After over a decade of this blog, this will be my final post. I'm still going to share outfit photos & perhaps a monthly collage of thrift store finds & other things on my fashion Instagram: the_muffin_queens_closet & some food pictures & miscellaneous things on my heath Instagram: becomingmeshel. I post more about my daily activities on my Facebook. Thank you for reading along all these years.
Dress: V-Neck Black Sequined Midi Dress with Velvet Belt by Betsey Johnson, thrifted
Tights: Snag
Shoes: Fluevog, Mega Munster: Original
Necklace: Green Goddess Vintage
Earrings & Bracelet: Vintage
Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42
Heritage Tavern New Year’s Eve Review, 2023Our reservation was for 5:30pm, but we found ourselves around the corner at 4pm, so we called, and the answer, to our pleasant surprise, was yes, please do come in and have some cocktails as you wait for your reservation. Wonderful!
Even better, when we arrived, we were able to secure our favorite table. We ordered cocktails with pleasure.
We started with Not My Gumdrop Buttons, a delightful, festive cocktail as good as any of the very best on offer around Madison and pleasingly unique; and the Hot Sconnie, which was a solid cocktail, if somewhat lemon-forward (not that I mind, mind you). Finally, before deciding to order, we split a Mein Gluhwein, which turned out to be the best version of mulled wine either of us has ever had. Dark Horse had something really special a few years ago, with lots of concentrated grape and other fruit, which I adore, but this gluhwein avoided loads of fructose while delivering a cocktail that was supremely balanced and simply downright amazing. Next-level, and indeed, in spite of some amazing cocktails to come, our favorite of the entire evening.
We had a slightly awkward moment when our server dropped off the Snack Plates before we had a chance to order our cocktail flights. But, she took them away, took our order, and then dropped off the cocktails ten or fifteen minutes before the Snack Plates. But that’s all right, we had a quick word, and she made sure our drinks and food arrived at the same time, or close to it, the rest of the evening. Service throughout the evening was warmly attentive and excellent, with the trivial wrinkles mentioned above ironed out immediately. Couldn’t ask for better.
And that first cocktail was marvelous. Our server told us it was a take on a French 75, but what a take! The lemon on the rim perfumed every zinging sip, and the drink worked wonders with the tableau before us: The Escolar Tartare was the best version of that dish; the pork belly and tuna were excellent, and I am a particular fan of crispy foie gras and that pineapple mango compote was delightful. But for me the winner was the Nduja and Escargot. Nduja is so assertive, so heavily seasoned, that it seems to invariably be a mistake, yet here was a revelation, perfectly balanced with the escargot on its toasty wafer, and my favorite bite on that plate. Next up, the Peekytoe Crab Salad, which was so clean on the palate that it put me in mind of sushi. I even had the thought that wasabi would work on that plate, which it might, but it wouldn’t have made the dish any better, just different. What was surprising was the cocktail pairing: On its own, not really quite for me. But with the dish, the magic happens. This became a theme we increasingly appreciated throughout the evening: The care and thought put into each dish, yes, and also into the creation of cocktails that would pair in such exquisitely lovely ways with each marvelous dish.
Then came the risotto, notorious destroyer of reputations, the dreaded death dish. I will say here what I told the server then: The dish is better than perfect. It establishes its perfection by being perfect risotto, which can go wrong so many, many ways, but then it exceeded perfection by bringing into focus elements that aren’t normally part of risotto, such as the sweet/savory balance brought with the pickled pear and truffle. Here, again, a high-wire act where one could plunge into certain doom by bringing the diner into mind of rice-pudding or simply unwanted or insufficiently sweet fruit, but no, every bite was pure joy. So many great dishes, but we had to agree, upon reflection, this was our favorite dish of the entire evening. And the cocktail — yes, it worked that same magic, again, somehow. How does the bartender keep up with the chef? That the bartender is succeeding at all in keeping up with the sorcery going on back of house, well, there is no higher praise.
Then, (if memory serves, it was at this point in service), a surprise gift from chef: Eggplant Terrine, with squash curry purée, cucumber mint mousse, pickled ground cherries, and pomegranate seeds. Not everyone loves eggplant, but if you wanted to convert them, this would be the dish to do it. Fabulous! And the squash curry purée was festive without going over the top or becoming the least bit bitter. All the elements came together for a dish that was seasonal, celebratory, and surprising in all the best ways.
The Whitefish and Lobster dish was another winner. We debated whether, with a name like Tom Kha, should it have more sauce? We didn’t come to agreement, except to say the dish was grand. The cocktail was memorable in its own right, with ingredients that again worked in beautiful harmony with the dish. I found myself licking the sumac off the glass, and reveling in the green pepper and chili notes the hummed in the coconut goodness.
For our fourth course, the Ribeye and Short Rib. The cocktail was a drinky drink, but it has a great deal to stand up to, and it does. What a great cocktail! The dish was a comforting yet original take on meat and potatoes — the potato bone was a nice touch, the jus was just right, and the cook on the Ribeye was perfectly rare. The Ribeye did come off more like Prime Rib, which I don’t mind — I imagine it may have been sous vide. Great plate, and a generous one — perhaps too generous? We could have been served at least one-third less beef, and been perfectly content, and we told our server so. I’m sure no one says such things, but it’s true. Of course, we did finish every bite, because, well, how could we not?
Then we ordered desert. We made our choices, but were served all three. Very gracious of chef to send all that on! Deserts were marvelous. The Opera Cake was easier to eat by first flipping it upside down; the chocolate just wouldn’t cut with all that softness underneath. Fantastic chocolate and espresso desert. The Profiterole was excellent. And the surprise Cheesecake was actually the equal of the other two, which was quite a surprise, indeed. Creme Fraiche made it distinct in the best way, and the pear gelee paired beautifully. We opted for the limoncello, which I forgot to ask if it had been housemade. It was certainly delightful.
Our entire evening was a special joy, a true fine dining experience: The best food, the best service, the best drinks, all coming together to make a magical night. We would have stayed longer, but we simply ran out of human capacity to enjoy any further hospitality. We are so grateful for such a thoughtful menu, so expertly executed, by everyone in the kitchen and also behind the bar, and for everyone front of house who made our evening so thoroughly enjoyable.
