The Avenue Club and the Bubble Up Bar is Food Fight’s second reboot of the Avenue Bar. I heard many loyalists weren’t happy with the changes, but in my opinion, version 3.0 is an upgrade in decor, atmosphere and food.
Gone are all the adornments (I was at the auction for said adornments). Now you have a darker, more modern-looking space that I wouldn’t consider a supper club.
If you’re just hanging out in the bar area, you’ll find a nice cocktail selection. The Original Avenue Bar Brandy Old Fashioned ($7) is finally made-from-scratch (the old Avenue Bar used a mix). I also was pleasantly surprised by the Manhattan on Tap ($8). It’s a kegged cocktail, and they are now all the rage in Madison.
The overhauled food menu has a sizable shareable list, including tempura calamari ($11) and confit chicken wings ($11). You will need 3-4 people to finish the massive serving of thick-cut potato chips you get with the smoked onion dip ($6), which was mild and a bit lumpy.
Lunch includes the expected soups, salads and sandwiches. I appreciated that the French onion soup (served as a side to my lunch order) had a generous portion of cheese and the onions were actually cooked long enough. Meanwhile, the Pastrami and Challah ($11) was a nice find. Tender meat is paired with crunchy and sweet pickles, and the toasted challah bread holds them all together nicely.
Entrees run from $16-$30. I would not hesitate to order again the short rib stroganoff ($20). The fresh tagliatelle pasta is perfectly al dente, and the short rib is full of flavor. I also enjoyed the roasted shiitake mushrooms scattered throughout the dish.
Of course, the popular fish fry remains. The fried walleye ($20) may have been my favorite dish. This gigantic fillet is moist and flaky and battered with Spotted Cow beer. You also can get the walleye pan-seared; baked and fried cod also are options.
The Avenue Club is open every day for lunch and dinner with a late-night menu. Brunch is served on weekends.
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See more photos in our Avenue Club Flickr album.
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