The Dining Room at 209 Main
209 N. Main St., Monticello, WI
(608) 938-2200

Hours:  Wednesday - Saturday 5:00 - 9:30

A short trek from Madison, nestled in the hills of Green County just 5 minutes south of New Glarus, awaits the Dining Room at 209 Main, a restaurant that makes the trip well worthwhile.

We first ran into David “Wave” Kasprzak at a cooking exhibition held at the Orange Tree Imports.  He was friendly and real, and he cooked in a way that was refreshing - I hate to use the term “fusion” because it has become so trendy, but Wave was fearless in his combination of ethnic flavors and influences, combining culinary styles with the blink of an eye.   Wave and his wife Jane Sybers opened the restaurant in 1996, and Asian, Southwestern, and Mexican flavors are found running through the dishes at The Dining Room, and all to good effect.

A recent Saturday night found us at The Dining Room at 209 Main, eagerly awaiting our dinner.  We’ve been here before, and we know the unique experience that was ahead.  We started our meal with two appetizers - Cornmeal Crusted Portabella Mushroom with pickled ginger, peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce ($10) and Grilled Sausage Trio with creamy sauerkraut and refrigerator pickles ($12).  Both were tremendous, but for uniqueness, the mushrooms won any appetizer contest that may have been ocurring at the table.

Entrees included Grilled Beef Tenderloin Filet with worchestershire sauce, blue cheese cream, fresh asparagus and mashed potatoes ($28), Ravioli stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses and shitake mushrooms served with seared spinach, roasted red pepper broth and garlic oil ($20), Cornmeal and Habanero Encrusted Pork Cutlets with pablano cream sauce, cheddar grits, and sweet pepper tortilla salad ($23), and the Mixed Grill of lamb tbone, flat iron steak, and pork tenderloin medallions with a red wine horseradish reduction sauce, mashed potatoes and asparagus ($28).

There was no doubt that the Pork Cutlets won the table’s entree contest.  The cornmeal and habanero added a crunchy, spicy crust to the ample cutlets, with the pablano cream sauce adding to the mild heat.  The cheddar grits provided a very robust backdrop to the meat and the sauce, more than adequately standing up to the flavors.

That is not to say that the beef tenderloin filet didn’t win praise from the diners.  A very nice cut of meat, decoratively placed on a bed of potatoes and surrounded artfully by the accompanying sauces, it is one of the better, more interesting upscale filets that you will find within driving distance of Madison.

The desserts were works of art.  They consisted of Sticky Toffee Pudding with Roasted Pecans ($6),  and Chocolate Tart with Raspberry Sauce ($6).  And of course we ordered the Cheese Course, consisting of Hooks Seven Year Cheddar with croutons, seed mustard and sliced apples ($8).  Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a weakness for any cheese coming from Hooks, a local Artisanal cheesemaker.

We heartily recommend The Dining Room at 209 Main.  Take the short drive in the fall, as the trees turn their colors, enjoy the scenery, and be prepared for one of the best meals that you will partake of in the Madison area.

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