Sardine - Madison, WI

Last Friday the wife and I went out to dinner with some friends at Sardine. This was our first time there and we had an enjoyable meal. I had read a few reviews and one big complaint was the open warehouse feel of the place that can lead to a loud overall volume. We were seated in an area just off to the side of the large area, so that wasn't much of a factor for us. I really liked the look of Sardine, and the open feel. Maybe not a great place for a quiet romantic dinner, but a good place to go with friends.

We started our meal with two items off the hors d'oeuveres menu and an item from the salad menu. The two hors d'oeuveres were steamed mussels and the foie gras terrine. The mussels themselves were fine, I'm not a huge mussels person but they were good enough to eat. However the cream-wine sauce they were served in was really good and excellent for dipping bread in. The mussels came with a big plate of frites that were good, but not the best fries I've ever had. This app could easily be a meal for someone.

This was the first time that I have ever had foie gras, and I thought it was good. I'm not exactly sure what else was in the terrine, but it was tasty and the whole thing spread like a thick butter. I will certainly be trying foie gras again in the future. This dish could have come with a few more chunks of toast, but the bread on the table worked well with the dish too. My friend said she expected the clouds to part and heaven to open up when she tried foie gras because of the hype, so she was a bit letdown. I consoled myself by eating the rest of it while they at fries.

For the salad we ordered the Warm Duck Confit salad and I think this was my favorite item of the night. The duck was delicious, and the dressing on the salad was tasty too. The fried egg that comes on top was cooked really nicely and when split open let out a nice stream of yolk that worked well with everything on the plate. Really, a great salad, I've been thinking about getting another one since I finished it. Some people at the table were holding back so they were still hungry for dinner, so I ate most of this, I'm glad I can eat a ton of food in one sitting.

For my entrée I ordered the Roasted Half Chicken. The chicken was flavorful and moist, which was kind of amazing since they pre-cook it and then reheat it before serving. Mine came out warm (not hot) but my who also ordered it, hers was cold and had to be sent back. The frites that were served with the chicken were good, and i liked them dipped in the small bit of sauce that came with the chicken. The "petite frisse' salad" that came with the dish could go, it didn't add anything to the dish. If they put a note in the menu that the chicken would take an hour to cook, like at Zuni, and they roasted when ordered, I think the dish would be better.

My wife ordered the Tripoline with Duck Confit pasta dish and this was delicious. All of the ingredients worked really well together and the bacon that they use there is excellent, not sure if they make their own, I'm thinking about calling to find out. This even heated up well the next day for my lunch. I'd say that all around I liked this better than the chicken dish I ordered.

My other friend ordered the grilled pork chop and he shared a bit of it with me. The fig, apple and cherry chutney was awesome. The pork was flavorful, juicy and not overcooked at all. The corn bread pudding that it was served with was also good, and I wish he would have been a little more willing to part with a bit more of it.

Lastly was dessert. The desserts on the menu looked good but when the waitress informed me that the special was pumpkin cheesecake I was sold, I ordered a dish of their apple sorbet to go with. The cheesecake was great. It was thick, rich and full of pumpkin flavor, I don't want pumpkin pie ever again, I just want pumpkin cheesecake. I'm not exactly sure what the crust was made of but it was good also. The apple sorbet was tangy, light, and delicious.

My overall experience at Sardine was a good one. Really flavorful foods with nice presentation and pretty good prices for the style of food and the quality of ingredients they use. I can't afford to go back often but I hope to go back someday, maybe to check out their Sunday brunch too. I would recommend it to anyone visiting Madison.


Sardine
617 Williamson Street, Madison 53703
608- 441-1600
http://www.sardinemadison.com/

brandon_w wrote:My friend said she expected the clouds to part and heaven to open up when she tried foie gras because of the hype, so she was a bit letdown.

IMO, a terrine/pate (cold) doesn't
even compare to a seared prep.
One of the best seared foie dishes
I've had in a long time was at another
place in Madison, Restaurant Magnus
(120 East Wilson Street)
FOIE GRAS AND SAGE FRENCH TOAST
w/huckleberry aigre doux

Last time I was at Magnus (August) there was no foie gras on the menu, thanks or the info though. Someday I will try a seared prep.

I had a meal at Sardine a couple of weeks ago, and echo your comments on the food. Very nice French brasserie style cuisine. I had the duck confit salad as my main course (I guess I'm a lightweight!), and it's a great take on a Salade Lyonaise. Where we were sitting, the place was too noisy for my taste, but that's a minor quibble. The location is lovely, right along the lake.

For anyone who hasn't been to Madison, why? Our Saturday consisted of the farmer's market in the morning (it is the best I've been to), a football game in the early afternoon, a stroll down State Street, a beer on the Student Union terrace in the later afternoon, and dinner at Sardine. Tough to find a more pleasant way to spend a day.

Jonah

Our seating was toward the back of the restaurant (front of the building). If you come in the main door and head straight to, and past the hostess station and kitchen, you can keep going and then it opens up a bit on the left and there are a few tables.

Madison is a great city, I love living here. There is always something to do, and somewhere new to eat.

brandon_w wrote:Madison is a great city

A great hotel:
Hotel Ruby Marie (524 East Wilson Street)
-Jacuzzi room with fireplace

Incredible scones at Lazy Jane's.
Why can no other bakery within
800 miles get them nearly as good?