Master & chef Shinji Muramoto Restaurateur moves beyond cooking to guide his three fusion restaurants Erin Hanusa on Friday 02/05/2010 Shinji Muramoto is standing in the back kitchen of his flagship Restaurant Muramoto, explaining a bit of his restaurant philosophy. "We don't have a walk-in cooler because I want to try to get everything fresh every day," says one of Madison's most notable restaurateurs. "If we have a walk-in cooler, the cooks tend to overstock everything, so I just give them a little space for cooling and freezing." >MoreWood-fired oven dishes distinguish Las Cazuelas The whole chamorro Linda Falkenstein on Friday 02/05/2010 It might be a good idea to stop the revolving door at 15 N. Butler St. with its latest tenant, Las Cazuelas. It's been noted that this is not a spot that's been good to restaurateurs over the years. Yet with a triangle of restaurants clustered around the city's Brayton parking lot -- Las Cazuelas, Bellini's and the Bayou (plus, just a few doors further down Butler, Cafe Costa Rica), this sometimes overlooked area of downtown may have critical mass in terms of a dining destination. Call it TriABray. >More
Underground Food Collective opening restaurant in Cafe Montmarte space State grant kickstarts a new focus for local food visioneers Kyle Nabilcy on Monday 01/25/2010 10:37 am, (12) Recommendations Underground is also planning to renovate the vacant restaurant space at 127 E. Mifflin St. -- most recently home to Cafe Montmartre -- and open a restaurant there by mid-summer. The work will start as soon as Feb. 1, with attention paid to recycled building materials and sustainably-harvested wood. No name has been selected yet, but expect it to fall under the Underground Food Collective brand. >MoreThe Green Owl Cafe alights in Schenk's Corners Vegetable love Erin Hanusa on Thursday 01/21/2010, (6) Comments, (5) Recommendations Many Madisonians -- vegetarians, vegans and meat-eaters alike -- have lamented the demise of long-ago favorite Savory Thymes on Willy Street. Thus, the arrival of the vegetarian Green Owl Café is being loudly welcomed. Proprietor Jennie Capellaro is known for her vegan soups, served at Alchemy and Mother Fool's, and now has expanded her repertoire to a full menu. >More
Santa Fe Trailer puts down roots in Middleton Linda Falkenstein on Tuesday 01/05/2010 12:00 pm Santa Fe Trailer, one of the Library Mall's most popular food carts, scoring 8th overall in the 2009 ranking session, is opening a delivery and carryout location in Middleton. >MoreMadison food and culinary culture: 2009 in review Kyle Nabilcy on Monday 12/28/2009 4:30 pm, (1) Comment, (8) Recommendations Another year of eating has come and almost gone in Madison. Those years that begin with a presidential inauguration always seem to breeze by faster than others. Indeed, even the advent of a new administration in the nation's capital had an impact on the food scene in Madison, as Troy Gardens' Claire Strader was the top vote-getter of three finalists for the unofficial position of White House Farmer. >More
Madame Fromage: Bellavitano from Sartori Foods Tenaya Darlington on Wednesday 02/03/2010 2:00 pm So, there's blended Scotch, and then there's blended cheese. Take Bellavitano, a Parm-cheddar hybrid created by Sartori, a third-generation cheese company from Plymouth, Wis. It has the sweetness of a Parmesan alongside the sharpness of a cheddar, and its texture is somewhere in between: flaky and firm, not rock-hard. >MoreCookbook cues: What We Eat When We Eat Alone by Deborah Madison and Patrick McFarlin Linda Falkenstein on Wednesday 01/27/2010 3:00 pm, (1) Recommendation Cookbooks are so often about the ideal we have of food. From Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking onward, cookbooks have given us the means to elevate what we serve at home. Then there's the reality. If you're solo -- if you live alone or if you find yourself single while your usual living and dining partner is away on a business trip -- and the kitchen is suddenly yours alone, what do you cook? >More
Fringe Foods: Hook's Cheese 15-year Cheddar from Fromagination Cheese that takes you back to Forrest Gump and the Chunnel Kyle Nabilcy on Thursday 12/17/2009 2:00 pm, (4) Comments, (9) Recommendations Yeah, you can get a 2-year aged cheddar from Hook's. You can get a 4-year, a 7-year, or even a 12-year cheddar, and most ages in between. But right now, there's one vintage that everyone's talking about, from Los Angeles to upstate New York: the 15-year cheddar currently selling for no less than $35 per pound at Hook's factory store and more elsewhere. >MoreMadame Fromage: How to make a cheese crèche for Christmas New tradition supports artisanal cheesemakers -- and prevents accoutrement buildup Tenaya Darlington on Wednesday 12/16/2009 12:00 pm, (2) Comments, (4) Recommendations I've always had a fondness for the nativity, maybe because it's theatrical, and over the years I've made visits to wax Nativity museums and sought out the live encampments that appear around town churches in late December. However, I've never owned a crèche. >More
The sea bass is wonderful! A bit pricey, but good stuff. The salmon is really good as well. Fun, ... Abuelos, Middleton Karen Cornwell on 01/31/10
Currently 0.00/5
My husband and I love this place. WE both LOVE the bacon wrapped shrimp that are at the taste of Ma ... Biaggi's Karen Cornwell on 01/31/10
Currently 0.00/5
This is my favorite restaurant in Madison! BEST seabass in the area. The grilled calamari are also ... Casa del Sol Karen Cornwell on 01/31/10
Currently 0.00/5
This was our first visit and it was good. I had the mahi mahi and shrimp and it was really good. M ... Cancun Mexican Restaurant Wendy Ellis on 01/09/10
Currently 5.00/5
Delightful staff, amazing and authentic food, plus a LIVE Mariachi band (!!) are all the reasons to ... Fiesta Mexican Grill Diane Pellowe on 11/15/09
Currently 5.00/5
This is an understated restaurant with WONDERFUL Mexican food at extremely affordable prices. We've ... Jovian Taphaus Grill Kyle Nabilcy on 11/03/09
Currently 3.00/5
Ambitious menu. Jovian didn't have to change much to keep the atmosphere enjoyable. The service was ... El Pescador Dan Mohr on 09/24/09
Currently 4.00/5
El Pescador on East Washington is an underappreciated Madison gem. Along with Casa de Lara on State ...
THE DAILY / EATS
Madison eats agenda: Sweets, tastings, toasts, and feasts for Valentine's Day The week in food Kristian Knutsen on Monday 02/08/2010 8:00 pm This coming week, in events that get to your heart through your stomach. >MoreUniversity Square Food Court eating contest is raucous, revolting Max Schlusselberg on Sunday 02/07/2010 2:51 pm The tension is thick in the USquare food court on University Avenue Saturday afternoon. Thick enough to cut with plastic cutlery. Five professional eaters stand waiting for the signal from Arnie "Chowhound" Chapman so they can begin slogging down fried rice, orange chicken, pizza and other food court delicacies as quickly as they can. >MoreBeer Here: Hot Chocolate from Viking Brewing Company Robin Shepard on Friday 02/05/2010 2:00 pm, (5) Recommendations The inspiration for Viking Brewing Company's Hot Chocolate came one February when brewery owners Robin and Ann Lee were hosting brewery tours on an exceptionally cold Saturday. Ann asked her husband, "Why can't you make something that would warm me up?" >More
Beer Here: Hot Chocolate from Viking Brewing Company Robin Shepard on Friday 02/05/2010 2:00 pm, (5) Recommendations The inspiration for Viking Brewing Company's Hot Chocolate came one February when brewery owners Robin and Ann Lee were hosting brewery tours on an exceptionally cold Saturday. Ann asked her husband, "Why can't you make something that would warm me up?" >MoreBeer Here: Mai Bock from Sprecher Brewing Robin Shepard on Friday 01/29/2010 4:00 pm, (6) Recommendations Even though we know the days are getting longer, it's still reassuring when the first Mai Bocks begin arriving on local shelves. These lagers are traditionally brewed in the dead of winter and aged until spring. And now, just when the seasonal melancholy is about to become oppressive, these incredible bock beers start to emerge from lagering. Sprecher Brewery is one of the first local beer makers to offer a little bit of "may bock" springtime. >More
Beer Here: Rye Bob from Grumpy Troll Robin Shepard on Friday 12/11/2009 10:00 am, (10) Comments, (12) Recommendations The holiday season often brings out memories of family and friends, and sometimes we raise a glass and toast those who made a difference in our lives. Grumpy Troll brewmaster Mark Duchow recently lost his father. Duchow decided to pay tribute to his dad with a special creation. Rye Bob, a dry and spicy ale, was put on tap a couple of weeks ago, complete with Mr. Duchow's picture on the tap handle. >MoreBeer Here: Lupulin Maximus from O'so Brewing Robin Shepard on Friday 12/04/2009 2:00 pm, (2) Comments, (8) Recommendations O'so Brewing's name is short for "oh so good," but its latest creation Lupulin Maximus is more like "oh so hoppy"! Double IPAs have a reputation for being pretty hoppy -- here brewmaster Marc Buttera has taken the style and tried to top it by adding an actual hop flower in every bottle. >More
Marc Stroobandt wants you to drink your dinner The master beer sommelier hosts an evening with Belgian beers Kyle Nabilcy on Sunday 10/25/2009 12:00 pm, (2) Comments, (9) Recommendations The time has finally come. Beer has officially been invited to sit at the adults' table, and the coordination of beer/food pairings is emphasized more now than ever. Those of us who tire of our wine-drinking friends constantly tossing around "oaky" this and "tannins" that can at long last stand up and say, "this beer would go great with a nice steak au poivre." >MoreBeer Here: Hopscotch from the Great Dane Fitchburg Robin Shepard on Friday 10/23/2009 10:00 am, (7) Recommendations Hopscotch offers some big malty flavor, much like the current offering of fall Oktoberfests, only it has an assertive, bitter personality, making for a taste that you shouldn't, well, skip. >More
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