Carolyn Fath
Housemade sammies from Fromagination.
Whether it's a new restaurant or a new chef, a new menu or a new location, we at Isthmus and TheDailyPage.com are on the beat. If you've been meaning to try out a new local kitchen, here's a rundown of some of our culinary explorations from the past 12 months.
Please note! With the growing number of restaurants sourcing ingredients locally and seasonally, favorite items from our initial review may no longer be on the menu.
Aldo's Cafe
330 Orchard St., Madison
In the sleek new Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery building on campus. Picks: ratatouille sandwich, Italian sub, from-scratch pastries.
- Ruth Young
453 W. Gilman St., Madison
Look beyond the externals, because Asian One has something going for it, serving Thai and Hmong food. Picks: stuffed angel chicken wing, larb salad, yellow mussamun curry.
- Linda Falkenstein
408 W. Gorham St., Madison
The three-story interior is topped by a rooftop terrace, and everything is light and airy. There are gleaming wood floors, a big open stairwell, a handsome bar and well-spaced chunky wood tables. The waitstaff, dressed down in black tees, is efficient and cheerful. Epic menu of beers on tap. Picks: signature Brickhouse ribs, brisket sandwich, Brickhouse burger.
- Raphael Kadushin
2810 E. Washington Ave., Madison
The walls are covered with old-timey photos and salvaged vintage doors and window frames, a step up from most chain burger stops. Picks: the Bona Fide burger, the veggie walnut burger.
- Linda Falkenstein
Capriotti's
610 Junction Rd and 902 Regent St., Madison
The subs are ponderously large, available in either a 9-, 12- or an impossibly huge 20-inch size. Picks: cheesesteak sub, eggplant Parmesan sub.
- Kyle Nabilcy
7005 Tree Lane, Madison
Three alums of Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill are behind this spot on the far west side. The Cilantro dining room is bright and casual, with plenty of space between tables and booths, and it features some of the most exciting Mexican cooking happening in Madison restaurants. Picks: plato de bocadillos, five classic Mexican appetizers; chicken enchiladas in black mole; tacos al pastor; caramel flan.
- Erin Hanusa
20 W. Mifflin St., Madison
This is a gastropub that speaks Irish with a Wisconsin accent. If you're lucky, you can sit in the snug, an enclosed booth that holds a small group and opens onto the bar for personal bar service. Most likely you will rub elbows with a noisy crowd, but the menu will draw even introverts back for more. Picks: the Reuben, with sauerkraut soaked in Lake Louie Scotch Ale; Brussels sprout salad; Guinness chocolate cake with Bailey's frosting; treacle tart.
- Erin Hanusa
45 S. Bassett St., Madison
This has the characteristics of a great little bistro for the locals. Slightly tucked away at the corner of West Main and South Bassett streets, it has a nice patio area for outdoor seating. The seasonal menu changes eight times per year. A selection of shareable plates stands in for the usual appetizers, and might also serve as main courses. The dessert menu shifts on a daily basis; all are made in-house and are plenty flavorful.
- Kyle Nabilcy
111 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Madison
Large and reliable, someplace that always has something to enjoy and where you can take a variety of companions, whether they're squirmy kids or picky relatives. Francesca's dinner menu changes biweekly. Picks: risotto alla pomodoro, penne alla Siciliana, quattro stagioni pizza.
- Erin Hanusa
108 King St., Madison
The dining room itself looks like the very model of a contemporary urban brasserie (hardwood floors, burgundy banquettes, whitewashed walls, open kitchen, supremely efficient waitstaff). Picks: beef strip loin with horseradish, bigeye tuna belly and foie gras terrine.
- Raphael Kadushin
12 S. Carroll St., Madison
This artisanal cheese shop on the Square sells a thoughtful range of Wisconsin cheeses and prepared takeout sandwiches. Picks: the salami and Wisconsin provolone, the Nueske's smoked turkey breast on walnut bread with cranberry relish and Camembert. Sandwich menu changes seasonally.
- Raphael Kadushin
11. N. Allen St., Madison
A hidden gem of a coffee shop; its homey interior is the perfect place to peace out for couple of hours. The sunny, warmly painted interior and the array of professors glued to their laptops make it a cheery place to enjoy a cuppa. Picks: Cha-Cha teas, Viamo coffee, the Ben Franklin and g'Bonzo sandwiches.
- Ruth Young
1 S. Pinckney St., Madison
With its playful menu, bold look and extensive local sourcing at a lower price point, Graze promised new food horizons for Madison. Under the aegis of "comfort food," chef Tory Miller cherry-picked an eclectic bunch of cuisines to create a wide-ranging menu. Picks: the Graze and pub burgers, Nutella-stuffed french toast, rainbow trout, apple pie.
- Erin Hanusa
1022 W. Johnson St., Madison
Busy campus cafe. Picks: Kickapoo coffee, spinach and fresh mozzarella sandwich from La Brioche, Cupcakes-a-Go-Go.
- Ruth Young
102 King St., Madison
Co-owners Patrick O'Halloran and Michael Banas helm Madison favorite Lombardino's, and O'Halloran was a partner in the Old Fashioned, among other ventures; chef Bob Kulow was lately of the Cabana Room. Skip the dark front room in favor of the warm and welcoming bar. Picks: duck fat potato cake, Mane nachos, torta sandwich.
- Erin Hanusa
4604 Monona Dr., Madison
The dining room is pleasant and up-to-date, like a Chinese restaurant as envisioned by the West Elm catalog. The large menu is divided into three main sections: American Chinese restaurant standards, an eight-item Thai area and a 25-item Vietnamese column. Picks: papaya salad, pad Thai.
- Linda Falkenstein
Madison Sourdough Company Bakery & Coffee Shop
916 Williamson St., Madison
Fans will be happy to know that not much has changed in the bakery's new iteration, except that there's more to love. Madison Sourdough is now a cafe as well as a bakery, serving breakfast and lunch seven days a week. The café comprises two rooms, one tall-ceilinged, bright and airy, one smaller, quiet and tucked away. The front room has the bakery counter, where rows of glistening peach and blueberry danish, slices of rhubarb pie and golden spheres of brioche compete for one's attention. Picks: scrambles; goat cheese, apple-smoked bacon and fig marmalade sandwich on five-grain sourdough; chicken salad sandwich.
- Erin Hanusa
121 S. Pinckney St., Madison
A surprisingly intimate series of discrete spaces, with the open kitchen in the back, and a long bar running along the Doty Street side of the room that serves an impressive list of designer cocktails and wines. Picks: pork belly, egg and lentils; seafood stew.
- Raphael Kadushin
111 S. Hamilton St., Madison
A restaurant that is elegant, mature and not afraid of intimacy. Gentle muted blue walls and amber glass everywhere give the place warmth and sophistication. Seasonal and regional ingredients are all over the menu, and chefs Timothy and Elizabeth Dahl make their own bread, gelato, charcuterie and more. Picks: charcuterie plate, lamb ragu, and among desserts the copetta and sorbetto.
- Erin Hanusa
626 S. Park St., Madison
The standard menu is the typical sprawling kind, with numbered items into the 200s. Orient House also has a secret menu - except that it isn't a secret. Picks: scallion pork, whole fish, small fish with chili and spicy salt.
- Kyle Nabilcy
1112 N. Bristol St., Sun Prairie
Chef Todd Dukes of Exceptional Catering runs his mostly takeout shop with confidence. Grilling paraphernalia and Porktropolis-branded accessories line the shelves, but the barbecue is the main event. Picks: "Knuckle Sandwich" with chipotle horseradish; pulled pork sandwich creamy smoked tomato soup.
- Kyle Nabilcy
2685 Research Park Dr., Fitchburg
The decor at this satellite location is mod and bright, enhanced by a rustic hardwood floor. The menu is the same as at other Roman Candle locations, with the addition of sandwiches. Picks: Italian beef sandwich, house salad, the "Pestoral" pizza.
- Linda Falkenstein
1262 John Q Hammons Dr., Madison
There's a definite German vibe to the space: Low arches of dark brick give the decor a close, vaguely Old World feeling. Picks: sauerbraten, vegetarian "club" sandwich, asparagus with pesto pizza.
- Kyle Nabilcy
430 State St., Madison
Taste of Tibet promises an honest portrayal of Tibetan cuisine. Taste of Tibet's comfortably modest interior is mirrored by an appropriately restrained menu. Soups, salads, noodle dishes and dumplings represent a cuisine that's neither Chinese nor Indian. Picks: tsel pakora; tsel gyathuk, a noodle/soup hybrid with mixed vegetables and tofu; gutse drilthuk, a bowl of beef, rich broth and daikon; banana lassi.
- Kyle Nabilcy
2701 University Ave., Madison
The dining room is a playful riot of color, from the purple and turquoise banquettes to walls splashed with a crayon-box worth of hues. The service, famously friendly, is as down-home cheerful as ever, and the playlist still features Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash singing their sad dirges. Picks: three tacos platter with fish, blackened tilapia, fried catfish, blackened salmon BLT, Texas paella.
- Raphael Kadushin
127 E. Mifflin St., Madison
The Underground Kitchen is the first restaurant to open in Madison in a long time that feels like an immediate, unqualified success. The dining room is a study in organic high style, from the long cherry wood bar to the gleaming hickory floors and the chunky wood tables, some of them long and communal. The kitchen turns out smart, playful, locally sourced food at gentle prices, without being too purist or dogmatic about it. Picks: meat board, Brussels sprout hash, potato gnocchi.
- Raphael Kadushin
494 Commerce Dr., Madison
Yola's might be easy to miss if you don't live in the immediate neighborhood, but it's just a three-minute drive from West Towne Mall. It's a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere with free Wireless internet; ample outlets make the café a good option for an afternoon of business or studying. Picks: baked oatmeal, malted waffles.
- Ruth Young
