As is always the case, we start by using the following disclaimer – a first look at a place is just that – giving it a try before they may have worked the kinks out.  It takes a while for a restaurant to settle in and show its true colors, both good and bad. 

We intended to start with an appetizer of the BBQ Ribs ($9.75).  The menu billed this item as individual pork ribs served on a bed of crispy onion strings with Brickhouse Original BBQ sauce.   We say we intended to start with that, but that isn’t the way that it worked out.  We watched as the server took our order on a nifty electronic device, and then disappeared.  We then waited for our appetizer for around 40 minutes — all the while envying the tables around us who had ordered after we did and were already eating (and finishing!) their entrees.

After around 40 minutes, our server reappeared and told us that there had been a problem “getting the ticket to the kitchen” or some such thing.  After about 50 minutes everything came out of the kitchen all at once – our appetizers, sandwiches and sides all made a joint appearance.  To make matters worse, all of our food was at best room temperature, and at worst, just plain ole cold.

We’re not sure how the food could have been served to us at this temperature, logistically.  We also would have appreciated it if we would have been consulted about the timing of the appetizer in relation to the timing of the sandwiches.  But, it was what it was.

On to the food though.  The ribs were not individual, as promised by the menu.  If you had intended to share this appetizer with a group rather than with an close friend, it would have been a little awkward given that the ribs needed to be manhandled to be pulled apart into an appetizer to be shared with more than one.  It is possible that the kitchen knew that there were two of us at the table and so they divided the appetizer up into two portions.  This would have been a showing of remarkable thought and organization however, and it would have been the only one experienced on this trip — so we doubt that this was the case.  The “bed” of crispy onion straws was pretty sparse.  But the ribs were good.  The sauce was not cloying or sweet.   We’d order the ribs again, but probably as an entree.

Also ordered was the Sausage Sandwich ($8.25), described by the menu as Smoked sausage, grilled, and served with Brickhouse Mustard BBQ sauce and pickled peppers.  This sandwich would have been excellent had it been served warmer than room temperature.  It was overflowing with slightly smoky, slightly spicy sausage with a really very good tangy mustard sauce. 

Cheddar Grits had been ordered as the side, and while we understand that grits are a down-home rustic food, these had too many large clumps of grits to allow us to rave about them.  Still, the flavor was what one would expect.

The Pulled-Pork sandwich ($7.75) was described as slow smoked pork shoulder, shredded, and topped with coleslaw and Brickhouse Original BBQ sauce.  We dubbed this sandwich the “Poorly Pulled-Pork Sandwich”, and not only because of the tongue twister opportunity.  There were very large clumps of pork in the sandwich which made it somewhat awkward to eat.  The flavor was there, once again – it was the execution that needed attention.  The coleslaw should have made more of an impression than it did, but it was okay.

The fries were good – crispy and tasty, and the homemade pickle slices were really very good.

The interior of this new restaurant clearly shows that they are going for more of an urban BBQ restaurant versus a down-home bbq joint.  They did a very good job at remodelling the place, and the three floors (with a very good sized rooftop outdoor deck) will easily handle the crowds that will inevitably make their way there before Kohl Center events.

So, to wrap it up, our first look at Brickhouse BBQ turned up a lot of execution errors that we hope will be worked out in the upcoming weeks.  If not, we are not convinced that, while the food is good, it is good enough to overcome the execution.

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Vintage Brewing Company

Madison Dining Online stopped in within a week of the opening to take a first look at the place.  As with all of our first looks, we always make sure to throw around a few caveats.  We understand that the first few days of a restaurant’s opening is not always the best time to truly understand the longterm standards of the restaurant.  Often times we take a first look at a new establishment and end up eating our words of praise.  Other times, restaurants show steady improvement  after their opening.

Having said that, here are our initial thoughts.

When you first walk in to through the front doors, there is a lounge-like area with comfortably couches and seating.  It looks nice – it looks comfy.  We still don’t really understand why it is there.  It isn’t really a place you’d settle in with a drink.  Perhaps Vintage is expecting crowds and waiting lists of people looking for tables.

The interior has been remodeled, with the alterations bringing a slightly different vibe than its previous life as JT Whitney’s.   As the name implies, it is clear that the vintage look is a goal here.  The goal is reached for the most part.

But on to the important first impressions – the food.  We started with an order of the Guacamole, Salsa and Chips ($6.75).  When the order was placed before us we were a bit taken aback at the scarcity of the chips, given the price of the appetizer.  It became apparent that the guacamole was freshly made of high quality ingredients.  The salsa was quite good as well.  It appears that the price of the appetizer goes towards the quality of these items, and we don’t really mind paying more for quality.  But really – even if the chips are homemade, would it really cost that much to add a few more to the plate so that you can actually enjoy the guacamole and the salsa?  Or perhaps we were just shortchanged on the serving portion.

We also tried the Fish and Chips ($8.75).  This beer-battered cod was fried in oil that was not hot enough, which allowed the oil to seep into the batter rather than make the batter as crispy as it should have been.  We were somewhat forgiving of that execution error, as the fish itself was flavorful, flaky and moist.  We liked it, and we assume they’ll work out the kinks.  Much like the chips mentioned above, it was actually the sides and condiments that made this dish.  The coleslaw was crisp, fresh and tasty, and the tartar sauce was some of the best we’ve tasted.  Though the menu said the dish was served with malt vinegar, we needed to ask for it.  Which is ok – just remember to do so.  Nothing beats malt vinegar on fish and chips.

The item that stole the show was the Blue Heaven Burger ($7.75).  Unlike many restaurants which will not serve you a burger the way you ask for it if you want it medium rare, Vintage asked how we wanted the burger done, and delivered it perfectly cooked to order.  Served dramatically with a knife speared through the lettuce, tomatoes, onions and burger, we have to admit that we thought this was one of the most perfectly prepared burgers we’ve had in a long time. 

Clearly hand formed before being grilled to crunchy perfection on the outside, this burger was meaty, juicy and bursting with flavor on the inside.  It was the type of burger that your mourned when it was gone, almost immediately craving another one just for the taste and texture, no matter how full you might be.

We can’t wait to go back to see if the burger withstands the test of time.

We’ll go back soon to see how this restaurant has fared since the opening week.  When we were there they were not yet serving their own brews, as they had not yet been granted the appropriate licensing needed to operate a brewpub (or so our server said).  We look forward to trying that as well.

If you’ve tried Vintage Brewing company, let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below.

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We left very pleased, and eager to go back again – soon.

Opening in January, the restaurant was doing a relatively healthy business the day that we stopped in.  Upon entering, one could not help but notice the aroma of rotisserie chicken filling the room.  And this is a good thing.

Lunch started with an order of Ceviche Mixto ($11.95).  This ceviche was made up of chunks of fish, calamari, shrimp and mussels, marinated in lime juice, garlic and chili.  The shell it was served on was balanced on both sides by mounds of sweet potoatoes.  Other ceviches available include fish only, shrimp only and mushrooms only.

For the main courses, we tried the lunch special, which was a quarter of a rotisserie chicken (6.95) which included a house salad and a choice of rice & beans, french fries, maduros (sweet plantains) or tostones (green plantains).   We also tried the Aji de Gallina ($9.95), a shredded chicken casserole with walnuts and parmesan, mixed with boiled potatoes, with hard-boiled egg and black olives on top.  This was served with a side of rice.

We enjoyed the rotisserie chicken.  We often say that the true test of a restaurant is to order their chicken.  It is so easy to do chicken wrong.  This was far from wrong, being moist, tender and very flavorful.  The house salad that it was served with was a bland shredding of iceburg lettuce - until you added the homemade dressing.  When asked what was in the dressing, our server explained that it was a secret even from him, stating,  “Our chef makes sure we aren’t around when she makes it!”

Another element that brought a burst of flavor to the chicken was the chili sauce.  Spicy enough to cause a nice, slow heat, yet not so spicy that it was overwhelming, this sauce was a really interesting addition to the chicken.

The Aji de Gallina was on the surface quite bland.  There was something satisfying about it, however, if one looked at it from a comfort food standpoint.  Admittedly, we did add some of the chili sauce that had been served with the chicken into the dish to spice it up, and that punched up the flavor tremendously.  Next time, we’d deliberately order chili sauce on the side to add to this dish.

We liked Pollo Inka a lot.  We’d go back there any day over many of the restaurants in the area, particularly the same tired old chains.  It is our hope that Madisonians support a small, local and unique restaurant such as this.

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Find address and hours here.

The Coopers Tavern recently opened up its doors on the Capitol Square.  Billing itself as a neighborhood tavern that specializes in craft beer and rustic food, it has a very extensive beer menu, with items on the food menu that are unique and not often found in Madison.

Established as a joint partnership between Food Fight and Madison couple Peter McElvanna (formerly of competing capital pub Brocach) and his wife Amy Marsman, Coopers occupies the location formerly housing the short-lived Sucre.

We recently stopped in for a first look at the place.  We left with a pleasant intial impression.

The dish that has all the local Internet writers and foodies abuzz is the Poutine.  For those of you who aren’t local Internet writers or foodies, Poutine is not only fun to say, but it also is a traditional Canadian dish that has its roots in Quebec.  It is comprised of French Fries tossed with cheese curds and topped with gravy.  As someone who has frequently visited Canada on business, I can attest to its popularity, finding the dish served in diners, restaurants and even fast food joints. 

Poutine purists will note that there are some small execution errors in this particular poutine.  First, the gravy is a tad bit heavy.  Second, the cheese curds on the order that was served to us were pooled and melted at the bottom of the plate, creating a disk of hardened cheese with embedded french fries.  Still, it was adequate comfort food on a cold winter day.

Somewhat more successful (though slightly overcooked) was the Sconnie Egg.  A play on the traditional Scotch Egg, this hard-boiled egg is instead coated with Wisconsin bratwurst before being fried.  It is served on a bed of stout mustard, with a side of pickled vegetables.  A lacking touch which would have put this dish over the top would have been a dab of sauerkraut on the side.

The lunch menu is comprised of a few salads including a roasted beet salad with citrus dressing and a brussels sprout salad with blue cheese, bacon and croutons.

The sandwiches include a variety of offerings, including a burger, a reuben and a veggie sandwich.  We split an order of the Brisket Sandwich.

If you are looking for a brisket sandwich slathered in barbecue sauce, this is not it.  And that is just one of the reasons why this became our favorite brisket sandwich in Madison.  The other two reasons were the onion jam and the bacon aoli.  The aoli alone made this worth ordering, though the brisket itself was surprisingly moist and slightly smoky.  Served with a side of homemade chips, we’ll go back for this sandwich alone.

The chips were also noteworthy.

The beer menu at The Coopers Tavern must be mentioned.  Heavy on Belgian beers, this menu provides very unique beers that you won’t find many other places.  There are a couple dozen on tap and many served by the bottle.

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The location that housed Kickshaw once housed Fitches. Fitches should have been a successful restaurant, but couldn’t make it. It then turned into Good Times. The less we say about Good Times, the better. Thankfully, the new owners have removed the completely out of place arcade games that dotted the landscape of Good Times.

Kickshaw focuses on local, fresh food with very interesting twists. There are a few menus to look at, and that may confuse, but don’t let that stop you. There is a regular menu featuring their routine dishes, and then there is their Chef’s Featured Kickshaw menu. The Kickshaw menu changes monthly, and with limited availability. Once the items are sold out, they are sold out.

This menu features a more innovative set of items. It also mentions that you can order a 3-course Price Fix on Monday through Thursday. When questioned as to what the Price Fix was on the evening that we dined, we were told that it was whatever the Chef decided to cook. Intrigued, we questioned how that worked – if you don’t like Scallops, can you request that the Chef not cook Scallops? The answser was a tenative yes.

We like this idea. A lot. We’ll try it out the next time we go. And there WILL be a next time.

But on to the food.

We started with some appetizers, one from the Kickshaw menu and one from the routine menu. Both were outstanding.

The Smoked Pork Belly Risotto ($8) was a terrific example of how restaurants should serve risotto. This is a dangerous dish to put on a menu, as any foodie who eats risotto has a very high standard for what it should be. Making it en masse can tend to make it mushy, mealy, pasty and, in general, not good. You could not apply any of these terms to this risotto. The texture was exactly what you would hope for in such a dish. It also featured chunks of what we assume were parsnips, and very nice peas. Highlighting the flavor was a Smoked Pork Belly. We often joke that Pork Belly is the New Black, given how it has sprung on to the food scene with unabated vigor. We don’t necessarily consider this trend a bad thing.

The other appetizer, from the regular menu, was the Crispy Ribeye Brushetta. This featured a very nice cut of medium-rare ribeye atop a very crispy multigrain flatbread. The ribeye was tender, the light sauce had a subtle herb touch, and it was a very good value at $7.

But on to the main event – the entrees.

The one thing that we must admire about the menu is that if you want unique and different combinations there are plenty of choices that will deliver this. Perhaps the most innovative item on the menu is the Horseradish Encrusted Scallops ($20).

These scallops were served over a buckwheat spaetzle, with dollops of a rye bread and horseradish mixture served atop. A mustard made crimson with beet juice accompanied the dish.

We know for a fact that there is no other restaurant around where you would say “Scallop”, “Rye Bread”, “Buckwheat”, “Spaetzle”, “Horseradish”, “Mustard”, and “Beet Juice” in one breath. For this fact alone we must commend Kickshaw. The fact that the entree lived up to the oddity is a very good thing. The diner that ordered this entree raved about it the entire time it was being consumed.

The Grilled Bistro Tender was a nice cut of tenderloin served with Gratin potatoes. Served just a touch rarer than desired, it was still a fine piece of meat – tender with good flavor. There are better tenderloins that you can get in Madison if you are looking for a hunk-o-meat. This dish combined the flavors nicely, and was a perfectly pleasant entree.

The Two Duck-In ($20) was a duck breast, served alongside a duck roulade. Contrary to the tenderloin, the duck was served a touch overdone. Sweet Potato Puree accompanied this meat, as well as root vegetables.

The last entree of the evening was the Slow Roasted Herb-rubbed Chicken ($16). We’ll start by saying that we believe that if you want to challenge a restaurant to prove what they are made of, you order their roasted chicken. Chicken has to be one of the most difficult dishes to serve to perfection. It needs to be served completely cooked, and it takes quite some time to completely cook. But if it sits around completely cooked for too long it becomes very, very dry. So, in a nutshell, the logistics of serving a roasted chicken in a restaurant are difficult.

Unfortunately, this chicken was not the hit of the evening. The flavor was good, but due to the above logistics it was dry and even a bit tough. Kudos to the kitchen, however, for substituting the requested mashed potatoes instead of the cranberry wild rice blend. The chef clearly believed that the cranberries were integral to the dish however, as a side dish of the cranberries made an appearance on the dish. This was entertaining because the rice was substituted out because of the cranberries – one of the diners firmly believes that fruit and “real food” should not touch in a dish. The gesture was still very appreciated.

And then… there was coffee and dessert. The coffee was served with a spoon that had been dipped in chocolate. A very nice touch. Also sampled was the Wisconsin Apple Pear Tart with Beer Ice Cream. Yes, we said Beer Ice Cream. Made with Guinness, it was a light ice cream with the dark undertones of the Irish beer.

The Artisan Cookie Plate ($5) was a real hit. Several small cookies made up a plentiful finish to the meal. It was uniquely accompanied by a shot of milk, which was a perfect touch. And as we ate the cookies, we realized that the milk was actually functional, as the chocolate chip cookies were “Cajun”, with a very interesting, slow burn of cajun spices mixed into the dough.

The manager had stopped by and had told us about their special after dinner drink – brandy infused with tea and honey. He offered us samples, and who were we to turn them down. Thankfully we did not. This drink was great, and though it was served over ice it would have been a perfect warm drink served on a cold night, or drunk to ward away a winter cold.

When we go to a restaurant for a first look, we fully accept that things will not be perfect. A first look typically means that we are there within days, if not hours, of the doors opening for the first time. Having said that, our service was very pleasant and will improve with time and experience, the menu was highly innovative, and the food, for the most part, delivered. We hope that Kickshaw can meet the promise that we saw tonight, and can convince an at times conservative Madison dining public that unique is not bad, and that innovation should be rewarded.

Restaurant Listing and info found here.

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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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The Africana is located right across the street from St. Bernard’s Church on Atwood. If you are approaching from the Monona side of town you can’t miss the colorful mural painted on the side of the building. We arrived early this evening and found we would have no trouble getting a table. As we ate, the place began to fill up. The service was a bit slow this particular night because the waitress who was scheduled that evening was sent home because of the Swine Flu, something tells us that we will see a lot of businesses challenged this winter with this same problem.  

The interior is painted a deep burnt orange with dark brown accents and colorful drapes on the windows. The tables and chairs have more of a diner feel to them but the seating was ample and we were not expecting “up-scale” décor. In reviewing the menu we found the entrées broken into three “build-your-own” combinations of Sauce, Grilled and Fried dishes. The Sauce dishes included a choice of sauce, side dish and type of meat. Choices of six different sauces are available with recommended side dish accompaniments.  The sauces included Peanut, Okra, Egusi (Pumpkin Seed), Yassa (Onions, mustard and lemon), Kedjenou (tomato, garlic) and Vegetable. Paired with these sauces are side dishes of Rice, Couscous, Fufu (yam) and Attieke (Couscous of Cassava). The meat included chicken, beef, lamb, fish and goat.

The Grilled and Fried entrées comes with a choice of fish or chicken with an onion and pepper and a carrot salad. You also have a choice of side dish which included 3 styles of rice, fries, Alloco (fried plantains) and Couscous.  

One of us selected the grilled dark meat chicken and fried rice the other was more adventuresome and elected the goat with white rice and vegetable sauce. The meal comes with a bowel of vegetable soup whose main ingredient was cabbage with carrots, zucchini and potato. It had a flavorful broth that was milder on the spices than we had expected. Unfortunately the soup was also cold when we got it, which we attributed to the wait staff challenge.

The goat in vegetable sauce was a hearty stew with chunks of carrot, tomato and tender goat meat (and bones). The flavor was quite mild; again without the spiciness we had anticipated. The second entrée seemed to be the better of the two. The dark meat chicken included two legs, two backs and a thigh that were grilled to perfection. You don’t see many restaurants serving the back of the chicken very often. This was always my grandmother’s favorite part (I don’t know why). The skin was crispy with a great grilled flavor and the meat was moist and flavorful. Topping the chicken was a salad of red onion and green peppers with a light dressing that complemented the veggies and the chicken. Alongside were a carrot salad and fried rice with a strong spice profile of cumin and pepper that was what we had expected to be more prevalent in the other dishes. We were quite full from the meals we ordered and did not opt to try any of the desserts (Crepes, Flan, Mango Ice Cream and Chocolate Cake).

Both of us enjoyed our meals and noted that we would definitely come back and try some of the other combinations Africana offers.

Africana, 2701 Atwood Avenue, is open for lunch buffet daily from 11am till 2:30pm and dinner from 5 pm till 9:30pm. At 10 pm Wednesday through Sunday the bar is open until 2 am, with a DJ and dancing on Friday and Saturday. Africana offers nightly specials and catering services as well.

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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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We prefer to keep our views of Madison-area restaurants focused on menu, service, food, atmosphere and value. We loved Cloud 9 when it first opened, then we ran into a very unfortunate run when we dined there several meals in a row. Towards the end, they seemed to be desperately trying to turn the place around, but alas, too late. There are too many restaurants in Madison to choose from to allow an establishment to easily come back from blatantly disrespecting the Madison dining public.

And so, with the controversy that certain contributors seemed determined to draw us into, we of course had to visit the newly opened Jovian Taphaus on opening night. And we came away quite pleased.

The first test was in asking for a table upstairs, something that the previous establishment failed at miserably. Jovian Taphaus passed with flying colors, seating us in the majestic upper level without blinking.

The second test came in the service.  On this visit, the service was very polite, if tentative.  It was, however, opening night, so one must be prepared to make allowances for nerves.  Our server was friendly and did a good job, and we expect that the service should only improve with practice.

The third test was the food.  And the food passed with flying colors.  The menu is quite different this time around, with a more limited menu balanced between appetizers, sandwiches, and entrees heavy on steaks.  We opted for the sandwiches on this trip, ordering the slow-roasted pork sandwich and the burger.  The pork sandwich was a winner, with a topping of crunchy cole slaw and a hidden tang of horseradish placed atop a crisply grilled ciabatta roll.

We’re not going to go into a long review.  We’ve done that before after one visit and ended up eating crow.  We’re going to go back a couple of times, try more of the menu and then give a more thorough review.  But, what we saw, we liked.

As we dined on this evening, the management of the restaurant made a point of patroling the floors to ensure that the dining experience was meeting expectations.  Chris, the manager, asked us how the meal was going, and then joined us for a few minutes to discuss the new endeavor.  We introduced ourselves and he recognized and acknowledged MadisonDining.com, noting that he paid attention to what was being discussed on the site in regards to Cloud 9/Jovian Taphaus.

We were also joined by one of the roving management members who talked to us about the wine list.  He sat in our booth for a few minutes telling us about the direction that Jovian Taphaus was taking with their food and beverage menus.  He admited that he was there for a short time, on loan from establishments in Kansas City.  He discussed the dedication to locally produced food.  The cheese, for example, is from Kraemer, a local cheese producer.

So, again, we’ll write up a more formal review of the restaurant after we’ve been there a few more times and have tried more of the menu.  We’ll see how the service settles in, and if the management continues to be on top of dining experience, as they were on this evening.

Until then, we recommend that you give Jovian Taphaus a try… and of course, let us know what you think!

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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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