In a word: State Street's funky upscale bistro. The specs: #0410 Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at Culinary Adventures in Madison , Cap Times , Yelp ; official web site . JM ate the lamb chops. Nichole ate the split pea soup and baked brie appetizer. The bill was $44 plus tip. JM gave Nadia's a B+; Nichole gave Nadia's an A-. Sometimes we have less to say about really nice places because we're too busy enjoying the moment to take great notes. This is kind of one of those times. Nadia's is right there in the middle of State Street, right under (or, over) most Madisonians' noses, but is too often overlooked as a laid-back, shabby yet classy venue and a good spot for a date. Maybe not a first date, maybe more like an old marrieds' date, but it's romantic nonetheless. This was aided, no doubt, by the last rays of a winter sun reflected off of State. Our host/server was new and a little unpolished but she warmed up to us and made our meal very enjoyable. It all started with a great bread basket – warm, pillowy, moist crumb with a yeasty aroma in a nice toothy crust, with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. (This was the only photo that turned out as the sunlight faded through the tall windows.) For starters, the aromatic, cumin-spiked split pea soup had a silkiness that hinted at a secret ingredient – maybe pureed nuts? – that added richness. JM found the flavors in the salad to be a little shallow. The field greens

In a word: Main Street Wisconsiana. The specs: #0409 Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at Yelp ; official web site . JM ate the country fried steak. John ate the chuck roast and a slice of cherry pie. Nichole ate the Reuben, a decaf, and a slice of apple crumble pie.

In a word: Could be so much more. The specs: #0408 Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at Isthmus , Ryan's Place , Yelp , Decider , Madison Magazine ; chatter at TDPF ; official web site (watch the auto-resize, ick). JM ate the chicken teriyaki donburi. Nichole ate the garlic salt ramen. We split an order of shrimp cakes. The bill was $19 plus tip

In a word: Neither completely hunky nor entirely dory. The specs: #0407 Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; monthly menu . JM ate the #7 (ham, eggs, wheat toast) with an apple juice. Nichole got a coffee. The bill was $5. JM and Nichole gave Hunky Dory's a B. Doodly doodly doodly doodly! We're back! We ate breakfast at Hunky-Dory Cafe when it was called Ken's Cafeteria .

In a word: Comfort food just this side of the county line. The specs: #0406 Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at Yelp , by Steve Helmer ; official web site . JM ate the pork chop and a lemonade. Nichole ate the frog legs. We split a slice of peanut butter pie. The bill was JM gave Green Acres an A-; Nichole gave Green Acres a B+

In a word: What the? The specs: #0405 Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at 77 Square , Cap Times . Beth ate the Caesar salad with a coffee. JM ate the Carolina pulled pork with a lemonade. John ate the crab po' boy with a soda. Nichole ate the Santa Fe salad with a decaf