Marigold Kitchen | Madison

I miss Madison. (Of all the places, Wisconsin!) Downtown, there are some lovely little breakfast spots to wake up and relax at. One morning at Marigold Kitchen a frothy cup of chai tea and fluffy blueberry pancakes do the trick. Another time, pretty lattes and a nutella, banana and almond crepe at Bradbury's, and I don't mind for a second that 18 inches of snow left me stranded here an extra day.

Merchant | Madison

A casual, hip vibe and welcoming energy, live music and local food, where dark modern furnishings and industrial iron barstools are met with damask wallpapered columns and walls of liquor for sale; Merchant is definitely somewhere you'd want to drink a Carolina ($10) and eat Charred Bone Marrow ($14) regularly if you lived in Madison. 

The bone marrow is striking with parsley butter, lemon marmalade, shallots, and grilled bread, and the aforementioned drink is an eclectic blend of Torres Brandy De Jerez, Grape cocoa nib shrub, lemon juice, Bittercube cherry bark vanilla bitters and Cava. The cocktail menu here is extensive and ingredients are fresh and intriguing, take the Smoking Barrels ($10) with Redemption Rye, maple syrup, angostura and pipe tobacco tincture as another stellar example.

If you can't decide, the bartenders are happy to create on a whim, the coupe glass pictured with Makers Mark, Aperol and St Germain is straightforward and still ideal. Madison seems well in tune to the craft cocktail scene, but no where elevates the drink quite like they are doing here. A night spent at Merchant should certainly be a good one. 

Graze | Madison

Another impressive restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin following suit by sourcing from small local farms, Graze serves inspired comfort food in a dramatic space on South Pickney Street. The single room interior is expansive, centered around a giant U-shaped bar backed by cubes of heavy wood shelving. Entire glass walls meet a soaring ceiling to showcase a magnificent view of the capitol building, opposed by bold chalkboard menus that frame the glass paneled kitchen. The space has a decidedly industrial feel, where concrete floors, metal chairs and dangling light bulbs juxtapose glossy wood tabletops with Kelley green legs that pop. 

Choose from about 20 bottled and draft beers, Furthermore's Fatty Boombalatty ($4.50) had me doing a double take, (what's in the name?) the bartender described it perfectly as a funky Belgian white meets a crisp pale ale, a 10 oz pour is served in a wine glass.  On another night, cocktails get mixed reviews around the table, The Ginger Snap ($8) with ginger vodka, contreau and sparkling wine wasn't at all ginger-y, however the Rosey, Dear ($10) made with Tangueray, green charteruse, lemon, campari and rosemary syrup achieved a better balance of flavors without succumbing to being too sweet. 

From the "snacks & shares" section a Soft Pretzel ($4) embedded with crunchy sea salt is the perfect vehicle for a trio of house mustards and an irresistible goat cheese meets butter, Widmers Spread. The Deviled Eggs ($3) are three classic but tasty organic eggs over a thick smear of paprika aioli. Squeaky, hot, melty and incredibly satisfying, the Sassy Cow Cheese Curds ($8) come in a vodka batter with zesty house ranch for dipping. For my entree, the whimsical plate of Fried Chicken and Waffles ($16) appeased with three large drumsticks and a nontraditional flat and thin waffle. The juicy chicken meat encased in a wonderfully crisp, lightly salted and only slightly greasy skin was matched by a refined take on the Belgian style waffle, benefiting from real maple syrup and a spiced compound butter. Evoking comfort through to the very end, my favorite dessert was the plate of Cookies & Sassy Cow Milk ($6) - chocolate chip, with a hint of sea salt, baked to order.

Harvest | Madison

One of my favorite meals in Madison was at Harvest. Located in the downtown isthmus on Capitol Square it presents with crisp earth tones and white linen table cloths. Wall art is simple but eye catching; an oversized vintage Lillet poster opposes small black and white photographs. It's upscale, intimate and relaxed. It's the type of place you want to linger beginning with a strong aperitif - try a Marquette & Joliet ($9) made with local Death's Door Gin, fresh lemon, angostura bitters and house bubbly.
Specialty cocktails keep the pace, when I inquired with the waitress as to how the Vesper Rouge ($9) was she replied "strong" and explained it was inspired by James Bond's cocktail of choice in Casino Royal and Quantum Solace, combining two parts extra dry gin with one part vodka and Lillet Rouge (it's Blanc in the Bond movies) with a lemon twist. Local distiller Yahara Bay supplied the gin and vodka for this one.

I was here with a large group (nine of us) and that worked out well; our waitress had a good knowledge of the menu items, the evening was set at the perfect pace, and everyone's dishes elicited high praise. An amuse bouche of mushroom and butternut squash soup was a delicate sip balancing the earthiness of one vegetable with the sweetness of the other. Rolls are served hot with soft butter. (There really is something special about the butter out there. It never fails to be really good anywhere you go.)

My first course was a memorable Duck Confit ($9), served with pickled plums, frisee, fennel and a five-spice plum puree. The pickled plums stood out, sweet and juicy, they added a dynamic counterpoint to the tender pieces of duck . I also tried the Pan Roasted Sea Scallops ($14) - some of the biggest, meatiest scallops I've seen, cooked perfectly to boot, topped with toasted pistachio and sitting in a vibrant green puree of herbs and brown butter, alongside concord grapes. 

For my main course, the house made Pumpernickle Gnocchi ($19) was an exciting twist on your typical potato version. They were slightly grainy in texture, and super fluffy. Tiny cubes of butternut squash, pickled cranberries and an apple-caraway jus emphasize the fall season and compliment the gnocchi well. 

The dessert menu is worth checking out. I sipped on Holz's Apple Crisp Liqueur ($8) (also Yahara Bay Distillery) while sampling bites of the Carrot Cake ($8) with cream cheese ice cream, toasted walnuts and carrot caramel and the PB & J ($8) consisting of chocolate miso pound cake, hickory nut mousse and grape gelee. 

Harvest succeeds with elegantly prepared dishes using the finest seasonal and local ingredients - and while this is nothing new it's still worth mentioning - they're doing it right. Have dinner here and you will not be disappointed. 

The Old Fashioned | Madison

This place is great. A local tavern serving Wisconsin fare, I felt it was necessary to order an Old Fashioned, the bars namesake also gets an entire page on the menu dedicated to it. I picked the Rye Bourbon Old Fashioned ($7), it's made with Redemption High Rye Bourbon, a brand which I have long been a fan. After that, a pint of Ale Asylum Madtown Nutbrown ($4) to fill my WI beer quota; and then I couldn't resist the little guy I spotted in the beer case, so I wrapped my time at the bar with a Rhinelander "Shorty" ($1).  In the meantime, I snacked on a Spicy Pickled Egg ($1) and a plate of most exceptional Wisconsin Cheese ($12) a Camembert (sheep's milk and cow's cream, Butler Farm, Whitehall), an Evalon (Goat's Milk, La Clare Farms, Chilton) and a Avondale Truckle (cloth bound cow's milk cheddar, Brunkow Cheese, Darlington.) Accoutrements included wheat crackers, walnuts and green apple. On another visit, the No. 13 ($6.95) which is the house made Wisconsin beer battered cheese curds, prove themselves worthy. 

If you love cheese as much as I know you all do, there is no way you could be disappointed if you randomly had to travel to Wisconsin. Between happy hour (free apps) at my hotel, meals out and about and the stash I brought home, I am constantly eating WI cheese and couldn't be happier about it.

Restaurant Muramoto

I found the sushi at Restaurant Muramoto to be lacking. I guess that's my own fault for having higher expectations of sushi in the Midwest? The maki roll I ordered called viper ($15) was rather unappetizing from the browning avocado to the poorly sliced Hamachi, even the white rice lacked that firm stickiness needed to keep everything together. The Tako Nigiri ($4) was just ok.

The rest of the meal fared much better - I had a miso soup ($3), a perfect bite of a hoisin glazed pork belly shao bing ($3), and a fantastic sashimi oyster ($6) in ponzu sauce with a quail egg. A local told me (after the fact) not to expect much from the sushi around here, all things considered. If you're coming from the coast, Restaurant Muramoto probably shouldn't make the cut, save exception for small bites and sake.

Restaurant Muramoto

 106 King Street 

Madison, WI

Tempest Oyster Bar | Madison

A meal at Tempest begins with a most excellent plate of small bites: pickled green beans, vinegar eggs stained a lovely shade of pink, sharp radishes stuffed with creamy herb chevre, a wand of scallion and briny olives. This is also accompanied by a thick triangle of butter and a soft loaf of bread.

Then, get some oysters. The beautifully shucked days offerings from the East Coast included Raspberry Points ($3) from PEI, East Beach Blondes ($3), Rhode Island, and French Kiss ($2.75) from New Brunswick. Also on my plate is a West Coast for good measure, a Penn Cove ($2.75) from Hood Canal, Washington.

The beer list is extensive, try the O'so Nighttrain Porter ($4.50) on draught if you are having trouble making up your mind. This oatmeal porter with chocolate malts is rich, smooth and creamy with a not-too-heavy finish that lends itself well to pairing with food. The cocktails are shaken to impress and reasonably priced. A Wheelhouse ($8.50) with cilantro vodka, aperol, lemon and lime achieves a crisp, balanced sweetness.

A firecracker of crispy fried leeks adorned my broiled Blue Marlin ($24) which nicely combined the flavors of a zesty lime aioli + a rich and nutty hazelnut pesto.

Dessert was a luxe silky Custard ($7) balancing a shortbread cookie with raspberries and blackberries.

The warmly lit dining room is accented in subtle instances by nautical themed décor. Meanwhile, its presence in the lounge is anything but subtle - talking pieces include a weathered wooden speedboat on display and a massive wall mounted swordfish.

If you ever find yourself in Madison, Wisconsin craving seafood, Tempest is a must!

Tempest Oyster Bar

120 E Wilson Street

Madison, WI 53703