Lara Kastner
Camp Trippalindee perfects summer camp cuisine with loaded hot dogs, bratwurst and cheese curds.
The search for newer and ever more novel dining experiences in the Mad City continues — we found everything from Filipino ceviche to boiled seafood in a plastic bag. This is our recap of where Isthmus reviewers have been eating and drinking since the publication of our last Dining special section. With the growing emphasis on seasonal menus, not every dish mentioned may be available at all times. Reviews are by Allison Geyer, Amelia Cook Fontella, Candice Wagener, Kyle Nabilcy, Linda Falkenstein, Robin Shepard and Steven Potter.
Ancora Coffee (University Avenue)
A thoughtful breakfast/brunch menu is served until 3 p.m. The irresistible Harvest Bowl features quinoa, roasted sweet potato and cannellini beans, topped with a sunny-side-up egg and crispy pumpkin seeds. Fluffy buttermilk pancakes, espresso-battered french toast and breakfast potatoes are not to be skipped. — L.F.
This beer-centric bistro rolls up its garage door walls in good weather and spills out onto a sidewalk cafe. An extensive offering of California tap beers is the star, along with local brews. Menu items that match the “Left Coast” beer list, like the seared tuna appetizer, are a good place to start. — L.F.
This bar-and-taco hot spot is hottest on Taco Tuesday and Thursday, when select varieties are $2 each, along with Mexican beers. Get three tacos or tamales and they throw in beans and rice — quite a deal. The vegetarian port queso wins top honors, but the Korean-influenced ninja pig and the baja tilapia are also good options. — L.F.
Sharony Vanorny
Black Locust
Strong brews and breakfast are served until 3 p.m. with egg dishes, grain bowls, fancy toasts, and sweet and savory crepes. Flawless Anson Mills grits and crepe sandwiches called bings are good picks. — A.G.
Bloom Bake Shop (Monroe Street)
The new location is a great fit with the neighborhood. Sweet treats vie with savory biscuits for favored status. Baker Annemarie Maitri knows her way around gluten-free and vegan baked goods, too. — L.F.
Classic Mexican cuisine, with some American and Tex-Mex thrown in. Almost everything is made in-house, from fresh salsas to the guacamole prepared tableside by a “guacamolier.” — A.G.
The focus is on fresh ingredients, with a dozen sandwiches, 10 salads, 10 soups and three protein bowls. Try the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich, the Wisconsin cauliflower soup, or the “Nuts About Berries” salad. — C.W.
Outdoor rooftop seating is clustered around three gas-fueled fire bowls. Grab a skewer and roast a s’more. A Big Mac-esque cheeseburger and a spicy chicken sandwich with kimchi are better than anything you ever ate at camp. — K.N.
Chris Hynes
Canteen
The menu stakes out a street food vibe with small tacos, fried bites and dishes that speak to simple comfort, like chilaquiles and elote-style corn. The pork belly taco filling, the Frisbee-sized tortas, and the duritos — crunchy medallions of flour tortilla dusted with zingy tajin seasoning — are all good. — K.N.
Casetta focuses on breakfast and lunch with coffee from Ruby Roasters. Lunchtime is when Casetta really shines. Six signature deli-style sandwiches join daily specials, or diners can build their own. — A.G.
The menu contains a slender American-style Chinese section that’s barely worth the time it takes to read. The good stuff’s everywhere else. Dive in. Sautéed string bean, cumin lamb, house special steamed whole fish — the kitchen shows confidence with sauces and spicy dishes. — K.N.
Chocolaterian (Middleton)
While the name implies chocolate is the focus, several non-chocolate offerings contend for favorite treat. Tarts, Parisian hot chocolate, pastries, crepes and a savory menu that includes quiche, cassoulet and daily soups. — C.W.
This is some of the best Indian food in Madison. Chutney’s specializes in South Indian cuisine, which means lots of rice, dosas and stews flavored with abundant spices. Northern staples like curries, naan and kebabs are also well-represented. — A.G.
Eno Vino (downtown)
Wine bar on the top floor of the AC Hotel has some of the best views in Madison. Similar small plates as the west side location — tapas, bruschettas, flatbread pizzas, soups, salads. The kitchen also does a nice version of the increasingly popular poke bowl. — A.G.
The menu — not strictly Spanish-style tapas — has a nice variety among small and large plates, along with soups and salads. Twists include Manchego brûlée, prosciutto-wrapped shrimp and tuna tartare on wonton crisps. — C.W.
Latin-inspired steaks, tapas and vegan food. The vegan menu is full of options like cauliflower steak, a baked nut cheese and a vegan torre. Steaks are good, too. And the menu — including an extensive brunch — is huge. — A.C.F.
Laura Zastrow
Gloria's
A larger number of vegetarian options than is often found at Mexican restaurants, including enchiladas de mole and an ensalada de nopales. Head to Gloria’s on the weekend for the pambazo, a chorizo and potato torta dipped in a guajillo pepper sauce that’s a specialty of the house. — C.W.
The menu, much of it locally sourced, is made up mostly of salads, zoodles (zucchini “noodles”) and gluten-free flatbread pizzas. Six salads can be served as lettuce leaf “tacos,” as a traditional salad, or wrapped in a low-carb whole-wheat tortilla. A favorite is the Fajitas from Albuquerque, with grilled bell peppers and onions, fresh avocado and choice of chicken or tofu; also good is the Zoodles Bolognese. — A.C.F.
Focused menu of four small plates, seven larger entrees, and two desserts. Each dish is a universe unto itself, drawing inspiration and ingredients from all over the place. The offerings are familiar enough — lamb, steak, chicken, vegetables — but the flavors and preparations are bold and inventive. — A.G.
Part market, part counter-service eatery, La Nopalera is nothing fancy — inside or out. Unusual in this taco-happy year, there are no tacos here. Instead, the menu focuses on Mexican sandwiches, fresh fruit creations and sweet yogurts. Highlights include the sincronizada, similar to a quesadilla, and spicy elote — C.W.
Ryan Wisniewski
Longtable Beer Cafe
The second restaurant from Brasserie V owner Matt Van Nest features some 300 bottled beer choices in a vast cooler, good boards (sausage, fish) and savory snacks. — K.N.
Keith Symonds has taken over the brewery at Lucky’s 1313, where there are four to five in-house beers. The atmosphere is “sports bar,” with two dozen tap beers, from national macros to Wisconsin micros, high ceilings and a TV screen visible from nearly every conceivable vantage point. — R.S.
There are several types of crab on the menu, but the restaurant also offers lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams and crawfish. The shellfish are boiled and served by the pound in a plastic bag with choice of sauce — Cajun, garlic butter, lemon pepper or all three combined. Diners specify the heat level and can also add corn on the cob, potatoes or sausages to their bag for $2 extra. — A.G.
The bar features taps from a different local brewery each month, and small plates of elevated bar food — duck confit tacos, lamb sliders, poutine. — A.G.
Merchant already feels like an elder statesman on the block, even though it opened in 2010. The cocktail list is a great draw. But since chef-on-the-rise Evan Dannells came on board in 2015, the kitchen is also a true success. From the menu, gnudi are rich and decadent. Or try the classic burger, the bone-in beef short rib or the salmon. — K.N.
Laura Zastrow
Mint Mark
Breakfasts are homey (housemade biscuits, outstanding). The dinner menu shifts with alacrity but get ready for richness throughout. Past hits have included shrimp and grits, potato pierogi, mushroom and gnocchi, a Friday bluegill fish fry and gooey skillet chocolate chip cookie for dessert. — K.N.
The design-your-own, personal-size pizza reaches its zenith at this chain that features a creditable crust with a bit of a chew, and fun drizzle finishes like balsamic fig glaze. — L.F.
The chalkboard menu lists standard breakfast and lunch fare: pastries, breakfast tacos, and sandwiches. Look for the special dishes, especially on weekends, mostly traditional food from Honduras, including pupusas. — A.C.F.
Crimson Sun Studios
Muramoto
Muramoto (downtown)
Shinji Muramoto’s flagship restaurant moved to the former 43 North space this year, which signaled some shake-ups in the menu. Sushi remains at the heart, but now there’s poke du jour, fried chicken with curry salt and more. — A.G.
This ode to Middle Eastern Jewish cuisine from Laila Borokhim has a small but ever-changing menu. Should you see shakshuka (an unexpected tangy mushroom version) or flatbread-style open-faced sandwiches made with malawach, order them. Other options include dumpling soups and macaroons. — C.W.
Ogden’s is cozy, it’s friendly, and it’s for the neighborhood. Breakfasts, served all day, are key; get a slice of meatloaf as your side meat of choice. Try the Denver omelet or the lox and cream cheese scramble. At the front counter, there’s nothing better than a cup of coffee and an individually portioned muffin-shaped pie. — K.N.
The familiar Atwood neighborhood dive bar started serving food, and not just any bar food — delicious, creative tacos; perfect, velvety-smooth tamales; tasty little bowls of freshly roasted Mexican street corn. It’s a dream bar menu, and everything costs $4. Oh, and there are palomas (a hip and refreshing alternative to margaritas) on tap. Maybe there’s hope for this world, after all. — A.G.
If you don’t see what you like on the menu, wait a day; the menu changes often. Osteria Papavero continues to produce excellent rustic Italian fare. And the budino di caramello is still amazing. —K.N.
This unique operation splits the difference between a deli and DIY. It offers subscription meal kits and prepared foods, Wednesday night dinners and lunches. And it’s committed to sourcing locally. A Wednesday night take-out meal of mustard-braised chicken on a bed of garlicky mashed potatoes with roasted broccoli did just about everything right. — C.W.
Saints Madison Juice Co.
Nine cold pressed juices and a handful of nut mylks are made fresh on-site. Veggies and some fruits are the heart of the Radiant Greens and Serenity Now, while the Superblue has cashew, dates and cinnamon. The Hot Sh!t shot rounds out the menu. — S.P.
Sumo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi
The hibachi dinners are interactive, theatrical and unapologetically campy — and also the most successful offering here. Sushi and sashimi are pretty good, and reasonably priced, but the 14 flat-top grills are where it’s at. — A.G.
The menu is vegetarian, often vegan, gluten-free and without processed sugar. The cafe is serene, as you might expect, and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Smoothies, fresh-pressed juices, “The Abundance Bowl,” zucchini noodle alfredo and the raw cheesecake are standouts. — C.W.
The menu is divided into nibbles, little eats and big bites, all focused on Taiwanese street eats. One cornerstone is the tea egg, a hard-boiled egg soaked in tea and soy, deliciously salty and with notes of five spice powder. Bento bowls feature popcorn chicken, braised pork and more. The Taiwanese milk tea, with bubble selections, is outstanding. — L.F.
The dining room is decorated simply with natural elements; there are warm wood touches throughout, plus cozy seating, and live music on weekends. There are inventive appetizers and salads, a good 12-oz. New York strip steak and a signature Gooey Louie burger. But desserts are where the restaurant really excels — definitely experience the house-made churros. — C.W.
Friendly soup, sandwich and salad spot; ask for soup samples at the counter. The staff will practically demand you try a few, so don’t feel guilty about experimenting — start with the chicken tortilla or the North Indian lentil. — L.F.
