Gates & Brovi
in Madison, WIby Jeff Muendel - November 2016
Photo Caption: Gates & Brovi on Monroe Street
Core Hours: 11AM - 11PM
Gates & Brovi is located on the corner of Monroe Street and Glenway Avenue, at the western end of the Monroe Street Strip and just down the hill from the Glenway Golf Course. The casual establishment is self-described by restaurateurs Phillip Hurley and John Gadau as “East Coast fish house meets Midwest supper club,” and that’s a fairly accurate description. While live music is not a part of the equation, this writer swears he saw members of V05 there, though it is difficult to verify without the bell bottoms and big hair.
But, let’s get to the food. While there is more than fish at this fish house, it’s the seafood that really stand out. Clam Chowder is always on, and it’s some of the best you’ll find in Madison. For appetizers, both the fried smelt and fried calamari are a cut above what you’ll generally encounter, and the shrimp cakes are hard to pass up. Gates and Brovi has a wide selection of sandwiches and burgers, but it is the fish again that stands out with the bluegill sandwich and shrimp po’ boy both topping the other options. The fresh cut salmon burger gets an honorable mention. The burgers are good, but hamburgers are everywhere, so why bother?
The main dishes, too, revolve around the sea. The mussels were generally on par with the mollusks served in the area, and while a nice addition to a meal, there are better options as a main course. The fisherman’s stew, based on a spicy tomato broth and thick with meats, is a fantastic layering of tastes and textures. The shrimp and chorizo linguini is a fusion that quite possibly topped this writer’s list for this particular menu. But, the other pasta dish on the menu - penne with butternut squash and brussels sprouts - while not fish-based, is stunning. What’s surprising for a self-professed fish joint is that the pizzas are so good. In fact, this place could be a stand-alone pizzeria. While there are multiple options here, the carbonara bacon pizza is a treat while the anchovy and garlic pizza (not recommended for first dates) is over-the-top fishy Italian goodness. Of course, there’s a Friday night fish fry here as well, and every night there’s a full bar with lots of beer and a decent wine selection.
Gates & Brovi
3502 Monroe St
Madison, WI 53711
http://www.gatesandbrovi.com
