Brasserie V

Apparently brasserie is French for brewer. Who knew? The name tips us off immediately that Brasserie V will be a restaurant devoted to the beers it brews. Did you notice I sent you to the "Beer" page? I did. I was going to count the number of beers they offer, but one look at the list makes it obvious that this is a fool's errand. I've tried many but will never get to them all, and despair of suggesting anything with such a small sample of their overall offering. They have over 40 Belgian beers alone. That's a big Belgian bender, that is.

The foods good too. Too good. Actually it's just pretty good, but good enough to bring in too many people. The place is pretty crowded during lunch and dinner, even the nice long bar. There's not exactly a lot of room to wait either. You should call for reservations if you want to go when normal people eat.

Ok, seriously the food. It's good. Nice franco/european fare, like steak-frites with aioli, but with a Madison effort to source food locally and inform their customers about the farms and dairies that make their meal possible. In addition to the steak-frites, I've had the V Burger and the Pork Belly, and they've both turned out pretty nicely.

I would say that Brasserie V shoots a little higher than it seems they can cook. Their food prices are moderately upscale, and the food they serve is good but not great. I like their steak-frites, but I've had better, just down the street at Jacs. The pork belly was good, but not as good as Graze and not in the same universe as the food at L'Etoile. If you go there, go for the relaxed atmosphere, the excellent selection of beers, and the good sandwiches.