Best Historic Restaurants in Madison

We had Tacos, Brisket and Ribs. Everything was absolutely delicious. We only wished there were more “southern” sides, or at LEAST cornbread for the table. The building is one of the most gorgeous restaurants i’ve been to, very friendly atmosphere and employees.

This was such a special date night! While we were already lovey-dovey celebrating our recent engagement, the Optimist staff and food just made it that much better. Before I talk about our food, I want to say THANK YOU to our server, Gabriel for making the night so special. He brought us champagne to celebrate, gave us all the input on what to get based on what we like, and even bought our dessert for us at the end of the night. We didn't catch her name, but one of the hostess also hand-made an engagement ring, flowers and small box and brought it to our table for us. This was way way wayyyyy beyond what we could've ever imagined, so thank you so much for making this night even more magical. The food was incredible. In total, we had two apps, four cocktails, two entrees, three sides and a dessert. Now obviously we were celebrating, but the biggest thing we noticed was while we felt full, we never felt bloated, gross, etc. like you do with some restaurants when you've probably eaten a bit too much. For appetizers I recommend the smoked fish dip! It was the perfect amount and such a nice start to the meal. I had the flounder and thought it was perfect. They even present the fish to you table side and debone it. The sides were hard to decide, but ultimately I think the broccolini was my top favorite. And for dessert we did a pineapple upside down cake and it was everything nostalgic and indulgent. Transparently, this isn't a price point that we could afford to go to on a random Wednesday for dinner. But, this is probably the best "celebration" restaurant experience we've had in Nashville. The sticker price may surprise you (or maybe it won't if you eat seafood out often!!) but it was worth every penny.

What a fun experience. I wish the live music started earlier. I love the simple menu guaranteed to fill your belly with just enough room for a delicious dessert. Paige's hospitality was top-notch, and Casey's concoctions were thoughtful and perfect. We will be back to this Germantown corner find.

Staff was warm and friendly. The food was innovative and approachable at the same time. The space is unique and the open kitchen is fun to watch. I may have dimmed the lights slightly and put on a little music, but otherwise, the room was lovely. Would definitely return. Probably many times. Don't skip the house-aged ham or the Solomon cocktail.