Morels Reviews

Wisconsin Trails - The Magazine of Life in Wisconsin - by Harriet Brown

Pepper crusted loin of wapiti elk, served with a dark wine and mushroom sauce, encouraged one friend to announce, "Maybe I'll take up hunting." Ravioli stuffed with pheasant sausage proved a little sweet, but its sauce - a dark brooding reduction of mushrooms - was a revelation.

Ahi tuna, accompanied by nutty pilaf, came with a mustard cream sauce worth every calorie.

The award for the most satisfying meal, however, went to Mr. Picky's bison meat-loaf; slices of buffalo baked with onions, tomatoes, and herbs, served with a huge scoop of smashed (not mashed) Yukon Gold potatoes and glazed with Sprecher Black Bavarian beer pan gravy."

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - by Dennis R. Getto

Grilled filet mignon and sautéed walleye were excellent in their simplicity. The steak had been grilled to the right temperature, then placed atop a bed of sautéed wild mushrooms. I don't remember a moment when I've appreciated steak and mushrooms more.

Fresh vegetables - mushrooms, asparagus, carrots and broccoli all cooked to retain a bit of their crunch - accompanied the entrees.

The same attention to detail held true in desserts.

Madison Magazine's Madison Dining Guide

My first reaction to Morel's Restaurant was much the same as when I first tasted its woodland namesake. Wow!

Morels serves substantial and handsome portions of fresh, flawlessly prepared food.

Their menu is sure to entice most appetites and includes an extensive list of made-on-location desserts. On my last visit, there were no less than 12 enticements.

As delicious as everything else is, be sure to save room for dessert at Morel's.

Wisconsin State Journal - by Chris Martell

The salads are big and fresh, the dressings are well-mixed and the croutons big and crunchy. The artisanal sour-dough dinner rolls are always good, especially with the whipped Wisconsin butter. The wild mushroom bisque is also reliably good.

Among the entrees on the regular menu is a longtime favorite of many diners, the breast of pheasant au Morels. Since pheasant is usually dry; it was suitable accompanied by a lush mushroom duxelle in a perfectly baked puff pastry, with a brandy cream morel sauce so delicious it should be offered by the bowl.

Brava - Chef's Corner

It's cold. It's the middle of winter. At this point you're either going stir crazy with cabin fever or looking to get cozy in front of the fire. Quell that fever while cozying up with you mate at Morels restaurant, where seasonal comfort food is always on the menu and uncommon, indigenous edibles are in the spotlight.

Game found in the wilds of Wisconsin such as venison and duck become tantalizing entrees. Paired with pinot, a side of wild rice pancakes and, of course, passion (for food and a loved one), it's a recipe for a splendid evening out.

Janesville Gazette - by Bill Livick

Service at Morels is very professional and efficient, and it's hard to overstate the food's lovely preparation and presentation.

My dining companion's comment about the dinner plates was right on the mark. "Its artfulness is not at the expense of its substance.

Isthmus - by Jerry Minnich

When Helen and Karl Hofmann sold the Chalet in 1997, the Swiss dishes soon yielded to a distinctly Wisconsin menu - trading pheasant for wiener schnitzel, herbed roasted potatoes for spaetzel, venison filets for geschnetzeltes.

Old timers may wax nostalgic about the Chalet, but they certainly won't be disappointed by Morels, which is the name of the reborn restaurant. You can sit on the enclosed porch and look out upon the rolling hills, and while you can no longer get a croc of Swiss cheese fondue, you can at least get a bowl of steaming Wisconsin cheese-beer soup.

Morels is worth a short ride into the Wisconsin countryside. It might be what Wisconsin is all about.

Wisconsin State Journal - by Catherine Murray

Morel's is surrounded by 19 acres of countryside, an occasional sighting of white-tail deer, a bluff where wild fox hang out, plus landscaped gardens embracing a new regional personality.

The staff can rightfully boast of serving authentic Wisconsin culinary gems expertly prepared from scratch, many including morel mushrooms.

Although the menu changes with what's available throughout the seasons, such as morel mushrooms, every Friday night offers French-fried bluegills, broiled fillet of cod with white wine and fresh lemon, and cod fillets coated in Morel's own Esser's Best Wisconsin beer batter and fried to a golden brown for a special weekend treat.

Capital Times - by Gwen Evans

Highly prized and elusive, morels grow in great profusion but are difficult to see - especially for the inexperienced morel hunter. It is fitting, then, that Morels Restaurant is so aptly named. Just 3 ½ miles west of the Beltline off Airport Road it might take a little effort to find, but there is a delicious reward for the quest.

It is the bar that should not be missed. All manner of fauna look down upon customers - more deer than you can shake a rack of antlers at, moose, a mountain goat, fish, musk ox and a Kodiak bear.

Madison Originals Magazine - by Jackie Bradley

The large bar/lounge area with its massive, vaulted ceiling radiates an aura of the great outdoors. Magnificent animals such as bison, moose, deer, mountain goats, a mountain lion, and and upright Kodiak bear grace the walls and rafters. It is a unique experience to savor a drink or two under the watchful eyes of more that 40 animal heads.

The menu is replete with delectable entrees and features game as well as Walleye, Filet Mignon, Amish Chicken, Pork Chops and Steaks. Where else can you order Bison Meatloaf, Pan Seared Elk Strip Loin, Pheasant Pot Pie, and Venison? While 60-70% of the menu changes seasonally, Morels' signature Breast of Pheasant is always available. Wrapped with mushroom duxelle and a puff pastry, the succulent breast meat is served atop a brandy cream and morel mushroom sauce. And, where other than at Morels, does a Friday fish fry feature Bluegills?.