http://www.thedailypage.com/eats Eats content from ISTHMUS | The Daily Page webmaster@isthmus.com (Webmaster) Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:00:11 CDT Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=26319 http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=26319 Bunky's Café is the kind of place that makes you feel super-duper. The colorful curtains at the new location rise on the breeze. At the front counter, Teresa Pullara (who owns the place with her husband, Rachid Ouabel) fills cannolis with a supersized pastry bag as she chats amiably with customers. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=26320 http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=26320 There was a time when office workers around the Square justifiably envied UW students for the superior selection of food carts that populated the Library Mall. No more. The selection of food carts on the Capitol Square now more than adequately competes with the cuisines on campus. In fact, the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor is arguably one of the city's culinary hot spots. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26323 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26323 The Fountain Prairie Farm stand on North Carroll Street is a must-stop for beef fanatics at the Dane County Farmers' Market. Although John and Dorothy Priske have worked the market for 23 years, they've only sold their signature Scottish Highland dry-aged beef there for the last seven. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26260 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26260 Over the course of the season, the Jones Valley Farm stand on South Carroll Street at the Dane County Farmers' Market overflows with more than 125 varieties of organic fresh veggies. This produce is cultivated by Mike and Jean Martin on their farm near Spring Green, with a focus on exotic vegetables grown from imported European seeds. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26158 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26158 L.A. has an extensive taco truck culture devoted to more traditional Mexican street food as well. Half the fun is looking at the brightly painted RVs that constitute these mobile restaurants, works of underground art in themselves. Both the food and its vehicle delivery systems are chronicled on a number of blogs like The Great Taco Hunt and LA Taco. Madison now has its own taco truck. Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=26139 http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=26139 Fugu is about the only place in town where you can order up the entire digestive tract -- stomach to intestines to kidneys -- and get it quivering on a plate. And that's all to the restaurant's very big credit. While most of Madison's Chinese kitchens have opted for a timid, Anglicized and in some cases wholly invented version of Asian cuisine, Fugu is to Chinese dining what places like La Mestiza are to Mexican: a new wave of actually authentic local kitchens that do justice to ethnic food. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=26259 http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=26259 When people think about the immigrant influence on Wisconsin's culinary culture, typically it's Europeans of the late 19th century who come to mind (read: cheese, brats, beer). But myriad ethnic groups from both before and after that time have flavored the foodways of our region. Case in point: the Hmong, relatively recent arrivals whose remarkable heritage of gardening -- evident at area farmers' markets -- seasons regional menus with pea and squash vines, hon tsai tai, bitter melon and other traditional Asian vegetables. Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=25664 http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=25664 With "eating local" the watchword these days, it's worth checking out the food stands at state festivals that celebrate the bounty of local farms. Take the popular Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival, where the ears of sweet corn are fresh-picked and steamed en masse before being handed over to you still in the husk. Add pure Wisconsin butter, a dash of salt and you have an unbeatable celebration of the harvest. Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=25665 http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=25665 We kept up with the openings (and closings), menu revamps, and special event dinners in the pages of <i>Isthmus</i> and on <i>TheDailyPage.com</i>. If you've been meaning to try out some of the newest kitchens in town, or revisit old favorites that have tweaked their menus, this compilation is a good place to start. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26323 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26323 The Fountain Prairie Farm stand on North Carroll Street is a must-stop for beef fanatics at the Dane County Farmers' Market. Although John and Dorothy Priske have worked the market for 23 years, they've only sold their signature Scottish Highland dry-aged beef there for the last seven. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26281 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26281 A few weeks ago, a good friend asked me to pick up some cheeses to serve at his deck party. As he was a fellow Midwesterner, I thought I'd surprise him with a few heartland selections. No, I couldn't find any cheeses from his home state of Nebraska, although I am sure those Cornhuskers dabble in dairy, but I did locate two blues -- one from Iowa, one from Wisconsin -- that managed to wow the crowd and kick up some adulation. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:39:39 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26288 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26288 While the news that Cafe Montmartre is closing its doors made waves after it was confirmed Tuesday, it wasn't a complete surprise. Other well known Madison restaurants are for sale right now as well, like the venerable Nitty Gritty on Frances Street. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26274 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26274 The coming week, in events that get to your heart through your stomach. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26247 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26247 When was the last time you picked up a comic book with your favorite beer? Ever heard of Robert Crumb? If you're into underground comics and know who Crumb is, then the next time you're at the downtown Great Dane Pub and Brewery, look at the beer menu board for Mr. Natural's Organic Nut Brown. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26182 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26182 As for the beer of choice for the day, it was difficult to pick one, but on a beautiful hilltop overlooking town, a wheat beer just seemed right. And with New Glarus, there's a choice among three different weizens. With its crisp hoppy edge, it was Crack'd Wheat that I decided to take home as a memento of the occasion. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26226 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=26226 Like menudo, pig bung is a product of efficiency, frugality, and a little bit of poverty thrown in for good measure. When the finer cuts -- the belly, the hocks, the loin -- are gone, "what's left" becomes "what's for dinner." Think ears, hooves, jowls, and bung. Tue, 05 May 2009 14:00:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=25810 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=25810 The Maharani grocery, like rajbhog, is small but packed with goodies. There are a lot of spices, naturally; the dishes that Americans are most familiar with are often differentiated only by the spice profile. There's also a lot of pre-made items, frozen and awaiting only a warm-up. And there are the shelf-stable, prefab items like rajbhog.