Walking into the canopied entrance of the 1870s-era farmhouse that is Otto’s is like finding that little door that leads to sweet heaven in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Charming, unique and more scrumptious than the best meal that you’ve ever had, Otto’s is not only the best restaurant I have visited in my 22 years of life, but it is so tasty that it should put Madison on the map as home to one of the nation’s best restaurants. I’ve been to Tavern on the Green, I’ve been to Peter Luger’s and countless other gems across the country, but I haven’t encountered food as delectable as the Mediterranean-tinged treats that comprise Otto’s menu.
Otto’s secret is that they are concerned with quality and not the mass quantity of their dishes (although the dishes are quite filling) as are so many of the lackluster eating/watering holes of the reduced-expectation folks on campus. The restaurant perfectly fuses taste, charm and style into a perfect mixture that is sure to win your heart over, whether you’re on that all-important first date or celebrating your graduation.
Owner Kamil Tanyeri has spared no expense in making sure his guests are comfortable and fully pleased with their meals. The perfect way to begin your night at Otto’s is to arrive a few minutes prior to your reservation and take up a seat at the quaint 12-seat bar just inside the entrance. An extensive wine, beer and martini list is available, as are champagne and a selection of ports. All of the drinks are quite reasonably priced, and whether you’re after a crisp glass of chardonnay, a celebratory bottle of Veuve Clicquot, or an original like the Otto’s Martini, you’re sure to find something that will please your palate and get the night off to a good start.
When it’s time to begin your dining experience, you’ll make your way up the hardwood stairs that rise up to the second level of the farmhouse, where there is a small grouping of tables lined in crisp white linens and surrounded by festively decorated recessed shelves that contain vintage books and oversized bottles of wine. A third floor houses a slightly larger grouping of tables in a similarly fashioned décor. In the spring and summer months, there is a popular outdoor deck where you can soak in some live music as well as some of Otto’s renowned dishes.
As for the food, it’s American mixed with the occasional Mediterranean twist. Dishes like Harissa-marinated Moroccan chicken with mashed sweet potatoes and apricot almond curry ($17) and Turkish mixed grill with grilled lamb, yogurt-marinated chicken kebab and Kofte served with a variety of accoutrements ($19) are a couple of the Mediterranean dishes on hand.
The meat selection is the best in town, bar none. A selection of certified Angus beef steaks ($19-24) are available both as stand-alone dishes and as an addition to a Greek salad ($13). Grilled salmon in grape leaves ($18), sautéed skate ($19), Maple Leaf Farms duck breast ($19) and oversized, perfectly grilled shrimp ($2 each) are among the other options available to Otto’s guests.
There is one dish that stands alone as Otto’s finest. The grilled loin lamb chops with pomegranate lamb jus, haricots verts and golden beets, with a substitution of garlic mashed potatoes for the standard scalloped potatoes ($21) is Madison’s most delectable meal. The tender, juicy lamb chops are arranged in a neat circle around the delicate mashed potatoes and green-bean/golden-beet mélange. Coupled with a Heineken or other drink of choice, the meal is unbeatable.
For an appetizer, there are many options. From mussels poached in herbed white wine and garlic sauce ($7), to crab cakes ($9), broiled mushroom caps ($6) and a Mediterranean trio platter of grilled eggplant with tahini and lemon, whipped feta cheese and humus served with pita, olives and cucumber ($11) there is sure to be something that interests you.
The best and perhaps most popular appetizer is Bruschetta ($6) that includes whipped feta cheese, fresh tomatoes, kalamata olives and basil atop house-made garlic toast.
All of the dinners come with a scrumptious round of sourdough bread and your choice of salad. Go with the Caesar salad with dressing on the side. The dressing alone is worth the cost of your meal.
As if all this food isn’t enough, if you make it to desert, be sure to choose the white-chocolate bread pudding that includes a dollop of vanilla ice cream. The sweet, cinnamon-sugar taste of the tender bread pudding is enough to make a believer out of the most skeptical bread-pudding adventurist. I was once one of the people who doubted that bread pudding would be any good, and I was proved quite wrong.
After a long night of eating, you’ll be sure to receive a warm thank-you from the prompt, courteous and friendly staff. Grab a dinner mint from the basket on your way out; no matter how full you feel, you’ll be back. Limiting yourself is the hardest part.
