Icon on State Street

The adventure begins with an Evite from "Thing 1." The dinner location is set, same day and time as always. This month reservations are made at Icon on State Street. A quick Internet search reveals Icon is a contemporary tapas restaurant. The salivating begins.

Arriving early I step up to the bar and order a beer from Capital Brewery. Whenever possible I choose a beer from a Wisconsin Brewery, and in Madison this task is always achievable. The bar tender hands me a (at best) half pint of beer and says "four dollars" as he grabs the five dollar bill I placed on the bar. "Four Dollars!" I think silently. I am use to paying $6 for a pint in D.C., but half a pint in Madison, highway robbery I tell you. Oh well, it is the atmosphere I am hear for, if beer was cheap the place would be crawling with undergrads.

As the rest of the group arrives the fun begins with pitchers of White Sangria . The Sangria does not disappoint.

The food at Icon is Tapas. Eating at a Tapas place always reminds me of going to a sports bar and ordering a meal of appetizers. Normally ordering one item off the menu will satisfy one person. And sharing items ensure everyone gets a variety and plenty to eat. Portions at Tapas do not meat this expectation, one item will not fill you up.

The group ordered at least four rounds of food. Everything from Talapia to chocolate mousse. Everything was absolutely delicious. I ate a little of every dish we ordered and wanted to eat all of every dish we ordered.

(Consensus opinion: the flat bread is a must order).

With drinks and food (including tip but not including the $4 beer at the bar) the total came to $26 each. The perfect price for dinner with friends. The quality of the food at Icon is hard to beat. Nothing disappointed in the taste and presentation categories.

I eat at Tapas restaurants regularly, both in D.C. and Madison, and normally I don't leave hungry. Icon is the exception. After four rounds (more than a dish per diner) most of the group left hungry. My recommendation, eat a late lunch when planning an evening at Icon. Three members of the group continued the night at the Brass Ring on East Washington and ordered food there to fill the remaining void.

Conclusion: Icon is a great restaurant offering excellent food, martinis and Sangria. The presentation is first rate and as for taste, every bite is better than the last. I highly recommend Icon for a first date, or any other occasion where filling up is not the ultimate goal.