David R.
Yelp
Truly 4.5 stars. My mother would go nuts for this place, and, truth be told, I was really impressed too. Somehow they combined a lovely old restored mill setting with well executed food and good service, all the more unexpectedly because it is in Middle of Nowhere, Wisconsin. But then again, you could never have a place like this in a city or suburbs.
I am a harsh judge of the quaint-country aesthetic, so trust me when I say that this mill restaurant is a top-notch example. It was endlessly charming and handsome, not at all cutesy or cheap. Everything fit together; whoever did their decorating should get an award. The stone walls and wooden beams of the mill speak for themselves. Added to that foundation were elements such as tree-branch curtain rods, a subtle floral-pattern stencil all around the walls near the ceiling, and tiny vases of fresh flowers on each table. I even noticed the handsome knit placemats and the napkins which looked like burlap but felt softer than t-shirt cotton. Little touches like those add up to a very convincingly genuine experience.
The cuisine is aptly described as country classics with a slight twist. For example, the regular menu features apple cider roasted chicken, pork loin, pot roast, macaroni and cheese, etc., while the specials board that evening listed salmon anisette and Jamaican-style steak and shrimp. This is the kind of restaurant that I wished existed in my small hometown, so that when I visit the family, we can all share a nice meal which satisfies both simple and sophisticated palates. Heck, EVERY small town should have a place like The Old Feed Mill, but that would be impossible because this place is pretty special.
How was the food? Startlingly good. There was warm, wheaty bread to start. The pre-dinner salad was a medium-sized bowl of quality greens with a few cherry tomatoes, red onions, and cucumbers. I loved the garlic-peppercorn dressing, and another little clue that these people are operating at a higher level was the choice of about a dozen dressings: it wasn't your typical backwoods offering of french, ranch, and italian.
I chose the meatloaf because it was jazzed up with italian sausage, but the bacon binding the perimeter of each piece was a surprise. My plate contained two inch-thick palm-sized slabs, not to mention the mound of mashed potatoes and pile of vegetables. The latter two were decent, but the meatloaf was the star of that little play. It would have been great on its own, but there was a dijon mustard glaze to push it that extra step from tasty to delicious.
Dessert was bread pudding--the densest slab of the stuff that I have ever encountered. The piece that they gave me was about 6" x 3" x 1" and must have weighed almost two pounds. I was done after four bites...but of course I kept the rest for later. Not the best but quite enjoyable, and the companion caramel sauce was divine.
Value is incredible here. Entree was $15.95 and the monster bread pudding $3.95. That's bread, salad, entree and sides, dessert, and a full meal's worth of leftovers for twenty bucks. Just another feather in the Old Feed Mill's cap.
If you are headed, like we were, to Spring Green for the American Players Theater, good luck getting a table at the one decent restaurant in town. Instead, try the Old Feed Mill about two-thirds of the distance between Madison and Spring Green. You will not rue the choice, believe me. NOTE: If you are approaching from the east on US 14, Cramer Street is the first right as you crest the hill coming into town. The street signs are small and worn in some cases, and you will miss it if your attention has been suddenly drawn to the speed trap at the top of the hill.
