Paulius Musteikis
In the days leading up to the much-anticipated Restaurant Magnus reboot, the phone at Nostrano was ringing off the hook with questions about what signature items would be on the menu.
"Will you guys do the ahi pok'e tuna?" callers asked. "How about the xinxim? Please say you're bringing back the 'Dirty Banana' martini."
Former Magnus chefs Tim and Elizabeth Dahl, Shinji Muramoto and Joey Dunscombe delivered those favorites and more at the Wednesday night Madison Area Chefs Network event, taking diners on a journey back through time to the 1990s, when fusion cuisine was all the rage.
Some restaurants executed the trend poorly. Some did it well. Restaurant Magnus fell squarely into the second category, becoming a Madison favorite known for its inventive dishes and adventurous flavors.
This particular MACN Week event is perhaps unique among the various chef mashups and kitchen takeovers. Instead of chefs preparing their own signature dishes in an unfamiliar space, the Magnus reboot features creations from an important Madison restaurant by noteworthy chefs before they made it big.
All four chefs have since moved on to different ventures: The Dahls found success with farm-to-table Italian fare at Nostrano; Muramoto has built a veritable Asian-fusion and sushi empire; and Dunscombe has perfected the concept of "elevated pub food" at the Weary Traveler.
But revisiting their Magnus roots is something the group has "always wanted to do," says Tim Dahl.
In re-creating the vintage Magnus menu, the now-seasoned chefs had to dig deep into their memories to recall the precise ingredient combinations and proportions for each of the food and cocktail recipes. The process involved a good deal of trial and error, and some of the dishes got tweaked and tightened to suit a more modern palate, but "the flavors are honest," Dahl says.
"As soon as we started tasting, we remembered," he says. "Especially the chimichurri. We nailed it."
The three-course, South American-inspired prix fixe menu runs $60 per person without drinks. Diners have their choice of three options for appetizers, main course and dessert. The Tuesday and Wednesday night dinners sold out quickly, so Nostrano is offering the menu again on Thursday due to popular demand.
With a friend in tow, I was able to sample two-thirds of the offerings: shrimp and scallop ceviche and ahi pok'e tuna salad for starters, elk strip loin and xinxim (prawns, chorizo verde and churrasco chicken in coconut broth) for the main course, and the caramel flan and chocolate bombe for dessert.
"I feel like this is a religious experience," I told my friend when the meal was over. "Only better, because we didn't have to go to church."
The only true "throwbacks" on the Magnus menu were the "Dirty Banana" cocktail and the chocolate martini, Dahl says. Drinks like that would never make it on the cocktail menu at Nostrano these days, but they have an undeniable retro appeal. The other classic drinks -- chelada, caipirinha, batida, pisco sour -- would be at home on any specialty cocktail menu, though 15 years ago at Magnus they were probably ahead of their time.
The wine list deserves special recognition, as each of the six offerings were specially selected to pair beautifully with each of the courses. Swapping out Nostrano's typical French Malbec for an Argentinian version is a fun departure for the restaurant, and the surprisingly earthy New World wine is a perfect companion to the lean, flavorful elk strip loin served with hearts of palm, chayote squash, oyster mushrooms and Okinawan sweet potato.
It was hard to tell who was enjoying Tuesday night's debut more -- the diners who savored the adventurous fusion flavors or the restaurant staff who created and served the dishes.
"Shinji's in the kitchen smiling like a little kid," our server says gleefully. "He's usually so serious."
