Madison Restaurant Update: Alchemy Café

A couple weeks back I gave a brief review of the Alchemy Café on Atwood. Well after making my second visit in a month, I feel compelled to give an update. The menu I raved about has undergone a bit of a face lift. Sadly the best tortilla chips in town are gone, however in their place are the best sweet potato fries these lips have ever tasted. Similar to their house cut fries, the thin crisps allow the sweetness of the potato to stay passive and not dominate the palate. The accompanying garlic aioli and jelly (yes jelly) were great dip components. Meanwhile, we sampled two new sandwiches. The BLFT (bacon lettuce fried tomato) is the new king of sandwiches. The tempura-like fried tomatoes melted in your mouth along with bacon. The bread was soaked in butter (did I taste truffle oil?) yet managed to maintain its firmness. Another companion tried the shrimp salad sandwich and was not only pleased with the flavor but also noted the size and quality of the shrimp which is unusual for “bar food”. After two visits I think the Alchemy is quickly becoming the equivalent of the nordeast Bulldog in Minneapolis. Now they just have to pass the Jaager bomb test.

Alchemy Café, 1980 Atwood Ave, Madison, 608-204-7644