Mobile? Click HERE for m.isthmus.com
Connect with Isthmus on Twitter · Facebook · Flickr 

Saturday, November 21, 2009 |  Madison, WI: 35.0° F  
Eats

MADISON RESTAURANT NEWS & REVIEWS

FOOD AND DRINK

A guide to Madison restaurant Thanksgivings
Buffets celebrate plenty and provide plenty to celebrate

Eating out for Thanksgiving is often dismissed as a betrayal of the holiday's central concept: the traditional home-cooked meal. But a visit to restaurants serving dinner on the big day reveals families celebrating and giving thanks nonetheless. >More Opa Cafe and Lounge brings something new to State Street
Innovative and elegant

Opa is clearly trying to do something new on its block, bringing ingredients like duck confit and rabbit to a young audience who, though recently captivated by "real food" guru Michael Pollan, might be just as likely to pop into Qdoba. Opa aims high and for the most part succeeds. >More

FOOD AND DRINK

JA's Soul Food is Madison's catfish headquarters

Madison has seen quite a few cherished soul-food storefronts disappear, including Kipp's Down Home Cookin', A Place for Friends and the east-side location of Madtowne Fried Chicken. Jada's Soul Food was another, but there was one thing going for Jada's that the other restaurants didn't have: Larry Jackson, now the owner of JA's Soul Food. >More For Crepe Sake! food cart serves breakfast and lunch on UW-Madison campus

Your mother always told you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For Crepe Sake! is dedicated to serving breakfast foods for the on-the-go college student. The owners have a child in college and the idea for the cart was inspired by that -- and a family recipe and a long-standing Sunday breakfast tradition. The cart parks at University Avenue and Charter Street. >More

LOCAL FLAVOR

Madame Fromage: Baked Miniature Pumpkins with Blue Cheese recipe

One of my favorite combinations at the Thanksgiving table is baked squash with some sort of savory stuffing. This year, I'm planning to adapt a Deborah Madison recipe that calls for cream, a leaf of sage, and a spoonful of Gruyere baked inside a mini pumpkin; instead of using Gruyere, I'm going to combine blue cheese with the cream, and a few cranks of black pepper. >More Pecan pie and more
Move over, chocolate-covered bacon on a stick

I'm generally of the school of thought that a little bacon on anything makes it better. I must admit, however, that I was wary of bacon in desserts, until I had a bite of a gourmet chocolate bar flecked with bits of thick-cut bacon. It worked. It more than worked; it was a beautiful pork-tinged chocolate euphoria. There was something revolutionary about that sweet and savory combination, and it convinced me that bacon desserts were totally doable. >More

LOCAL FLAVOR

A veggie ropa vieja
Seitan soaks up liberal doses of wine and garlic

There's a little Cuban restaurant in Los Angeles called Versailles, and it's there that I fell in love with a folksy stew called ropa vieja, or "old rags," given the appearance of the shredded beef prominently featured in this dish. Ropa vieja is roughly a Cuban equivalent to our traditional meat-and-potatoes beef stew, minus the gravy and potatoes but with wine and peppers. >More Madame Fromage: Menage from Carr Valley Cheese

Lately, I've been on a quest for the perfect desk cheese. That's right, a cheese I can eat at work when I'm lunching with email -- a cheese that goes with apples and pretzels or whatever's handy, a cheese that won't stink up the mini-fridge but that isn't bland. Well, here's my star: Carr Valley's Menage. >More

READER REVIEWS:

Fiesta Mexican Grill
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
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
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 ...
 jacs
on 09/24/09
  • Currently 0.00/5
We went to Jacs last friday. I had the chicken francaise,which was to die for and my husband had the ...
 Fugu Asian Fusion
on 09/22/09
  • Currently 4.00/5
Excellent genuine Sichuan-style Chinese food.
 jacs
on 09/02/09
  • Currently 4.00/5
Great atmosphere and great bar at Jacs. I had the Jacs burger, medium well, but it was pretty well ...
 Bayou Restaurant, The
on 08/12/09
  • Currently 5.00/5
Best Louisiana-style food in the Madison area.
 L'Etoile
on 08/04/09
  • Currently 5.00/5
L'Etoile's farm-to-table philosophy results in amazingly creative, nuanced dishes (best dish of the ...

THE DAILY / EATS

Top Wisconsin beers to pair with your Thanksgiving meal

Beer and Thanksgiving are intrinsically linked in the settlement of this country -- the Pilgrims had beer on the Mayflower -- so why not serve local beers on your holiday table? Granted, it can be a challenge to find just the right beer(s) to go with the cornucopia of flavors found in a Thanksgiving feast, but try breaking down the meal with several beer options. >More Madame Fromage: Baked Miniature Pumpkins with Blue Cheese recipe

One of my favorite combinations at the Thanksgiving table is baked squash with some sort of savory stuffing. This year, I'm planning to adapt a Deborah Madison recipe that calls for cream, a leaf of sage, and a spoonful of Gruyere baked inside a mini pumpkin; instead of using Gruyere, I'm going to combine blue cheese with the cream, and a few cranks of black pepper. >More Madison Eats Agenda: Master Cheesemakers, Holiday Art Fair, Ruby Nouveau
The week in food

This coming week, in events that get to your heart through your stomach. >More
moviesmusiceats
Select a Movie
Select a Theater
Advanced Eats Search

Keywords
Restaurant Listings
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N
O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9

MORE EATS

BEER

Beer Here: Hop Harvest from Central Waters Brewing

Did you catch a glimpse of the harvest moon a few weeks ago? Well, the brewers at Central Waters must have been basking in the moonbeams as they celebrated the release of their latest seasonal creation: Hop Harvest. Brewery staff did more than brew the beer -- they even harvested the hops. >More Beer Here: Eisphyre from Capital Brewery

Just when the gales of November seem to come early, Capital Brewery takes its warm, malty Autumnal Fire to an entirely different level with the special release of a winter-hardy version named Eisphyre. This intensely malty, yet incredibly smooth doppelbock is capable of taking the chill off. >More

BEER

The big beers of fall
Breweries across the state toast the season

Those who enjoy a good malted beverage know that this time of year reflects the seasonal change in more than the color of leaves. It's when the lighter, crisper brews of summer are nudged aside by the deep browns and big malty brews of fall. "I love the bigger beers. They're my kind of beers," says Jamie Martin, brewmaster at Wisconsin Dells Brewing. Dan Carey of New Glarus Brewing has a similar passion: "I really like a malt-accented beer, and an Oktoberfest is right up there for me." >More Beer Here: Fallen Apple from Furthermore Beer

The fall apple harvest means fresh pie or cobbler to some. But Furthermore Beer offers a liquid alternative with its current seasonal beer called Fallen Apple, which just hit store shelves in Madison. >More

BEER

Beer Here: Oktoberfest from Sprecher Brewing

The Oktoberfests have begun arriving on shelves near you. At the risk of seeming to wish away the remaining days of summer, when Marzens begin turning up it means that the cooler nights and colors of fall are not too far off, and the beer season is changing too. >More Beer Here: Milk Stout from Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Company

Jamie Martin, the brewmaster at Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Company, says she likes making the beers of fall and winter most. Over the past week the seasons must be changing at the Wisconsin Dells brewpub, as Martin just began transitioning from the lighter beers of summer to heavier beers like her rich, malty Milk Stout. >More
Promotions Contact us Privacy Policy Jobs RSS
Collapse Photo Bar