Nook — Restaurant in Madison

This is a unique, intimate experience with one of the best chefs in Madison. It is in very high demand. Tickets require logging in at midnight on the first of the month to schedule a seating two months out; weekend tickets are gone within minutes, and the whole month is sold out within half an hour. About half of the group of 12 at our seating appeared to be regulars.

This is primarily a “foodie” experience. If you are less of a regular foodie, be warned that 12 courses is a lot of food. Serving everyone the full sequence is baked into the communal dining experience (where everyone gets the same dish and then a full explanation is provided by the chef), but there are a couple of drawbacks. First, the entire group is paced by its slowest member, so this lasted around three hours. Second, there will probably be a few courses that are not to your liking, especially given the experimental ingredients here. And third, this is just too much food for a lot of people; it was about double what I am comfortable eating, even after fasting all day in preparation. (And these frankly work against each other: it is much harder to finish a dish you are not a fan of when you are already full and anticipating 6 more courses, and despite not wanting to insult the chef, we were not able to complete some of them. To the chef: sorry!) For us, this would have been a better experience if edited down to around 6 courses.

The restaurant deserves a full 5 stars, however, because some of the dishes were among the best I have experienced in Madison. There is a creative use of plating, and an emphasis on texture and crunchy toppings that elevated each dish. The best dishes during our experience were a cold beef appetizer, a mushroom and wild rice soup, a quail entrée, and a phenomenal fresh chocolate bar with chilis and pistachios. (Please, please consider opening a gourmet chocolate shop on the side.)

Everyone on staff was friendly and accommodating, and the atmosphere was as casual as promised. We love to dress comfortably when fine dining and were fans of the 1990s hip hop soundtrack. And we knew in advance that this would be a pricey experience (around $200 per person with drinks), but it is commensurate with the amount and variety of food that is served. I would highly recommend Nook to any foodie (they seem to be regulars here) and encourage anyone with an adventurous streak wanting to sample the best dining experiences that Madison...

Hard to give a rating - I want it to be 5 stars, and for Madison it perhaps is, but when comparing versus similar price points in major food cities around the country or in Europe - the food falls short.

All the dishes were well presented and generally good, but there wasn’t really a standout, special dish - which at this price point is a disappointment. The dishes are comparable to other good restaurants in Madison, just in the form of a 13 course menu and a little extra creativity in some of them.

Service and chef are exceedingly kind and good hosts, and the drink menu is good/unique and pairings matched well - so definite positives there.

Constructive feedback for the restaurant would be to pair down the quantity served with each course a little bit and use that saved time/money/effort to introduce more ‘gastronomique’ refinement to the ingredients. The quantity can be a bit too much - we were served 4 dessert courses which were each about the size of a normal dessert plate elsewhere. This was far too much and took me from feeling comfortably full to just gorged and still ‘needing’ to eat a ton more super sweet dessert because it was next up on the course. Four times. Looking around, most of the guests were barely eating these desserts because it was just too much. Focusing more on the distribution of courses (a stronger balance towards lighter/whimsical courses at the beginning of the menu and having truly “unbutton my pants good” savory courses mid menu, and fewer, less sweet dessert courses) would really improve the pacing of the meal and give more flavor/textual/sensory variety to the...

🛎️🛎️🛎️🛎️🛎️ (IYKYK)

At Nook, every bite is a pun-derful delight! With only 14 seats, it's like a cozy soup pot where everyone's simmering in good vibes.

We came to celebrate our 12 year wedding anniversary, and Nook truly served up a slice of romantic perfection! We weren't just fed, we were whisked into an anniversary adventure. If you're looking to marinate in memories and garnish your special day with flavor, Nook's the place to be. We didn’t just celebrate; we savored every bite of the experience. Cheers to love and luscious dishes!

Their take on PB&J? I have to spread the news about it; it’s utterly jam-packed with flavor! Over the course of 13 delectable courses, I wasn’t just full... I was stuffed with a buffet of emotions.

The chef's recipe for success isn't just about seasoning the dishes right; it’s peppered with humor too. And the wait staff? They don't just serve food; they dish out an impeccable experience with a side of charm.

So, if you're hungry for a place where the steaks are high and the puns are even higher, Nook’s the ultimate foodie destination. Remember, it’s not just about feeding the belly; it’s about whisking you away into a gastronomic journey! Go ahead and relish the...