1susan1's Profile
~Fly-by-night CRAZY trip from MSP to Chi: HELP!~
I drive this a lot, and just stop once for food. For me, like for Spunky Monkey, it's Osseo. I always get a half of a hot-beef sandwich. When it is hot enough (most times) the gravy is the closest thing that I have had to the gravy that my mom used to make. Then I get one piece of pie to go, grab a plastic fork, and I have my snack for later. I also am partial to the raspberry sourcream pie.
Madison has great restaurants, but there is nothing I can think of that is close to the Interstate, and it sounds like you don't have time to head downtown.
Baltimore 'hound visiting Madison
For local specialties, a bratwurst is a must if you are a meat-eater. I would recommend State Street Brats. State Street itself (within walking distance of the Convention Center) has lots of little ethnic restaurants--Kabul is one which is particularly good. You might also enjoy The Old-Fashioned, a restaurant on the Square, which is not far from the Convention Center.
wineries in/near madison, wi?
Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac is not too far. Check out their website. Lots of locals like their Prairie Fume.
Barriques is a wine shop that might give you some recommendations on other local wines.
Local produce -- Madison, WI
The downtown also has a Wednesday Farmer's Market that takes place in the morning--and maybe until 1 or so in the afternoon--on Martin Luther King Blvd, which is one of the streets off the square. Not as big as the Saturday market, but still good. I think Hilldale (about 3 miles west of the Square) may have a Wednesday morning market, too.If you will not be in town on Wednesday, let me know, and I will see what info I can find.
Looking for beer, food, and cheese in Madison
If you are in Madison on a Saturday, make sure that you go to the Dane County Farmer's Market, which is held around the Capitol Square from 6:30 A.M. until 1:00 or 2:00. Go early, talk to the vendors. There will be lots of cheese vendors there. Stop at the little cafe that is below L'Etoile (I can't think of the cafe's name, but any vendor at the Farmer's Market can tell you where L'Etoile is) and get a pastry. Get a hot drink somewhere, and walk back to the capitol square to people watch.
I am not a beer drinker, so I will have to leave that to others, although I know that many people enjoy going to the Capital Brewery in Middleton (the 'burb just west of Madison.)
Restaurants? My favorites: Lombardino's (upscale but not snooty Italian, super Pizza Lombardino) L'Etoile for a fancy anniversary dinner, Taste of India for excellent Indian food, Ian's Pizza for pizza by the slice, including mac n' cheese pizza (I'm not kidding), Kabul for great mashawa soup and kebab. Smoky's for steak. Hmm, that's a start.
St. Paul Appreciation: Help make a list!
The Amaretto cookies at Bread and Chocolate on Grand. I had a breakfast panini there that I enjoyed, also.
Madison chow
I know that I am far too late for the original questioner, but I want to add a restaurant to the list. The Taste of India (in Knickerbocker Place, on Monroe Street) is an undiscovered gem. Locally owned, service is good, prices are reasonable, food is delicious.
Madison WI pizza - where do I go?
I love Ian's slices, although you might want to avoid the restaurant at bar time. (Too many drunks for my taste.) I don't care for the pizza at Cafe Porta Alba, although the ambiance of the restaurant is nice. As for Glass Nickel--the Fetalicious is great, their other pizzas, so-so. Some of the best pizzas that I have ever had here are at Lombardino's. Individual sized, usually three or four kinds to choose from, depending on the season. Delicious!
