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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A Saturday morning trek around the Dane County Farmers Market on the Square is simply not complete without a stop at any one of the numerous establishments that offer up brunch.  Our routine is to arrive early at the Farmers Market,  grab some coffee, jaunt around the square, and settle in for more coffee and a very early brunch by 7:3o AM.  One of our favorite stops has turned into the Marigold Kitchen on Pinckney Street.

 Even by 7:30 AM, Marigold Kitchen is buzzing with activity.  You more than likely will need to have patience if your desire is to sit outside at a sidewalk table (and that should be your desire!)  There is a reason that the crowds gather here.  The food is terrific.  One orders their menu choices inside at the counter, then settles in at a table and waits for the meal to be served.

The choices at Marigold Kitchen are upscale, eclectic, and yet very reasonably priced.  Eggs and bacon run around $5.95, with omelettes coming in at $7.95.  On a recent morning we ordered the Breakfast Sandwich ($5.95) and the Salmon, Dill and Cream Cheese Omelette ($$7.95).  Photos can be seen below. (Mouse over the images to navigate!)

The Breakfast Sandwich consisted of fried egg, with cheddar-spiked boursin, applewood smoked bacon, tomato and green onion on toasted ciabatta.  It was a spectacular burst of flavor in every bite, with the ciabatta providing a very sturdy, flavorful platform for the boursin, bacon and tomato.  This is easily one of the best breakfasts in Madison.

The Salmon, Dill and Cream Cheese Omelette, served with Marigold potatoes, is delicate yet still flavorful.  If you love dill (and we do!) there are few dishes that showcase that fresh taste quite like this dish does.

Get there early, grab an outdoor seat, and watch the city awaken and come alive.  It’s a wonderful way to start your weekend.

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