Lara Kastner
Make your own s’mores on the rooftop while feasting on classic Wisconsin beer brats, creamy cheese curds and haute wieners.
Amid the more recognizable board and tabletop games stocked at the new Madison restaurant Camp Trippalindee (Scrabble, Jenga, the like) is a copy of No Respect, the obscure Rodney Dangerfield-branded game from 1985. It’s like an Easter egg, a hidden clue to remind you that the name of the restaurant is a reference to Dangerfield’s 1986 movie Back to School, which is famous around here for having been partially filmed around here.
While the name of Camp Trippalindee references Hollywood’s faux-Madison, its true theme is true Wisconsin: a Chain O’ Lakes kind of woodsy summer camp. I can’t say enough for the dedication to this theme in the decor, which is a stunningly true representation of the lakeside shack aesthetic. Paneling, ugly curtains, camping tchotchkes and vinyl seats. I was transported.
Trippalindee replaces the Madison Blind at the top of the Graduate, a hotel that already houses the ground-floor cafe Portage Pi and enough be-laptopped students in the lobby to make you think it’s a third Union. The camp look works for Trippalindee, up to and including the new orientation of the outdoor seating, clustered around three gas-fueled fire bowls.
It’s around these fires that the most emblematic Trippalindee experience can be had: the s’mores. Don’t think too hard about the math that goes into a kit holding five marshmallows, a full-sized Hershey bar, and a package of three graham cracker squares. Just grab a skewer from the cooler by the door and get roasting. It’s only four bucks, and a much more satisfying dessert than the stale mini-marshmallows and rock-hard dried cherries on the build-your-own sundae bar.
Much of the menu at Camp Trippalindee is less summer camp and more a Shake Shack approach to fast food-style dining. The Big Mac-esque cheeseburger is better than anything I’d have expected at camp, though it needs fine-tuning. A more reliable sear, to start, and maybe a little smash on the grill surface. The perfectly formed edge of the patty gives the impression of foodservice beef, when in fact the menu trumpets Fox Heritage Farms sourcing for all meats. The bun is well buttered and sturdy enough to handle the juicy patties.
A spicy chicken sandwich employs two tender-sized pieces of chicken, which can lead to some slippery moments if you aren’t prepared. Smoky bacon and funky kimchee take this sandwich in a fun direction, and though it was a touch overcooked, it made good use of the jalapeño ranch that also accompanies the cheese curds.
All the little crispy bites of the Trippalindee menu come in those adorable paper bags that are gaining favor in Madison restaurants. The curds are very creamy, and the fries — crinkle-cut and thick — are good enough. An order of nachos is awkward and out of place in a tiny little bag unless you use a fork, walking-taco-style. Sweet potato fries served as wedges is atypical for that tuber, and maybe for a reason. Some were rigid and underdone, others were almost burnt. The smoked chili mayo has promise, but is too harsh for the fries it adorns.
Sausages feel more in line with the camp vibe, though only the brat sticks to classic Wisconsin presentation. Sauerkraut, onions, and mustard are rightful classics. The hot dog, on the other hand, veers unexpectedly across Cal-Mex and Coney Island lanes with toppings of avocado purée and chili. The haute wiener has a bit more snap than the soft bun and sloppy condiments can handle, but it tastes great.
And then there’s the really oddball stuff, things that belong more at a sports bar or a California cuisine spot. A pricey grain bowl with too few grilled mushrooms and a small scoop of the same avocado mash as the hot dog was easily the most virtuous menu item, and a decent offering if you don’t need meat. (It was one of only a few vegetarian options; gluten-free items are not marked on the menu.) Grilled chicken wings with an Alabama-style white BBQ sauce were too underdone for my comfort, and failed to come together either on paper or the palate. They wouldn’t fit the theme anyway, even if they were better.
So, the Back to School thing isn’t really of primary importance. Camp Trippalindee is less a restaurant than a goofy theme bar with a decent kitchen that’s still growing up. Improbably, an up-northy bar with a Rodney Dangerfield inside joke can actually work as a campus area hotel hangout. The s’mores help.
Camp Trippalindee
601 Langdon St.; 608-257-4391; graduatehotels.com/madison/restaurant/camp-trippalindee
Kitchen: 4 pm-9 pm Mon.-Thurs., 4 pm-10 pm Fri., noon-10 pm Sat., noon-9 pm Sun., bar open later; $3-$13
