Madison, WI dining

[slbunge]

Himal Chuli on State serves good, inexpensive Himalayan food, much better than its neighbor, another Himalayan spot that starts with Ch..? HC has interesting dumplings and a really great whole wheat and butter pita-like bread.

Chautara is the name of the other Himalayan restaurant on State Street and I agree that Himal Chuli is far better.

Next trip, try Sophia's on E Johnson for breakfast. The sit-down stuff is pretty decent but the real treat is their baked goods (you can get them to go). Excellent muffins (usually two kinds on any given day) and great coffee cakes.

[Michael M]

Thanks for the tip; I'm not sure if I even know Sophia's, but I'll definitely check it out!

[paul o' vendange]

Dinner #1 at L'Etoile.  We haven't been back to this locally-sourced, Chez Panisse-style restaurant for a few years, and were glad we returned.  A bit taken aback by the $20-30 entrees, it was a wonderful meal with one glaring exception...

Michael, a minor quibble. I only know Chef Piper through friends and through living in the area for a few years, but I'd be reluctant to call L'Etoile a "Chez Panisse style" restaurant. Chefs Piper and Waters are colleagues, and, I believe, good friends, but her work and L'Etoile are entirely her own. Like Alice Waters in California, Odessa is deeply concerned about sourcing and sustainable community and enterprise therein; she is also a teacher. But I think it somewhat understates her contribution to say she is "in the vein of Panisse," etc. Her contributions stand wholly on their own (stretching back to her own work as a farmer, and to 1969 with her first locally sourced, organic restaurant):

Odessa Piper Bio

Paul

[ronnie_suburban]

Thanks, Paul. I really appreciate you taking the time to lay out some details and provide us with the link.

=R=

[Michael M]

Paul,

What I meant by comparing the two was simply the points you brought up: both ventures revolve around the idea of locally source, organically grown produce prepared seasonally in a way that educates as well as pleases gastronomically.

But I see your point; no need to imply that her skills or concepts were developed by following Waters' lead. Thanks for the additional info, as well.

[sara]

Hey, this thread is great. I'll be moving into S. Hancock St, two blks from downtown, in 3 weeks. Since I won't have my kitchen set up for awhile, recommendations for takeout/delivery in the area, and places that are reasonable, delicious and walking distance would be much appreciated!

[paul o' vendange]

Paul,

What I meant by comparing the two was simply the points you brought up: both ventures revolve around the idea of locally source, organically grown produce prepared seasonally in a way that educates as well as pleases gastronomically.

But I see your point; no need to imply that her skills or concepts were developed by following Waters' lead. Thanks for the additional info, as well.

Michael, I'm sure that's what you meant and my very minor quibble is at heart an essentially frivolous toss to the community. And beyond, I'm quite sure Chef Piper is not laying awake nights waiting for a gallant defense from yours truly.

Bless them all, chefs who give a damn.

Paul

[slbunge]

Hey, this thread is great. I'll be moving into S. Hancock St, two blks from downtown, in 3 weeks. Since I won't have my kitchen set up for awhile, recommendations for takeout/delivery in the area, and places that are reasonable, delicious and walking distance would be much appreciated!

The great thing about your Hancock location is that just about every Madison restaurant mentioned on eGullet is withing a two-mile radius.

A couple of less-discussed places that would be good for quick eats while trying to move into a new place include: Bandung on the corner of Williamson, Wilson, and Blair has solid Indonesian food but can be busy; Lao Laan Xang on Williamson (Thai/Laotian) used to be excellent although I have heard rumblings that their kitchen isn't quite as good these days; Jamerica on Williamson is a gem of a Jamaican restaurant and sort of grocery store; Ancora on King St has, by far, the best coffee in town; Eldorado Grill on Williamson has a menu with some Southwest US influences and is a bit more expensive than the others I mentioned.

Be sure to get familiar with the Willy St Coop for fantastic produce with great local sourcing. They also have a respectable fish counter, decent prepared deli items, and lots of crunchy-hippie stuff that is hard to find (teff flour, kasha, etc.). Their prices are more fair than Whole Foods and it will be far more convenient for you. It is the thing I miss most about living in that neighborhood.

Actually, the best break from moving in will be to take a bottle of wine (Star Liquor on Willamson is the closest non-college liquor store) with some picnic stuff from the coop and head to the Memorial Union Terrace to sit outside by the lake as the sun sets. Be discreet with the wine (I have often used a backpack and opaque plastic cups) and they will leave you alone.

[sara]

Ok, I've been living in Madison for just over a week now. Here's my initial report:

It's SO MUCH BETTER than expected or reported! The food is fresh, gorgeous and plentiful- -and the cooking has sophistication. Not everywhere, but many places.

A few favorites thus far:

-- Cafe Montmarte (on Mifflin) --this little wine bar makes some great curried mussels, and has a nice reasonably priced wine list.

--L'Etoile-- Cafe and Restaurant. The best breakfast pastries I've had in a long long time. The cooking classes are informative, as is Odessa's Saturday morning market tour.

--The Farmer's Markets-- You've got to be kidding me! These are the best I've encountered ANYWHERE in the country! Wisconsin cheeses (goat, sheep, cow, and not just cheddar) outdo cheese from anywhere else in the US, except for maybe California.

--Maduro's-- this place makes killer martinis and bloody marys, and has a nice wine list to boot.

--Kabul-- very good Afghan food on State St.

--Michael's Custard. 'Nuff said

--Barrique's Wine Cave. My first night--Whites and Oysters. 2nd night: Merlots and Cheddars. Love this place!

Possible new favorites:

--Moramoto-- small Asian plates-- lots of creativity here but the food so far hasn't impressed too much-- however I still have plenty more to try. The dessert plate is definitely a winner.

--Banh Thai-- solid, not perfect, Thai.

--East African food stand on State St. Has very good coconut curried chicken with injara.

--The Original Pancake House-- love the Swedish pancakes, skip the overly sweetened Dutch.

--Lazy Jane's-- hit or miss so far, but more hits than misses.

Skippable: so far...

--Cafe Mariah- my North Beach omlette wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

--The Casbah-- where the waiter felt he needed to introduce me to baba ganoush, telling me it tasted like "summer sausage."

--Tornado Room-- not all it's cracked up to be.

--Laredo's --BLECH. Bad Mexican.

So, that's it after an initial crack at the resto scene here....

I've heard great things about Cleveland's and will get there soon, as it's around the corner from my house. Any must haves there?

I'm also looking forward to Harvest and Edo-- I hear there is actually good sushi in this town? Confirm/deny?

Let's get this Madison Egullet group goin'!

Sara

[liz_c]

o.k., o.k., I've been reading e-gullet for years but never registered till now. So...you've lured at least one Madison area lurker out of the closet :)

I'm sort of a "townie" - grew up overseas in the '60's (army brat - Thailand & Korea), moved to Madison in 1977, living on what was the west side and is now the near west side, went to HS & college here, worked as a cook, waitress and dining room manager at the sadly missed Cafe Palms, also worked as a cook at Lombardino's under the Maglio and Viviani establishments. Moved to the east coast for a while, then decided to have kids and came back to Madison in 1991. We're now living in Sun Prairie, but we go out to eat a LOT in Madison - both of my kids have been brought in and around restaurants.

Ennyway - enuf intro :) Some comments....

Will have to try Montmartre - haven't been there yet - Jolly Bob's has a nice mussel app if you haven't been there yet. They're on Willy St. and they don't do reservations, so try to shoot for an early weeknight.

We tend not to do the Madison Farmers Market anymore because of the crowds and the ban on dogs. The East side FM is small but *very* good and Sun Prairie has a fairly decent market as well - I've also heard good things about the Monona FM.

We tried Muramoto right after they opened for the 13 year old son's birthday. Fun but got very expensive fast because we had to try everything. I was impressed - didn't try desserts though - he wanted to go to Delmonico's for their chocolate cake.

And how could you diss the Tornado?!? It's my nine year olds favorite - he loves to go their for duck on his birthday :) It's a good standby and always predictable - the venison is my favorite, but I can see where it wouldn't make a very strong impression.

Have you tried Bunky's on Atwood yet? A friend of mine runs it, she's another townie and her husband is from Morroco - they do a combo of Greenbush neighborhood Italian and Med dishes. Very casual and fun.

For sushi, give Wasabi a try - they're always rated the best in Madison. Personally, we like Takara on State St., but they can get sort of crowded - it's a very large, open setting. There really isn't much decent Mexican in Madison - there's a little taqueria on a side street off Fish Hatch that's good, there's a new place in Sun Prairie that will be good once they work out their service issues, and there's La Hacienda on Park St. - also El Dorado has a pretty good tex-mex thing going.

We're looking forward to trying the new Malaysian place out in Middleton, but haven't made it that far west yet, plus the kidlets are clamoring for grilled eel (they wanted to me to cook it yesterday and we had a tough time convincing them that Sentry, Sun Prairie doesn't sell eel), so we might just bag the west side and head for Takara some time this week :)

Liz

(grammer edit)

Edited August 31, 2004 by liz_c (log)

[ronnie_suburban]

Very happy to see the Madison contingent alive and well.

Thanks, Sara for the informative post.

And, welcome liz_c, it's very nice to have you with us.

=R=

[sara]

I went to the East side farmer's market today. Yes, there were some very nice things there-- especially Farmer John's mozzarella (which is just SUPERB), a man who makes his own infused vinegars ( I got the new chili-infused balsamic and enjoyed it on a salad tonite), and a woman selling pickled vegetables for bloody marys (my favorite!). BUT, it definitely lacked the variety and selection of the Saturday market--especially choices in cheeses, flowers, fish, other meats, breads. Veg and fruit, definitely there. Other stuff, not so much. I heard this market has higher standards tho-- maybe organic standards--know much about that?

In other news...Muramoto has just started a chef's tasting menu (it began the 29th) on Sunday nights. 5 courses for $30 per person; $45 with a matched Sake flight.

I will definitely make it a point to get to Takara and Wasabi soon.

What I'd especially appreciate are reviews of places to eat right around campus, in the Union/State St immediate area (I work right on Bascom Mall). Lunch around $5 is what I'm looking for. Today I enjoyed a spicy chicken and potato curry in injera--$4. What a deal!

[Michael M]

Sara, I remember you commenting on my Madison report sometime (last year, this summer?). It does have a lot to offer, and I think the capitol Farmer's Market is the main Food Happening in the city - just a great place to spend a Saturday morning.

Glad you liked Barriques, as I do. It's refreshing to be able to try wines for as little as $4/glass. Try finding that in Chicago! They have 3 locations. The one in Fitchberg is their largest, with selections of cheese, olive oils, etc. Never been here, but am wanting to visit.

The guy pouring the wine for their Monroe St. wine-tasting one Saturday also highly recommended Magnus on Wilson St., a recommendation we've been getting for both their wine list and their food. If you go, let us know. I've heard they source organic beef and produce.

For lunch, try Bandung (Indonesian, on Willy where it begins near the lake), and the Loation restaurant on Willy St. whose name I can't remember, between Willy St. and the lake. The latter is an excellent place, the former I've only been to once, but was enjoyable and interesting. Definitely try Harvest and share your thoughts: food is very nice, but not at the level of neighbor L'Etoile, service is always friendly but not well-trained.

[slbunge]

Finn Berge is part owner of both Barrique's and Magnus (and the Blue Marlin) which might be part of the reason for the recommendation. That said, it is still a good suggestion. I think that Magnus is a great restaurant with very good food, wine and service. Truly one of the best values in the downtown area.

[liz_c]

I went to the East side farmer's market today. Yes, there were some very nice things there-- especially Farmer John's mozzarella (which is just SUPERB),  a man who makes his own infused vinegars ( I got the new chili-infused balsamic and enjoyed it on a salad tonite), and a woman selling pickled vegetables for bloody marys (my favorite!).  BUT, it definitely lacked the variety and selection of the Saturday market--especially choices in cheeses, flowers, fish, other meats, breads. Veg and fruit, definitely there. Other stuff, not so much. I heard this market has higher standards tho-- maybe organic standards--know much about that?

I think Willy St. only uses small independant farmers and has higher organic standards. It's run by the Willy St. coop - they've got a web page on their site:

http://www.willystreet.coop/ESFM/

I tend to shop like a European, so I've got a series of little stores I run to for things rather than try to get things done at the downtown farmers market. After 20+ years around here the crowds are just way too much - although I've been told driving a circuit from Sun Prairie to Oregon to Middleton and back through Madison just to shop is ridiculous

In other news...Muramoto has just started a chef's tasting menu (it began the 29th) on Sunday nights.  5 courses for $30 per person; $45 with a matched Sake flight. 

Neat!! We'll have to take the rugrats for that. Luthers French Quarter did a Sunday night tasting menu last winter - not sure if they're continuing it this year or not. They also do reduced price meals in off peak hours.

What I'd especially appreciate are reviews of places to eat right around campus, in the Union/State St immediate area (I work right on Bascom Mall).  Lunch around $5 is what I'm looking for. Today I enjoyed a spicy chicken and potato curry in injera--$4. What a deal!

Nick's at 226 State is an old Madison standby - diner food, reasonably priced, huge portions. There's Dotty's for burgers, but since their recent upscaling I haven't felt the same way about them (and I've been eating at Dotty's since high school!). The Vientiane Inn at 151 W. Gorham is good for Lao-Thai food - they're serious about heat - if you ask for spicy, you get it Himal Chuli is very good - they started out in Sun Prairie - Nepalese food in a town of 22,000 - I think they're doing much better on State Street. Amy's Cafe on Gilman used to do good veggie sandwiches - haven't been there in ages though. Some of the carts on Library Mall and the Square can be surprisingly good - there's a Vietnamese cart on the square by the glass bank that used to do great spring rolls and baos. Glass Nickel pizzas are awesome - there's another good pizza place on Monroe street - Urban Pizza Co. - kind of a haul from Bascom, but you could do a pick up. Oh - and across from Urban Pizza is North American Rotisserie - great chicken and sides, plus they sell day old fried chicken cheap.

That's about it off the top of my head - I'm partial to gyros from the Parthenon on State, but I know that's a disgusting habit and shouldn't be passed on to others (my husband tells me that all the time)

Liz

[skrattypants]

actually, henry doane owns the blue marlin.

the eastside farmers' market is smaller but growing, and imo, the better place to shop. downtown is more of an...experience (and not always a pleasant one at that). farmer john's cheese is fabulous. he does italian-style cheeses; grab a big block of his parm before the market closes--it'll hold quite a while in the fridge. tart's pastry and preserves is terrific. tuesdays are the only night i really have dessert--we'll split one of her market basket cakes.

i'll second the north american rotisserie suggestion. i'm so glad they've reopened, especially on late-work days. they make the colonel and boston market taste like 3-day-old road squeezins. o wait, the colonel and boston market always taste like that.

besides l'etoile, our favorite madison restaurant is lombardino's. patrick o'halloran has done amazing things with an old spaghetti house. the menu changes every two months.

http://www.lombardinos.com/

[slbunge]

What I'd especially appreciate are reviews of places to eat right around campus, in the Union/State St immediate area (I work right on Bascom Mall). Lunch around $5 is what I'm looking for. Today I enjoyed a spicy chicken and potato curry in injera--$4. What a deal!

I know it is the wrong direction but if you have a bike and perhaps just a bit longer than an hour available, a reasonably ride through campus to the west can take you to Lulu's or Sa Bai Thong.

Sa Bai Thong is on University in the University Station mall (the one with Magic Mill). If you swing around University Bay Drive, go past the beautiful Unitarian Meeting House you can slip down the road parallel to university until you get to the mall. I think the food tastes better than Bahn Thai and they have good lunch specials.

Lulu's is a Syrian restaurant on Old Univeristy Avenue that still stands for my favorite comfort food (I grew up in Madison and lived there until a few years ago). Lunches can be reasonably speedy and well priced. Their two soups (spinach and lentil or yellow split pea) are outstanding, as is all of their food. I have often lunched on a cup of soup and a side of hummus. One of the treasures of Lulu's is their tiny little market in the back. Dried fava beans; chick-pea flour; bottles of rose water and orange blossom water; pomegranite molasses; fresh and frozen pita; house made hummus, baba ghannouj and tabouli...yum.

[sara]

Great suggestions! I did get to try Glass Nickel pizza yesterday-- WOW! Seriously, good stuff. I especially loved the fetalicious and the bacon & blue cheese.

The fall tasting list for Barrique's came out today, and includes an Aussie wine & food tasting at the Fitchberg location in two weeks that I'm sure to attend.

I will definitely make a point of trying Farmer John's parm-- as I think I mentioned earier, his mozzarella, only available at the Tuesday market, is BRILLIANT. And I tried my bloody mary pickled veg tonite, those were great too.

Ok, off to Maduro's to enjoy their lovely cocktails! Next week, I will begin a thorough investigation of these lunch suggestions.

[sara]

I made it to Takara's last night. I was quite relieved to find the sushi much better than expected--they had a decent variety ( including hotate, uni, and toro), at reasonable prices, and every was quite fresh. Indeed, the place fills up a lot, and the service suffered because of it. But two of us had plenty of food for $50 and I think that's quite a good deal.

[sara]

Tonite I went to the Laotian place on Willey. I had some very good beef larb. My sister had peanut chicken. Both were quite good. I requested heat 3 out of 4, and they hit it right on. The place lacks atmosphere, except for one attractive waiter. But the prices are right (big portions for about $10-12 each) and I'll be back to sample more dishes.

This morning was scrambled eggs with scallions & cream cheese at Lazy Jane's. These are awesome! It was totally worth the 15 min wait on line.

[sara]

One more-- I have to put a good word in for L'Etoile's salmon croissant (served warm and gooey inside), and their spice girl twirl, full of cinnamon. Their magic iced coffee certainly does the trick of waking one up enough to shop the early bird farmer's market too!

[skrattypants]

for your next lao laan xang trip: the curried squash with tofu. we have tried replicating it at home, but can't quite.

another suggestion for a person who likes a little heat-- try pavlov's pizzas (also on willy street). they only have carry out or delivery, but you won't be disappointed with their cracker-thin crusted, slighty spicy sauced my bleu heaven.

on state street, don't miss chautara. fabulous nepali food, especially the korma and the masala dosa. and if you find yourself down on monroe, try yirgalem for delicious ethiopian fare. i would go there just for the injera. take friends so you can order--and share--a slew of things.

[sara]

My bleu heaven sounds great! I'll have to check it out.

I'm somewhat enjoying leftovers from last night's Bahn Thai run-- green curry with fish. But I can't tell what this darned fish IS! Kinda looks like tuna..and has a mushy texture. Hm.

On a different note--can anyone explain this Cafe Connection thing at Ancora to me? I want wireless access at coffee shops but when I went to the website to signup, it says nothing about wireless! Also, are there any FREE wireless connections at coffee shops or lunchspots in the area? Thanks

[skrattypants]

bah to ancora. talk about no ambience...

probably closer to you, try mother fool's, again, on willy street for free or nearly wireless internet, decent coffee, late (and early) hours, and if you're there at the right time, some live music.

http://www.motherfools.com/

[sara]

I agree about Ancora--at least the West one. Plenty of noisy kids makes it hard to work in there too. But the East side one is better -- and the employees are nicer. Anyways, I've been to Mother Fools and like it alot, and didn't know about the free wifi-- so thanks!

Edited September 8, 2004 by sara (log)