I have many fond memories of eating at the Admiralty Room to celebrate one occasion or another. It was always an elegant evening topped with a stunning view of Lake Mendota.
Both the elegance and view are back with the Edgewater Hotel’s new flagship restaurant, The Statehouse, and I hope to create new memories there.
First impressions are key. Here, after you climb the lobby staircase or come off the elevators, you see the back of the bar and large lounge. You then walk past the open kitchen into the main dining area. For me, it was like walking onto the bridge of a cruise ship with the beautiful view (seen only during the day).
And yes, the food met my expectations. I was delighted to find charcuterie items as part of the appetizer list, so I got the fois gras torchon ($10). The plate contained a big slice of foie gras accompanied by pickles, mustard, pickled pears and toast, which was so brittle that it was hard to spread the fois gras on it. Still, it was an excellent way to start the meal.
Entrees include seafood, steaks and chops. The striped bass was one evening’s catch of the day ($32). I thought it was a perfect contrast of tender, flaky fish complementing a crisp skin. It came with roasted tomatoes, green beans and a subtle basil emulsion.
I also splurged on the most expensive menu item, the 45-day, dry-aged bone-in ribeye ($60). I liked the beefy flavor, the hollandaise sauce worked surprisingly well and the side of bacon-onion jam was a pleasant touch. While it was a delicious steak, I don’t think it was $60 good, and thus for that reason, I wouldn’t order it again.
The Statehouse also is worth visiting at lunch. Of course you’ll find the requisite sandwiches and salads, but I ordered the brick oven sausage pizza ($12), which also is available on the bar menu. The sweet roasted peppers helped accentuate the flavors, and the corn meal crust added a welcomed crispiness.
Lots of great apps at lunch, too. I settled on the duck confit poutine ($10). The duck was immensely succulent, and there was a generous portion of cheese so that you weren’t stuck with plain fries at the end. You have to try this!
Finally for dessert, I had the beautifully arranged ricotta cheesecake parfait ($8; thanks Lana!), topped with perfectly preserved cherries (not tart at all) and a pistachio brittle of which I could have eaten an entire plate. I think next time I’ll have to order the chocolate olive oil cake ($9), paired with marinated strawberries and housemade yogurt.
The Statehouse is open every day for lunch and dinner, weekdays for breakfast and weekends for brunch. A bartender said happy hour will be added soon.
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See more photos in our The Statehouse Flickr set.
At least the Applewood bacon and smoked cheddar burger was done right. Big pieces of bacon and a wish-I-had-more smoked paprika aioli topped a fresh-off-the grill patty. I just wished the accompanying fries weren’t so blah.
Doolittles has a huge, four-sided bar in the center of the restaurant that indicates it could be a good place for happy hour. TVs are placed in the upper corners of the ceiling to steer away from being a sports bar. Just beware of the high drink prices. A screwdriver, for example, was $7, and that’s after the $2 discount.
The Atomic Sausage ($9) bothered me in a few ways. One, it’s too expensive. You’re basically paying $9 for a single brat. Second, I couldn’t detect any spice, a major letdown for a dish that uses “atomic” in its name. To make matters worse, I chose the side of red cabbage slaw, and it was supremely flavorless, even for cabbage.
