The year in Madison restaurant openings and closings — and relocations

The prime mover may have been Mint Mark

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There weren’t many high-profile restaurant openings this year, nothing on the level of a Harvey House or a Fairchild bursting on the scene. The Harvey House’s Joe Papach and Shaina Robbins Papach opened Butterbird, a fast-casual fried chicken spot on Regent Street in January, but that was intentionally low key and family-friendly — “accessible to students, people who don’t want to have a long dining experience, where the kids can have fun,” says Robbins Papach. “These days people are looking for something that is comforting and classic to eat.”

Perhaps the most excitement came from a move — Mint Mark finally left its cramped location in Schenk’s Corners (once the Mermaid Cafe) for a space in The Eastern, one of the new high-rises on the East Wash corridor. Mint Mark’s small plate, locavore, craft cocktail philosophy remains the same; there are now more tables and a bigger bar, and the restaurant accepts reservations. The new location is just an eight-minute walk from its former digs, but the vibe is a little different, more “we validate parking” than “you can play some pool down the block while you wait for a table.” There’s also a new “Superette” attached, selling alcohol, fresh pasta and “other minty goods.”

Overall, though, this felt like a year of closures. Notable losses included Francesca Hong’s Morris Ramen; Tami Lax’s two-decade-old locavore fine dining room Harvest; and Amara, the Hilldale venture from the owners of Merchant and Lucille. The three spaces remain vacant. Madison Tap, Jardin and Black Locust Cafe, all in the Robinia Courtyard complex, closed amid financial problems at Robinia.

Nick’s Restaurant, which might have served as a set for an episode of Mad Men, opened in 1960 and spoke of a different era on State Street. When it closed in May it was described by some as a diner and others as a supper club, but it was really more of a bar with a larger-than-usual food menu. The daily specials were a homey touch; the Greek dishes an homage to its ownership. 

What closed often became a Mexican restaurant. Nick’s became El Aguila Real. Atwood neighborhood favorite Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery closed and is set to become Taco Madres, Edo Garden-Monona closed and is to become El Gallo. (The other Edo Garden, on South Park Street, only changed its name, to Oishi Sushi.) Taberna Tacos & Tequila opened on Monroe Street in the former Berke and Benham Seafood spot. El Sabor de Puebla opened a second location in the former Benvenuto’s in Northside Town Center. El Torito opened at 4802 Annamark Drive near East Towne in a former KFC. East Johnson Family Restaurant closed and became El Rancho Breakfast and Tacos, a sister restaurant to El Rancho on South Park Street. 

Conversely, the short-lived Fajitas Tapas and Bar in downtown Middleton was replaced by Thalaivas Indian Cuisine. Rajni Indian Cuisine opened in a former Happy Wok on Commerce Drive.

Switcheroo

Stalzy’s, the Atwood Avenue deli, closed its dine-in service while continuing to sell its baked goods and deli meats and sides from the counter.

The Esquire Club, one of Madison’s oldest restaurants, got a new owner when the Kavanaughs sold to longtime Madison restaurateur and bartender Craig Spaulding. Fabiola’s owner Sam Brown bought the Greenbush Bar from longtime owner Anna Alberici.

There were other resurgences. Babe’s Grill & Bar, a popular west-side sports bar that closed in 2019 due to redevelopment, reopened as Babe’s at Vitense Grill & Bar, part of renovations within Vitense Golfland. 

In an elegant do-si-do, Little Palace, which closed last year, is open again at its former location, 225 King St., serving a blended menu with Ha Long Bay, whose Willy Street location is closed for renovation. The plan is ultimately to move the combined restaurants back to the 1353 Williamson site.

The Cider Farm tasting room on the west side closed Dec. 29 and is expected to open a new pub-style cidery and eatery in Verona in the spring, to be called Orchard.

And the Essen Haus and adjacent Come Back In, which closed briefly in late summer in expectation of redevelopment of the 500 block of Wilson Street, soon reopened in early fall due to setbacks with the building projects. While I am sure this uncertainty is keeping some folks up at night, those of us resistant to change were glad. Stay tuned.

More to love

Mishqui Peruvian, with one location on Monona Drive, opened a Middleton location in March. Waunakee’s The Lone Girl opened a second taproom in The Marling complex, where O’So previously had a taproom. The hand-made noodle eatery Taigu, in Middleton, opened a second location in the old Knoche’s Meat Market on Old Middleton Road; its original location on Elmside Boulevard will continue to be open for dinner takeout only. 

Vintage Brewing opened a fourth taproom in Cross Plains. Ancora opened its fourth location in a new apartment development on Monona Drive at Cottage Grove Road. (Java Cat, sited at that Monona Drive address pre-redevelopment, will remain permanently in what was for a while going to be its temporary home, a charming cottage at 4221 Lien Road near East Towne.) Forage Kitchen opened its fifth Madison-area outlet in the Prairie Lakes development of Sun Prairie.

Something borrowed, something new

Detroit-style pies arrived via Molten Monkey Pizza, which took over the former Sal’s outlet on East Johnson Street. University Avenue’s Duck Donuts offers customizable toppings on doughnuts. The west-side Mr. Brews at 610 Junction Road closed and is now home to the Peruvian-focused AmarPeru. Los Dos Cuates in Waunakee is one of two new Nicaraguan spots; the other, Cocina Nica, opened in late 2023 within Los Remedios bar on Moorland Road.

Les Delices De Awa spun off its West African food catering business with a brick-and-mortar in Schenk’s Corners. The Wedge, a pub featuring cheese boards, opened in the former One Barrel just down the block.

Apex Grill brought Korean barbecue to 422 State St. The Stuffed Olive, a martini and tapas mini-chain (there are three more locations, all in the Midwest), opened in a new development at 351 State St. (if you’re lost, this was once home to The Gap). It also includes a side venture, DoubleTap, a beer bar and arcade.

Sookie’s, a vegan burger spot on State Street, closed — it’s now the bubble tea shop Teamoji. But the vegan Mad Rabbit Cafe opened in the former La Kitchenette on Willy Street.

And the north side’s coolness factor continued to creep up when The Northside Lounge opened in a former commercial building next to Cafe La Bellitalia.

More farewells

Benvenuto’s-Fitchburg closed. Eno Vino-Waunakee closed. Downtown, the Food Fight burger joint DLUX and Rule No. One Hospitality Group’s takeout spot TodoFresco both closed. 

Brothers Three, which opened in the late 1970s in a former gas station on Fair Oaks Avenue and underwent major stylistic renovations under new ownership in the early 2020s, closed “temporarily,” then permanently. Owner Matthew Stebbins also closed two of his other restaurants, The Ready Set in Oregon, and Good Co. in Middleton, both of which opened in 2022.

Mind: blown

The building at 809 Williamson St. finally opened as a restaurant: Ama Kitchen. 

And a new restaurant is moving into the former Cosi sandwiches at 250 State, which has been vacant since 2010. (Lest you think this is a location of doom, let’s remember that back in the day, Stillwaters held down that corner for more than three decades.) Baked Wings is opening a second location there (the original is in Loves Park, Illinois). Although there’s no date set for opening, a mounted sign has finally appeared on the side of the building. n