Draper Brothers Chophouse — Restaurant in Madison

Imagine you are in the center of New York City, at an amazing steakhouse, with a welcoming vibe, uber cool decor, and a swanky and upscale feel. Now, those are merely the openers for the Draper Brothers Chophouse, nestled into the corner triangle of Hamilton Street! From the very moment my hand opened the door, there was a swelling of warm ambiance, excellent lighting, and the chatter and buzz of people; laughing, talking, embracing, and of course, genteely bustling and quietly being helpful. The evening was elegant and lovely and superb on so many levels. And speaking of levels; the newly opened 2nd level is a sheer delight - spying the capitol from a window is still, and always will be, breathtaking. The young dark-haired miss with the sparkling smile, who took us to our table, was so gracious and signified a very special night ahead. The young gentleman refilling waters had a keen eye and a delicate hand with the pitcher; not a moment passed before he quietly and efficiently performed this small, yet very time-pronounced job! And then, Sam, our waiter, who was every-so-knowlegeable with pasta and/or sauce Italian phrases, skilled in his recommendations, adept with the gentle dance of serving-clearing-replenishing in a place full of people, and above all, a very witty and gifted person, who made the night just sing. Oh yes... the drinks were dizzyingly icy cold as a dry martini and cocktail should be - shout out to the barkeep! And, the food was defiantly understated and overwhelmingly divine! The filet with raspberry sauce was a wickedly good pairing, aided only by a lovely glass of Black Stallion cab. The mister went for the Osso Buco; so divine over those mashed potatoes with their hint of cardamon or cinnamon! I know, I know, TLDR, yet I implore you to treat yourself and head over to this beautiful, shimmering culinary jewel of a restaurant. Draper Brothers Chophouse is a symphony for your senses...

Being the most expensive restaurant in town now, I had high expectations for Draper Bros. I was really impressed with the upstairs dining room, there was a lovely retro elegance to its design. Our server was friendly and attentive, although she seemed stretched pretty thin. I really enjoyed my dirtiest martini, from the cocktail list. My friend and I shared the smoked tomato risotto, which we both thought was delicious. We were disappointed in our main courses, though. I ordered the Draper cut, medium rare, which the server was unable to tell me whether it was wet or dry aged. The first bite I cut into was well done, but when I cut into the middle it was med rare. The end near the bone was quite rare. I got the full spectrum in one steak. My friend got the salmon and thought too much of the grey part was left on. The most disappointing part of the evening was being asked to move to the bar, right after we received our port flight and dessert, because we had just passed the 2 hour mark for a table. I work in restaurants and totally understand that when a restaurant is fully booked, tables need to turn. I feel this could have been addressed as we were ordering dessert. It’s not like we were just sitting and hanging out. Instead, we were asked to go to the bar where there was only 1 seat available, to awkwardly sip our $57 port flight. Our dessert was not brought back to us like they said it would be, when we moved, so I guess they decided for us that a bite each was enough, which is a shame, because it was delicious! The dinner ended on a very sour note, even though we’d been enjoying ourselves. I should have tried this place out earlier in the week, but I’m not likely to return or recommend it. For the price point there are restaurants in town where you can feel much...

Dinner for four was a solid experience. We were promptly greeted by a fellow who opened the door for us. Strangely, he didn't seem very friendly. Maybe it was stoicism mistaken for unfriendliness, but not even a hint of a smile. Our waiter was clearly new, but he was very kind and conscientious. Staff pitched in and water glasses were always full. Table was a bit crowded and had to stay pushed into the table to avoid bumping the person behind and to allow staff to pass. Nice atmosphere, although it did get quite loud in the bar area making conversation at the table difficult as it got busier.

Food - Both the ribeye and filet were very nice cuts of meat. The sauces were light and complimentary and didnt drown the meat. The filet was VERY (if not overly) heavily seasoned with black pepper. I didn't mind, but had it been my husbands steak, it likely would have been too much. It was spicy, but perhaps thats what they are going for. Chopped salad was very tasty and it was a pretty plate. I felt the portion was small for the price. Smashed potatoes were really good and a large portion.

Cioppino and Osso Buco had mixed reviews. Cioppino didnt have a broth, rather a thick sauce. Not even sure how I would classify it, but not soupy or brothy like a traditional Cioppino. No need for bread to sop anything. Diner said the fish was cooked really well, but missed the soupy feel. Osso Buco diner said she just wasn't a fan of the fruit and nuts in her potatoes. She said it wasn't bad, but wasn't what she expected. She also said the meat wasn't as tender as she expected it would be.

Overall a good experience. They were well staffed and for just opening, things seemed to be running smoothly despite a decent...