Madcap*- Saturday March 7th 2026

Of all the places my partner and I visited in and around the Bay Area on this trip, this is the one we both can’t stop thinking about and would return to in a heartbeat. For context, we also dined at Nari, Atelier Crenn, The French Laundry, Anchovy Bar, Sorrel, and Bouchon.

I feel this way about many 1 stars, where service (when it’s right) hits a nice balance of being really refined and aspirational – like it deserves more stars, but without the stifled heaviness of more formal 2-3 star spots. The staff had an almost underdog sort of quality that I really appreciated. They all clearly knew a lot about their respective roles/areas of expertise, but there was also a sense of curiosity and enthusiasm that made it feel like they were still learning and pushing themselves. I’m won over, and I want to follow along and see them get to the top of the hill they are climbing. I’m not sure whether the top of that hill means more stars for them, but if that’s something they aspire to, I hope they get there.

1. Snacks- 3 total; a veggie, a fish, and a meat one. Veggie snack was a tempura squash with a mole esque sauce (for transparency sake, though, I have a nut allergy, so my sauce was a vinaigrette substitution) . Fish snack was a tuna tartare. Meat snack was a bao bun with various toppings. All delicious! The squash was the perfect texture, the tartare was refreshing but a total flavor bomb, and the bao was soft and had a great balance of acid, savory, and fresh flavors.

2. Caviar- supplemental, but we opted for it. And I’m so glad we did! The cardomom cake is so cravable, buttery, and simply the perfect texture! Paired beautifully with the crème fraiche and caviar. This was a highlight of the meal! Easily one of my top 3 for this dinner.

3. Panna Cotta- this almost ate like a salad course, with all the fun vegetable garnishes. I really enjoyed this course, and the rice cracker was delightfully crisp. This was a top 3 dish of the meal.

4. Crab Roll- I normally am a total sucker for a crab course, and this one was really solid, but not especially amazing. The mango salsa, almost being like a pico in texture, didn’t eat with the roll very well, and you just kinda scooped it up separately afterward. Composition seemed like a miss here, but all components were well made and well seasoned.

5. Duck- the duck was so salty, but paired with the vegetables, it really worked. I always expect an asparagus component in early spring menus, and with this almost pastrami like super savory duck….. it all strangely worked. Very thought provoking dish.

6. Bread/Butter- not lined out on the menu, but of course was lovely to have! It stayed on the table through all remaining savory courses. This was a pretty classic B&B, but executed well. My partner preferred the white bread, I preferred the wheat/sesame crusted one. Both were lovely.

7. Egg- we did not add truffles. In full disclosure, I did not personally eat the pine nut crumble component due to my allergy…. So I feel as though I cannot accurately critique seasoning or texture of this dish. I do love an egg course, and was glad to have one on the menu! It added a richness that felt indulgent.

8. Sashimi- a welcome reprieve from the heavier egg course! Fresh, light, and mandarin was the main flavor I got from this dish. Some components weren’t the easiest to eat, and some aspects of this dish felt disjointed together. But- all components individually were delicious, just wasn’t the most cohesive combo.

9. Vegetables / Abalone- the greens on the vegetable plate were slightly under seasoned to me, and they were bitter enough and lacking salt to the point where I didn’t eat all of them (which is VERY unusual for me). All other components were great! I did think the separate plating was a little strange, like a 2 for 1 course seemed unnecessary at this point in the meal. Perhaps had everything been plated together, the seasoning would have worked better.

10. Cod- the dashi was poured tableside, which I enjoyed. The overall temperature of the dish felt not hot enough, which was disappointing especially considering the hot broth component. However, the top of the cod was delightfully crisp, and the quantity of broth didn’t ruin that crispy top! The best component of the dish was the unctuous carrot puree. The cookery of the fish itself was masterful.

11. Tortelloni pasta- I am a total sucker for a pasta course! This was a top 3 favorite for me. The texture of the pasta and the other components was delectable and all the flavors were balanced. Very savory and fun.

12. Ribeye- just the right amount of beef, although I would have loved more of the black garlic puree. The roasted cauliflower was delicious, but random.

13. Desserts- My apologies for the lack of pot de cremè picture. The custard was so chocolatey and rich, very decadent and paired perfectly with tea and coffee service, which I appreciated. Additionally, the tarragon ice cream was a stand out! I loved it paired with the strawberry component especially. The yogurt meringue ate a little soft for my liking, and there was a lot of it. In addition to the carrot cake, we did also get a special off menu “happy anniversary” dessert- which was beautiful and much appreciated!

14. Mignardises- not pictured, as we got them all to go. They were EXCELLENT, and I ate them for breakfast the next day, without shame. The canale was a perfect and classic interpretation, the pate de fruit was a citrus flavor, and the chocolate truffle was also very classic, no funky flavors. I am a pastry snob, so the very simple and “expected” flavors for these was honestly really impressive. Nothing to hide behind, which makes it all the more remarkable.

Lastly, we did split a bottle of wine during the meal. We did not do a wine pairing. The wine director, Dillon, had a really great energy, and honestly I’d love to do a pairing next time just to chat with him and hear him geek out over his favorite wines.

Sometimes, even when parts of a meal fall a little flat, there’s still something about a restaurant that pulls you in and makes you want to return. Madcap gave me that feeling. I’ve had plenty of fine dining meals that are a “bucket list” booking, many of which happened on this trip… But this wasn’t that type of experience. It’s the kind that makes you want to come back, and for that reason alone I’d absolutely recommend checking it out.