Total Points: 4
Fruit garnish: +.5
Color: 0
Muddling: 0
Bitters: +1
Brandy:+1
Overall taste: +1.5
Web site: http://avenueclubmadison.com/
The Drink: This drink had the perfect balance of sweet, brandy and bitters. You could definitely taste the sugar. The flavor was just right, with an orange note. It was garnished with an orange and two cherries, but there was no muddled fruit, resulting in a lower score. However, because this drink was so good, I gave it a 1.5 for Overall taste. According to the menu, this is the original Avenue Bar Old Fashioned.
Atmosphere: The Avenue Club is located in former Madison staple eatery--The Avenue Bar. It was an ever popular spot, especially on Fridays and I ate many fish fries and drank many brandy old fashioneds there. It was reliable. So, it was with feelings of both trepidation and excitement as we ate there in January. As it turns out, the update done by new owners, Food Fight Restaurant Group, is a delightful homage to both the original restaurant and its mid-century roots. \The menu too is updated. Two of us were able to get a table on a Friday back in January. On a recent Friday, 6 of us were not able to get a table at all when we showed up at 5 pm--reservations for larger parties are a must. The updated restaurant is definitely a hit.
The Experience: Since it was Friday, we had fish fry though the new menu does have offerings like Grilled Ahi Tuna Niçoise. This was a great fish fry: the batter is made with Spotted Cow and the cod is not dry. You can actually taste the beer! The coleslaw was very lightly dressed and was refreshing. The rye bread had a very crusty crust with sesame seeds and was wonderful. Rye bread is more of a Milwaukee fish fry thing so it was a pleasant surprise. The best element of the meal was the delicious dill tartar sauce. To top it all off, I had a "Cold Fashioned." I love inventive plays on the brandy old fashioned and this was truly fun to look at and eat--Korbel brandy, maraschino cherries, bitters, and oranges blended with Sassy Cow Creamery vanilla ice cream and topped with whipped cream (from Avenue Club Menu). After perusing the drink menu, I am sure we need to go to the Bubble Up Bar to try them all.
