Coffee and baked goods often steal the spotlight come fall, but restaurants around Madison are incorporating autumnal flavors into full meals, too. From adding apples to a savory duck dish to using squash as a meat replacement, these nine local restaurants are finding interesting ways to incorporate seasonal produce throughout their menus.
Apple
Alimentari
Pay a visit to this westside Italian Deli for a sweet-and-savory porchetta sandwich this fall. Paired with roasted pork, tangy goat cheese, fennel, arugula and a drizzle of honey, apple adds a fresh crunch to this on-the-go meal. 2623 Monroe St.
Gates and Brovi
For a fresh fall dinner packed full of vegetables, try the Belgian endive and apple salad. This crisp and crunchy salad features herbs, toasted walnuts, and, of course, apples — all covered in a marmalade dressing. 3502 Monroe St.
L’Etoile
This 50-year-old fine dining favorite experiments with apples in its Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, a seared duck dish on its tasting menu. Plucked from Ela Orchard in Burlington, WI, melba apples add a sweet touch to a sage scone layered beneath seared duck, while almata apples make for an elegant garnish. 1 S. Pinckney St.
Sweet potato
The Boathouse
The Boathouse power bowl makes for a hearty meal before any autumnal activity. The bowl includes seared salmon and roasted sweet potato atop a bed of quinoa and fresh greens, all covered with a chipotle lime vinaigrette. Plus, the restaurant offers scenic views of Lake Mendota worth seeing before the winter freeze. 1001 Wisconsin Place
Monty’sBlue Plate Diner
Roasted sweet potatoes are the key ingredient in this vegan curry. Coupled with bell peppers, chickpeas, spinach and a peanut curry sauce, the sweet potato curry is a perfect warm meal for a crisp fall evening. 2089 Atwood Ave.
Pasture and Plenty
This vegan black bean and sweet potato feijoada makes for a simple take-and-bake meal on a cozy night in. Not full from this veggie-filled Brazilian black bean stew? The westside restaurant and meal kit service has a robust selection of fall-themed sweet treats to end the night, including pumpkin toffee cookie dough. 2433 University Ave.
Winter Squash
Bar Corallini
For a unique take on Burrata, this Italian restaurant pairs delicata squash with roasted rainbow carrots. Plus, the dish is dressed up with roasted red pepper hummus, lemon vinaigrette, basil and crunchy toasted almonds. 2004 Atwood Ave.
Casetta Kitchen
This downtown sandwich shop has earned a cult following for making comforting sandwiches with fresh ingredients, and the Vegetalian is no exception. This sandwich substitutes a thick layer of roasted squash in place of meat, alongside lettuce, tomato, provolone, onion and house-made bread. 222 W. Washington Ave.
Everly
Coconut milk, cashews, cilantro, Fresno chiles and squash come together for this butternut squash and forbidden rice curry. The restaurant also offers an option to add chicken, fried tofu or salmon for a little extra protein. 2701 Monroe St.
Lily Spanbauer is associate editor at Madison Magazine. …