencing, it also happened to be Restaurant Week in Madison. As the Capitol of Wisconsin, Madison is also home to the University of Wisconsin - Madison. The University adds to the charm and character of the city, and brings the level of restaurants up a notch or two. Which brings me back to my choice while visiting - the Ocean Grill. The restaurant was a small (some might say "intimate") space with a modern slant to the interiors (I only say "slant" since I'm an architect and can boast knowing "modern" from "high modern" from "post modern" - just kidding). The service was excellent, and quiet personal with the restaurant's General Manager stopping by to check in on our visit. As for the food, it was very good as well. For the three course price fix I selected Flash-Fried Calamari (with peanut sauce & plum glaze to start), followed by Crab & Shrimp Enchiladas (with salsa verde, crème frâiche, spanish rice & black bean corn salsa), and Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée for desert. Cost was $25 per person and did not include drinks, tax, or gratuity. My only complaint was the small portions which generally tend to be a part of Restaurant Weeks everywhere and, in this case, meant I could have eaten more.
Overall, I would recommend the Ocean Grill for anyone visiting Madison. One more tip - if you know your going during the two Restaurant Weeks each year, I would recommend you make reservations ahead of time; most of the restaurants were full during usual dinner hours.
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