43 North was one of the very first restaurants we visited about three years back when we first moved to Madison. We have since become quite the regulars and thought this place would be a good start for writing reviews on our blog.
The very first time we dined here we sat at the table for two right next to their french window in a late summers evening. I remember our host was Fred with whom we have had the opportunity to indulge in many a meals over the last few years. The interiors are stylistically modern and feel quite open, also in the sense that you could get a view of the kitchen. We love the black paint, polished tables and a really cool conceptual art spans the wall. 43 North was apparently named after the latitude of Madison as well as the owners place on the other side of the world in Japan. The artwork is simple but to the point, with hundreds of pins forming the map of the world and the latitude getting highlighted by a thin strip of metal. The interior matches the overall vibe of the restaurant, its food and the people that make this restaurant what it is.
We dine out quite a bit, a lot more now than we used to three years ago. Depending on where you are used to eating 43 North can be termed an upscale experience. It sure was a special occasion restaurant for us, and when we were not used to eating in restaurants of this category we were certainly nervous of how the experience will be going in. However, this is much to the credit of the complete service team that they keep a young, casual and playful vibe running throughout the restaurant. We have always had pleasant and comfortable experiences and we have never felt uncomfortable making requests or asking what could be fairly obvious food related questions. We have taken many of our guests, of varied origins, food preferences and even restaurant style preferences. All of them have always resoundingly mentioned that they really enjoyed the hospitality. The service is elegant and attentive without being overbearing and Hudson and Paul’s team and previously Fred and Amanda have made many of our evenings here memorable.
What we love about Madison is the great number of local restaurants and of them we especially love the ones which keep evolving with the seasons. 43 North as their title suggests aims to be a modern bistro, but over time it has had to strike a balance between experimenting with creations and the comfort of traditional american cooking. Through seasons and business changes we have seen some menu changes and enjoyed each seasonal menu thoroughly with new things to try. Sometimes in the past restaurants get us excited but after many visits we run out of things to try and we are the kind of diners who like the comfort of our favorites combined with the adventure of something new. At regular periods there is always something new on the menu for us to experience at 43 North. As we mentioned before the open kitchen allows a peek into the energetic yet somehow very calm proceedings in the kitchen. You will notice chef Christopher Ketarkus in the kitchen and he is a picture of focus and concentration. He looks quite serious at work in the kitchen but we have had the opportunity to share some good conversations with him and have found him to be an easy going and friendliest person who will gladly offer some really good cooking tips too.
As you would expect the food is modern. Many times it is different from what you would expect after reading the name of the dish and relating to it based on past experiences. But this can be a good thing. That does not mean we have liked each and every dish that has been experienced here but we have liked quite a bit of them. Portions could be argued by some to be small but for us they are always more than enough. Some our friends based on experiences at other restaurants like to decide the portion size based on the price, but as long as the prices are not outrageous and the food is delicious and the ingredients are good quality we are happy. Those boxes are checked by 43 North and the food is almost always artfully plated. Besides smaller portions allow to try more things on the menu and this we prefer in general for any restaurant we eat at. 43 North even has smaller portions of entrees and depending on our mood we have done more appetizers followed by the smaller entrees.
One of my favorite appetizers is the baguette, butter and jam. I am a sucker for good baguette and this comes hot and fresh and slightly less crustier than the typical French one, but i actually prefer it this way. It comes with a selection of seasonal jam and really good butter. One of our favorite combination has been the lavender jelly and cardamom spiked butter. The most under rated thing about how butter is served which is done nicely here is that the butter is room temperature and spreadable! Many times when the company with me won’t go for the bread because they are trying to avoid bread like Novak Djokovic, i have just had it to go with me after the meal for a wonderful Saturday morning breakfast!
Our other favorites on the appetizers have been the roasted dates and the Ratatouille. Both are i think good options for vegetarians. The dates are warm with the goat cheese and have been liked even by our guests who typically don’t like dates. My favourite part of the Ratatouille is how it is not overpowered by the acidity of tomato like the other places i have had it at. This is more balanced with a sweetness of tomatoes and the accompanying crackers are a light accompaniment.
Amongst the entrees, i somehow always end up choosing the Game Hen. It is surprisingly quite rare to find this rare bird on most menus and i do know why. When done right it can be such a delicious meat. I love how they caramelize and crispen the skin on the bird here and this is my favourite portion of the dish where the meat is left succulent and moist. Since this is still game meat a sauce similar to a chartreuse bring the dish together yet is done surprisingly with caramel to balance the flavors. Many guests have expressed surprise and called this a sweeter sauce but it is definitely balanced by the kick from the mustard and the black pepper seasoning the hen. The gnocchi is light and pillowy with the mushrooms which are sauteed to be perfectly earthy.
My wife invariably is left with the possibility of choosing either the salmon or scallops. Both are excellent choices and their composition varies with the season. Both are cooked delicately but with the right sear.
Usually by this time we are full, so i must say we have had their desserts less frequently. However they make an excellent french press coffee to go with the dessert if you do plan to order one. Depending on what is on the dessert menu we have enjoyed the chocolate torte and various panna cottas as well as a pavlova.
We also have attended one of their wine dinners on Mondays. It is a Prix fixe 3 or 4 course meal with curated wine pairings. It was a wonderful evening and we ended up going back with a couple of bottles with us. We were a group of 3 and depedning on the number of people participating we were served family style with the portion customized for the group.
Reservations are recommended but fairly straightforward since they are on Open Table. Anywhere between two people to groups of 6/8 can have a really nice evening here. We hope you enjoy your experience as much as we do.
