Graze Restaurant

I have no words for how amazing my experience here was! Service was amazing & the food followed. I recommend the Kimchi Cornbread & Chiocciole alla Vodka (I opted to have it without the basil pesto). Their desserts are also incredible, the pineapple sorbet blew my mind!!!!! We will be back for sure, as I have a new favorite place in town ❤️

Limited menu.Servers brought 2 nd course and first course out together.Forget 1 drink and 1 side dish

DIY Score - 3 (1 = easiest to replicate; 5 = hardest to replicate) Do I feel like I (a mediocre chef) could make this at home? Did the chef source superior and/or rare ingredients? Experience - 3 (1 = worst atmosphere, worst service; 5 = best atmosphere, best service) Is the restaurant a remarkable setting? Is the staff carrying their weight in terms of overhead cost? Competitiveness / Value - 2 (1 = least competitive, worst value; 5 = most competitive, best value) Does the combination of price, quality, replicability, and uniqueness set this restaurant apart? How "sticky" is this place -- which is to say, how eager am I to return soon? Identity - 3 (1 = least unique, creative, memorable; 5 = most unique, creative, memorable) Is this a place that tourists need to check out? Will I be reliving this meal in my mind 1, 2, or 10 years from now? On my deathbed? LONG BORING WRITE-UP I returned to Graze for the first time in two years in pursuit of the legendary Basque cake, reputed to be one of Madison's favorite desserts. Previous lunchtime visits (lunch service no longer offered on weekdays) involved the discontinued Japanese egg salad sandwich (liked it) and staple bibimbap (mixed feelings). In terms of setting, Graze is nicely positioned near the Wisconsin State Capitol. When I visited near sundown, they had the blinds down though, blocking any view of it. The dining room is spacious, not too loud, and casual but generally unremarkable. 70s/80s pop music playing. Kudos to my server Jonathan, who, after acknowledging a delay in first getting to me, had impeccable timing thereafter as I took my time with my dinner. He also was at-the-ready with background info on the dessert that had brought me there. Now, the food. In my mind, the only item on the dinner menu that paired well in theory with Basque cake was the black kale Caesar salad with chicken. Maybe subconsciously connecting Caesar salad's Mexican origins with Spanish connections to Mexico? Who knows... Salad Pros - Chiffonading the kale, which mellowed out the strong vegetable presence and helped with dressing distribution - Breadcrumbs in lieu of croutons, which gave consistent crunchiness - Radish slivers: surprisingly tasty - Not too salty overall, well balanced - Nice presentation Salad Cons - The plain egg with flaky salt needed something else - The centerpiece chicken was well-cooked but underseasoned - Not enough carrots and radishes - Undecided whether the earthier kale improves on a crispy romaine The Basque cake, which runs on the middle to higher end as desserts go at similar quality restaurants ($13), is undeniably great. A nice blend of tart (cherry/currants), sweet, contrasting textures and temperatures. The cake's custardy texture and cookie-esque crust is just perfect. The sour cream ice cream has an unobtrusive presence unless you combine all of the elements in one bite, in which case it drowns everything out. It feels essential to the dish, though. Overall, my biggest struggle with Graze stems from its uncertain identity and value proposition. Would I take a tourist here? Not unless they're a big Tory Miller fan. If Graze was Miller's answer to L'Etoile's affordability problem, its current menu line-up is not the answer to the similar offerings available in Madison now. Something like the Japanese egg salad sandwich is what's going to bring me back to Graze, not pasta and burgers. Unfortunately, we lost Sujeo, and that fact might force Miller's hand to play to the Wisconsin palette. I just wish the menu had a tad more cohesiveness and vision, with a clear path through several complementary and unique courses. A lower price starters menu would be a nice addition. The farm-to-table value proposition is laudable and occasionally yields a noticeably superior ingredient, but I cynically believe most folks' commitment to more sustainable local supply chains correlates directly with the health of the consumer economy. The chicken was a pain point in this regard. All that said, I'd recommend at least one visit to Graze for every Madisonian.