Take 'em down to Tex's Cadillac Ranch A revamped Tex Tubb's west revs its engine Raphael Kadushin on Thursday 08/26/2010, (1) Comment Even before the west-side Tex Tubb's Taco Palace changed its name, recently, to the more upscale Tex's Cadillac Ranch, I was a regular. Three tacos for $9.99 is a bargain, and these aren't slapdash tacos. The white corn tortillas come packed with red cabbage, guacamole, black bean puree, chipotle mayonnaise, pickles and onions, which make for a nice blend of crunchy pickled texture and seamless seasoning even before you add your choice of main ingredients. >MoreBrooklyn, N.Y.-founded Victory Cafe opens Atwood branch Victory is ours Linda Falkenstein on Thursday 08/26/2010, (4) Likes The new Victory Cafe, 2710 Atwood Ave., is having a very, very soft opening. Owner Patrick Downey says he was just too excited to stay at home while finishing touches were being put on the space, so he figured he might as well hang out at the shop and start serving people coffee. The espresso machine is in, the coffee is stocked, but the baked goods are still somewhat scarce, and the menu, for panini and the like, is still to be finalized. >More
Yola's Café brings a touch of family to Madison's far west side Charms include secret waffle recipe and Belleville-based Viamo coffee Ruth Young on Tuesday 08/03/2010 3:00 pm, (2) Comments, (7) Likes Traveling through Madison's west side, you'll see many national restaurants and chain coffee shops. A search for a locally-owned place to enjoy a meal or meet a friend can end in frustration -- or, if you're lucky, at Yola's Café. >MoreMadison southwest bike path cafe brouhaha Pedal-power meets people-power in archetypal Madison battle of wills Linda Falkenstein on Thursday 07/29/2010, (3) Likes These days, chefs and restaurateurs are rebelling against being tethered to the four-walls-bricks-and-mortar model of an eatery. Locavores are out dining in fields. In Austin, Texas, yummies are being dispensed from vintage travel trailers parked in vacant lots. And in Madison, Christopher Berge wants to build a cafe accessible only by bike or foot next to the southwest bike path. >More
How do you solve a problem like an eggplant? (recipe) New uses for the big purple veggie Terese Allen on Thursday 08/26/2010 The topic of eggplant came up in a recent exchange I had with a colleague. "Of all the things I buy at the farmers' market, eggplant is the item that is most likely to go bad in the fridge," she said. "I never really know what to do with it." The inventory of familiar eggplant preparations is indeed a short list; think eggplant Parmesan, ratatouille and baba ganoush, and you're pretty much there. >MoreDane County Farmers' Market: Weston's Antique Apple Orchard Michael Zydowicz on Thursday 08/26/2010 4:00 pm, (1) Like Today, Weston's Antique Apple Orchard boasts well over 100 varieties of apples on 16 acres of land. Some 98% of the apples are heirloom varieties not commercially grown on a large scale. >More
Dane County Farmers' Market: Carandale Farm Ruth Young on Thursday 08/05/2010 4:00 pm, (1) Like Carandale is the longest-established pick-your-own farm in Dane County. Strawberry season, which typically runs for three weeks in June, is their busiest time. The farm attracts pickers of every kind, from locavores looking to freeze or preserve enough berries to last through the winter, to hungry people on a budget, to families eager to spend an afternoon outdoors. >MoreCookbook cues: Canal House Cooking No. 4 by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer Linda Falkenstein on Wednesday 08/04/2010 2:00 pm, (1) Like A while back, my friend Sue started wearing peasant blouses and long gauzy skirts. "I'm hoping if I start dressing like a hippie chick, I'll start feeling more like a hippie chick," she told me, eager to jettison what she thought of as a provincial, suburban Milwaukee value system. Eventually she quit her job teaching English and became a full-time potter. So I guess it worked. >More
Cookbook cues: In the Green Kitchen by Alice Waters Erin Hanusa on Wednesday 07/21/2010 2:00 pm Alice Waters wrote her newest book with the primal relationship between humans and their food in mind. She envisions the "green kitchen" not just as an eco- and economy-friendly space, but one in which simple, time-tested kitchen tools (think mortar and pestle, not Cuisinart) and a bastion of basic techniques learned by heart make for heartfelt cooking and eating. >MoreDane County Farmers' Market: Flyte Family Farm Michael Zydowicz on Thursday 07/15/2010 4:00 pm, (1) Like While the Flyte Family Farm has been in operation for decades, it began a new era when one of the Flyte children, Adam Flyte, married his wife Carrie. Adam was raised on the farm, and grew up with plenty of traditional agricultural experience. Carrie's training, however, was rather unorthodox. While a student at UW–Platteville, she received an internship with Walt Disney World. >More
My wife and I went there for restaurant week and were disappointed. We both ordered the tenderloin, ... Weary Traveler Emily Mills on 07/16/10
Currently 5.00/5
Really good food (the Tom Ka Tofu is a stand-out for those of us who don't eat meat and/or can't hav ... Continental, The Harriet Tolly on 07/02/10
Currently 1.00/5
While I have always enjoyed their food, I sadly discovered they allow smoking in the outdoor dining ... Fiesta 38 Brian Miles on 06/18/10
Currently 4.00/5
We weren't sure what to expect when we went in for dinner, but were very happy with our dishes. The ... Cannery Grill, Sun Prairie Kyle Nabilcy on 06/11/10
Currently 3.00/5
I err on the side of 3 stars rather than 4 because it appears, with every additional review and comm ... Big Ten Pub Adam Morstad on 06/10/10
Currently 5.00/5
Great place to eat and drink. The food is not your typical bar fare--much better than greasy burgers ... Texas Roadhouse Thom Jones on 06/02/10
Currently 3.00/5
It is what it is, but what it is as a chain is not too bad. The steaks are seasoned pretty good and ... King & Mane Thom Jones on 06/02/10
Currently 4.00/5
Excellent step up from what it had been as The Local! The beet salad was flavorful, plentiful and i ...
THE DAILY / EATS
Cookbook cues: Fiesta at Rick's by Rick Bayless with Deann Groen Bayless Erin Hanusa on Wednesday 09/01/2010 2:00 pm Remembering the fact that chef Rick Bayless is riding a career crest in the last couple of years -- first winner of Top Chef Masters, honorary chef at a White House state dinner -- you might understand why the man is in the mood for a party. Happily for us, we're invited. >MoreFringe Foods: Cuitlacoche from Las Cazuelas For everything, there is a season -- including corn smut Kyle Nabilcy on Tuesday 08/31/2010 2:00 pm, (2) Comments, (2) Likes This is another one of those foods that forces you to wonder what exactly the first daring eater was thinking; infected ears of corn puff up, turn purplish-black, and grow fuzz. The Aztec name for this freaky-looking cob is cuitlacoche (also frequently spelled "huitlacoche"), which likely meant "sleeping shit." Wrapped in the husk, cuitlacoche does look a bit like a swaddled turd. So, naturally, it’s what’s for dinner. >MoreBeer Here: Devil's Lake Red Lager from the Great Dane Downtown Robin Shepard on Friday 08/27/2010 3:00 pm, (3) Likes I've hit that point in the summer where I start looking for a beer that will act as a transition into the fall brews. I'm not quite ready for Oktoberfests or the fresh hop-harvested beers that are just beginning to turn up. For me, the red and amber lagers offer unequaled session beer qualities for late summer, and the Great Dane's Devil's Lake Red Lager is my current session beer of choice. >More
New Glarus Brewing invites fans to weigh in on its 2011 beer schedule Michael Zydowicz on Wednesday 08/25/2010 3:37 pm, (2) Likes Remember that seasonal beer New Glarus Brewing Company made a couple of years ago? You know, the one you really liked, but can't find anymore? Well, the brewery remembers it too, and is giving you a chance to help bring it back via its third annual Beer Vote. >MoreGreat Taste of the Midwest 2010 brings the beer faithful back to Madison View photos from the brewing festival at Olin-Turville Park Robin Shepard on Monday 08/16/2010 3:08 pm, (1) Comment, (3) Likes With so many brews at the Great Taste of the Midwest, finding a favorite is difficult. However, for local beer fans, the fest can be a chance to sample the first sip of a seasonal that won't be officially out until later in the year, or even a small limited-release creation that can’t easily be found on the shelves. >More
Lead Feather Brewing does not pass Go, heads directly to Applebees Michael Zydowicz on Tuesday 07/13/2010 3:34 pm, (4) Comments, (3) Likes Starting a microbrewery is difficult, but an exclusive distribution channel through Wisconsin Hospitality Group -- owners and operators of all Applebee's restaurants in Wisconsin -- may help the newly formed Lead Feather Brewing Company outpour its competition. Incorporated in November 2009, and founded by three business partners, including a brewmaster with over 30 years of experience, the brewery is a new entrant to the Wisconsin scene. >MoreBeer Here: Illumination Double IPA from Central Waters Brewing Robin Shepard on Friday 07/09/2010 2:00 pm, (3) Likes Central Waters is lighting up the summer scene with a new brew made especially for those who enjoy extreme bitterness in their beer. Illumination is the latest from the Amherst-based brewery, offering a forceful bitterness that lives up to the title of "hop bomb." >More
Pizza partisans The revolution will be artisanal Linda Falkenstein on Thursday 04/22/2010, (1) Comment, (1) Like Pizza has never gone out of favor with the American public, but in the past few years, the country has fallen in love with pizza all over again. The key word is, as with so many foods these days, "artisanal." Think small-scale production, fresh ingredients, chefs who really know what they're doing. >MoreMy year of meats Steak is one approach. There are many more Rosemary Zurlo-Cuva on Thursday 04/22/2010, (1) Like I like meat. I like vegetables, too, and I try to eat a lot of them. Hooray for omnivores. But although I do like eating meat -- and by that I mean all sorts, beef, lamb, pork and veal -- I have never much enjoyed the steakhouse slab o' meat experience. >More
Log in