Try JD's fabled steak burger and more at new Bassett Street restaurant Savor the soul Kyle Nabilcy on Thursday 05/10/2012 During the course of a late Friday-night run to JD's food cart -- located between Gorham and State on Broom -- my companion and I were offered mystery foil-wrapped packages (alleged to be cheesecake) by a guy on the street, lightly panhandled and mooned. If this is not your preferred gauntlet to run for a burger or a fish sandwich, then the new JD's Soul Food storefront operation on the ground floor of the Aberdeen apartments might offer a little less student-body (ahem) wackiness. >MoreFreewheeling! Madison's street-food scene shifts into high gear Linda Falkenstein on Thursday 05/03/2012 At 9 a.m. in the Banzo kitchen on Sherman Avenue, '70s funk pumps out of speakers high over a spotless stainless-steel prep area as Aaron Collins, Netalee Sheinman and chef Dan Schmitz get ready for lunch service on Library Mall. It will be the first Monday back from spring break, and while it's sunny out, it's also chilly and really windy. For all those reasons, Collins isn't sure what kind of a crowd to expect at the Banzo cart: "The weather has a lot to do with it." >More
Vintage Liquor in Black Earth emphasizes the unusual The clubhouse Marcelle Richards on Thursday 04/19/2012 Vintage Liquor in Black Earth is an alcohol retail emporium with a shot of estrogen, Antiques Road Show with a dash of Americana à la House on the Rock. I had to giggle inside a little when I saw "PMS" spelled out on the countertop mosaic. "We're the Party MavenS -- that's our initials," says co-owner Pat Michaels of the letters that represent her and co-owner Susan Meigs. >MoreMark Bittman wants you to start cooking at home The man who ate real food Linda Falkenstein on Thursday 04/12/2012 There's something reassuring about Mark Bittman's attitude toward cooking. The longtime author of "The Minimalist" recipe column for The New York Times food section has always advocated a simple and direct approach. >More
Johnson Public House makes java three slow-brew ways Coffee's front line Marcelle Richards on Thursday 03/29/2012, (1) Comment Since it moved into the space at 908 E. Johnson St. almost a year ago, Johnson Public House (coincidentally owned by a couple named Gwen and Kyle Johnson) has more or less become my office away from home. Let's be real. It's kind of a hipster joint, and take that for what you will. But it's also the type of place where conversation, study, work and even kids, at times, seem to peacefully coexist. >MoreVasilis' Take Five to open on Willy Street Linda Falkenstein on Wednesday 03/28/2012 2:14 pm The former Corner Store, a convenience market at 901 Williamson Street that was better known for selling subs, Mexican food and home-made takeout Thai curries, is being prepped to become Vasilis' Take Five Vittles & Vices. Take Five will be serving cocktails and "Greek Fusion Comfort Food," according to the sign in the window. >More
A favorite family cake isn't from scratch, but authentic all the same (recipe) Remembering Tutu Marcelle Richards on Thursday 04/12/2012 I said my goodbyes to my grandmother, Marcelle Le Bris Richards, or as I called her, Tutu, from a distance. I received a phone call on Monday that hospice care thought she was entering the last stages of life. I dropped what I was writing and called her from the alley behind a neighborhood coffee shop. >MoreGetting jjigae with it: The Korean soup-stew is nothing to be afraid of (recipe) Marcelle Richards on Thursday 03/08/2012 I've always felt estranged from my Korean half. Aside from my mom, the rest of that side of the family is in Korea. Regrettably, I don't know the language, and I don't think my mom enjoys cooking, but she made a few basics at home. I do remember the house stinking to high heaven when she made kimchi stew, or kimchi jjigae, and from that I ran like hell. >More
8 Madison brunch spots: From simple pleasures to thrilling adventures André Darlington on Thursday 03/29/2012 Madison is a brunching town. Every weekend, all over the city, eager diners queue up with friends and family to partake of what is often the most gratifying meal of the week. Whether you're in the mood for a simple coffee and a pastry or want to chase your duck confit with a glass of champagne, Madison's brunch options vary almost as wildly as your imagination. Here are a few of my favorites, in alphabetical order. >More6 eateries off the beaten path: Isn't it time you got out of Madison? Kyle Nabilcy on Thursday 03/29/2012 Since moving to this area, I've spent more time living on the edges of Madison -- or beyond them -- than I have on the isthmus itself. I've lived or worked near restaurants that often fall well outside the radar sweep of most Madisonians. Sometimes they fit well into their neighborhoods and draw traffic and loyalty from them; others appear to be overlooked even by those who share a city block. >More
Vasilis is back! Take the great food from Mercury and move it to a newly decorated funky place on W ... Madtown Pizza Thom Jones on 04/16/12
Currently 5.00/5
Fantastic pizza! The Madilicous is great on the thin hand tossed crust. Sauce is well nigh perfect ... Fountain, The Sara Redlin on 03/01/12
Currently 4.00/5
Great food and great atmosphere. The Fountain is essentially three stops in one-one thin, long bar; ... Shish Cafe Tim Goode on 02/13/12
Currently 5.00/5
Eaten at Shish many times, small groups and large. Consistent good service, consistent great dishes ... Monty's Blue Plate Diner Lisa Munson on 02/13/12
Currently 5.00/5
I have to be honest... I love and I do mean LOVE Monty's Blue Plate Diner. I typically eat there at ... Mickies Dairy Bar Barry Stern on 01/26/12
Currently 5.00/5
I've been eating at Mickie's for over 30 years, and still love it ... probably the best breakfast/lu ... Maria's Pizza Barry Stern on 01/26/12
Currently 4.00/5
I've been to Maria's several times, and the only thing I've ordered is the pizza, which is excellent ... Restaurant Muramoto Janet Murray on 01/13/12
Currently 0.00/5
Like an old friend, I never tire of Restaurant Muramoto. Whether with adult foodies or recently with ...
Real women drink real beer together with the FEM club at Vintage Brewing Kristi Shepard on Friday 05/04/2012 2:00 pm, (1) Comment If the meaning of life can be found on a bumper sticker, I believe that the phrase "Real women don't drink light beer" pretty much sums it up. The women who gather monthly at Vintage Brewing Company in Madison for a women's-only beer-tasting club reinforce my belief. The FEMs, or Females Enjoying Microbrews, started meeting in January under the tutelage of Robyn Klinge, beer education manager at Vintage. >MoreBeer Here: D.T.B. Brown Ale from Pearl Street Brewery Robin Shepard on Friday 04/27/2012 2:00 pm Pearl Street Brewery is a southwest Wisconsin brewer that doesn't always receive the fanfare given to other regional beer producers. Some may be surprised to learn the brewery has been around for more than 13 years, and over the last few has stepped up its distribution in Madison. The brewery's best seller, D.T.B., is an American Brown Ale that deserves a little attention. >More
Beer Here: Hop Whoopin' from O'so Brewing Robin Shepard on Friday 03/30/2012 3:00 pm, (1) Comment O'so Brewing has been building a following for its India Pale Ale named Hop Whoopin', which has been showing up in select Madison bars and taverns for a little over a year. Up until the last few weeks, it was only sporadically available on draught, so enjoying it at home wasn't an option. Now the Plover-based brewery has given hopheads something to squeeze into their home refrigerator. >MoreBeer Here: Zippity De Dieu from the Grumpy Troll Restaurant and Brewery Robin Shepard on Friday 03/23/2012 2:00 pm Every year, a few winners of the Grumpy Troll Homebrew Challenge, a competition organized by the Madison Homebrewers and Tasters Guild, get to make their beer on a commercial scale. In 2011, more than 50 beers were judged. Among top winners, a few are singled out by the Grumpy Troll to appear on its taps. One of last fall's winners is a wheat-based Belgian Tripel called Zippity De Dieu. The beer went on tap a few weeks ago, and has developed an enthusiastic following at the Mount Horeb brewpub. >More
One Barrel Brewing preparing to open on Madison's east side Robin Shepard on Wednesday 02/08/2012 2:00 pm, (1) Comment Madison's newest brewery is still technically based in Peter Gentry's living room, but it's bringing excitement to the near east side. Gentry, 32, is looking to open Madison's smallest brewery, which might also be one of smallest in the state. He's calling his venture One Barrel Brewing Company and is interested in a location on the 1100 block of Williamson Street. "It'll be a neighborhood conversation space, like a coffee shop, only with beer instead of coffee," says Gentry. >MoreBeer Here: Noir Black Belgian Barleywine Style Ale from Sand Creek Brewing Robin Shepard on Friday 02/03/2012 3:00 pm Sand Creek Brewing just released a dark and dangerous new brew. It's named Noir, the French word for black that is often associated with a genre of crime literature featuring tough characters and risky, bleak situations. This black Belgian barley wine is indeed a mysterious contradiction with hard-to-explain flavors: sweet, bitter, roasted and spicy. Its creator, lead brewer Nate Peck, describes its complexity as simply "a beer with a lot going on." Noir just hit local shelves in the past couple of weeks. >More
Log in