Taking place on October 30, 2011, this event features celebrity chef competing against each other as they prepare dishes using Heritage pigs, as well as Pig Butchery Demos and Charcuterie School run by Bolzano’s Artisanal Meats, out of Milwaukee.  We visited Bolzano’s last summer, and they made believers out of us - here’s your chance to see them in action here in Madison!

For more information on Heritage Pigs, as well as ticket and schedule information for the event, visit slowpig.org.

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The Dueling Chef competition features some of the top chefs in Madison, competing ala Iron Chef.  Tournment style, a secret ingredient is presented in each heat.  The chefs must then used all of their creative and culinary skills to create 2 dishes each that are meant to wow the panel of  judges.

This year’s Dueling Chefs include Bee Khang – Sushi Muramoto, Tim Van Doren – The Blue Marling, Rob Grisham – Brasserie V, James Beard Award Nominee Nicholas Johnson – 43 North, David Heide – Liliana’s, Jesse Matz – Bunkey’s Cafe, and Tony Clarke – Cafe Costa Rica.

MadisonDining.com will be on hand to judge during the event, and we can tell you from experience that these chefs take this competition extremely seriously.  Come on out and watch the heated competion for the title of Madison’s Culinary Conqueror 2011!  For ticket information and schedule details, see the Madison Food and Wine show page!

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50/50 Fridays features the best of Madison restaurants at a deal you just can’t pass up!  Take a look at some of the certificates available now!

Like us on Facebook to get the new deal announcements!  Then share our Facebook Announcements with your friends for a chance to win a coveted MadisonDining.com Coffee Mug!  Click here!

Listen to these great radio stations to hear the latest deals!

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Tickets are limited, and they go fast – make sure you purchase yours early. 

And this year, MadisonDining.com has 3 pairs of  tickets to give away to our Facebook fans!  So, how do you get a chance to win?  It’s easy!

If you haven’t already LIKED us on Facebook – click here and like us – that’s your chance to win!

MadisonDining.com will randomly draw the winners from our Facebook fans.  Winners will be announced on Monday, October 19th, and will be notified via Facebook!

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Wis Tex BBQ has recently opened in Stoughton.  We took a first look at the place within it’s first couple weeks of operation.

Visiting a new place that early is always dicey for us, and perhaps a bit unfair for the restaurant.  It takes time for a new restaurant to get their footing, work out the kinks, train their employees, and really show what they have to offer.

The outing starting out very rocky due to a customer service issue.  We won’t go into the details, because the restaurant acted promptly to resolve the conflict and the situation.  We will, however, go into some details over the food.

The menu is, obviously, BBQ oriented.  And the BBQ was good.  The food is reasonably priced, and the menu is intelligently presented, allowing the diner to choose different plates based on the number of signature meats that you would like to order.  Currently the signature meats include Beef Brisket, Pork Shoulder, Ham and Turkey Breast.  You can also add a side of ribs for $4.00.  Of course, you can also order a straight rib dinner, as wll as a rib tip dinner.

You also get a choice of two sides with your meal.  The sides include French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Baby Red Potato Salad, Corn on the Cobb, Cole Slaw, Pinto Beans, and Onion Rings.

Between the two dinners the following was ordered;  Pork Shoulder, Side of Ribs, Turkey Breast, Beef Brisket, French Fries, Pinto Beans, and Cole Slaw.  The winner of the evening was, surprisingly, the turkey breast.  Smoky and yet still very moist, it stood out from the rest of the signature meats.  Having said that, the rest of the signature meats, as well as the ribs, were good, and will probably improve as the place works out the kinks.  The fries were skin-on, crisp fries, and were very good.

And the pinto beans were a standout for us, though many people may not agree.  Most BBQ joints serve their beans swimming in BBQ sauce, which to us is overkill.  You’re ordering BBQ meats, you DO NOT need BBQ added to the beans as well.  (We know, purists would protest about that).  But the pinto beans had a nice, honest, pinto bean sauce and were a welcome change from what we come to expect from places such as this.

All in all, Wis Tex BBQ shows promise.  With time, the kinks will presumably be worked out with the service.  The food is off to a good start, and is worth a try.

If you’ve tried it, let us know what you think by leaving a comment!

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Namio’s Sports Pub

Namio’s Sports Pub has opened in Fitchburg.  Long-time Madison residents may recognize the Namio name as being connected to a very well respected Madison tradition that was around for years.  In fact, this new establishment was opened by distant relatives.

We took a first look recently.  The menu currently features standard Sports Bar fare, and is somewhat limited.  We were told that this was due to the fact that the establisment is newly opened.  The menu will be expanding in the upcoming weeks.  Have you tried it yet?  Let us know what you think!

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Madison Restaurant Week

It’s time to beat the heat and get out there in support of Madison Area Restaurants!  The ever popular Madison Restaurant week, sponsored by Madison Magazine, beings July 24th and runs through July 29th.  Special prices for 3 course meals – how can you top that? This year the participating restaurants include:

43 North
Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano
The Blue Marlin
Bluephies Restaurant & Vodkatorium
Bonfyre American Grille
Brickhouse BBQ
Brocach Irish Pub
Capitol Chophouse
Captain Bill’s
The Continental Fitchburg
Daisy Café & Cupcakery
Dayton Street Grille
Delaney’s Charcoal Steaks
Eldorado Grill
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Fresco
GRAZE
Harvest
The Icon
Inka Heritage
Johnny Delmonico’s
Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse
La Brioche True Food
Liliana’s Restaurant
Lombardino’s
Mariner’s Inn
Melting Pot
Nau-Ti-Gal
Ocean Grill
Osteria Papavero
Quivey’s Grove Stable Grill
Quivey’s Grove Stone House
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Sa Bai Thong
Samba Brazilian Grill
Sardine
Steenbock’s on Orchard

For more details, go to MadisonRestaurantWeek.com

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Paisan’s
131 West Wilson 
(608) 257-3832

Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM

As lifelong Madison residents, Paisan’s has always been there.  Oh, sure, it is way downtown if you grow up a northsider like some of us did.  And yet it was still a place that our parents would take us to for special occasions, even if it was “way over there”.   Reasonably priced with unique, delectable pizza, it was a place that even in the 70′s Madison residents held dear.

It has moved around a bit during its lifetime.  Starting out as a pizza place in the basement of Porta Bella’s, then moving to its long-lived location at University Square, it has now settled on Wilson Street, and for the better.  The old University Square Paisan’s was dark, dank, and crowded.  But it still held a certain atmospheric appeal.  The new Paisan’s maintains that certain atomospheric appeal, while losing some of the dark, dank qualities.  And improvements abound in the area of outdoor seating, roominess and overall impression.

The pizza is still the exact same pizza we ate 30 years ago.  And that is a good thing.  Thin, thin crust, crispy and strong enough to hold toppings are still the norm.  The tomato sauce with diced onions is still the same old satisfying pizza sauce.  Order a Porta Salad and you’ll flash back to the same Porta Salad that you ate 30 years ago, with salami, diced peppers, and chunks of cheese.  The Buttermilk Dressing is the same as well.

What has changed is the outdoor seating.  Expect a wait if you want to sit outside, no matter when you go.  But it is so worth it.  We often state forlornly that a city as picturesque as Madison has very few venues which take advantage of the outdoors.  That could be because of the 6 months of harsh weather that make planning on that capacity impractical.  But Paisan’s has the best outdoor seating in Madison, bar none.  A beautiful view of Lake Monona awaits those lucky enough to score a seat on the spacious patio.  One can forgive the sound of the traffic rising up from John Nolen Drive, as the view eclipses the noise.

Paisan’s is a nostalgic treat for some of us, and a modern, lively Italian restaurant for others.  No matter which group you may belong to, Paisan’s deserves a place in the heart of all Madisonian’s, old and new.

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Washington Hotel Coffee Room
402 W Lakeside Street
Madison, WI 608-257-2999

Hours:
7am – 8pm Monday – Saturday
7am – 5pm Sunday

We have to admit, we didn’t even know that the Washington Hotel Coffee Room existed until a good friend told us about it.  Tucked away in a quiet, residential-like neighborhood on Lakeside Street, this coffee room shares quarters with Lakeside Fibers and borders Monona Bay.   

The coffee room is a sister establishment of The Washington Hotel, on Washington Island, WI, hence the name.  They specialize in fair trade certified and organic coffees,  locally produced foods, including cheeses, meats, produce, and dairy.  The wheat that is used to make their wood fired brick oven breads is grown on Washington Island.  They also serve wines by the glass.

We wandered over to the Washington Hotel Coffee Room on a recent Saturday morning after a very early trip to the Farmers’ Market.  The interior of the room is warm and inviting, with a craft area set up against one wall.  There are plenty of tables, and a comfortable living room-like area as well.

We settled in on the outdoor deck, despite the brisk breeze coming in off of Monona Bay.  This deck alone is a spectacular reason to go and get a cup off cofee or a light lunch here.  While small, it provides secluded getaway from your typical Madison coffee shop atmosphere.  With an expanse of lawn lined with trees, it is by far the most restful commercial place where we’ve sat to sip coffee.

We’d review the coffee, but we have to admit that we aren’t really coffee snobs.  It was good, hot and plentiful.  But what caught our eye was the cheese plate on the menu.  Sure, it was 8:00 in the morning, but we’re in Wisconsin.  That makes the cheese plate ($10) fair game for breakfast.

 The cheese came from Carr Valley, and it was terrific.  The selection included a smoked gouda, a cocoa-rind cheese, and a unique cheese that was one part sheeps milk cheese, one part goats milk cheese.  Served with some of the above mentioned bread and some seeded crackers, it was a great way to relax after a trek around the Capital square.

We’ll go back to the Washington Hotel often.  Next time we’re looking forward to stopping in for a light lunch, sampling one of the uniqe sandwiches and a glass of wine.

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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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