Candice Wagener
Classic toppings finish a bowl of red from Mid Town Pub.
Chili is often hidden under “soup” in a corner of a restaurant’s menu. But I’ve always believed it deserves higher status.
I love that chili’s origin story includes early female entrepreneurs, the “chili queens” of San Antonio, who set up marketplace stands and introduced Texans to their fiery bowls of goodness in the 1880s. Chili would go on to be an instant hit at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago and become a cheap and filling meal that got many through the Great Depression.
Chili is incredibly versatile, with red, white, green and Cincinnati versions. In Madison, however, you have to look pretty diligently to get beyond red. I wish there were a little more diversity in chili in this town. But there are a few spots that nail the chili game for those times when we’re out and about, or just don’t feel like cooking.
If you like a meaty, rich, but mild chili, then Mickey’s Tavern, 1524 Williamson St., is your place. A bowl of Mickey’s “Famous Chili” comes brimming with big chunks of steak and tomato and kidney beans. The broth is highly seasoned with cumin. It comes topped with cheese and sour cream, as it should be, and will fill you up for lunch ($5 cup/$7 bowl). Good to know: Mickey’s also serves chili cheese fries topped with its famous chili.
Candice Wagener
Dotty’s chili is almost as legendary as its burgers.
Mickey’s is also one of the few places making the New Mexican version of chili, chili verde. Here it’s called green chile pork, served as a full bowl. There’s plenty of tender, shredded pork, simmered in a lively broth of tomatillos, cumin and cilantro.Topped with lots of oozy pepper jack and fresh jalapeños and served with a side of grilled flour tortillas, this will definitely fill you up ($9/bowl). If you’re planning on dining at Mickey’s, make sure you have cash because the place doesn’t accept credit cards.
In Middleton, there’s worthy chili at the Mid Town Pub, 2405 Allen Blvd. This tavern prides itself on its chili — it’s even pictured on the cover of its menu. It’s made in-house, and the recipe is secret. My analysis found tender shredded beef, a mix of red and pinto beans, diced tomato and green pepper, and a very rich broth with just a hint of heat ($4 cup/$6 bowl). Adding cheddar, crumbled blue cheese, diced onion and sour cream are all options, all with an additional charge.
If you’re a spice junkie like me, you will enjoy the “Award-Winning Spicy Hot Chili” at Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry, 317 N. Frances St. Yes, the burgers are excellent, but they have some competition from the chili ($4 cup/$6 bowl). What’s the secret? Maybe it’s the fact that it includes three meats: beef tips, pork tenderloin and bacon, which (as you might expect) come together beautifully. Maybe it’s the combination of large chunks of jalapeño and rings of banana peppers, which keep the heat building. Maybe it’s the little things, like that the large pieces of tomato appear to be broken up with a wooden spoon, just like I would do at home. Maybe it’s the special touch of a large round of melted cheddar covering the top. Whatever it is, this is a chili not to miss.
Rely on two places for vegan chili. Monty’s Blue Plate Diner, 2089 Atwood Ave., makes chili that’s literally a melting pot — celery, carrots, onions, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms and green peppers join kidney, garbanzo and pinto beans ($8/bowl).
The Green Owl Cafe, 1970 Atwood Ave., not only ladles up a delicious vegan chili ($5 cup/$6 bowl), it has vegan sides like Daiya cheese and a “crema” (made from tofu) that doesn’t taste all that different from regular sour cream. What I love about this particular chili is the addition of hominy, an often neglected ingredient that adds rich texture and a nice chewiness. There was also corn, diced carrot and green pepper, black beans, and strips of jalapeño. The chili is brothy — more like a soup than a stew.
Yes, chili is a pretty simple recipe to perfect at home, but it does take plenty of prep time and hours of cooking to really do it right. Next time you have the immediate hankering for a cup of chili, you know where to go.
