Madison Chocolate Co. has a great breakfast sandwich

This cafe, bakery and chocolate shop impresses in every way.

Who would’ve expected Madison Chocolate Co. on Odana Road to have one of the most interesting breakfast sandwiches in town?

Not me, but there it was.

The focaccia breakfast sandwich.

The focaccia sandwich ($10) stands out, with a thick layer of egg between two sizable slices of nicely seasoned homemade focaccia. It has arugula and plenty of green goddess aioli and pomegranate vinaigrette, which are applied liberally, setting this sandwich apart from so many others. The sandwich makes a strong case for going heavier on the condiments.

The focaccia is gluten free, as is all of the cafe’s bakery. The scones ($5) are worth getting, particularly the sweet corn cheddar one with smoked paprika that had a pleasant hint of heat from aleppo pepper. A pepper jack and green onion scone had less flavor.

A savory, buttery herb and goat cheese Danish ($7.50) was a nice change of pace, with a drizzle of honey making it slightly sweet and sticky. It had just enough goat cheese to add a distinct flavor.

Madison Chocolate Co.'s cases, fully stocked.

The round chive and pepper Jack quiche ($8) was notable in that it didn’t have any crust on the bottom or edges. I liked that about it, but found it lacking in ingredients. A vegetable or two would’ve helped.

Sweets are a slam dunk. Both the turtle brownie ($6) and the s’more cookie ($5) were decadent. The brownie was rich and moist, while the cookie had a melty quality, even at room temperature.

Owner Megan Hile, 48, eats strictly gluten free. She said she has multiple sclerosis, not celiac disease, and keeps all major allergens out of her diet.

She’s often told by customers that they can’t tell that everything is gluten free.

“It’s funny: There’s a lot of people who come in, they’re like, ‘Don’t tell my husband’ or ‘Don’t tell my kids,’ or something like that,” Hile said.

She said she’s been happy with the response. “But our goal is to just really make items for celiacs and those who are gluten sensitive to really enjoy eating. We want them to have the same experiences as others who do not have those sensitivities or allergies.”

A mixed truffle and caramel box with 12 pieces.

The shop also excels at its main mission, turning out exquisite chocolates. The employee who put a box together for me enclosed a glossy paper key so I could tell what was what. My favorite so far has been a light-colored ghost pepper chocolate shaped like a heart. The young woman who helped me assured me it wasn’t too hot, and she was right. It gave off a fun pop of heat.

A mixed truffle and caramel box with 12 pieces is $30 and comes in a handsome box with a gold band around it. If you’re giving it as a gift, you can also get a Madison Chocolate Co. bag with tissue paper at no extra cost.

Madison Chocolate Co.'s 12-piece truffle and caramel box.

Madison Chocolate Co. imports its own coffee, mainly from Honduras, and has local Kin-Kin Coffee do the roasting. The coffee is brewed strong and served in distinctive mugs ($2.50 for eight ounces). Its iced lattes ($6 for 16 ounces) are as good as at any of Madison’s top-tier coffee shops.

The cafe has comfortable furniture and is well appointed with two types of attractive wallpaper in relaxing colors. Hile said there’s a third wallpaper variety in the restrooms. The lights are made in Ohio and the vintage doors are from St. Louis, she said.

All the cabinetry and woodwork in the cafe was done by Hile’s romantic partner and business partner, Jamie Stanek, who owns Artisan Design & Fabrication in Black Earth.

Bridgette Dodge, who joined the business in 2014, became a partner in 2017.

Madison Chocolate Co. opened a second location, this one on Odana Road, in May.

Hile began making chocolates out of her home kitchen in 2010. Two years later, she started renting kitchens to produce her chocolates commercially and began shipping them to customers across the country.

She’s helped run a chocolate festival in Seattle and spent time learning about chocolate in Ecuador.

Hile opened her original shop on Monroe Street, across from Gates & Brovi restaurant, in 2017. It’s 1,100 square feet with seating for 27.

Business was so strong that in May she opened a second location, almost three times as big, with seating for 35, in the Heritage Square Shopping Center at Whitney Way and Odana Road.

Madison Chocolate Co. imports its own coffee, mainly from Honduras, and local Kin-Kin Coffee does the roasting.

The Odana shop is where 90% of the bakery is made, Hile said. The 3,200-square-foot shop provides plenty of space for storage and more room for shipping packages.

As a former Associated Bank branch, it has a drive-thru, which will start operating Labor Day weekend. West Side Swim Club next door draws lots of children and families in the summer, and Hile wanted to keep them safe while the cafe settled into its space. The drive-thru window is blocked by outdoor seating for now.

The Odana cafe is a great place to meet a friend for coffee, breakfast or lunch. All the employees I’ve encountered have been friendly, efficient and helpful.

After my second visit, I got an email from the shop with a code offering me $5 off my next order. As if I needed another reason to go back.

Restaurant: Madison Chocolate Co.

Location: 5521 Odana Road

Phone: 608-405-5575

Website: madisonchocolatecompany.com

Hours: 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily

Prices: Bakery $4 to $6.50, sandwiches $10

Noise level: Quiet

Credit cards: Yes

Accessibility: Yes

Outdoor dining: Yes

Delivery: May start up again

Online ordering: Some items are available online

Drinks: Extensive coffee beverages

Gluten-free: Everything

Vegetarian offerings: Everything except ham and Gruyere croissant

Parking: Ample lot

Service: Excellent

Bottom line: This cafe, bakery and chocolate shop impresses in every way.

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This cafe, bakery and chocolate shop impresses in every way.