It's very hard to review a resaturant if you don't order a few dishes and an appetizer. With that in mind, I've been doing a lot of eating lately, but not full dinners, so here's a few quick hits on the places I've been.
Le Chardonnay
320 W Johnson St
*****
Can All-You-Can-Eat be classy? It is at Le Chardonnay, a charming french restaurant, just off State Street. The restaurant is famous for its splurging specials on Tuesday and Thursdays, where for $18.95, you can have all the mussles drenched in beautiful cream and savory sauces you can eat. What more is there to say? The food is excellent, the service is pleasent, and the atmosphere is dark and inviting. Pig out and feel good about it.
Bottom Line: Mussels, Mussels, Mussels.
Maharaja Restaurant (Lunch Buffet)
6713 Odana Road
*****
We dropped in on the Maharaja for their Saturday Lunch Buffet. Buffets are the best and worst in dining out, especially with an ethnic food like Indian. It gave us a great chance to try a lot of indian dishes which we wouldn't normally order. The variety is strong, with a number of appitizers, soups, main courses and desserts to try. There's so much food, not much sticks out individually, but the place can definatally cook.
On the down side, several of the appitizers were cold- which is a big detractor. We were also halfway through our meal by the time we were served nan, another head-scratcher.
At 11 bucks for the weekend buffet it's still a deal, but only if you're really hungry. The decor is very plain, with average tables spread across two big rooms.
Bottom Line: A lot of Indian food, most of it pretty good.
Saigon Restaurant
6602 Odana Rd.
Rating: *****
Saigon Restaurant is one of the only true Vietnamese Restaurants in town and it shows. Walk through the door on a weekend night and there's likely to be a line five to six people deep. A quick scan of the crowd shows why the place is such a hit: it draws a huge customer base from Madison's Asian community.
The restaurant seems to be a touch understaffed. We wait for about 5-10 minutes more than we should have had to, while they get around to cleaning up empty tables and getting us seated. However, everything moves pretty fast after that. The menu is loaded with exactly what we are looking for: the Vietnamese Noodle soup known as Pho. Noticably missing are the Vietnamese Sandwitches which make other Vietnamese joints a home run.
Quickly after ordering, our spring roll appitizers are brought out. Ugh, not good. Perhaps they aren't fresh, but there seems to be no flavor here, despite a yummy peanut sauce. Fortunatly, the pho is better. While not the best I've ever had, the soup is warm and welcome on a cold Wisconsin night.
Bottom Line: You want Pho in Madison, you gotta go here.
Piasans
131 W Wilson St
*****
Piasans is about an much of a Madison institution as a restaurant can be. It over looks Lake Menona, just above John Nolan Drive. Walking into it, it feels like a restaurant that's been around awhile, despite the fact it recently moved. There are a maze of hallways, which lead to cozy, warm-feeling dining areas. Order a drink, they bring you a beer in a mug so frosty, it looks right out of a commerical. Though I went at lunch time, one can easily imagine this place packed on a Saturday night, with crowds of college kids and Badger fans packed around tables, talking loudly and having a ball.
The food is another matter. Once again, another restaurant cannot seem to give any life to pasta and sauce. At some point, I'm starting to think its a Me problem: why does every italian place taste the same. Everything seems to be on a continium between Prego-at-home (so very boring) and the Olive Garden (so very fattening), with Piasans falling more towards the former. They do serve a decent, albiet iceberg, salad, and the bread is fine. I will say their sandwitches are massive and look pretty mouth-watering- I'd order that next time.
Bottom Line: Go for the atmosphere and the huge sandwitches. Have a beer too!
Monday, December 29, 2008
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