Laura Zastrow
Individual muffin-shaped pies get the whipped-cream treatment.
Maybe it was the blue sky and the sunlight streaming in through the big glass windows. Maybe it was the blue walls and chairs, painted in what I think my childhood crayon boxes might’ve called cornflower. Who knows, maybe it was my wife’s blue sweater. While I usually prefer my pancakes simple (just syrup and butter), the blueberry pancakes at Ogden’s North Street Diner called my name. I went where the spirit willed, and was met with fluffy pancakes, crisp around the edges, full of juicy blueberries. The Platonic diner ideal.
A good diner is an exceptional thing. Ogden’s is cozy, it’s friendly, and it’s for the neighborhood. Sure, outsiders like me are welcome, but the short hours, the small footprint, the simple menu — these inspire locals to stroll over and enjoy a coffee and some late morning breakfast. They don’t necessarily shout across town and prompt a road trip.
Ogden’s is a wholesale repurposing of a bare brick storefront at 560 North St., kitty-corner from the Tip Top Tavern at the intersection of North and Commercial. Cari Scott and Will Tracy, who live in the neighborhood and each have a long Madison dining resume, began the planning process as far back as October 2014, when they started an Indiegogo campaign to help raise funds for the diner. Ogden’s finally opened in early May.
There are eggs a-plenty, of course. The Denver omelet is full of big pieces of meat and fresh veggies, far from the finely diced version found in chain diners. The spinach and feta omelet could use a little more feta, or just a little more salt. The lox and cream cheese scramble from the full-to-bursting specials board wasn’t the prettiest, even by scramble standards, but with the cream cheese mixed in, it was rich, flavorful and filling.
The specials board offers other novelties. Take the mocha almond chip pancake french toast, a mouthful in every way. The chocolatey pancakes, with bits of crunchy almond, are batter-dipped and pan-fried like french toast, then topped with fresh whipped cream and more chocolate. Worth trying, especially if you have a sweet tooth.
Hash browns are a standard breakfast side; Ogden’s appeared to be fine-tuning its process during my visits. On one, they were well-browned but dry and mealy. On a subsequent visit, they’d been visited by a bit more butter in the pan, which was greatly appreciated. Not quite enough caloric caution has been thrown to the wind here, though.
Breakfast meats — crisp bacon and snappy sausage links — aren’t anything novel, but you can also get a slice of meatloaf as your meat of choice, which is novel indeed. The cumin-heavy surface treatment makes it a deeply savory, slightly Southwestern experience. The meatloaf sandwich on the lunch menu can be ordered cold by request, an option that warms this leftover meatloaf sandwich lover’s heart.
While breakfast, served all day, dominates at Ogden’s, the 11 a.m.-to-close lunch menu is no slouch. The standard cheeseburger is juicy and made all the better with slices of that crispy bacon. The tuna melt is simple, with a slight lemony kick to the tuna salad, and includes Hook’s 5-year cheddar, just like how I make ‘em at home. Sadly, there’s no diner-standard patty melt.
Potato chips as sandwich filling make the “Owen Miles Proulx” more than your usual ham and provolone sandwich, and its red pepper jelly is of the sweet rather than vinegar-spicy variety. I tried to order the turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich, but received something with slaw and missing the rest of the billed toppings. The turkey, house-brined and roasted, was sliced right in the thickness sweet spot, though.
If it was made slightly more forgiving on the jaw muscles, the sesame chicken sandwich would be an instant classic. The sturdy Madison Sourdough ciabatta is ideal, and the deep soy marinade on the chicken breast is classed up just a touch with nutty sesame oil. The same sesame chicken served as a salad on a bed of greens might be easier to eat.
At the front counter, there’s nothing better than a cup of coffee and a slice of pie. The pie at Ogden’s comes as an individually portioned muffin-shaped pie rather than a slice. Cherry bested blackberry as my favorite, but go with what speaks your language. As with those blueberry pancakes I ordered, you can only be rewarded by answering the diner’s call.
Ogden’s North Street Diner
560 North St. 53704; 608-467-3930; $2- $10; Wheelchair accessible, but a steep ramp outside and narrow aisles inside; 8 am-2 pm Sun., 7 am-2:30 pm Mon., and Wed.-Fri., 8 am-2 pm Sat.
