Restaurants in Madison

Proprietor Anne Amelot-Homes and her father, executive chef Christian Amelot, want to fly you to La Ferté-Bernard, their hometown in France. Unfortunately, paying airfare for everyone who asks would be too expensive, so they opened Anjou—an eatery that aims to bring the cuisine of their French village stateside. And amid dark wooden furniture and stonewalls, their menu of authentic bistro fare achieves just that. Waiters whisk out plates of steak frites coated in maitre d' butter and bowls filled with cassoulet—stewed navy beans with sausage and duck confit. White tablecloths also frame American-inflected entrees such as Café de Paris burgers garnished with herb butter, brie, and Gustave Eiffel's abandoned blueprints for a New-York-Paris skyway.:m]]

Sombra Mexican Kitchen’s chefs take pride in the methods they use to arrive at their contemporary take on Mexican cuisine. Though they pickle their jalapeño peppers and stir their enchilada sauces back in the kitchen, they can’t resist allowing guests a peek at the creative process. So, under the twinkling lights of the multihued dining room, they craft their flour or corn tortillas from scratch. While the flavorful disks are still hot, they proceed to blanket each with homemade guacamole and salsa brimming with Mexican oregano and epazote. They also slow-roast whole chickens and sizzle USDA Choice skirt steaks for meals that can be enjoyed on one of two outdoor patios or amid the dining room’s eclectic collection of cow skulls, Mexican blankets, and foliage teeming with wild piñatas.

Honing in on the diverse flavors and epicurean culture of Asia, Pan Asia’s menu spans the culinary gamut, offering Thai, Japanese, and Southeast Asian specialties. Chefs artfully sear tuna steak, fashion maki rolls with fresh fish, and braise tender lamb in a green curry sauce. Dessert also bears the hallmarks of Asian influence, as diners dig into thai lime tarts, banana spring rolls, and coconut-flavored crème brûlée. These colorfully plated dishes pop against the surface of Pan Asia’s dark wood tables, which sit below high ceilings and adjacent to the full-service Gong Bar. Outside, patio seating supplies diners with fresh air and views of the sun’s ticklish underbelly.

Two Sister's Kitchen whips up its signature fried chicken—lauded by Food & Wine magazine as among the best in the country—in the kitchen of a historic home built in 1902. Six days a week, buffets and chafing dishes serve catfish, cornbread, biscuits, tomato gravy, and other Southern eats. Tables draped in flowered cloths fill the house's cozy dining rooms, and wrought-iron furniture crowns the outdoor patio. The front porch looks out at the capitol building, which serves as a reminder to abide the law about chewing with your mouth closed.