The Harvey House — Restaurant in Madison

really, really amazing in all aspects! i was seated at the bar and had the most pleasant time with the bartender (service at this establishment is just unparalleled in general). i ordered a mocktail composed of ginger beer, lime, and mint and got the walleye sandwich as my main.

a bit after ordering, i was provided with a gorgeous warm bread roll topped with flaky sea salt along with a small side of some delicious butter. the bread was simply ridiculous--the way it split into somewhat distinct layers when i ripped it in half reminded me of fluffy milk bread, and the combination of salty, creamy butter with the almost-slightly-sweet and pillowy (but still delightfully chewy) bread was just so memorable. (i downed the entire thing in two bites before my drink had even been made.)

then came the drink! oh man was it delicious. i personally hate it when a drink has some herb element (ex: mint) in its description and the bartender utilizes the ingredient only as a topping or sorts, so i was very, VERY excited when i saw multiple bruised mint leaves in my drink. same with the lime! there were multiple slices in there, and i loved how the flavor profiles intensified as i continued to down the drink. overall, an amazingly refreshing sensation that paired absolutely excellently with the greasy fish sandwich i gobbled up in minutes. which leads me to my next point...

the fish sandwich was honestly the best fish sandwich i've ever had. and it's probably the best fish sandwich i'll ever have, period. the walleye patty was THICK, and, i really appreciated the usage of herbs in both the patty and the sauce. the creamy yet almost floral sauce really helped to balance out the overall greasiness of the sandwich, and it added a nice textural element as well. AND THE BUN! oh my god we need to talk about the bun. perfectly toasted, golden brown, chewy, slightly sweet, shiny and glistening yellow... it was such a dream. what is up with this place and bread? i think they should open a bakery or sell the bread items a la carte.

one thing that did have me go "?" was the inclusion of cheese; or rather, the choice of cheese included in the sandwich. i thought that with the cheese being so mild, it really didn't add much in terms of flavor, nor did it do something extraordinary for the texture. i decided to leave the cheese off of my final couple of bites and did not find myself feeling like i was missing out on anything. but of course, who am i to question their gastronomic decisions? i am but a single patron, and my taste and preferences are very likely to differ from others', especially when those others are professionals that have dedicated their lives to menu curation.

anyway, everything was wonderful! everything was great. i definitely see myself coming back here given the opportunity, and i would also not hesitate to bring my...

Madison has a new best-in-class restaurant! When it comes to fine dining, Harvey House is unsurpassed. It's the kind of modern, eclectic cuisine you'd expect to find at an upscale restaurant in Manhattan (though at far more reasonable prices.) The music fits the elegant decor like a glove; jazz that warms the space rather than overpowering it. The service is impeccable; friendly and discreet, from the front of the house to the person who refills your water glass and everyone in between. The upstairs dining area is generally quieter than the downstairs, but they're both equally elegant. The drinks are terrific; I had a sidecar with Door County cherries that I would've gladly reordered several times had I not had to drive home. The Espresso Martini got good reviews too. The bread rolls, sprinkled with a little salt, were flavorful and warm. The beet salad was a fitting starter; light, creatively presented, and delicious. The wedge was just as well received. The shaved vegetable salad (with shaved parmesan cheese) is fresh and very light. I never order a shrimp cocktail anymore because they're all identical; good, but ordinary: Not at Harvey House! In addition to the cocktail sauce, the shrimp are drizzled with olive oil and lemon, with a dash of salt. I dare you to find a better shrimp cocktail anywhere. I dare you! Our entrees were the shortrib, that was good enough to lick the plate (but don't), and the salmon: It's served with a perfectly crispy skin, but medium rare (so remember to mention your preferred temperature; you may not be asked.) I've had it both medium rare and medium well, and I prefer the latter (not dry or overcooked at all; the Chef is a master, I tell you!) and I'd order it again anytime. When your dining experience is going this well, you might as well have dessert too: The pavlova was very big, stunningly presented, and incredibly tasty. The chocolate tart had toasted hazelnuts and a perfect crispy crust; although the whipped cream on top was not as sweet as I'd like and the chocolate could've been more dense and creamy (mine was more like a pudding), this, too, was a very good dessert by any measure. I'd go back to Harvey House a hundred times over, and plan to do just that--but making reservations is strongly recommended. When you do, be sure to select the bar, downstairs dining room, or upstairs dining room--time windows appear separately for each area. Take whatever is available; it's going to be a dining experience to remember. And if you bring friends, they'll owe you one. I've brought several already, and Harvey House makes me shine. Try it and you'll...

It looks like I'm the lone outlier here. Let me preface this by saying I'm not a gourmet foodie, so perhaps there's something here I'm just plain missing. Either that, or I simply need to learn how to pretend that something with a classy presentation and exotic sounding ingredients really is superior to the offerings of the other 98% of restaurants. This is not hearty fare, it's fancy food from a very limited menu. To begin with, the ambiance is certainly attractive, with plenty of attentive employees. I know nothing about wines, but the choice of beers consists of a limited, but appropriate selection of mostly Wisconsin brewed varieties. My table of three ordered the Walleye, Ravioli, and Coq Au Vin entrees. Added were the relish tray, and a large baked potato in case one of the portions were too small. The relish tray consisted of three deviled eggs, which were fine, some homemade pretzel chips, which were interesting, and some pickled veggies, consisting of carrots, celery, radish, and of course pickles. Apparently the tray is meant for two people, so they were nice and included an extra egg. However, with perhaps a handful of veggies, there's little need to bother with the relish tray. The walleye is unlike any fish I've experienced. It's a 9" x 1.5" x 5/8" strip of fish with an 1/8" layer of tasteless crust on the top. I could pretend and say it was wonderful, but in my opinion it was just bizarre, and wasn't helped by the strong horseradish sauce. The Coq Au Vin looked pretty good and was the best deal of the three entrees, although it was still on the lean side. The ravioli was absolutely a joke. I asked my adult son, who ordered it, if it reached 400 calories, who with a hungry look simply shook his head. Luckily we had ordered the large baked potato, since it added enough food to at least give him the illusion of having eaten a meal. Oddly, a special that evening was a 32 oz steak (ribeye as I recall) for the price of $145.00 that could be shared. After hearing that, all I could think of was John Candy in the movie "The Great Outdoors". Anyway, this may be a good place to impress a date, as long as you don't show up hungry, and get well liquored up while waiting...