Madera is as good as they say

I just ate at Madera last night in celebration of my 12 year wedding anniversary, and boy was the experience special! I had already done a review of the Rosewood Sand Hill as an event property, but Madera only accommodates parties of up to 12 guests, so I kind of skipped over it in my initial review. Now I am ready to tidy things up and tell you — don't miss Madera!! It was yummy!

I booked the reservation using my very good friend, Opentable, and noted in the reservation that it was our anniversary. Great restaurants definitely pay attention to those notations, and Madera is no exception. They seated us at one of the best tables in the room, right next to a giant, roaring fire with a perfect view of their open kitchen.

They poured us a (complimentary no less) glass of champagne to begin our celebration, and that level of excellent service was delivered throughout the entire meal. While the food and the service are on par with any fine dinning restaurant, the overall atmosphere was very accessible. It wasn't stuffy or overly fancy which tends to make my husband feel out of place. Their service provision rose to meet us where we were, instead of where they were. Nice.

The rolls and the in-house crafted butter that began our meal were delicious (the caramelized onion, bacon, parmesean cheese roll was finger licking good!), the amuse-bouche was perfect, and our entries were spectacular. My husband said the rack of lamb was the best he had ever tasted. We split the appetizer special (crab tortellini in lobster jus) and the meyer lemon tart dessert (pretty darned amazing). Not one flavor disappointed us.

One change of note for our next visit - we had an early reservation, but not early enough at this time of year to take advantage of the spectacular view of sunsets they have from their dining room.

My parents bought us a bottle of John Anthony Cabernet for our meal. Wow!! Try it if you get a chance. We loved it.

Madera is perfect for a small celebratory meal. It is a dining experience that will resonate with your guests for a long time. I can't wait to go back!