It’s happening

People are sitting down and eating at restaurants again

by

"People are sitting down and eating at restaurants again." That’s a sentence that three months ago I would not have predicted I would be typing.

And I definitely would not have predicted that the very idea of walking into a restaurant, sitting down, and eating there would feel novel. Even edgy!

However, the edginess is being kept to a minimum as Madison-area restaurants are reopening slowly, cautiously, and with somewhat differing safety procedures. Per phase one of the Forward Dane plan for reopening businesses, indoor dining must be kept to 25% occupancy and tables are limited to six people who live in the same household. These tables must be placed six feet apart. All buffets and salad bars are out — self-serve anything is forbidden, even leaving ketchup and mustard on the table.

It will be impossible to keep track of exactly what each restaurant is doing, and procedures will doubtless evolve as restaurants see what works best for them. Here’s how in-house dining is looking at some local eateries in this, the year of COVID-19.

The Great Dane Pub and Brewery is reopening all its Madison locations for in-house dining. Hilldale, Fitchburg and the east side location on Jupiter Drive opened June 8; downtown will open June 10.

Face masks must be worn (those who don’t bring their own can purchase one for $1 at the host stand) whenever diners are not at their table; all Great Dane employees will be masked. Distancing in the bar area will be enforced. There will be indoor and outdoor dining; reservations are encouraged but not required. The Great Dane is limiting table dining stays to an hour and a half. Hand sanitizer will be on each table. Menus are single-use and a digital menu can be used from your phone to order; the limited menu the Dane has been offering for takeout will expand somewhat, but the full menu is not back.

La Brioche True Food is also requiring both servers and customers inside the restaurant to wear face masks. However, La Brioche is seating diners outside only right now, in several patio spaces in front and at the side of the building. (Customers can enter the premises to pick up coffee, bakery, or other takeout.) 

Cafe Hollander at Hilldale is back, with indoor and outdoor dining. Tables outdoors are spaced six feet apart and indoors will operate at 25% occupancy. Menus are paper and single-use. Staff wear face masks.

Quivey’s Grove has returned with both indoor and outdoor dining. Dining-in is by reservation only and the staff requests that diners do not arrive before their time slot as there is not enough space to have folks wait. (This is a new procedure at Quivey’s, after a trial run last week of no reservations, all first come, first served. So these rules of thumb do change.) Friday is fish fry-only and limited to a 75 minute stay.

Forage Kitchen at Hilldale and in Monona are now open at 25% occupancy, but continue to push takeout and delivery.

Many Food Fight restaurants are returning to in-house service this week, with dining by reservation only. Open for some sit-down dining are the Avenue Club, Bassett Street Brunch Club (patio seating only), Canteen (patio seating only), Cento, Craftsman Table & Tap, DLUX, Everly, Hubbard Avenue Diner, Luigi's Pizza, Market Street Diner and Monty's Blue Plate. 

The Coopers Tavern, Johnny Delmonico's and Eldorado Grill will reopen later this week, according to a Food Fight press release.

Not open for in-house occupancy yet, but changes afoot:

The Robin Room is selling takeout cocktail kits and slushies Friday through Sunday. (3-7 p.m. Fri.-Sat., noon-7 p.m. Sun.). Preorders are available. In mid-June, however, the tight-quartered Robin Room will move to its new sister bar, the Muskellounge and Sporting Club, 4102 Monona Drive, that has a much larger space with a patio area and garage doors in the front, offering better opportunities for social distancing. The Robin Room’s residency there is described in an email as “an indefinite pop-up.” 

Casetta Kitchen and Counter has reopened after being closed since March 17. Lunch is now takeout only (11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri.) with a slightly altered menu. All orders need to be placed online. Each order will specify a pickup time and orders will be placed at the front entrance; parking stalls on West Washington in front of the building are reserved for those picking up orders.

New oak

The Venue on Winnebago Street finally has a new name: The Bur Oak. The Bur Oak will open at 25% capacity on June 19 for Thursdays through Saturdays only, through June. Food is back, but not the old menu — now there will be Fraboni’s pizza, El Sabor de Puebla tamales, and Babcock Hall ice cream. The Bur Oak will be using the Noble app for contactless ordering and tipping to help with distancing and to avoid lines at the bar. The Bur Oak will be open to community gatherings for free on Social Justice Mondays “throughout the remainder of 2020 to give groups a space to gather, organize and discuss issues of social justice, ” writes co-owner Jake DeHaven in a press release. “Organizations, community groups, school groups and any individuals devoted to social justice in need of a space to gather or wanting to hold a benefit event should contact the venue at events@TheBurOakMadison.com to reserve a date.” 

Cancelled: Taste of Madison

Closed: Common Ground, Vientiane Palace, El Poblano, Stoughton Cinema Cafe, Captain Bill’s.