I’ve gotten to know and respect former Isthmus food writer Andre Darlington through the Madison food event circuit, and thus I was rooting for him when he announced the opening of Field Table on the Capitol Square.
In addition to having a restaurant and full bar, you also can do some light grocery shopping here. Unlike Merchant, which failed miserably in its attempt to sport a mini-market, Field Table sells items that people actually want (including grab-and-go lunch items).
Does this place ever close? There’s no excuse for not having time to come here, since Field Table serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, happy hour, dinner and late-night.
- The trout filet ($23) featured an artic char, in this case a wonderful juxtaposition of tender, flaky fish and crispy skin enhanced by mild onions and a garlic-y sauce.
- The bowl of mussels ($18) hit the spot. The bits of chorizo added a hint of spice, and the broth was extremely tasty, like a tomato bisque. In fact I wish I had a spoon to slurp it up.
- A great small plate is the pork belly ($14). It’s two big hunks of meat with good flavor and just the right amount of fat. The charred broccolini added a nice contrast.
Wait, there’s a lot more. I’ve made some of the drinks from Darlington’s cocktail recipe book, and my high expectations for the bar at Field Table were met. On the other end of the day, you must stop by for breakfast, too.
- The La Bella Pellogrina ($12) does a good job of not letting the gin overpower the drink, probably from the Liquore Strega liqueur.
- Rum, coconut milk and watermelon liqueur are some of the main ingredients that make a refreshing drink in the Rumful Purpose ($10).
- Get your pastries here: The almond scone ($3) = flaky goodness, the cheese cretzel ($4) deftly balances all the flavor components and the straw-blackberry-glazed doughnut ($2) was perfectly moist and sweet.
Field Table is open as an espresso bar Monday-Saturday and serves lunch on weekdays, dinner and late-night Monday-Saturday and brunch on Saturdays.
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See more photos in our Field Table Flickr album.
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