Clean Fill wrote:Probably too late since you posted this yesterday but next time while in Mukwonago stop by Sandy's Miller Time on Mainstreet and try the steakburger. Sandy's is about a mile North of the Elegant Fleecer (I mean farmer) on ES/Main Street. Thick cut melty Muenster cheese on a burger with some onions sauteed in Jack Daniels paired with spotted cow hits the spot. Gotta love the joints that have the grill at the end of the bar & a skilled double duty bartender/cook.

You should post about this in the Burgers of Wisconsin thread ASAP.

I stayed in Madison after the Outstanding in the Field dinner a couple of weeks ago, and several of us hit Marigold Kitchen for breakfast the next morning. While the majority of our crowd was quite pleased, the couple of us who had the chilaquiles were quite disappointed - soft, limp chips, sunny side up eggs with the yolk cooked hard, and the salsa was on the bland side. On top of that, an overly sweet scone.

Very possible a couple of us just ordered wrong, so the above two items are the ones I wouldn't recommend.

Checked out Tory Miller (L'Etoile, Graze) latest venture Sujeo, which is his take on various Asian foods. There were some highlights but there is room for improvement.

Sichaun Beef Tongue Salad is a must try. It was incredible. Bursting with flavor and just the right amount of heat. I had never really understood the appeal of tongue (I've tried countless tongue tacos and they all have been really boring) but this dish just elevated it to the point that it was the best thing we had.

The Ramen was fairly decent but I had a couple of complaints. The broth, while good, lacked the depth and complexity you would find at a place like Santouka. The only other complaint was the pork belly seemed to be braised after it was cut and then grilled. It tasted great but it was very firm and you had to take it out of the bowl and take a bite. I prefer the unctuous, falling apart pork belly that you can basically cut with your chopstick. Overall it was pretty satisfying but could easily be improved on with better broth and pork belly preparation.

I loved the Korean Banchan (available as an app or with the Korean Broasted Chicken). Lots of fun pickles and fermented goodies.

I had a couple bites of a Rabbit Bibimbap. It was really good, my friend's only complaint was that it needed more meat. It was served in a hot stone bowl with a raw egg on top so you stirred it around and cooked the egg and crisped up the rice. I've had Miller's bibimbap at Graze (without the hot bowl) and I liked this serving idea better.

I loved the Khao Soi, which was chicken and noodles in a delicious coconut curry broth. It was mildly spicy. It was served with some crispy noodles on top, which added a nice crunchy balance.

They have a very limited and uninspired beer list. All those microbreweries in Madison and they only have one Madison area offering (Ale Asylum). The cocktails we tried were great.

My husband and I go to Madison at least once a year, and the past two times we've eaten at Dobhan, an indian / middle eastern / mediterranean fusion place on Atwood Ave that also has Cuban and Mexican nights. Sounds a bit crazy, but there's a reason we went back to the same place instead of trying something new. I even had the same entree twice because I had thought about it all year. lol




Crab Bonda - Pan seared potato crab cake with lemon aioli atop a pickled cabbage slaw. I wish I had a bowl of just the slaw!



Hubby's lamb kebab. Perfectly cooked, very tender, and not at all gamey.



My chicken tagine. One of the best things I've ever eaten.

Was up in Madison last month for the annual American Girl benefit sale - :

Paul's Pel 'meni a must stop when in town imho



- impressed Shay chowed these and didnt blink at the hot sauce and curry going on - quite the taste buds for 8 Y.O.




First stop that day was actually Stalzys Deli right as they opened -


- had gotten in touch with them in advance to see if I could get a corned beef sandwich for breakfast vs traditional stuff - word was yes.

actually went with the Stalzys triple - corned beef, pastrami, turkey pastrami - swiss, slaw, Russian dressing -



yeah ... really good.

Stalzys Deli
2701 Atwood Ave.
Madison, WI.

http://www.stalzysdeli.com/

Also popped up to Fitz's on the Lake up in Lodi for supper - solid fish and chicken at that spot - lakefront dining on the deck - pretty perfect.

Fitz's on the Lake
W11602 Co Road V
Lodi, WI.

http://fitzsonthelake.com/

Also hit quite a few lakefront spots in trip back to Illinois -

not much better than summer in Wisco.

jimswside wrote:Was up in Madison last month for the annual American Girl benefit sale - :

Paul's Pel 'meni a must stop when in town imho



- impressed Shay chowed these and didnt blink at the hot sauce and curry going on - quite the taste buds for 8 Y.O.

I scarfed down a plate of these on the ride home from a stay over by the big river a few weeks ago. My kind of comfort food– a treat perhaps forged smack dab in the blustery middle of the Silk Road ~or some 21st century college town version thereof~ sweet garlicky hot sauce (deceptively squirted from Sriracha bottles, though thinner and vinegary-er), curry, and cilantro on top of chewy little dumplings stuffed with simple meat 'n potatoes fillings and a side dipper of sour cream. Crave-worthy indeed!

Next time I'm in Mad City!
Thanks.-Richard

Wow, what *are* those dumplings? Any ideas what a recipe would look like??

Geo

Geo wrote:Wow, what *are* those dumplings? Any ideas what a recipe would look like??

Geo

Da Beef's got one right here.

Having lived in Madison for a bit I will weigh in with the perspective of a poor graduate student. First, the food carts are the culinary highlight of the city, being surprisingly diverse for such a small city. At lunch time on State a large number gather, I really like the Peruvian one and the Thai one is very good as well, though it really depends on what the day's specials are.

Madison has surprisingly good Sichuan food. Fugu does excellent twice cooked pork, string beans and kidney dishes. Soga Shabu Shabu which is also on State Street does an amazing job too. Their big plate chicken is a must order with freshly hand pulled noodles and they have some kind of spicy lamb dish that is phenomenal as well. Sadly I can't recall the exact names and they were all on the poorly translated special menu. The real mystery is why their restaurant names are Japanese. Double 10 did very good Sichuan takeout.

Taj Indian was solid Indian with my orders a fruity peshwari naan and the mughlai curry. For non-Sichuan chinese Oriental House was good. Wah Kee Noodles does an impressive rendition of chinese wonton noodle soup with bbq pork and they had a special called bun ga which was a lip smacking good lime lemongrass noodle stir fry. Kabul and it's sister Husnu's did decent Mediterranean. Med Cafe on State street is often packed, lunch and cash only, but is something of an institution. I really enjoyed their special of chicken apricot pie, but not much else.

For finer dining, Forequarter was the only one I ate at twice, the first time was really spectacular for Madison. I did not like L'Etoile, Harvest was abysmal, Pig in a Fur Coat was trendy and banal, and I am probably missing some more. I thought Graze was ridiculously overhyped. Weary Traveller and Brasserie V do pub food better. Dotty's does a very good burger as already documented here.

Local chains to avoid: Banzo, terrible service and they can't put a sandwich together properly despite very good individual parts. I don't get the appeal of Ian's pizza at all. Poorly executed pizza with sometimes bizarre toppings. I think the novelty drives business more than the flavor.

I ate a lot of Capriotti's, their Capastrami and Italian are top notch and I can't wait until they get to Chicago.

Mexican was a moving target since a lot of our favorite places closed or degraded in quality. Habanero's used to to do very good tortas and great pickled jalapenos and there was a now defunct place that did amazing lengua in salsa verde. I only had one shot at La Taguara before I left, but it struck me as good and unique. I will also confess to a certain fondness for Laredo's for a fix of "hot-plate" Mexican.

Sorry for the rambling quality, I am dredging up old memories. I hope this was at least somewhat useful.

Got up to Madison after some usual stops in Monroe and New Glarus - Got in a few new ones (for me) this trip in Madtown - Fist bite was for some lake perch - North and South Seafood and Smokehouse was the choice - Guess it used to called Joeys seafood -?

Lake perch was pretty stellar, that and i probably had the munchies something bad - went double starch, mashed and some sort of deep fried cheesey potato side :

Mad Town Fish Fry(Lake Perch - $14:


North and South
6604 Mineral POint Rd.
Madison, WI.

http://eatnorthandsouth.com/

Alright - those frickin Pel'meni are an addictive item - a must have - might have had my best version on this visit - Dumplings / fillings were more tender this visit -

Pauls Pel'Meni - Curry bomb -



Always on the hunt for fried shrimps I rolled over to Seafood Center - cool seafood market and carryout - many varieties of unfrozen fish. Plus plenty of gulf shrimp and crabs. - ill be back for sure.

5 piece jumbo shrimp snack -



Seafood Center
712 S. Whitney Way
Madison, WI.

http://www.seafoodcentermadison.com/

Im always after going to the "oldest" in town - hit The Malt House used to be called the Union House - allegedly served Civil War soliders before they departed Camp Randall - Old wooden back bar is impressive. Enjoyed a Potosi draft here for sure - No Miller, Coors, Bud etc. No pics - but a cool dive bar.

The Malt House
2609 E. Washington
Madison, WI.

http://malthousetavern.com/

Last stop, I think, was at another old spot - The Wonder Bar for 1 last Cow before rolling south. - Been around since 1929





Nice spot - old school - If I ever want another $6 Spotted Cow I know where to go...

The Wonder Bar
222 E. Olin Ave.
Madison, WI.

http://www.wonderbarmadison.com/

Always a fun time, got another couple spots to add to the regular rotation for visits up in Madison.

I was up in Madison for work a couple weeks ago and checked out La Taguara, a Venezuelan restaurant on the east side. I was warmly welcomed by one of the employees who asked if I had been there before. I hadn't so I basically let her order for me. I ended up with Pabellon a Caballo, a traditional dish of shredded beef, killer black beans, some of the best plantains I have ever had, and an arepa. I also added the sunny side up egg on top, which she had also recommended. Everything was excellent, the beef was meltingly tender with a nice amount of seasoning. I got a side of their guasacaca sauce (garlic and cilantro) which helped contrast the quite rich and filling meal.

http://www.lataguara-madison.com/

figured why let this one die in my drafts folder -

Been back and forth to Madison a few times this year - still barely scratched the surface of this cool town a little over 2 hours from home.

Foodwise, pretty sure im doing it right in regards to my daughter Shay - on Thursday the kid asked for Pel'meni as part of her crawl capping a weeklong celebration of her 9th b-day(other requests, crab, steak,, etc). - Madtown on Saturday was on.

First stop was for the Pel'meni, as good as ever, seriously the best bite around.



kids kind of grown up on lth, so a shay shot - she digs the pel'meni with extra sour cream & alot of curry.



Crabs... in Madtown... North & South mentioned a bit upthread has a kids meal - $9.75 for a nice cluster of crabs - Plus I could get some lake perch and some Spotted Cows - yep, next stop.

no pics of crabs, they are what they are - a tasty portion at that..

Lake Perch fry was on my mind again. well cooked, crunchy coated perch filets, .good stuff -



I broke off from the girls and rolled into a few bars, Nitty Gritty, as well as The New Paradise Lounge -



New Paradise was a total dive, but I became curious as to their food offerings as I drank some beer. Grill behind the bar - bartender doubles as cook - typicall good signs - something to try on another visit to town

New Paradise Lounge
119 W. Main
Madison, WI.

OSS - Old School Sausages -




been on my list for a while - stopped in for some of the Badger game and a dog -

went with a ripper - chili, cheddar, onion and a pickle spear -



pretty good dog - how can a deep fried dog not be good right? - nathans like in flavor but their own blend. - i liked it. Chili - maybe a lighter dose - but a good snack. I went basic, but there menu boasts some cool looking sausage creations. - cheap, crisp High Life on tap.

OSS
910 Regent
Madison

http://ossmadison.com/

I was pulling for Toby's for some steaks, but Sujeo was the choice for an early dinner - Cool, small spot. filled up quickly after we got there at 430 p.m.

Dug these hot, spicy peanuts -



KBC(their spin on Korean Fried Chicken) was also top notch - think crunchy general tsaos on the bone - cucumber kimchi was nice as well -



Also did some pot stickers - good, chicken skin bao - vinegar bomb,

also a bowl of Shio Ramen -



I know zero about ramen - thought this was tasty -but, thought best part was the egg for sure - fantastic.

Cool place - Id eat there again -

Sujeo
10 N. Livingston
Madison

http://www.sujeomadison.com/

Glad to hear the 'Dise' is still a real dive, so many changes in Madison since I was in college but some things will always remain the same. I used to grab takeout burgers there on the weekends when I worked at an old cigar shop that used to be located near the lobby of the Inn on the Park. I remember the burger being pretty good (of the thicker variety), and the price was definitely more than reasonable.

Thank you for any and all Madison updates, brings back so many great memories. I am hoping to get up there for the NW game next weekend, my friends already have a reservation for the Tornado Room for Saturday night.

jimswside wrote:
Last stop, I think, was at another old spot - The Wonder Bar for 1 last Cow before rolling south. - Been around since 1929





Nice spot - old school - If I ever want another $6 Spotted Cow I know where to go...

The Wonder Bar
222 E. Olin Ave.
Madison, WI.

http://www.wonderbarmadison.com/

Always a fun time, got another couple spots to add to the regular rotation for visits up in Madison.

Hit WonderBar once when daughter schooled at Madison a few years ago. Dined with two other couples in one of the gun turrets. (Maybe it was to watch out for the Chicago Outfit--had heard rumors WonderBar had ties in years past.)

Had an unbelievable filet--it resembled Richard Dreyfuss' sculpture of Jackson Hole in 'Close Encounters...'. It was massive, and tender. The accompanying cheesy hash browns were similarly a meal in itself. And one of my buddy's entrees--an encrusted walleye pike fillet--was he said one of the finest pieces of fish he's ever enjoyed.

Def old school, a supper club on steroids...

Great stuff as usual jimswside! I'm a huge fan of Tory Miller's food so I'm excited to give Sujeo a try one of these days. Glad to hear you enjoyed.

We were up in Madison for the Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest this past weekend. First time for us as this fest and it probably won't be the last. $50 for unlimited tastings of beers/ciders from over 100 vendors, plus cheese and other samples from another 25-plus vendors. Lots of fun with some really good stuff.

We ate at Freiburg Gastropub prior to the fest. Mr. X and I split the "potato cakes" which was two potato pancakes, arctic char grav lox and poached eggs. We also got a side of the kohlrabi slaw (made with kohlrabi, apple, red onion in a mustard vinaigrette.) Our entrée was okay, but we really liked the slaw. We did not avail ourselves of the extensive beer menu.

Dinner that night was at Jacs Dining and Taphouse, selected by a friend for their gluten-free options. I had a wonderful apple-butternut squash soup and a beet salad. As I may have over-sampled at the beer and cheese fest, I'm not sure what others at our table had. The general consensus was positive.

Sunday breakfast was at The Wise Restaurant and Bar in the HotelRed, where we stayed. The kitchen had been slammed by a large group earlier in the morning, so wait times for food were long. The food wasn't remarkable, but we were using a $30 food and beverage credit.

Freiburg Gastropub
2616 Monroe Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53711
Phone: 608-204-2755
http://www.freiburgmadison.com/

jacs Dining and Taphouse
2611 Monroe Street
Madison, WI 53711
Phone: (608) 441-5444
http://www.jacsdiningandtaphouse.com/