When Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2022, there was a surge of support in the Madison area, especially in the food industry. Baking and brewing fundraisers were held, and some restaurants donated part of their proceeds to José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen foundation.
Now Madison has her own Ukrainian restaurant, Touch of Ukraine, started by refugees from Zaporizhia, with assist from Madison developer Gary Gorman. For anyone interested in the country’s cuisine, the eatery is a welcome introduction, and the staff is ecstatic to answer any questions (sometimes using a translation app on their smartphone).
The restaurant opened in July in the former Union Corners Brewery (which received good reviews for its food in this up-and-coming area with several restaurants, but went out of business during the pandemic). The space is, of course, designed in the spirit of a brewery: enormous bar, enormous TV screens. I hope it’s not too awkward and befits an essentially cozy Ukrainian restaurant, and I mean that in the best sense of the word.
A nod to the realities of this space is the full name of the restaurant “Touch of Ukraine Bar and Grill” – and who said that the introduction of the American style is not also Ukrainian? A Google search shows plenty of bars/grills in Kiev, including Smashburgers. Touch of Ukraine has a solid local beer list and a full bar. Screens sometimes show Ukrainian travel documentaries, featuring fairy-tale castles and idyllic hiking trails – and I wondered how much of what I was watching had now been completely destroyed.
The menu focuses on some Ukrainian standards, with the addition of a few popular American dishes. For example, the appetizers pay homage to Wisconsin customs with fried cottage cheese and onion rings — but it would be a mistake not to head straight for the Ukrainian options.
Varenyky (potato dumplings), pelmeni (meat dumplings), mlyntsi (pancakes stuffed with finely ground beef or sweet cottage cheese) are delicious. If I had to choose just one, it would be the meat mlyntsi, which has my vote for appetizer of the year. The dish combines the eggy richness of a buttered pancake with extremely finely ground beef and elementary spices. My notes, literally: “Wow. It’s like a cloud of meat. Soft, pliable, satisfying.” Sour cream as a dip goes well with the dish and gives it a nice tart accent. The other day I made mlyntsi and a glass of soup of the day for lunch – maybe it wasn’t the wisest choice as mlyntsi are very opulent, but the excellent homemade vegetable soup with chicken (with fresh parsley, zucchini, corn and carrots) made me feel like I was… saved.
Madison visitors should already be familiar with pelmeni from downtown favorite Paul’s Pel’meni; there, small dumplings are stuffed with beef or potatoes and served with Paul’s signature curry sauce. Here, the only filling is a combination of beef and pork, which gives the dumplings the extra richness of the pork; 10 balls with dimples appear in butter with the addition of sour cream. Varenyky are similar and should please fans of potato filling.
Of the three sandwiches, the most Ukrainian may be the fried chicken sandwich; the menu says that the cutlet is “breaded and fried in the traditional Ukrainian style”; no different from schnitzel. It’s topped with pickled red onion and chipotle mayonnaise, and even if that mayonnaise makes it less Ukrainian, it’s still a worthy mix of styles.
Appetizers include chicken Kiev, Ukrainian baked chicken and stuffed peppers. The chicken Kiev is coated in a crispy coating that peels away from the bun quite quickly, but no matter, the buttery, peppery chicken was just as good once the crust was gone. The chicken roll has a tasty decoration of chopped pickled carrots and beets.
The stuffed peppers tasted homemade (they reminded me of a family recipe), stuffed with a loose mixture of ground beef and rice. The red pepper itself was very skinny; a larger pepper would provide a greater contrast of sweet and hot flavor. The appetizers are complemented by glazed salmon and grilled ribs.
All dishes are served with two additions: soup or salad and a choice of potatoes (french fries, mashed potatoes or baked in the country style) or seasonal vegetables. It may seem like a compact thing, but potatoes are very good. The mashed potatoes are sleek and opulent (almost more like whipped potatoes). Baked country style, they are perhaps even better, with a melty interior that speaks of a long, ponderous roast.
Soups, while homemade and delicious, often taste like the same soup with slight differences in ingredients. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like soups, and I’ve always loved fresh parsley, the understated star.
Vegetarians will likely end up with the salad menu, which includes strawberry salad, house salad, and Ukrainian salad (like Greek salad, with feta cheese and olives).
I understand why the kitchen is limiting the menu for now. Still, I would love for the mushroom mlynces, which are on the Dotyk Ukrainy catering menu, to be added to the indefinite menu along with other typical dishes such as cabbage rolls, goulash and potato pancakes. More than a touch of Ukraine.
Touch of Ukraine
2438 Winnebago Street
608-720-1028; touchofukrainemadison.com
11:00-22:00 Tue-Sat
$7-20
