Linda Falkenstein
The La Taguara outpost at the Cardinal Bar closed on Oct. 13.
It appears that novel spaces do not always work out so well for Madison micro-restaurants.
La Taguara, which took over the Cardinal Bar window service space pioneered by Cortadito Express, has now closed, as of Oct. 13.
Owner Jeykell Badell says he is hopeful that the Wilson Street outpost of the original La Taguara (which remains open at 3502 E. Washington Ave.), might reopen next summer. "Business really dropped off after Labor Day," says Badell, leaving him to wonder "What would it be like in January or February? If we could do something seasonal, that would be awesome."
And Joe's Kitchen, which opened this spring operating out of the rear counter of the Viet Hoa Market at 4602 Monona Dr., has closed at that location as of September; chef/owner Joe Chan had hoped to move to a different location fairly quickly with a "brand new menu filled with dim sum and more traditional dishes," according to the Joe's Kitchen Facebook page, but recently had an alternate location fall through. Chan is still looking for new space.
The east side has seen other changeups.
The Pan & Pan Mexican bakery has left its location at 3737 Milwaukee St., which it shared with El Poblano Mexican restaurant, and moved to the former Mercadito Madison storefront at 3559 E. Washington Ave. The mercadito was also home to La Nena taqueria and accompanying drink counter Fruteria Ali; they all closed in March.
Mercadito Madison owner Alicia Navarrete says that she had to choose between the food business and Wisconsin Financial Services, her other business, due to time constraints, and that her heart was "really with Wisconsin Financial." She took the opportunity to sell the grocery to Pan & Pan is "trying to give them advice and help them grow." Pan & Pan's food menu may expand. Navarrete has, however, retained the names -- and recipes -- for La Nena and Fruteria Ali, and doesn't rule out reopening them sometime, although she also stresses there is no actual plan to do so. (A Yelp page for La Nena that states that it will reopen Nov. 6, 2014, is apparently erroneous.)
Don Pepe, the Mexican grocery that took over the former La Zacatecana Mexican and Salvadoran grocery and restaurant at 4915 Commercial Ave. on the far east side earlier this year, has closed and the space is now a laundry.
