You never know when a new eatery will rescue a hard-luck spot (the Great Dane on Jupiter Drive and the Coopers Tavern on the Square, for instance). The short-lived Limon, at 317 N. Bassett (formerly home to the Copper Gable Cafe), has given way to JD's, a brick-and-mortar version of the well-known late-night food cart at State and Broom. Owner James Davis had been looking for a spot near the UW campus for some time, and in his eyes, this is a perfect site.
The large menu mounted on the wall features the cart's greatest hits, like the steak burger (termed "the best burger experience I've had since Minetta Tavern's $26 Black Label Burger in New York" by Isthmus food writer André Darlington), chicken sandwich, catfish, wings and Polish sausage. New items include corned beef and grilled cheese. Weekends, says Davis, the menu expands to include entrees like spaghetti, short ribs, pot roast, meatloaf and more "soul food." Hours are 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday- Wednesday and 10:30 a.m.-4 a.m. Thursday-Saturday. The late-night cart will also continue to serve.
At West High on Saturday, Feb. 4, Souper Bowl XVI, a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Dinner comes with a handmade ceramic bowl to take home. Soup, salad, bread, dessert and the bowl cost $15; $35 is the meal-deal for a family of four (two bowls, four meals).
"We try to have six to eight soup choices available at all times, with a mix of vegetarian and meat soups," says Habitat volunteer manager Megan Kenney. Making and donating soup are Culver's, the Fluno Center, Liliana's, Longhorn Steakhouse, Monona Catering, Noodles & Co., Olive Garden, Potbelly, Wall Street Bistro of Mazomanie, and Ironworks Cafe. Marigold Kitchen and Cheeseburger in Paradise are providing salad; breads are from Nature's Bakery, Tutto Pasta, Madison Sourdough, Colonial Bakery, Einstein Bros. and Silly Yak (gluten-free). Desserts are by community volunteers and Hubbard Street Diner.
"The first hour is always very busy," says Kenney, noting that this year West will be extra busy because of a wrestling tournament. To ease parking, a shuttle bus will run from UW Lot 60. Kenney says there's usually a steady stream of people until 7 p.m., but "the line moves quickly." For more info call 608-255-1549.
A Dickey's Barbecue Pit will be opening in the East Towne area at 4833 Annamark Dr., near Texas Roadhouse. Dickey's, a chain with locations across the country and two more in Wisconsin (Eau Claire and Green Bay), hails originally from Dallas, where it was started by Travis Dickey in 1941. The Madison franchise is run by Steve Dibble and Clint and Nick Ziegler.
Dickey's serves beef brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs, Virginia ham, turkey and chicken breast, Polish sausage and spicy cheddar sausage, as plates, sandwiches and in stuffed baked potatoes; a few salads round out the menu.
