Paulius Musteikis
Foie gras with fried egg.
With a strong March sun bringing a sense of renewal to our city, the timing was perfect for breaking bread with the circle of insiders who make fine dining in Madison happen. The Monday morning brunch, led by Daniel Bonanno of A Pig in a Fur Coat and Francesco Mangano of Osteria Papavero, was the first event in MACN Week, a celebration of culinary creativity from the Madison Area Chefs Network, which runs through March 15.
The idea to have 32 local chefs swap restaurants and team up in unexpected ways has kind of a Justice League of America premise, and the first brunch certainly set the tone for all-star lineups, with super-heroes and sidekicks switching it up. Week-long specials, a wine-oriented dinner, a Jewish deli menu, Friday night fish fry, a pie and pasta dinner, a five-course vegetarian creole dinner, a taco challenge and even a fermentation menu are all part of MACN week.
The brunch at A Pig in a Fur Coat began to fill up as the 11 a.m. kick-off approached. I immediately bonded with a woman at the next table over, who works at both Sal's and the Willy Street Co-Op, and was on a break between shifts. She ordered the foie gras with fried egg, calling it "unusual."
"Where else will I get foie gras and egg?" she asked. "Great texture and taste contrasts." Radish sprouts and a demi-glace added dramatic color. Her dining companion likened the chefs' potato pave to a lasagne. "Sometime a brunch dish just means 'put an egg on top,' but this really works." The potato was layered with cheese and topped with sausage, almost like a garnish. Ample greens made it a full meal. "The sausage has spice, which plays with the dusting of ricotta," she said, closing her eyes for a moment. "Do you want a bite?"
A venison schnitzel dish with red onion and cherry tomato looked good, as did the seafood salumi combo of cured opah, citrus lox, smoked trout and preserved sardines.
But considering who the chefs were, I ordered the crispy pork head. Bonanno and Mangano's crew cooked a pig's head until the flesh fell off, formed neatly seared rectangles of the meat and then topped it off with an egg. The yolk, when broken, oozed over the pork and herbed potatoes sprinkled with salsa verde. Lightly toasted bread from nearby Madison Sourdough Company perfected the almost-too-rich plate, which I devoured nevertheless.
"A Poppy in a Pear Coat" made for a nice accompanying beverage: tart, delicate, light and just slightly bitter. The concoction of Bulleit rye, Grand Poppy Amaro, lemon and St. George spiced pear liqueur was created by the staff for the brunch.
The atmosphere was relaxed and convivial. The close quarters at A Pig in a Fur Coat makes for a chummy meal. All in all, the brunch was an assured kickoff to the event. Or, as one of my new friends said, "What a way to start the work week!"
MACN Week is the second major event for the Madison Area Chefs Collective. In September, the group lit up Central Park with the inaugural YumYum Fest, a daring alternative to Taste of Madison, and one that was noteworthy for its experimentation and wild creations.
Paulius Musteikis
Seafood salumi combo.
