One of our favorite restaurants when money is not a concern is certainly L' Etoile on the Capitol square. If you have eaten there you know what we are talking about, if you haven't you deserve to treat yourself on a special occasion and go there. I cannot recommend any menu items since the menu changes based upon what fresh ingredients are available. Your tastebuds will thank you.
Another favorite of ours is on the other end of the price scale with our favorite entrees less than $6. This restaurant is Himul Chuli on State Street next to Parthenon Gyros. Go there with a friend and order Momochas, Samosas, and a order of whole wheat Roti. Divide the entrees in half and have a little of each. The Momochas are dumplings filled with vegetables with a tomato-coriander sauce over top (and sometimes slightly hot and spicy). The Samosas are puff pastries filled with vegetables with a yogurt-dill sauce and shaved carrots and basil on top. The Roti is homemade bread.
Gail's favorite restaurant is Ginza on Odana Road. They are a Japanese hibachi restaurant like Benihana's. A real taste treat is to order either Kogane Shrimp (grilled shrimp covered with a hollandaise like sauce) or Sushi (try the california roll if not adventurous) as an appetizer. Then order any of the hibachi grill items like hibachi chicken or hibachi filet mignon. The food is cooked to your liking before you in an entertaining manner. (P.S. The secret to sushi is Wasabi, the green lump next to the sushi. Pour some soy sauce in a bowl, stir some wasabi in with it, dip your sushi in it and top the sushi with the ginger on the side. Now you have sweet, sour, sharp, and smooth tastes with interesting textures in your mouth. Yummy)
Are you hungry for Cajun? Then check out New Orleans Takeout. Easily the best jambalaya in town. I also highly recommend the barbecued shrimp with dirty rice.
Some other restaurants we enjoy without full reviews are LuLu's on Old University, Marakesh Cafe off the Square, Fitzgerald's (for Prime Rib), Monty's Blue Plate on Atwood, Pasquals, and Savory Thyme's on Willy Street.
Finally, if you like pesto the only restaurant that I know of in Madison that has it is Edwardo's Pizza. It is not on the menu, but if you ask for it they will put it on their pasta. Other restaurants may list pesto as an ingredient or mix it with cream sauce, but it's not the same as pesto straight up on pasta.
Another listing of
Madison Restaurants.