Nice downtown restaurants? (Madison, Monona, Wilson: hotel, neighborhood, buy)

[yo vanilla]

Can anyone recommend a downtown Madison restaurant? Got to be walking distance from the capital, and something upper-scale yet not terribly expensive. As in I'd like to dress well for the occasion but not lose my shirt paying the bill, heh. I like sushi, seafood, and places that make a point of serving, say locally grown food is a plus.

For instance I looked at the Blue Marlin, which might fit the bill, but it's looking like it could top $50 per person even before drinks and appetizers and that's stretching it.

Thanks!

[MidwesternBookWorm]

Restaurant Magnus at 120 East Wilson, about 3 blocks from the Capital. Argentinian cuisine, menu changes with the season, they buy locally whenever possible, very good. Probably around $45-$50 per person including meal and a glass or two of decent wine.

The Old Fashioned at 23 North Pinckney, right on the Capital Square. 21st-century-style supper club, good Midwestern fare, and they make a mean Old Fashioned. Meal and drinks will probably run you about $35-$40/person there.

Essen Haus at 514 East Wilson has been serving up wonderful German food and beer for decades. Figure on about $40/person meal and brew there.

Paisan's at 131 West Wilson, about three blocks from the Capital. The traditional Madison favorite for Italian food, a huge place but doesn't feel like it, everything from pizza or subs to really sublime pasta specialties. Great view of Lake Monona. Food and drinks could be anywhere from $25 to $40.

The Admiralty Room at The Edgewater Hotel, 666 Wisconsin Avenue, has a sort of mid-20th-century style elegance to it, and at least the last time I was there (admittedly a while ago) had good food. A bit pricy, probably pushing the $50/person barrier, but they used to be worth it.

I have heard good things about Sardine at 617 Williamson, 6 or 7 blocks from the Capital, but have not eaten there myself. Likewise Harvest, at 21 North Pinckney. L'Etoile at 25 North Pinckney is very much a downtown icon for superb food, much of it local in origin, but is EXTREMELY expensive.

I'm sure there are more possibilities that others will suggest, but those should get you started.

[tchemgrrl]

All those spots are good. I thought I'd also mention Restauarant Muramoto, which does Asian Fusion cuisine. Also a bit pricey but I just looked at the menu and it wasn't as bad as I'd guessed.

[yo vanilla]

Thanks, I'll look into those. What about Fresco, in the art museum?

[MidwesternBookWorm]

We've heard that it's pretty good but haven't tried it yet. Madison has the wonderful problem of having many, many fabulous restaurants, and it's virtually impossible to get to them all, unless that's all you do. If you try it, let us know what you think of it.

[RemiJP]

L'etoile has a $35 prix fixe on Tuesday and Thursday. Considering a single regular entree can cost that much, I'd say it's a deal!

[River North]

Sardine has excellent French bistro food and a nice atmosphere, and isn't all that expensive.

[MassVt]

.... for a while, but it Gino's still on State Street? I always found it to be a nice , unpretentious place with good Italian fare.

[MidwesternBookWorm]

Originally Posted by MassVt

.... for a while, but it Gino's still on State Street? I always found it to be a nice , unpretentious place with good Italian fare.

Yes, Gino's is still in business, although they were a lot less busy and had a smaller menu the last time we ate there. They're in the 500 block of State Street, so probably at the outer limits of the original poster's preference for distance, but they do have good Italian food in a calm and laid-back atmosphere. Good soups, decent salads, and a nice wine selection, as well as well-prepared and seasoned dishes.

Another possibility for good Italian food is Tutto Pasta. There are actually two of them downtown, one on State Street in about the 300 block, just across Johnson from Overture Center, and one at 107 King Street. I've only eaten at the State Street one, but imagine that both would have similar food. The one on State has exceptionally good soups and very creative main courses, with an ever-changing list of daily specials.

Oh, just thought of one more: Bellini's at the corner of East Wash and Hancock, about 3 blocks off the square. The building looks like a church from the outside (and on the inside, for that matter) but they serve really good Italian food as well.

You can really tell that Madison has had a vibrant and burgeoning Italian presence for decades when you look at the downtown restaurants. The old Greenbush neighborhood may have been razed in the name of urban renewal back in the sixties, but its soul lives on. And I'm glad of it.

[Drover]

I miss Botticelli's. That place was exceedingly cool.