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A Great Place
The Connoisseurs
www.theconnoisseurs.com
Liz and I arrived in Madison, and it was well past dinnertime. We were
both hungry, and Liz had researched restaurants with gluten-free options
in Madison, settling on Bunky's Cafe as our destination even before our
trip had begun. We rolled into Bunky's at around 7:30 in the evening, and
the parking lot was packed, so we parked on a side street, which is not a
big deal because Madison, thankfully, does not have the severe parking
regulations that the Boston area does. We walked into the cafe and were
greeted with the site of live belly dancing in the cafe! I was not
expecting a belly dancer, but she made her way from table to table dancing
to the beat playing over the music system. Our hostess seemed a bit
overwhelmed by us walking in, as a couple other parties walked in behind
us. There appeared to be seats available, but as I looked closer, places
still needed to be cleared. They could have been slightly short-staffed,
but they handled it well for the most part. Our hostess brought us through
a hodge-podge of apparently randomly placed tables and chairs to a table
in the far corner of the room, a great seat to gain perspective on all
that was going on in the restaurant.
Liz and I looked around, at the decor on the walls and in all of the nooks
and crannies. There was a wall of Victorian-style weather-worn mirrors
next to us, and the rest of the restaurant followed suit. It was almost
like a rummage sale exploded in the store, leaving us with the feeling
that can only be described as Victorian Kitsch. That is not a bad thing,
mind you, and lent itself to an artsy feeling in the cafe.
Our waitress came to the table, and seemed genuinely friendly, which I
always appreciate, and proceeded to list off a tasty sounding array of
specials. First, we started off with drinks, Liz with lemonade, and I with
a Spotted Cow Ale, a local Wisconsin brew that the waitress endorsed as
her husband's favorite. The ale was made by the New Glarus Brewing Company
and was light and refreshing. The head of the beer was very short lived,
so weak that I wasn't able to capture it with my camera. It had the color
of a blonde-honey, and was slightly cloudy. It was fresh tasting, very
crisp, and it had an interesting flavor that I couldn't put my finger on
for the longest time, but eventually it came to me. The ale had flavors of
wheat and malt, but the unusual flavor was one of fresh corn, and I must
say that it was enjoyable and refreshing.
When the waitress asked about food, I asked if the stuffed shrimp could be
made gluten-free, and she said that they were one of two things on the
menu that could not, but after that tip off, she was very sensitive to the
fact that one of us had a food allergy, and she asked which of us it was.
This waitress impressed me. When she had her answer, she made sure to
tailor our meal requests accordingly. Elizabeth got a 10-inch pizza with
broccoli, red onions, olives, fresh tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese on a
gluten-free crust by The Silly Yak, a local gluten-free bakery.
I decided on one of the day’s specials, a slow-cooked Moroccan-spiced lamb
shank on a bed of white beans with a side of lentil soup. Liz's pizza
arrived on a pedestal, and looked fantastic. She was very pleased with the
flavors, and also of the texture of the gluten-free crust, which can
definitely be hit or miss, but was spot on here.
The lentil soup was thick and hearty, and was topped with a spicy mixture
that jazzed it up quite a bit. I was glad that the bowl was a smaller
portion, as it was quite rich. Also, if there had been more, I may not
have been able to conquer the huge portion of lamb shank that I was
presented with. The lamb was fantastic. It was perfectly seasoned, and
just fell off the bone. It was moist, flavorful, savory, and there wasn't
even a hint of that gamey flavor that lamb can sometimes hold. The
waitress told me that it had been slow-cooked for hours, and the effort
showed in the final product. This was the best lamb I have ever had, and I
have eaten some very good lamb. It even beat out the magnificent lamb I
had in Provincetown at the Crowne Pointe Inn, and that is tough to do.
After our entrees, Liz and I ordered a slice of chocolate mousse pie (also
gluten-free) with two forks, as we were both pretty full already. The pie
was pulled from a pastry case in the front of the store that labeled all
of the desserts with letters on Scrabble trays, a very unique and clever
system. The thick mousse pie was drizzled with chocolate sauce and had a
chocolate crust, and it was very good and decadent. Though Liz liked her
pizza a great deal, this pie took the cake for her.
All in all, we had a great and fun experience at this restaurant. The
environment was quirky, that wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable,
and the food was excellent. Liz was very pleased that a restaurant would
go out of its way to cater to those stricken with gluten intolerance in
every area of the menu, from breads and pasta, to desserts. Additionally
they are staffed by a cadre of knowledgeable waiters and waitresses. Don't
miss Bunky's if you are ever in the Madison area. This is a great place.
Just make sure that you have cash on you, as this restaurant does not
accept credit or debit cards. However, this too is endearing, as they have
an explanation as to why, and they do it more in support of restaurants
not having to pay fees to the credit card giants than just because. Kudos,
Bunky's, for standing up for the little guys and for being the model of a
good local restaurant. ■
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