So I went to Madisons lastnight for the first time! Tony and I had high expectations for this place solely based on the numerous positive comments from people. I didnt hear one negative comment since their opening! Many know Im a HUGE foodie and one of my favorite things to do is to try new places (I personally would love for this to be my full time job! haha). I was so excited for a place like this to open...since Fishers should have a quaint spot like this. like what Madisons is trying to pull off (but dont), why not Pendleton, right? :) Everyone should also know that when I check a new place out, I look at everything...not just the food! Ambiance, service, tables, chairs, etc....Im just detailed! So, what do I think of Madisons? Well, as soon as we walked in, the entire restaurant stared...not b/c of us, but I think b/c the hostess stand was like right there! I personally would either build some sort of wall behind the stand or move it. This detail is very minor, but I told you I was detailed! ;) There was no hostess standing there at the time and we had to actually wait a minute or so before we were even greeted. She was sweet, but seemed a bit scattered and couldnt find her reservation book (someone took it off the stand, but even if it were there shed have a hard time finding it as the stand was a hot mess full of menus and papers thrown on top of it...again, minor). The place was NOT 100% full...maybe 70%, so there were tables available, however, we had to wait on ours to be cleaned?? It took several minutes for our server to greet us and take our drink order. As soon as I sat down thats when I start looking around at detailed things of the interior/décor/menu and such. The menu was nice...not too many items and the look was decent. The bar binder on each table, however, was hideous! It was obviously handmade and you know what, if you have a budget and thats how to save $, thats fine, but at least make it look clean/professional...it looked like a 1st grader did it! Everything was cut uneven, the fonts were different, nothing centered or neatly printed out and it was just simple letterhead paper cut and taped with clear moving tape at the top where the binder rings were! The M on the front of the binder was also not neatly done by hand with a marker! Also, I dont need to see your bar ingredients list...if you have a full bar, great! I dont need to see your ingredients list! I then asked if they have a specialty cocktail list and they did! Nothing on the list caught my fancy and thats ok, I didnt have a problem with that...but the look of it...oh my! Again, VERY unevenly cut and the wording was just plopped on the paper...not centered or anything...so bad looking! So this is what we had to eat/drink Im just going to list it: Bread/butter basket...was decent Dirty Martini (I ordered it extra dirty with blue cheese olives)...was awful! Tasted like water with a hint of citrus...thats great, if I ordered my water that way! And PLEASE, when Im ordering a martini in a restaurant, dont serve it to me in a short, stouty round CHAMPAGNE glass! Appetizer: Chicken and Vegetable Wontons with a lemon/thyme cream sauce (??). The wonton itself was pretty good...the sauce, however, was EXTREMELY salty! It was also so runny (like water) and the presentation of it was not good (plating and presentation is important in a restaurant people!! People eat with their eyes first!!) Soup: I got the Tuscan White Bean Soup...EXTREMELY salty as well! Also, the lady that brought our soups out (not our server) said before she handed me mine I spilled some of your soup onto the plate, would you like another one? Now, this wasnt just a tiny drop spilled...the entire napkin was soaked and spoon had soup all over it! If you have to ask, then maybe you should have turned right around before serving me the soup and get me a new one...but I told her it was fine as I didnt want her to have to get me a new one (I didnt want to be difficult). Tony had the Tomato Basil soup. The flavor was good, but it was so thick we thought it was the pasta sauce...a little cream would have been much better) Entrée: I got the Pasta Carbonara...NO FLAVOR!! NONE! ZIPPO! Where was the salt/flavor? Disappointing! Tony got the Four Cheese Alfredo with Shrimp...it was ok...nothing spectacular, but not awful either! Dessert: We opted for no dessert As for the ambiance, plating, décor...below average! They have a place that could be killer! That brick wall inside is such a plus on their side, but I would go in and do some changes to the look of that place! It looks quaint from the outside, but there is nothing quaint once inside! Those icicle lights they now have up need to go...tacky inside a place like that. The pictures in the frames I would change. I would add some drapery up front to soften the front end of the restaurant. I would get new chairs...those are hideous! Everything wrong I experienced about that place can so easily be changed and is so minor! As for the food...not sure if it was b/c Chef Dan was not there or what! I know to many I might seem very nitpicky, but if this place wants to survive...it needs help! I will for sure try this place again when Chef Dan is there, but lastnight was a HUGE disappointed! Sorry :(
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 15:35:14 +0000
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