Madison, WI dining

[sus]

I love TJ's. The food happens to be really good. The produce, so so. Go there for ready made creams, pastas, etc that taste homemade. Their wine selections are also amazingly good (for what you pay.) The Chuck Souvignon Blanc is yummy if very simple. I am dying to try the Il Primitivo. They also have some wonderful sales on fancy and /yes/ tasty chocolates. And for all those bakers out there, and this is the kicker for me---PLUGRA butter. I have been trying to get my hands on some Plugra for a while now and to me its worth it just for that. They also had this wonderful cranberry sauce for TGiving that made me almost not want to make my own. So there you go. Ok so I still made mine but it was a very very close call. I think that's all I have to report about this place. Oh yes, hello. New to the board. Have been living in Madison for two years and at this point am very frustrated with the food selection--No Latin food other than Mexican? The nice Cuban restaurant closed and has been replaced by a so so Costa Rican place. And there is not a single Puerto Rican restaurant to quench my cravings. Normally I enjoy dining in madtown but the lack of New York, New Haven, Cambridge stable Hispanic cuisine is leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

[notbatgirl]

Hi all, I've been on eGullet for years but only just started posting -- probably due to having a baby and thus being home (on the computer) all the time! Anyway, we've been in Madison for 2 1/2 years, and I also grew up here. We're from the Bay Area and definitely into food, and we have some favorites here -- similar to Sara's, actually:

Greenbush for pizza

Dottie's for burgers

El Dorado Grill and Bon Appetit and Lazy Jane's for brunch

Sardine and Cocoliquot and Osteria Papavaro (not mentioned in this forum, but truly wonderful -- chef is a member of the Madison Slow Food movement) and Harvest for non-ethnic dinner

Lao Lan Xiang and Himal Chuli for ethnic dinner

Barrique's for lunch sandwiches, wine, coffee, pastries, ambiance, free wireless...we're so happy the Monroe Barrique's is now giving us a good alternative to Ancora! I also recommend the new French bakery on the West side, Madeline's, for decent croissants and papillons. L'Etoile Cafe is good for those too.

We have yet to find any decent Chinese food here and have given up searching. We'd also love Vietnamese food recommendations.

Oh, and I work on campus and highly recommend Ingrid's Lunchbox, the red cart on library mall, for a wonderful lunch option. Her food makes you feel like you're eating a home-cooked meal on a farm in Iowa.

[Majra]

Thank you for posting your list--you must be a mind reader, notbatgirl! My husband and I will be in Madison for a few days in early May and I was about to post a request for updates to the food recommendations.

[notbatgirl]

I'm with you on Magnus -- I've never been impressed with the food or ambiance. It is so LOUD in there!

Hi

Not sure what is special about Magnus's "wine program"--never struck me as a terribly interesting list, nor do I love their food.  Wouldn't bother.

We're giving Fresco some time to settle in before going over there, only seems fair...

If you've not been to Greenbush for pizza, that's an absolute MUST-- yes, I know there is other pizza in the world, but this is worth the trip.

I don't find the upscale places in Madison all that impressive--so in lieu of spending a lot you might be happier trying El Dorado for very good tex-mex-- terrific drinks and very flavorful food, or maybe Eno Vino out in Middleton for small plates--or Cocoliquot.

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[sara]

Hi

For the best Chinese in Madison check out China Palace on Sherman near the airport--and order off the back pages, the non-Americanized stuff. The rest of Chinese in Madison is kung pao-chicken-esque...although I've heard rumors of congee at the place in Hilldale but not yet checked it out.

For Vietnamese, we are indeed severely lacking. The best available is Saigon Noodles on Odana. But their pho is somewhat hit or miss and they skimp on the toppings on vermecelli noodles.

For Mexican, tonight we tried the new Mexican places in Market Sq on Odana (with the mislabeled sign), it was recently written up in the State Journal. Very bare bones cheap taqueria, and the tacos are quite good. Apparently they have great tamales, 12 for $12, available tomorrow morning. I may go and grab some.

The best Indian is also on Odana--Maharaja. Not perfect but good for Madison.

Last--for today--Jada's Soul Food off Park Street is the real thing; chicken, greens, mac n cheese. Yum.

[notbatgirl]

Apparently there's a good new Mexican place on Willy Street, near the Bongo Video strip mall -- I hear they have great burritos and very good veggie options. It's not really authentic, but it's supposed to be muy tasty.

Hi

For the best Chinese in Madison check out China Palace on Sherman near the airport--and order off the back pages, the non-Americanized stuff. The rest of Chinese in Madison is kung pao-chicken-esque...although I've heard rumors of congee at the place in Hilldale but not yet checked it out.

For Vietnamese, we are indeed severely lacking. The best available is Saigon Noodles on Odana. But their pho is somewhat hit or miss and they skimp on the toppings on vermecelli noodles.

For Mexican, tonight we tried the new Mexican places in Market Sq on Odana (with the mislabeled sign), it was recently written up in the State Journal. Very bare bones cheap taqueria, and the tacos are quite good. Apparently they have great tamales, 12 for $12, available tomorrow morning. I may go and grab some.

The best Indian is also on Odana--Maharaja. Not perfect but good for Madison.

Last--for today--Jada's Soul Food off Park Street is the real thing; chicken, greens, mac n cheese. Yum.

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[liamdc]

For Vietnamese, we are indeed severely lacking. The best available is Saigon Noodles on Odana. But their pho is somewhat hit or miss and they skimp on the toppings on vermecelli noodles.

For Mexican, tonight we tried the new Mexican places in Market Sq on Odana (with the mislabeled sign), it was recently written up in the State Journal. Very bare bones cheap taqueria, and the tacos are quite good. Apparently they have great tamales, 12 for $12, available tomorrow morning. I may go and grab some.

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Here is the link to the 3/22/07 Wisconsin State Journal review of both La Queretana (West Side) and Burrito Drive (East Side). The soft tacos and tamales from La Queretana were scrumptious. http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/entertainm...=125464&ntpid=7

For Vietnamese, Mekong at 600 Willy Street is also a decent choice if you're near downtown or on the East Side. The service there is very friendly.

[rlibkind]

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I shall be in Madison the weekend of April 20. I've done L'Etoile (and thoroughly enjoyed it), but wondering if anyone can comment on Harvest. And how the new leadership at L'Etoile is doing. And are there any new restaurants that take a similar approach?

I figure my main activity during the day on Saturday, while SWMBO is busy with alumni stuff, will be to circle Capitol Square at least three or four times, since it is scheduled to be the first outdoor market of the year.

Thanks.

[madisonite]

I am not a big fan of Harvest. ( I think the staff is pretentious and it is over-rated.) I used to love Letoile, but my last few visits have been only mediocre. The service is always good, but the menu hasn't left me with much to talk about. My partner and I really love Fresco ( in the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art) for downtown dining or Eno Vino (on the west side). Both of these, especially Fresco, have great service and exceptional food. Definately do Marigold for Saturday brunch. It is the best in town. Another great local spot is Greenbush on Regent street. It has all the quaintness of an of old trattoria, and the pizza is fantastic. We also frequent Takara for sushi and the Oldfashioned for that "Wisconsin" experience. Hope this helps!

[notbatgirl]

That's interesting -- I really like Harvest, and found it especially good last time I went. They got a new chef in December, a guy from Sparta (WI, not Greece), and the menu is now more adventurous but still takes advantage of good local ingredients. An example: we had a sunchoke panna cotta for an appetizer, with a caremalized pistachio topping -- sounds like it could be overly ambitious, but it was actually very very good.

We haven't been to Eno Vino yet but after reading everyone's raves it's clear we have to go!

I am not a big fan of Harvest.  ( I think the staff is pretentious and it is over-rated.)  I used to love Letoile, but my last few visits have been only mediocre.  The service is always good, but the menu hasn't left me with much to talk about.  My partner and I really love Fresco ( in the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art) for downtown dining or Eno Vino (on the west side).  Both of these, especially Fresco, have great service and exceptional food.  Definately do Marigold for Saturday brunch.  It is the best in town.  Another great local spot is Greenbush on Regent street.  It has all the quaintness of an of old trattoria, and the pizza is fantastic.  We also frequent Takara for sushi and the Oldfashioned for that "Wisconsin" experience.  Hope this helps!

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[notbatgirl]

Hey Liam, thanks for the tip about La Querentana! We went tonight and had a positive experience overall. We got the tamales (one veggie, one chicken -- only OK, not great), a chicken quesedilla (excellent -- great texture and especially good with the salsa verde supplied to the table w/the chips), and two tacos -- one carnitas (excellent) and one carne asada (very good but a little tough). My husband also ordered horchata, which was not on the menu -- he said it was quite good. It's made in-house.

Anyway, we recommend it! It was empty when we went, so clearly it needs customers. The decor is also sadly lacking, being of the ugly-strip-mall variety.

For Vietnamese, we are indeed severely lacking. The best available is Saigon Noodles on Odana. But their pho is somewhat hit or miss and they skimp on the toppings on vermecelli noodles.

For Mexican, tonight we tried the new Mexican places in Market Sq on Odana (with the mislabeled sign), it was recently written up in the State Journal. Very bare bones cheap taqueria, and the tacos are quite good. Apparently they have great tamales, 12 for $12, available tomorrow morning. I may go and grab some.

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Here is the link to the 3/22/07 Wisconsin State Journal review of both La Queretana (West Side) and Burrito Drive (East Side). The soft tacos and tamales from La Queretana were scrumptious. http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/entertainm...=125464&ntpid=7

For Vietnamese, Mekong at 600 Willy Street is also a decent choice if you're near downtown or on the East Side. The service there is very friendly.

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[liamdc]

Glad you enjoyed La Querentana. We've found the chorizo, chicharron (pork skin), and carnitas tacos to be among the best ($2 each). The tamales are made fresh in the mornings. We've enjoyed the rajas and mole varieties especially, although we found the verdes to be pretty good as well. At $12 per dozen, it's hard to beat! Why wouldn't anyone ever eat at Taco Bell?

Hey Liam, thanks for the tip about La Querentana!  We went tonight and had a positive experience overall.  We got the tamales (one veggie, one chicken -- only OK, not great), a chicken quesedilla (excellent -- great texture and especially good with the salsa verde supplied to the table w/the chips), and two tacos -- one carnitas (excellent) and one carne asada (very good but a little tough).  My husband also ordered horchata, which was not on the menu -- he said it was quite good.  It's made in-house. 

Anyway, we recommend it!  It was empty when we went, so clearly it needs customers.  The decor is also sadly lacking, being of the ugly-strip-mall variety.

For Vietnamese, we are indeed severely lacking. The best available is Saigon Noodles on Odana. But their pho is somewhat hit or miss and they skimp on the toppings on vermecelli noodles.

For Mexican, tonight we tried the new Mexican places in Market Sq on Odana (with the mislabeled sign), it was recently written up in the State Journal. Very bare bones cheap taqueria, and the tacos are quite good. Apparently they have great tamales, 12 for $12, available tomorrow morning. I may go and grab some.

←

Here is the link to the 3/22/07 Wisconsin State Journal review of both La Queretana (West Side) and Burrito Drive (East Side). The soft tacos and tamales from La Queretana were scrumptious. http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/entertainm...=125464&ntpid=7

For Vietnamese, Mekong at 600 Willy Street is also a decent choice if you're near downtown or on the East Side. The service there is very friendly.

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[MattJohnson]

Its been a while, but I had pretty good luck with Cafe Continental. I think it was on King St.

[rlibkind]

Thanks all for your suggestions and comments. We're going to give Harvest a whirl Friday evening, though based on the limited survey here there appears to be split opinion. We'll weigh in afterwards (though any restaurant that puts ramps on its menu in early spring certainly gives me a good first impression). For old times sake, She Who Must Be Obeyed wants to lunch at the Nitty Gritty; I'm not optimistic based on the "birthday place" stuff, but, hey, we're talking time machine here.

We'll probably fit in a couple of much simpler meals at low-key, non-adventurous venues with wide-ranging menus (SWMBO's tastes and mine can sometimes diverge), perhaps Avenue Bar since SWMBO's old boss, whose opinion we trust, wrote some nice words about it in The Isthmus a few weeks ago.

Does anyone think we'll see much beyond prepared foods, maple syrup and cheeses at Saturday's market around the square? Any chance of morels and other fungi delicti or, as I suspect, is it still a wee bit too early?

[sara]

Went to Harvest two nights ago. It was pretty good--in particular the pasta with ramps is quite nice. But I found the deconstructed caeser pretty dull, and the tartare lacked zing (thought the wasabi sorbet was very good). I can definitely recommend the champagne they offer by the glass-delicious.

I have nothing negative to say about Avenue Bar--their boiled fish is delicious. But if you're looking for other low-key non-adventurous places with big menus, do try Old Fashioned (right next to Harvest) or the Great Dane.

I have discovered that on a beautiful late afternoon one of the best places to be is Sardine-if you plan ahead and reserve a table in the window area, you can have cocktails and a very good dinner in front of Lake Monona. Very few other places in the area offer that.

As for the market, I strongly suspect you'll do better than you think this Saturday. Just take a look at what Harmony Valley will be offering:

http://www.harmonyvalleyfarm.com/

Their over-wintered parsnips are amazing. Enjoy!

Oh, and sorry but Cafe Continental sucks. Big time. Eaten there a dozen times in the past year b/c of work function. Ugh. Never had a good meal.

Edited April 19, 2007 by sara (log)

[MattJohnson]

ah, thats too bad. I really only went there for breakfast a couple times, and it was ok for that. Good to know. I'll steer clear next time I'm back in Madison.

I liked the Great Dane too. Like the scotch ale. Yum.

[rlibkind]

Did the Avenue Bar last night. Must say I was underwhelmed. Kinda like a Midwest version of a Jersey diner. Not bad, but decent value. And it fit the bill for a simple, no fuss meal. But not worth a detour. Our real regret, however, was not getting there early enough for the visit by the Budweiser clydesdale. Our waitress showed us Polaroids (remember those?) taken of her with the horse.

Tonight: Harvest.

We're staying at the Edgewater, which is much improved from when She Who Must Be Obeyed stayed there about five or six years ago. All rooms redone, staff helpful and cheerful. The lakeside bar/snackerie opens this afternoon, and I plan to enjoy a beer and cigar there later this afternoon.

Did lunch at the Nitty Gritty today for my wife's old times' sake. Decent enough burger, but the Leinie's version of double bock beer was the real hit. I don't care if it is made by Miller-SAB, it was a very good beer.

Edited to add: best part of Avenue Bar was I could get one of my favs, Spotted Cow, on tap.

Edited April 20, 2007 by rlibkind (log)

[sara]

Bob

Please clarify--did you get the fish fry or boil at Avenue? It is only considered a 'destination' in any sense for those eats--and for the boil in particular. Aside from that, it's a big meeting place for local celebs/politicos etc but not known for the food. That's why I prefer the Old-Fashioned (but there, skip the lousy desserts).

Keep drinkin' the Cow! Yum.

[sara]

This just in... Muramoto now has a second location, at the revamped Hilldale Mall. Called "Sushi Muramoto" it opened on Wednesday. There is a website but it's not fully operational yet. http://www.muramoto.biz

We'll be sure to check it out and report back soon!

Edited April 22, 2007 by sara (log)

[madtowner]

My gf and I were able to make it to the Murimoto friends and family night last weekend. I'm not much of a sushi person, so I won't report on it, but suffice it to say it was very good. Service was a little lacking, but its very early in the game for them.

Other things to look forward to,

Across the street from Murimoto the new Sundance theater is set to open the first weekend of May, with its restaurant doing the (now-cliche?) small plate/local/artisnal menu. Cool rooftop bar as well, though part of it looks over, well, a pebbled roof.

tim

[rlibkind]

Bob

Please clarify--did you get the fish fry or boil at Avenue? It is only considered a 'destination' in any sense for those eats--and for the boil in particular.  Aside from that, it's a big meeting place for local celebs/politicos etc but not known for the food. That's why I prefer the Old-Fashioned (but there, skip the lousy desserts). 

Keep drinkin' the Cow! Yum.

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No fish at the Avenue, just an order of onion rings and protein-topped salads. We weren't expecting anything more than a pedestrian meal, and that's what we got.

I did get to the Old Fashioned Saturday night where I consumed a platter of sausages with kraut and gherkins. Admirable. And I'll take issue with you on desserts, at least as far as the apple pie is concerned. Not a traditional double-cruster, but a thoroughly enjoyable crumb topping; what I liked about it was (1) neither the topping nor the filling were over-sugared, in fact, the applies were pleasingly tart, and (2) the apple slices still had a bit of snap to them. Of course, this is all mere personal preference rather than a definitive ruling on apple-pieness.

I visited Harvest Friday night and made the market Saturday morning. I'll try to post my impressions (all good) Tuesday.

[sara]

Sounds like they changed the apple pie recipe. We had it on two occasions and both times it was nearly inedible and tasteless. Glad to hear it's improved.

[liamdc]

Sara and I ate at Sushi Muramoto last Friday evening. After two and half years in Madison, I have to say it was by far the freshest and most flavorful sashimi/sushi we've had and it features some items--such as toro and aji--that are difficult to find at other area sushi joints. In fact, this restaurant could easily compete with sushi establishments in many larger cities. It also features some really delicious martinis.

It is located in a very well designed space, with a bar area off to the right side and the sushi bar along the left wall of the restaurant. Indeed, it is located right across the street (really a drive through the Hilldale Mall complex) from the soon-to-open Sundance Cinemas. It is two doors down from the Flattop Grill and about a half-block down from the Great Dane Pub.

This just in... Muramoto now has a second location, at the revamped Hilldale Mall. Called "Sushi Muramoto" it opened on Wednesday. There is a website but it's not fully operational yet. http://www.muramoto.biz

We'll be sure to check it out and report back soon!

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[rlibkind]

First of all, thanks to everyone for their thoughts and tips, especially ex-Philadelphian Sara. Now, onto my much-belated commentary . . .

HARVEST

She Who Must Be Obeyed was all tuckered out from her University meetings, so I dined solo, taking advantage of the $55 tasting menu along with the $25 wine flight.

Regarding the wine flight, the previous Sunday Harvest had a Spanish themed dinner. All the wines accompanying my tasting were Iberian. I enjoy Spanish wines, but I thought this was overdone. Some were excellent, others okay but not really good with the food. The overall tannin levels were too high to my tastes. I left with the impression that they overbought wine for the Sunday event and had to get rid of it, and this was how they were going to do it.

On to the food.

The amuse bouche was the taste-temper it was meant to be: celeriac soup with some tiny truffle-scented dumplings. Got my tastebuds revved up.

The first course was an interesting variation on prosciutto and melon: serrano ham wrapped around three small perfect cylinders of tangerine gelée. Alas, it failed because the gelée was much too sweet -- hard to imagine, but it overpowered the ham! The accompanying red -- Descendientes de Jose Palacios, Petalos, Bierzo, 2005 -- was much too tangy for this course, as well as exceedingly tannic. I would have rather had a riesling, any riesling.

The second course was, to my taste, the most successful of the evening. A perfectly cooked square of arctic char served with a sensational piquillo pepper sofrito (marred only by a single pepper seed the sieve missed) and a black olive purée. The wine, the only white of the evening, was a pleasing Portuguese offering (the only non-Spanish wine of the evening): Quinta do Dorado "Auratus", Alvarinho-Trajadura, 2005.

Next up some rich slices of venison loin served with pearl onions and one of my favorite spring veggies, fiddlehead ferns. The fiddleheads were exceptionally tiny and tender. I think the wine served, Palacios Remondo, La Vendimia, Rioja Crianza 2004, should have switched places with the one served with the ham.

Cheese was next, a Spanish variety made from a combination of goat and cow milk: Puenta Los Angeles Queso Devadeon. Pleasant enough, as was the wine (another red! doesn't anyone know that a lot of whites work even better with cheese than most reds?), Alvaro Palacios, Les Terrasses, Priorat, 2004.

I was a bit wary of the palate-cleanser, fearing that the coconut-cilantro sorbet would overemphasize the cilantro. No need to worry. The freezing tamped down the cilantro flavor making it a pleasing counterpoint to the sweet coconut.

A chocolate bomb with caramel sauce and candied violets, served as the sixth course, was a nice finish. Again, though another Spanish red. Now, there's nothing wrong with red wine with chocolate and this tempranillo (Atalayas de Golban, Ribera del Duero, 2004) was fine. But doesn't anyone serve dessert wine with dessert anymore?

THE OLD FASHIONED

Saturday night and the Old Fashioned can hardly be considered low-key, given a line to get in (unless you sit at the bar, like me) and the noise level -- but the line and the noise significantly subsided by 9 p.m.

I kept it simple and enjoyed my plate of sausages with kraut, two or three different types of mustards, three sausages (Nuremburg brat, knackwurst and weisswurst), grilled rye bread and sweet gherkins. And beer (another Spotted Cow). As I mentioned in an earlier post, I found the apple crumb pie tart, crisp and pleasing, especially with a thick slice of medium sharp cheese.

ELLA'S

On our way out of town Sunday we stopped at Ella's on Washington, now that the downtown deli has been closed. I was less than amused when, on a Sunday morning, they could offer no lox although it was on the menu. For a restaurant that purports to be a Jewish style deli, this is a shanda. I settled for the huge portion of pretty good french toast.

THE EDGEWATER

The food is, by and large, institutional portion control, and the bar has limited offerings, but the outdoor dock, snackbar and bar at The Edgewater Hotel has a friendly service, great view, delightful breezes, and an adult party atmosphere. A relaxing place to pass time in the summer sun and watch the great orb set on the other side of the lake.

[liamdc]

Here is the Wisconsin State Journal's 5/16/2007 review of the "exceptional food" at Sushi Muramoto:

Sara and I ate at Sushi Muramoto last Friday evening. After two and half years in Madison, I have to say it was by far the freshest and most flavorful sashimi/sushi we've had and it features some items--such as toro and aji--that are difficult to find at other area sushi joints. In fact, this restaurant could easily compete with sushi establishments in many larger cities. It also features some really delicious martinis.

It is located in a very well designed space, with a bar area off to the right side and the sushi bar along the left wall of the restaurant. Indeed, it is located right across the street (really a drive through the Hilldale Mall complex) from the soon-to-open Sundance Cinemas. It is two doors down from the Flattop Grill and about a half-block down from the Great Dane Pub.

This just in... Muramoto now has a second location, at the revamped Hilldale Mall. Called "Sushi Muramoto" it opened on Wednesday. There is a website but it's not fully operational yet. http://www.muramoto.biz

We'll be sure to check it out and report back soon!

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