East of the Capitol lies a new pizzeria named Roman Candle, at 1054 Williamson St. Though only open for four weeks, it is stuffed full of great food, good company and a friendly, laid-back caf??-style environment with good home-cooking.
The staff is \incredibly friendly,"" as one local customer put it. The wait time on food is quick and wireless Internet is available free for customers.
In addition, colorful handcrafted paintings hang near the light fixtures, approximately 14 tables fit for four customers each, and ceiling tiles and chairs from university SWAP add to the restaurant's character.
The Roman Candle offers a variety of homemade soups, antipasto, desserts, salads and ice cream, as well as its main dish, pizza. The soups are never the same and are each made fresh daily. Though you can call them at 258-2000 to find out the soups of the day, they will commonly rotate around black bean, red bean, red kale (spinach-like vegetable), butternut white bean, cream of broccoli and minestrone.
""The soups are arguably the best in Madison,"" said Roman Candle regular Todd Maahs.
They also offer appetizers, such as bruschetta and herbed pressed breadsticks and various salads, as well as desserts such as Cr??me Brulee and flourless chocolate cake. Their delicious house specialty, the Roman Candle Split, is especially scrumptious, with caramelized bananas, buttered pecan, chocolate and vanilla ice cream, pecans, whipped cream, strawberries and a smothering of chocolate syrup.
Of course, their main offering is boutique-style pizza that blends the finest New York style without the greasy mess. They use high-gluten flour and hand-toss the dough to make a ""thinner, crispier, chewier, crust"" Roman Candle co-founder Tom Cranely said.
Bought either by the slice or as an entire pie, you can customize the base of your pizza with multiple cheeses such as feta, cheddar, fresh mozzarella or their unique house blend, and top that with blue cheese, feta cheese and fresh mozzarella. A variety of sauces are also available. For those who like it spicy, try the Fireworks Sauce. Options also include a number of meats as well as an extensive collection of veggies. Specialty pizzas can also be found here, such as the Dead Man Walking, a truly carnivorous delight, a spicy Roman Candle pizza and, for vegetarians, the Animal Lovers??-with broccoli, spinach, onion, red pepper, and fresh basil.
The beverage menu was also commendable, with a great selection of red wine and beer, both from tap and bottled, as well as a few unique bottled soft drinks such as Izze Clementine, San Pellegrino and more traditional favorites like Sprecher Root Beer and Ginger Ale.
For the late-night studiers or for those just dying for something besides Papa Johns, the Roman Candle also offers local deliveries. Most of the college dorms are included in their delivery area but, alas, the Lakeshore dorms are out of luck. There might be hope yet, for Tomas Cranely hinted that they were ""entertaining the thought of putting up another Roman Candle on the West Side.""
Their hours of operation are from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Saturday, with busy hours ranging from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, it is closed.
Overall, the food was delicious, the desserts heavenly, the service prompt and the staff hospitable. Anyone looking for a place that combines great homemade food with a small, neighborhood feel should find Roman Candle satisfying.
