When I first dined at The Harvey House in 2022, we were celebrating my best friend’s graduation from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Six of us were tucked around a booth on the second floor, where our server (or captain, as they’re referred to at The Harvey House) had just taken our drink orders. A few minutes later, he returned with a tray of cocktails — and all our names memorized. Curiously, we had never introduced ourselves to him. Even more perplexing, our reservation was under only one name.
On a recent visit, I asked co-owner Shaina Robbins Papach and Director of Operations Kaitlin Fischer if learning names is something captains are trained to do. They looked at each other and laughed. “That’s a personal choice,” said Robbins Papach. “I think that’s part of why people enjoy working here is that they get to decide how they interact with their tables.”
After debuting in 2021 to much fanfare — which included a spot on The New York Times’ 2022 Best Restaurants List — the West Washington Avenue restaurant seems to have found its rhythm, offering exceptional and often whimsical service. Generosity is the word Robbins Papach frequently comes back to when describing the intention behind The Harvey House’s food, space and service. “We really try to listen to people,” she says, which might include bringing a taste of a dish or drink in a special vessel to an undecided diner — or catching the names of everyone around the table.