Paulius Musteikis
A must-order is the beet carpaccio with farro, radish, hazelnuts, and dollops of smoked ricotta.
For years a staple of the Madison-area fish fry and supper club scene, the Stamm House served food family-style in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere. Diners nursed Old Fashioneds until their tables were ready, then headed upstairs to face heaping bowls of coleslaw and perch. It was an institution, but by the end, it had become run down.
Then veteran restaurant industry couple Brian and Alicia Hamilton teamed up with landlord Troy Rost when he purchased the historic house. It was a fortuitous buy.
A total facelift highlights the stunning beauty of the property. The red barnwood has been stripped away (it wasn’t original), and the interior is back to raw stone and wood beams. Walls have been removed, a few knotty pine dividers constructed and the kitchen relocated to the ground floor — where it should be. The small bar at the lower-level entrance remains, and there’s another large bar upstairs in the airy main dining room. The feel is cozy below and soaring above. And there’s a huge new front patio outside.
To complement the total remodel, the Hamiltons have paired with Nick Johnson, the James Beard-nominated chef who’s worked at Restaurant Magnus and 43 North. This alignment of downtown talent has made the new 1847 at the Stamm House one of the most anticipated openings of the year.
Just as dimness has given way to new windows, the menu has been brought into the light. Heavy and fried is out; fresh and seasonal produce dominates — although a rotating daily special features comfort foods like chicken and dumplings and beef stroganoff. Gone are the sticky Old Fashioneds, replaced with a well-composed list of on-trend craft cocktails. However, don’t fret, there’s still fish fry on Fridays.
The list of starters is short but mighty. There’s a smoked strawberry salad with fennel and radishes tossed in a light vinaigrette. This would be fine even if it stopped there, but Johnson sneaks a cooling slab of coconut custard underneath. The smooth texture and tropical flavor is an unexpected thrill, especially with a glass of rosé. Almost as good is the onion tart tartin, served cold (maybe a little too cold), with almond cheese and almond purée alongside pea greens. It’s just rich enough to make a light meal, and is sure to please vegetarians.
A dish of oozy and decadent buratta is a sharable option, although be forewarned that the raisins and peanuts on top are reminiscent of trail mix — half of our table loved it, the other half did not. A safer choice for sharing might be one of the elegant cheese platters full of little dashes of condiments like pickled rhubarb, lemon curd and housemade mustards.
Not to be missed is the beet carpaccio, a star even in this artisanal beet-crazed era. Thin slices of red beets are cooked until just tender, drizzled with olive oil, and strewn artfully with roasted farro and crunchy hazelnuts. Dollops of smoked ricotta with orange beet halves and crunchy radish slices create contrast and add zing. Again, it’s a vegetarian’s delight. Or, it’s that chef Nick Johnson knows that vegetables are having a moment nationally on restaurant plates — that, and it’s finally growing season in Wisconsin. As if to underscore the point, the meat-centric dish among the appetizers, a Mediterranean-inspired lamb meatball, is flavorful but a bit dry.
Meats (beef, pork, chicken) are sourced through Conscious Carnivore. The populist offering is a grass-fed burger, touched with a bacon-onion marmalade and topped with mornay sauce. The rich cheese, almost like a fondue, is given an acidic lift by a few slices of pickles. Terrific fries accompany it.
Paulius Musteikis
Bright and beautiful: pan-roasted lake trout with wild rice, summer beans, red chili, and taragon creme fraiche.
For a lighter meal, the pan-roasted trout rests on a bed of “canoe-harvested wild rice” mixed with summer beans. Bright and beautiful with a flaky fish filet, it wonderfully encapsulates the flavors of the upper Midwest. Equally compelling is the zucchini pavé (a term that Thomas Keller uses to describe a dish that is square and stacked). Here, a zucchini biscuit rests atop a ginger-pistachio sauce heaped with grilled slices of summer squash. Did I mention this is a vegetarian’s playground?
It’s easy to get excited by the starters and cheese boards and miss dessert, but a foray into the list for the olive oil lemon cake will prove rewarding — moist, with toasted merengue and an unexpected touch of sorrel.
Service is swift and professional. Nick Johnson has managed to strike a balance between glorious meat dishes like schnitzel (Thursdays) and a menu that gives local produce its proper due. What to call this locavore spot: Farm-to-Phoenix?
1847 at the Stamm House: 6625 Century Ave., Middleton; 608-203-9430; 1847stammhouse.com; 5-10 pm Tues.-Thurs., 5-11 pm Fri.-Sat., 5-10 pm Sun.; $8-$28, steak for two on Saturdays $50-$60.; Upper bar area is not accessible by wheelchair.
