It’s basic to overlook the history of East Washington Avenue these days amidst all the modern development, but there are still buildings that were built in the 1800s. Turn the key, from the restaurateurs who brought Madison the Settle Down Tavern, has set up shop in one of its oldest: the 1885 Fuller and Johnson Manufacturing Company office building, a designated Madison landmark. It’s been home to a number of restaurants, most recently Pasqual’s Cantina, but Turn Key manages to blend the vintage with the modern in a way that might fit better than a Tex-Mex mini-chain.
If you’ve been to Settle Down, near the Square, you’ll be somewhat familiar with the hybrid new-school/old-school atmosphere favored by owners Brian Bartels, Ryan Huber and Sam Parker. The broad building allows you to play shuffleboard. Old books serve as menu holders (they are hidden in the middle). And Jim Beam’s homemade highball on draft has all the Cool Grandpa energy you could ever want.
And yet, there are lively cocktails with banana, lavender, peppers and any number of other ingredients that can be found on the shelves under the letter “M” for mixology.
Indeed, the bar is Turn Key’s main feature, which makes sense since co-owner Bartels has spent years writing about drinks and bartending. He has two books Bloody Mary AND The United States of Cocktails: Recipes, Stories, and Traditions from All 50 States (and the District of Columbia).
Dinner consists of several canapés and several exclusive appetizers. Turn Key has already made its mark on the Wisco Roll, an impressive, vertical version of a lobster roll centered on trout — it’s a gorgeous structure, but in the case of a sandwich, its immensity defies conventional bite. The buttery, toasted brioche is perhaps its best feature, while salty potato chips and grassy shallots alternate between complementing and contrasting its gentle richness.
The sausage on the lamb merguez sandwich may have been a little browned or overcooked, but it was still pristine and crisp, with a mouthful of glowing, crunchy toppings. Lightly fried crocchè, essentially the potato cousin of arancini, emerged as an early spring specialty; its fine texture requires a gentler touch than French fries and cottage cheese.
The next specialty, a hearty plate of ramp fettuccine, was quite green but lacked the sought-after pungency of spring alliums. For a real kick of flavor, go for the Bacon-Braised Collards, filled with the goodness of bacon and plenty of vinegar – a bargain at $5. But maybe plan on sharing them.
Turnips make a few appearances, really bringing the grandparent vibe to the house. On turnip toast as an appetizer, they behave like beets, sweetly arranged between a pile of vegetables and a slender layer of goat cheese. It’s more like a reconstituted bread salad than a version of avocado toast, in case the name led you to make some assumptions. It’s a lovely summer starter, lightweight and texturally fun.
As an accompaniment to the main course Pull Tab Steak Frites, which are supposedly grilled, only one diminutive neep showed even a slight streak of brown. And unfortunately the steak – in my evening it was sirloin or picanha – also needed a little more heat. The chewy fat didn’t render enough and the meat was too frigid to melt the batch of compound butter. The matchstick fries were great though.
Overall, the brunch menu is more successful. The gravlax may seem a bit dated, but not only was the salmon tender and flavorful, but replacing the classic pancakes with elementary silver dollar pancakes was adorable. A set of three different mini donuts (two each), made in-house, are some of the best donuts I’ve had in Madison.
Hamborghini (a penchant for extravagantly silly names apparently made me take a detour from Pinckney Street) is everything I could ever ask for in a breakfast dish. Crispy potatoes (almost chips), wilted spinach, runny egg yolk, buttery herb cookie and literally the most delicious piece of ham steak I’ve ever had. It was everything I wanted a steak to be.
Interestingly, a separate executive chef is the head of the brunch, both in terms of menu creation and service, under the overall direction of executive chef Taylor Benson. I think this chef is onto something, as the brunch definitely showcased Turn Key’s strengths most convincingly. But the great corn pudding pie, Turn Key’s signature dessert, proves that sweet success can happen at any meal.
Even without a modern high-rise building immediately adjacent to its customer base, Turn Key appears to be able to maintain its appeal for an eastern Washington neighborhood that might otherwise be forgotten between flashier developments. Ham steak and corn cake may sound like a food history course, but I assure you they are worth the stop.
Turn the key
1344 East Washington Avenue.
608-416-1109
Under the keymadison.com
$11-33
16:00-21:00 Tuesday-Thursday, 16:00-22:00 Friday-Saturday, 10:00-14:00 and 16:00-21:00 Sunday.
