CLOSED: Gastropub heats up food scene with cajun, creole dishes
The Seared Ahi Tuna at The Madison Gastropub features mixed spring greens, Firecracker coleslaw, marinated and black pepper crusted seared ahi toni in a balsamic glaze topped with crispy onions.
Clockwise from left: The New Orleans Strip, Madison Burger, Bourbon Praline Beignets and Seared Ahi Tuna at the Madison Gastropub. See our review at bit.ly/1yiuUHv.
The New Orleans Shrimp features six succulent jumbo shrimp sauteed in the Madison's secret sauce with fresh, soft baguette slices to mop it up.
You might not have noticed, but the outdoor seating tipped off our curiosity. Old Towne Grill along Center Street in Provo is no more, and in its place The Madison Gastropub has sneakily filled its space the past eight months. That’s right, since the beginning of the year. It’s recent award from Taste of the Valley is especially apt. The gastropub was named Best Kept Secret.
I’d like to know who has been harboring this secret, because frankly it has hurt someone. Well, perhaps not someone but it has most definitely limited my dining options. Maybe I sound overzealous, but food is after all the sustenance of life. I digress.
Like us, guests might first be tipped off by the new patio furniture for outdoor dining along the street. Inside, the previous decor by Old Towne Grill bordered country cottage-cutesy with mismatched everything — chairs, flatware and dishes even adorned with teddy bears. The Madison Gastropub has forgone that trend and stuck with simple, consistent dinnerware and purple tablecloths which go along with the restaurant’s cajun and creole emphasis.
Growing up just a few hours west of Louisiana, I’d like to think I’m more than just acquaintances with cajun cuisine. While cajun and creole restaurants are few and far in between here, like a true friend, you can pick up right where you left off. There’s the familiar heat from peppers. Bold flavors of spices. And a hint of home. (While the restaurant didn’t serve it, sometimes if I’m lucky I can find my one of my favorite vegetables, okra, outside of the south at cajun eateries.) All of these things combined to form an exciting and flavorful menu to choose from.
The Madison Gastropub has several appetizers and more than one left us pouring over the options. We ordered the Corn & Candied Bacon Fritters with Cajun Remoulade — essentially a crisp but fluffy version of hush puppies enhanced with onion, bacon and corn. The remoulade was a welcome sauce of spice and red color. While waiting for our main dishes, we sampled the corn and jalapeno chowder — a soup fit perfectly for fall and the approaching cool weather as it heats up your insides.
Main dishes are divided between sandwiches, burgers and entrees; we selected one from each category. The special that evening happened to be a sandwich. The only problem with the special — a Dry-aged Smoked Prime Rib Sandwich with caramelized onions, peppers and provolone cheese on a beautiful baguette — was that my mouth was too small to gracefully enjoy a complete bite. The seasoned fries had a nice cajun kick and for $8, the plate felt like a steal.
Riding on the end of the weekend, the gastropub was fresh out of Grilled Pork Chops smothered with Bourbon Roasted Apples, so I settled on the Poulet Royale, chicken sauteed in butter with a mushroom and brandy cream sauce served with garlic mash and grilled zucchini. Even as my No. 2 choice, the dish never disappointed. The chicken was moist, the sauce tasty and the mashed potatoes perhaps some of my favorite to eat.
The burgers might be considered meaty masterpieces. All six 1/2 lb. beef patties have combinations beyond the typical American fare. Jalapeno. The Mocha. Roasted Garlic. Cowboy. The names are only slightly indicative of the creative toppings orchestrated into burgers. Our burger, Roasted Garlic, came topped with garlic cloves, herbed goat cheese, smoked gouda and cripsy onions. It was of course delicious. One burger caught my attention, and it’s unusual preparation has stuck with me like a pin in a voodoo doll. The Mocha is grilled with a brown sugar coffee rub and topped with gouda cheese, caramelized onions, candied bacon and a hazelnut chocolate sauce. Fascinating! I’m fairly certain I did not mix up the desert menu (which happened to be my favorite part).
Despite my addiction to sugar, I don’t frequently order dessert when I dine out. Many places offer a measly menu of stale options as a sad afterthought. I’ll issue you this lone warning: don’t look at their dessert section before you order appetizers. You’ll lose focus. Perhaps become short of breath. Develop a topic repetition during the entirety of your meal. My fixation happened to be the Bourbon Praline Beignets dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with bourbon toffee sauce and pecans. Don’t skip the beignets. Your taste buds will be grateful; I accept traditional thank you notes via snail mail.
THE MADISON GASTROPUB
Where: 295 W Center St, Provo
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Closed Sunday.
Prices: $5-$24
Info: www.facebook.com/TheMadisonGastropub, (801) 375-9000