A Pig In A Fur Coat, Madison, WI

Frankly, I'm surprised I'd waited this long to try this well-regarded restaurant. In the back of my mind, I believe I was saving it for some sort of special occasion or persons that never materialized. Well, that's no way to live. So, on a pretty blustery winter evening, I headed out on foot with this warm space and food in mind. Plus, I'd been reminded of it that week on a PBS show. So, what did I find when I arrived and plunked my tookis down on one of their six bar seats? Let's see…

- Fun, rotating, inventive, seasonal menu, both drinks & eats

- Competent & knowledgeable staff

- Warm guests, the kind that will even chat with a solo fellow diner

On a whim, I went with a fall theme - squash. I chose the Fall Harvest Salad and a pasta dish they call Agnolini. They were both delicious. Very well-prepared and seasoned. The pasta might have seemed like a "small plate", but if you were having apps, salad, pasta and main (or sharing all these in a group) it would be the perfect size. I also barely had enough room for salad and pasta + dessert. It took me a while to get all the dessert down... more on that later.

Yeah - those are pomegranate seeds on the pasta!!! Once I had my pasta, I wanted something bready to eat with it, maybe soak up some of the extra sauce too. They had a "milk bread" option on their menu - that will have to do. It was easily one of the nicest "bread basket" offerings I've had in some time, served warm with fresh butter.

Now, back to dessert. I don't know about you, but my mind often turns to chocolate for dessert, but that also means I had to forego an excellent sounding fall dessert - a crumb cake with Granny Smith and Jonagold apple compote (I can only presume cinnamon was also used). None-the-less, I went with their "budino", which I would call a small chocolate pudding or custard. Perhaps another accurate description would be a slightly thicker chocolate mousse. It was very very good. And those are pears and hazelnuts on top.

See that creamy chocolate goodness?!?! 

I would be very happy to go back to A Pig In A Fur Coat any chance I get. If you're in the 'hood and have the time, definitely dine here.