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.

Italian Eatery, Minneapolis, MN

Being back in the Twin Cities for a weekend afforded me an opportunity to not only try some restaurants that I'd not been to before, but more importantly to meet up with old friends, like we used to - eating out at our favorite places.

With that theme in mind, two of my favorite female friends and I decided to meet-up at Italian Eatery on the near-southside of Minneapolis. We decided to tackle the menu by ordering some small plates & salads to share, then got our own pasta entrees if desired (uhhh, yes!). Drinks are available and well done - beers, wines, etc. Get what you like.

The three of us started "al fresco" on their gorgeous patio... but the storm coming in would not relent. Around the time our entrees arrived, and with prodding from the staff, we decided it would be best if we were whisked inside to our new waiting table. It was pretty seamless, and much drier.

Here's what we shared that night:

- Goat Ricotta with Honey

- IE Classic Meatballs

- Roasted Asparagus, with soft-boiled egg and Parmesan

- Shaved Root Salad

- House-made Rigatoni with Fennel Sausage crumbles

Though we were full, we also had a sweet treat in mind, and the waiter mentioned gelato. While we each didn't need our own desserts, we did want to try a few the waiter had mentioned. The waiter wound up making us a small "tasting menu" from all their frozen desserts. Again, this was maybe 2-3 spoonfuls of each flavor, so we each could get a taste. It was really nice of them, quite a perfect end.

Clockwise from upper right - Nutella, Pistachio, Raspberry Sorbet, Fresh Milk, Vanilla.

I still feel bad that this was my first visit to this restaurant, as it was in business before I moved out of MN. It was very very good, and I would love to back there, right now even! It's now on my list for when I go back or for when anyone in the areas needs a new go-to spot. Please visit if you're up there and haven't been.