The Green Forest Family Restaurant seems like it has been around a long time.  Located near the intersection of E. Broadway and Highway 51, it was housed in a truckstop-like setting for years.

It has recently moved next door into the building that used to house David’s, Noble’s Supper Club, Water Tower Pub, and any number of other places that couldn’t make a go of the very small, dark and rundown place.  But the place is no longer very small, dark and rundown.

The Green Forest Family Restaurant essentially tore the entire place down and rebuilt it into a sunny, roomy and clean new diner before moving from their old location and into the new address.  We can vaguely recall being in the old truckstop years ago, but it made little impression.  The new digs are impressive, however, if you are looking for an inexpensive diner to sit down and have a hearty breakfast before heading out to start your day (though they serve breakfast all day long).

On this morning we ordered the Meat Lover’s Skillet ($7.29), which came with onions, peppers, ham, bacon and sausage.  You can add two eggs for an additional charge.  We also ordered the Denver Omelet ($6.79).  Both came with a side of toast.  The food arrived quickly and was what one would expect from a diner such as this.  The coffee was filled often, as well.

This restaurant caters to an older clientele, offering reasonably priced breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings, and a senior menu to boot.  The place gets crowded on weekend mornings, and for good reason.  In terms of comfort, food and southeast-side convenience, you don’t get much better than this diner.

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Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery
2827 Atwood Ave
Madison, WI
608-241-2200

Hours:
Cafe Menu: Monday to Friday, 7am to 2pm; Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 3pm
Espresso & Cupcakes: Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 5pm

Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery has opened doors on Atwood Avenue, on Madison’s east side.  Located in the building that used to house Bunky’s Cafe (which has reopened in the former Goodman Community Center a couple of blocks away), it is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Part bakery, part coffeehouse, part cafe, Daisy Cafe fits right in.

As the name suggests, the forte here is cupcakes.  And the cupcakes are great.  But they are not as good as the scones, which have to be some of the best scones offered in the city.  These scones are have the prefect texture, with just a hit of sweetness hidden in with the fruit and nuts.  The subtle icing adds to the taste experience.  Flavors include combinations like dried cranberry and walnut, and raspberry.

But if you go to Daisy for only the bakery, you are missing the interesting and very good menu that they’ve put together to serve to diners for breakfast/brunch and lunch. Stratas are their specialty, and they do their version of this egg casserole very, very well.  We sampled the Chorizo and Pepper Jack Strata, which also contained green onions and red peppers.  A strata is a welcome change from your typical omelet, though if you have a breakfast purist amongst you, they serve omelets as well.

We also tried the Egg Sandwich.  This sandwich had cream cheese, bacon, purple onion and cilantro on grilled rosemary bread.  The bread was high quality, very good bread that stood up to the test of having breakfast ingredients piled between the slices.

Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery also serves lunch items daily.  Meatloaf is their specialty for lunch, and they serve up a plethora of options.  Ground Beef and Bacon, Turkey/Feta/Pesto, Chorizo, and a No-Meat Loaf can be ordered as an entree or as a sandwich.

Other sandwiches available include a pork loin sandwich with pineapple, a grilled Chicken and Onion Chutney sandwich, a “Sloppy Jose” made with Chorizo, and various burgers.

Don’t forget to take a cupcake home.  They take a lot of care in the packaging of their cupcakes, placing them in appropriately outfitted boxes.  Cupcake are iced with butter cream, and include apple with cinnamon cream cheese, banana with chocolate, banana with lemon, carrot with cream cheese, chocolate with blueberry, chocolate with chocolate, chocolate with mocha, lemon with blueberry, lemon with raspberry, lemon with strawberry, vanilla with blueberry, vanilla with chocolate,vanilla with lemon, vanilla with mocha and vanilla with strawberry.

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Mad Diners voted for a long standing tradition this year in the Best Breakfast Award.  Who could watch a national Badger football broadcast without seeing this place showcased across the country?  And the winner is…

First Place: Mickey’s Dairy Bar

Second Place: Monty’s Blue Plate Diner

Third Place: The Original Pancake House

See all of the 2008 Mad Diner Awards here!

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One recent Sunday morning we stumbled our way out the door, searching for an eye-opening breakfast.  One of our semi-regular stops is the Come Back In, located in the same building complex as Essen Haus.  These two restaurants share an owner, a parking lot, a wall, and an outdoor seating area.  The allure of  this establishment is not really the food or the service.  Instead, we head to the Come Back In when we want to order a nice tap beer with our eggs without being stared at in astonishment.  This restaurant not only condones this, but it encourages it with special prices for beer at breakfast.  I love Wisconsin!

So imagine our surprise when, on our recent trip, the server didn’t really want to talk to us about the beers on tap.  When questioned about the latest beers available (they rotate seasonally and often at the Essen Haus and the Come Back In),  the server informed us that they had Spaten and Spotted Cow.  A gap of silence then filled the air as we waited for the rest of the selections.  We broke the silence first, asking, “….and?”

The server looked at us with obvious exasperation and told us, “We’re pretty busy right now, ya know?”

Surprised, I looked around the outdoor deck.  Yes, there were other tables.  But busy?  And so I pressed on.

MDOL: So, you only have Spaten and Spotted Cow?
Server: We have those, yes.
MDOL: But you have other beers as well?
Server: Yeah.
<Deafening Silence>
MDOL:  Could you tell us what other beers you have on tap now?
Server:  We have a beer menu somewhere…
<Deafening Silence>
MDOL: Could we get one?
Server: (Sighing in exasperation) I guess, if there’s one close by.  We’re pretty busy.  Ya know?

The menu was brought to us, eventually.  It was little help, as it was very generic and referenced seasonal beers, but it didn’t go into detail.  Rather than bothering our server, I headed into the bar to examine the taps.  The bartender was very helpful.

Bartender: Can I get you something?
MDOL:  I’m interested in your seasonals.  Do you have an Oktoberfest?
Bartender:  Yup.  How’s Capital for you?
MDOL:  Perfect, I’ll take two.
Bartender:  Can I have your server bring it out to you?
MDOL: Oh, no, she’s far too busy for that.
Bartender: (snorting)…. Yeah, I hear that from her all the time.

And so, set with the beer that I carried back out to the table, we settled in to our scrambler, our eggs with walleye, and our Capital Oktoberfest.  As we dined, we were entertained by another server, fighing with a young man who appeared to be her boyfriend, a different server arguing with a coworker about bussing the tables, and someone who seemed to be filling the role of hostess, standing around watching it all.  However, we were not entertained by our server, as she disappeared for the remainder of the meal.  We eventually reached the point where the melodrama swirling around us was amusing.

I would go into more detail about the food but… it was unremarkable.  Instead, I’ll end this by saying that it is pleasant to sit outside in the morning and have breakfast.  It’s also nice to sip a beer with your eggs.  But don’t go to the Come Back In with high expectations about the food or the service.  And take your sense of humor.  It will help you get through the experience.

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