The new Bunky's Cafe thrives on a good vibe Cozy cannoli corner Ann Shaffer on Friday 07/03/2009 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. >MoreTop Madison food cart entrees for when you're on the go this summer Step right up Linda Falkenstein on Friday 07/03/2009 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. >More
Dane County Farmers' Market: Fountain Prairie Inn & Farms Fall River ranchers share recipe for Perfect Pot Roast Clare Milliken on Thursday 07/02/2009 1:00 pm, (3) Recommendations 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. >MoreDane County Farmers' Market: Jones Valley Farm Spring Green veggie growers share recipe for chocolate chip beet cake Clare Milliken on Thursday 06/25/2009 1:00 pm, (4) Recommendations 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. >More
The Taquería El Norteño taco truck sets up camp in north Madison Cheap eats and green salsa at Warner Park Linda Falkenstein on Tuesday 06/16/2009 11:00 am, (1) Comment, (11) Recommendations 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. >MoreNo pufferfish, but simple successes at Fugu Asian Fusion Not at all poisonous Raphael Kadushin on Friday 06/12/2009, (3) Recommendations 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. >More
Cooking from the Heart chronicles Hmong cuisine in America 'Simple, earthy, fiery and fresh' Terese Allen on Friday 06/26/2009, (2) Recommendations 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. >More
Plan to dine at these Wisconsin food festivals Have a field day! on Friday 04/17/2009, (1) Recommendation 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. >More12 months of meals in Madison and beyond A look back on our recent food forays Isthmus Staff on Friday 04/17/2009, (1) Recommendation We kept up with the openings (and closings), menu revamps, and special event dinners in the pages of Isthmus and on TheDailyPage.com. 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. >More
I treated my wife to dinner at Magnus for her birthday last week. It was our first visit since their ... Bayou Restaurant, The Thom Jones on 06/19/09
Currently 4.00/5
Too much to eat which is a shame 'cause it tastes so good. I have to take a course in po'boy eating ... China Wok-Middleton Jules Crego on 06/09/09
Currently 4.00/5
This is my second favorite asian eatery. The food is tasty and convenient for me. They have a goo ... Restaurant Magnus Courtney Collins on 06/09/09
Currently 5.00/5
Magnus recently changed to a Scandinavian menu. My friend and I stopped in last week - we're both v ... Brass Ring, The Kyle Nabilcy on 04/24/09
Currently 3.00/5
Definitely a respectable variety of food options. Not always amazing, but better than tepid chicken ... Cafe Soleil Megan Larson on 04/14/09
Currently 4.00/5
The Farmer John's Provolone sandwich was super tasty! And the homemade chips were some of the best ... Cafe Soleil Thom Jones on 04/13/09
Currently 4.00/5
Very nice, open and comfortable room. Coffee was excellent although the cups were sized such that t ... Burrito Drive Kyle Nabilcy on 04/11/09
Currently 3.00/5
You will never confuse this for La Concha or Antojitos el Toril. But after starting strong and fadin ...
THE DAILY / EATS
Dane County Farmers' Market: Fountain Prairie Inn & Farms Fall River ranchers share recipe for Perfect Pot Roast Clare Milliken on Thursday 07/02/2009 1:00 pm, (3) Recommendations 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. >MoreMadame Fromage: Moody Blue from Roth Käse Tenaya Darlington on Wednesday 07/01/2009 3:00 pm, (1) Recommendation 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. >MoreNitty Gritty, Flavor of India, and other downtown restaurants are for sale Your favorite spot might be on the market and you wouldn’t even know it Linda Falkenstein on Tuesday 06/30/2009 4:39 pm, (1) Recommendation 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. >More
Beer Here: Mr. Natural's Organic Nut Brown Ale from the Great Dane Robin Shepard on Friday 06/26/2009 1:00 pm, (1) Comment, (13) Recommendations 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. >MoreBeer Here: Crack'd Wheat from New Glarus Brewing Robin Shepard on Friday 06/19/2009 2:00 pm, (2) Comments, (17) Recommendations 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. >More
Fringe Foods: Crispy pig bung from Asia Express A venture into a lesser-known portion of pork Kyle Nabilcy on Wednesday 06/24/2009 2:00 pm, (18) Recommendations 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. >MoreFringe Foods: Rajbhog from Maharani Indian Grocery A cheese dessert dish to challenge your palate and your tongue Kyle Nabilcy on Tuesday 05/05/2009 2:00 pm, (15) Recommendations 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. >More
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