Adult Ambiance in a Family-Friendly Atmosphere: Tuscany Mediterranean Grill {#ReviewCrew}

While discussing an upcoming dinner out with his wife, a friend was asking if I had any restaurant suggestions for a new place for them to try. I couldn't help but laugh when his description of the type of restaurant he was looking for included:

It doesn't have to be, you know, fancy. Just somewhere where the food doesn't come in a basket.

It isn't a coincidence that, as parents, we find ourselves visiting more and more establishments that have far more crayons than flowers as the centerpiece of the table. Unless we are going to hire a babysitter (or be lucky and have family that live nearby), it's just not feasible to take kids along to a restaurant with lit candles and cloth napkins unless we're asking for dirty looks from other customers and whining when chicken nuggets and cheese pizza aren't offered on the menu, right?

That's what I thought, at least, until we had a wonderful visit to the elegant yet family-friendly Tuscany Mediterranean Grill in Fitchburg, WI.

A Mediterranean-American restaurant located in the Quality Inn and Suites Hotel in Fitchburg (a suburb bordering Madison), Tuscany Grill provides a memorable dining experience from start to finish. Fresh ingredients, a grand-yet-casual atmosphere and decor, a menu that changes seasonally and much more come together to create an environment that you'll want to visit time and again.

As we entered through the back of the hotel, there was an initial minute or two of confusion as to where Tuscany was actually located...

...but we soon found that up one flight of stairs was a truly beautiful dining atmosphere. When was the last time you were welcome to bring kids to a restaurant that looks like this?

Not pictured: the beautiful piano to my left where a pianist later arrived and played classical music.

With a space for private dining as well as a main dining room (Tuscany also has a chic and comfortable lounge for eating, drinking and socializing — half price appetizers from 4pm-7pm!), we were shown to a table with a beautiful view out the windows and place settings that were clearly not found at a fast food joint.

While my husband and I perused the menu filled with salads, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas and a variety of meats, fish and shellfish, I was thrilled to see that Tuscany also has a kids' menu. My girls are fairly open to trying new dishes, but having the option of ordering a more traditional children's menu item is always a relief!

After deciding on our meals, we were treated to a basket of fresh bread and a plate of butter and garlic and my husband's Iceberg Wedge Salad. Yum and yum!

When we weren't gazing out the large windows, we found that one of Tuscany Grill's unique features, cameras in the kitchen, managed to keep our attention quite well.

As the image on the television screen up above the doorway would flip from one camera to the next throughout the kitchen, it was pretty entertaining to see various dishes being cooked, the chefs moving from one station to another and more!

When our food moved from being on-camera to our table, we were anything but disappointed.

My husband's Prime Rib French Dip, Big Sister E's Margherita Pizza, my Rigatoni Pasta and Little Sister B's Macaroni and Cheese were all extremely fresh, flavorful and all-around delicious!

And, while the prices at Tuscany are a little higher than a typical family restaurant, the atmosphere, experience and tasty food do live up to that standard. Not to mention that the portion sizes were so generous that we had plenty to take home with us for our next meal!

Plus, why not make the bill even lower by using a Restaurant.com certificate? We were happy to do so and I can see planning a future trip to Tuscany repeat this great evening again!

For more information about Tuscany Mediterranean Grill or to plan a visit if you're in the Madison area, head to TuscanyGrill-Fitchburg.com. To find out about all of the money-saving options that Restaurant.com has to offer in your area (or in an area that you are planning to visit), head over to Restaurant.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

As a member of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, I have been provided gift cards and compensation in order to facilitate my reviews. However, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.