605

Why 605?

Our menu is not complicated, by design, because we wish to concentrate on doing a few things well. A great burger or steak. A tasty piece of chicken. A special that features a new twist on an old favorite. Fresh salads with homemade dressings and organic greens. A sweet treat to complete the meal. Simple pleasures.

We think local. Donald and Caroline Copeland raise black Angus in Canaan that we use in our burgers. Our greens are organic, often grown by Mark Bryant or Dan Monroe. We feature peas and green beans in season from Monroe Family Farms, a lovely farm in northern Jefferson County. Mark Bryant also supplies amazing root crops, while Betsy Liston provides asparagus in April and May from Trimble County. Speaking of Trimble County, we love to make desserts from peaches and other fruits available at Bray Orchards in Bedford. Fresh and local -- two of our favorite words.

The meals are lovingly prepared and presented by Sherry, Elissa, and Julie Miller. Sherry loves to bake, as you can tell in the fresh breads and homemade noodles included in many of the dishes offered at 605. We hope that you enjoy Sherry's special insight into the proverbial staple of life. Elissa has a love for hard-to-guess ingredients and just-the-right spices. You will taste Elissa's talent in many of our dishes, from the homemade salad dressings to the unique soups, distinctive queso, and delicious berry pies. Julie is known for her quiche -- made with organic eggs and lots of cream.

Our fries are hand-cut. The hamburgers, steak, and chicken are carefully grilled to retain their juices. The smashed potatoes are made from fresh potatoes. Our vegetables are generally served al dente style, or "tender crisp" according to the Wikipedia description of the old Italian term. The bread and croutons are handmade, as are the noodles. Specials like Ashley's alfredo or the bleu cheese burger add variety to the menu so that no two visits are the same. And its easy to see why they are called starters when you pair our egg rolls, hummus, or bleu cheese dip with a glass of wine or a pint of beer.

Supporting our community is another way in which we try to think local. We were happy to welcome the Farmer's Market to the 605 during the winter of 2010. It was a lovely way for the patrons of the market to see each other when the days were cold. And it was a excellent opportunity to enjoy more of Gary and Susan's blueberry pancakes! Many thanks to Dave Adams for thinking of us when he considered places that might host the Saturday Market.

Microbrews and Exceptional Wine

Lots of people say that they don't really like beer. Well, we've got some microbrews on tap that may convince you otherwise. Local applies to beer, so we have found some Indiana brews for you to enjoy. For example, we love the wheat beer and seasonal offerings from Upland Brewery in Bloomington. We are very excited to offer beer brewed in New Albany at the New Albanian Brewing Company. Whether its Hoptimus or Elector, we think you'll love how fresh beer tastes! Our latest additions are beers from Powerhouse Brewing in Columbus, Indiana. Jon brews a great stout that has become one of our staples. We carry brews like Three Floyds Alpha King, Bells Two-Hearted Ale and Bells Oberon. A non-alchoholic root beer from Sprecher Breweries is sometimes available in the summer -- you will not believe how good root beer can taste. So the adventurous soul who would like to try an uncommon beer on tap will find a few options at 605.

We're excited to offer exceptional wines from unique vineyards at 605. We serve our wines in Riedel stemware to ensure that you can appreciate the flavors the vintner intended. We carry an assortment of white and red wines, domestic and imported. We think you'll like the alternatives that our good friend Roxie has suggested. There's nothing like a good wine to enhance the flavor of fettucuine alfredo or a grilled New York strip.

The Setting

605 was built circa 1830. One half was was a hatchery (chickens, not fish), while the other half was a bottlery. The red building across the street was originally a three story brewery, so its fun to imagine barrels being rolled across the street on their way to being bottled. The thick brick wall in the front of the building was removed about a decade ago to create a unique seating area. Whether you sit on the TV side to enjoy a game, or the quiet side to enjoy conversation with friends, we hope that you'll feel comfortable enough to linger awhile and enjoy your food and drink. Madison is small town in many ways, so its not unusual for friends to spot each other across the room -- it seems to us like a great way to catch up with folks you may not have seen for awhile.

We can now open the windows in the front of the building to welcome in fresh air, and we have artwork from Ross Wooleys for you to enjoy.

The Family

If it seems like the staff at 605 looks alike, there's a good reason. 605 is a family endeavor. Sherry's daughters Elissa, Julie, and Amy are integral parts of the restaurant. Julie or Elissa may have been your server, and Amy provides help in countless (not forgotten) ways. Andy, Sherry's son, can sometimes be found cooking in the kitchen when things are busiest. The little boy with the golden hair is also a family member -- Liam often lends his backhoe to 605. Zach and Kelli are not forgotten either -- if nothing else, they've done the hard task of sampling and suggesting beers that 605 should offer.

Why pink?

Sherry always wanted to live in a pink house. Now she has one. There may be some exotic alternative answers, but the choice of pink was a simple one. Of course, we really like other houses in town that are painted pink, like the lovely duplex on the corner of East and 1st Streets.

Why no sign?

Originally there was no sign because we didn't get it together before we opened. As time passed and we enjoyed good advertising from our customers, we realized that most people have been able to find the place fairly easily. It's the pink place. Word of mouth is always the best advertising. But, alas, time are changing. We have added a sign out front. Madison's secret restaurant no more.

Why did you change the doors?

The wooden doors on the front of the building were lovely. We enjoyed them as much as our neighbors. But they were also problematic. Varnished doors require maintenance every 1-2 years, something we were unwilling to do or pay to have done. The doors were also allowing water to infiltrate, so much so that the wood floor had buckled and rotted. So, after talking with the Historic Board, we changed the doors so that the bottoms are sealed. Since there were no functioning windows in the front of the building, we also converted the original doors to windows so that we can get fresh air moving thru the building as well. More of a European feel. It was a tough decision, but one we felt we needed to make.