Madeline's

I dined at this restaurant on NYE this past year. I had ordered a filet cooked medium and was served a barely rare steak. Since it was a 2"+ thick piece of meat, there was just no way to chew through this uncooked meat. The waitress offered to have it fired a bit more for me and after waiting almost 15 minutes I was served ANOTHER barely rare piece of meat. The waitress never came back to ask how it was, and she was no where to be found. At this point everyone else at the table was done and I gave up. Since we were with a larger party I chose to email the restaurant the next day to say something rather than make a stink on a holiday in person. AFTER EMAILING TWICE AND CALLING ONCE I NEVER RECEIVED A CALL BACK OR AN EMAIL BACK. THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED THAT I PAID FOR FOOD I NEVER ATE!!!!

Madeline’s is the perfect example of a restaurant that needs a reality check. The menu is pretty decent, but the chefs cannot cook what they claim to be able to. Most of the time, the meat comes overcooked, so if you order the gorgonzola stuffed pork chop, expect it to come dry. Same goes for the duck and filet mignon. Just like every other restaurant in Ithaca with the exception of John Thomas’, no one here knows what rare means.

The appetizers are a bit better, but the thai stick, though it sounds good, tastes and feels like rubber. Also, every time I’ve come here, the bread has been cold and stale. This is the kind of place where you keep coming back, hoping that it will be different this time, but it never is. I may be a bit harsh, but it’s only because I feel so robbed by the price they charge for what they serve.

The ambiance is great for a night out with friends, a intimate dinner, or a late night dessert run. They’re menu changes constantly, offering only the freshest ingredients and most creative and palate-pleasing dishes every to tantalize your taste buds.

I ordered a Salmon Tartar on Endive Hearts Salads drizzled with Creme Fraische as an appetizer, Sauteed Skate flavored with a Thai basil-infused curry sauce as an entree with Bok Choy, a Mango Salsa, and Edamame salad complementing the dish, and finally a DESSERT called the Zuccotto – a Vanilla sponge cake soaked with espresso and kahlua surrounding two layers of cream fillings, which are studded with chocolate and hazelnuts.

At Madeline’s, the dessert cases generally have 15-20 decadent house-made selections. In fact, since a full-scale dinner may be on the pricey side, going to Madeline’s for dessert will certainly do justice!