Everyone loves a good comeback story, and Madeleine’s Fusion Restaurant is writing a tasty one. A December 2024 fire that gutted the upscale spot was a messy, but temporary, setback for husband-and-wife owners Timothy Mills and Tyra Sikkink. They reopened Madeleine’s this summer and also christened the loft as The Phoenix Room — apropos for a business that has risen from the ashes.
Madeleine’s earliest chapters began with the birth of Mills’ and Sikkink’s daughter, Madeleine, now a 22-year-old student at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. Her parents named her for the French-style cookie, then placed her name on their new restaurant when it opened in 2005. “She was a little over six months old when we opened,” Mills says. “She was raised in a crib at the end of the bar. … Her first solid food was a lamb chop.”
A Jackson, Tennessee, native, Mills started his restaurant career at age 15. He studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and worked around the country, including as the chef for President George H.W. Bush’s inauguration ball in 1989 while working at the Washington Sheraton hotel. Casino Aztar recruited Mills to Evansville as executive chef in 1999, and he and Sikkink struck out on their own six years later with Madeleine’s. They have owned other local establishments, including the now-closed Walton’s and Fidel’s Bourbon and Cigar Bar on Parrett Street.
Sitting at 423 S.E. Second St. in the Riverside Historic District, Madeleine’s rising popularity over the years is in step with the nearby Haynie’s Corner Arts District’s progression from a less-than-desirable neighborhood to a trendy attraction. The restaurant was a catalyst, becoming a destination for group outings, date nights, and diners craving high-quality cuisine. “Madeleine’s brought in people to this area that otherwise would never have come,” Mills says. “They came down, had dinner, and started checking it out and wound up buying homes.”
The atmosphere and food kept those guests coming back. Mills says the fire nearly two years ago was devastating — decor, photographs from his career as a chef, and countless cookbooks were lost — but his wife led a successful dining room renovation. The second version of Madeleine’s has new paintings and custom wallpaper of Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night,” plus an impressively stocked bar. The landscaped rear patio is open, too, and Madeleine’s full menu and small-plate offerings are available in The Phoenix Room, a warm, cozy space on the second floor for sipping a craft cocktail and puffing on a cigar.
A trademark of Madeleine’s is its rotating dishes, but diners can expect consistency in beef cuts; the New York strip, ribeye, and filet mignon never leave. “With our fish, it changes seasonally based on what we can get,” Mills says. “We buy most of our fish either out of Hawaii or Savannah. … We usually have one pork item and one chicken item, and then a vegetarian item.”
Regulars at Madeleine’s know the appetizers well — the Asian dumplings and escargot are two popular ones. As the weather cools, Mills anticipates adding soup to the menu, including a three-cheese French onion soup, and more root vegetables and seasonal delicacies.
Count Katie Kelley among those glad to see the restaurant back on the dining circuit. She and her husband, Patrick, have celebrated many special occasions at Madeleine’s, including their 20th anniversary this year. They have also enjoyed checking out The Phoenix Room.
“We love to explore all the fun cocktails and the charcuterie board year-round — that’s a favorite appetizer for us,” says Kelley, a Vice President and Commercial Credit Department Manager at German American Bank. “The mahi-mahi, the steaks, there’s nothing we won’t try and haven’t loved. We think of it as a ‘special occasion’ place.”
Timothy Weir and Claudia Congleton celebrated Weir’s birthday at Madeleine’s during a soft opening in July. “Our entrees were perfectly prepared, and the desserts — delicious,” Weir says. “The artful decor of its newly redone interior creates a comfortable environment for guests. It’s so good to have this Evansville institution open once again.”
Acclaimed screenwriter, director, and producer Matt Williams, who lives in New York state, always makes it a point to visit Madeleine’s with his wife, Angelina, on visits to his hometown. “It’s our favorite restaurant because the atmosphere is cozy and inviting, and the food is always delicious,” Williams tells Evansville Living via email. “We love the Steak Diane and the grilled salmon, and we always start with the deconstructed crab rangoon.”
The fire forced some changes, but the menu philosophy, including the rotating choices, remains the same. More “new” is on the horizon: Madeleine’s will soon open for one Sunday brunch a month, “and we are going to be open for Thanksgiving this year,” Mills says.
Reservations at Madeleine’s are recommended but not required; Mills says he has seen many walk-in diners since reopening. Normal dining hours are 4:30-9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and until 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and Mills and Sikkink have been happy to welcome both newcomers and longtime fans.
“We’re seeing a lot of old customers that we hadn’t seen in years,” Mills says. “It’s been a good reopening.”
