There are a lot of good reasons to visit Madison, Wisconsin. Me, I go to eat.
 Photo by Bill Lubing |
| Spring radishes from Snug Haven Farm. |
Madison’s farmers’ market is the largest producer-only venue in the country with more than 300 annual regional participants. Started in 1972, it’s a bustling bridge connecting the vibrant city to the verdant countryside, a microclimate garden of rare heirloom vegetables and earthy goods. Madison’s thriving community of artisan purveyors serves up interesting cheeses, meats, sausages, poultry, eggs, baked goods, condiments, jams, jellies, nuts, vodkas, and beers.
Even better, one weekend during harvest season the market expands and morphs into Madison’s annual Food for Thought Festival (September 19–20), a jam-packed array of presentations, cooking demonstrations, contests, children’s activities, music, puppets, mimes, and stilt-walking vegetables. The weekend draws tens of thousands from around the Midwest.
This year, Michael Ableman will give the Friday keynote address. His book, Fields of Plenty: A Farmer’s Journey in Search of Real Food and the People Who Grow It, chronicles travels with his son from their farm in British Columbia through the United States, interviewing and photographing innovative farmers who are making a difference.
 Photo courtesy of Reap Food Group |
| Wisconsin farmers grow to extraordinary heights. |
Saturday the fun begins. It all happens around majestic Capitol Square and its green lawn. The vendors are a mix of aging hippies (gray pony tails on balding heads), retired investment bankers, and tweedy professors who’ve turned to the land. Walk to the beat of street musicians’ drums and take in the scents of peppers roasting, bratwurst grilling, and doughnuts frying.
At my first stop, Helen Kallenbach, the Country Baker, makes buttermilk mashed potato doughnuts from scratch, hand-rolling and cutting the dough and frying it in cast-iron skillets filled with lard. No wonder she can hardly keep up with demand.
Next, it’s on to Blue Skies Berry Farm’s bouquet of gorgeous edible flowers and gemlike raspberries (in gold, pale yellow, pink, and deep red hues). Then it’s empanadas from Stella’s Bakery (nosh on the spicy cheese bread) and pick up tiny apples from G. C. Schellhorn, an English professor who retired to raise more than forty varieties of fruit trees.
 Photo by Bill Lubing |
| John Dougherty’s artisan Asiago and provolone. |
Among the cheese-makers, check out Fantome Farm’s fresh chèvre, Capri Cheese’s goat feta, Farmer John’s artisan Asiago and provolone, along with Bleu Mont Dairy’s bandaged cheddar that’s been aged on cedar planks in an underground cave.
Look for more than forty-five varieties of tomatoes from Quentin and Mary Carpenter. The country’s best spuds, which have been stored in ideal cold and damp conditions, can be found at Butter Mountain. My favorite stop is Hickory Nut Heaven, where Robert and Audrey Biersach sell dark, fragrant nuts resembling pecans. They comb the woods near their home for these hickories, picking, sorting, and cracking them by hand. They are too fragile to ship—their store is one of the few remaining places you can find them in the country.
 Photo by Bill Lubing |
| Brittany Bethel of JenEhr Family Farm. |
Festival pavilions address an array of food phenomena. Talk with representatives of cookbook publishers, culinary historical societies, cookware manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, nonprofit environmental and hunger-relief agencies, sustainable garden implement distributors, and organic food companies. Sample new food products, buy seeds, find out how to start a restaurant (it’s easy!), or join a CSA (community-supported agriculture farm). A bevy of alternative health care providers (chiropractors, massage therapists, yoga instructors, vegan lifestyle consultants, psychics) offers services on the spot.
 Photo by Skot Weidemann/courtesy of GMCVB | | Frank Lloyd Wright’s Monona Terrace. |
Nonedible Action
Once you can’t eat anymore, here are some of my other favorite Madison pastimes: • Nature lovers will appreciate Olbrich Botanical Gardens and the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum.
• Kids will groove on the Madison Children’s Museum and Henry Vilas Zoo.
• Art lovers shouldn’t miss the spectacular rooftop sculpture garden at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.
• Culture fans must take in a performance of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Opera, or Repertory Theatre.
• Active types will want to canoe, kayak, or sail Lakes Monona and Mendota, framing the city’s lush shores.
• Sports fans must take in a Badgers game on the historic UW campus when the gridiron schedules coalesce—the Gophers hit Camp Randall Stadium November 15.
• Shoppers should look for funky bargains near Capitol Square. |
I’m the only one in my family (me and four guys) who is thrilled by the market’s riotous colors, scents, chatter, and local treats. (“Mom, why don’t you just buy apples at Kowalski’s?”) But after they’ve toured Camp Randall Stadium and ogled the University of Wisconsin—Madison women’s crew team practicing on Lake Monona, they are happy to find someplace to sit down and eat. While Madison boasts several nationally acclaimed, outstanding fine-dining restaurants, several small, independent, reasonably priced places feature home-cooked, local fare. Even Madison’s pizza chain, Ian’s, offers a pie with local Gorgonzola and pear and a salad bar full of fresh garden veggies.
In this capital city, it’s hard to go wrong. Come September, the pinnacle of the harvest, this year’s festival will again make hopeful the notion, “We are what we eat.”
Practicalities
Getting There:
Madison is approximately four hours southeast of the Twin Cities on I-94. Northwest Airlines offers nonstop flights and Amtrak serves nearby Columbus, Wisconsin, daily.
Market Matters:
The Dane County Farmer’s Market is located on the tree-lined grounds surrounding the Wisconsin State Capitol–the Square–in downtown. A map of nearby parking ramps, with rates less than $1 an hour, is available from the city of Madison, but I’ve always managed to find a spot in neighborhoods a few blocks from the Square.
Learning More:
For the most up-to-date information about Madison, plus special lodging deals, call 800-373-6376 or go here.
Where to Stay
Hilton Madison Monona Terrace: Madison’s most appealing modern hotel is one block from the capitol and connected to the city’s Frank Lloyd Wright–designed convention center. Its Capitol ChopHouse restaurant is the place for steak. 9 E. Wilson St., 608-255-5100
Mansion Hill Inn: This elegant, small inn is a Madison landmark, a masterpiece of Romanesque revival style, circa 1857. Victorian charm and a perfect location mean premium weekend prices of $250 and up. 424 N. Pinckney St., Madison. 800-798-9070
Arbor House: This environmentally focused inn offers luxurious organic mattresses and bathrobes plus beautiful organic breakfasts. Guest rooms have been designed with sustainable materials and attention to detail. Weekend rates are $150 to $230 a night. 3402 Monroe St., 608-238-2981
Gilman Street Rag: The classic 1885 Queen Anne Victorian is furnished with antiques and located on Mansion Hill near Lake Mendota, a five-block walk to the capitol. Around $100 a night. 125 E. Gilman St., 608-257-6560
| Where to Eat
L’Etoile: Thirty-two years ago, Odessa Piper set the gold standard for the local foods movement nationwide when she opened this elegant bistro in a charming turn-of-the-century building facing the capitol (and the farmers’ market). Now owned by Tory and Traci Miller, L’Etoile continues to shape the area’s culinary ethos (tomato and bacon soup, ham hock ravioli, and primrose-roasted-beet salad, to mention a few glories). Dinner only. 25 N. Pinckney St., 608-251-0500
Café Soleil: L’Etoile’s little sister, Soleil serves signature croissants, artisanal breads, sweet and savory pastries, warming soups, hearty sandwiches, and salads made from local and sustainable fare. Breakfast and lunch. 25 N. Pinckney St., 608 251-0500
Harvest: On Capitol Square, Harvest is one of Gourmet’s top “Farm-to-Table” restaurants, featuring local and organic fare. Dinner only. 21 N. Pinckney St., 608-255-6075
Marigold Kitchen: Find bistro fare made from local ingredients. Breakfast, lunch, and Saturday brunch. Expect omelets, buttermilk pancakes, chutney chicken salad, grilled salmon sandwiches . . . . 118 S. Pinckney St., 608-661-5559
The Old Fashioned: A supper club atmosphere with an up-to-the-minute menu—locally made brats, burgers, pulled-pork sandwiches, local artisan cheeses, Friday fish fry, a great kids’ menu, and a long list of local brews. 23 N. Pinckney St., 608 310-4545
Greenbush Bar: The neighborhood gem hidden beneath the Italian Workmen’s Club serves fabulous homemade sausages, thin-crust pizzas, and pastas. 914 Regent St., 608-257-2874
Lombardino’s: At this neighborhood Italian joint, the pizzas are hand-thrown, the pastas homemade. 2500 University Ave., 608-238-1922
Fork and Spoon Café: The neighborhood café is noted for pasta, seasonal entrées, and organic local meats at casual prices. 1133 E. Wilson St., 608 257-7216
The Dardanelles: The menu is Mediterranean, the Turkish coffee fabulous (the owner will read your coffee grounds). 1851 Monroe St., 608-256-8804
Bon Appetit Cafe: Ethnic and regional dishes from around the world. 805 Williamson St., 608-283-4266
The Weary Traveler: Great sandwiches and soups plus late-night dinners. 1201 Williamson St., 608-442-6207
Ian’s Pizza by the Slice: Fresh local toppings on cheap pizza and a bright salad bar with veggies from nearby farms. The $2 slices can’t be beat. 319 N. Frances St., 608-257-0597
Washington Hotel Coffee Room: Near Lake Monona, the café is part of Lakeside Fibers, with beautiful textiles on display. Breads and pastries are made with wheat grown on Washington Island off Door County. Don’t miss the whitefish sandwich. Breakfast and lunch. 420 Lakeside St., 608-441-7599
Bluephies: The burgers, pork sandwiches, and egg specials are all local, all tasty. Great brunch. 2701 Monroe St., 608-231-3663
Manna Café & Bakery: Fabulous homemade soups, wonderful pulled-pork and brisket sandwiches, great quiche, and a big soapstone fireplace. Breakfast, brunch, and lunch. 611 Sherman Ave., 608-663-5500
Brasserie V: Big burgers, crab cakes, terrific Reuben sandwiches, a fine selection of beers, plus jazz on the weekends. 1923 Monroe St., 608-255-8500 |
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