Linda Falkenstein
Cali Fresh has moved to East Mifflin from the Library Mall.
The official 2017 food cart season kicked off with fair weather the week of April 17, but there has been disruption in usual sites due to construction on Main Street on the Capitol Square. Carts were in new spots in some cases due to their official rankings in last fall’s city evaluation, but primarily because of Main Street being torn up.
Carts that usually vend on East Main Street have moved to the 200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, in front of the Madison Municipal Building.
Vendors new to this lineup are Jakarta Cafe and Common Pasta. They join regulars El Burrito Loco, Ladonia Cafe, Good Food, Bulgogi, Slide and Teriyaki Samurai. Melted and FIBs are on the 100 block.
Carts are also now populating East and West Mifflin and South Carroll on the Square. China Cottage and Cali Fresh, which have formerly sold on Library Mall, are now in front of Manchester Place. They’re joined on Mifflin by Pots ’n Tots, Buzzy’s Lake House and Braisin’ Hussies, all of which spent last year doing the rounds of office parks and special events.
Michael Sollinger of Braisin’ Hussies says that he’s had a “busy consistency” that’s made it easy to know how much food to bring and “keep everything as fresh as possible.” He cites the advantage of walk-by traffic — “you need footfalls” — which is harder to come by when vending at office parks. He likes being in the same spot every day: “Then you’re more like a mini-restaurant than an ice cream truck,” he says.
At neighboring cart Buzzy’s Lake House, Cynthia Heffling says “the reception has been great.”
Orchid, a new cart serving healthy salads and soups, is parking at the top of State Street. Carley Handley of Orchid says business has been “not bad so far.” It’s joined there by King of Falafel. The Pickle Jar is in front of the Wisconsin Historical Museum, and El Grito Taqueria and a new cart, the Rodeo Wagon, are at Carroll and West Washington Avenue. The Rodeo Wagon serves burgers, pulled beef, mac ’n’ cheese and even beans ’n’ franks.
Newcomers on Library Mall include Zam Zam Afghani food and Dzi Little Tibet, while the new O.S.S. cart (an offshoot of the Regent Street restaurant of the same name) is in front of the Geology Museum at 1215 W. Dayton St.
The Downtown Business Improvement District is also arranging for cafe tables and chairs to be placed near the carts in the plazas at the top of State Street from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday-Friday. The new seating, officially called “The Summer in YOUR City Cafe,” is slated to begin May 1.
