The Statehouse, Madison, WI

On a recent Friday night, I didn't want to just drive home, so I ventured further into downtown Madison and wound up at a spot I had been close to previously, but had not yet ventured in. I wanted to check out the Statehouse Restaurant and Bar on the first floor of the Edgewater Hotel. 

As the name implies, it all happens to be right on Lake Mendota, near-ish the university campus, and with great views, places to wander, and beer/drinks available. It's a great place to hang out and take a load off, especially after a particularly trying and long Friday.

I walked right into the bar of the restaurant and sat down for my first cocktail, a Wisconsin staple, an Old Fashioned (whiskey, not Brandy for me). It hit the spot.

You can just make out that fancy Maraschino cherry, Luxardo, on the lower right of the glass. Tasty.

I then went to a New Glarus selection that I'd not heard of or had before, Totally Naked. It's their light lager and it was exactly what I wanted.

Finally, with all the booze, I decided I need to eat a real meal. When in Rome, eat Roman food. But when in a steakhouse, eat steak. I ordered up their flank steak sandwich.

It's off their non-published bar menu, and while everything in the sandwich was delicious, the bread they chose to build this taste vehicle on was not so bueno for me. They place all this slippery steak and sauce on a 4" wide plank of hard ciabatta bread. It's not a roll or bun, it's just cut from a larger loaf. Not only was it too tall, crusty, and girthy to easily get a mouth on it, items started slipping out from to word "Moe". I mean, I got it all down, but it was kind of weird to be in this "fancy" steakhouse and be struggling with a sandwich falling apart. Surely I can't be the first and likely won't be the last.

In spite of the "PANdemonium", this was a perfect Friday evening, at a really nice, welcoming, warm place. It's now on my list to head back to when needed. I should also mention their sister restaurants across the courtyard, The Icehouse and The Boathouse (at least I think they own them all). They're even more casual places on the lake to grab a beer or bite and don't disappoint in the views department either.

I capped the night off at a local ice cream purveyor, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co.... awesome. They make the full-fat, super premium kind, not for the faint of heart.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter, plus Ultimate Oreo.