Getting munchies in Madison…
I'm moving away from Madison after 12 great years. Here are some of the restaurants I will miss most.

Takara Japanese Restaurant at 315 State St. is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in the world. The sushi is delicious and beautiful, and the hibachi chefs are highly talented. My order almost always includes the rainbow roll, and if I’m at the hibachi table I go for whatever seafood strikes my fancy since it’s always all good! I usually spend about $50 for a huge meal of hibachi and sushi. Reservations recommended for dinner, 608 268 0188.

Ginza of Tokyo 6734 Odana Rd. is my second choice for Japanese food, since they serve a few items that Takara doesn’t have. My favorite of these is the kogani lobster. kogani is a buttery sauce similar to hollandaise, and the lobster tails are cooked in the shell on the hibachi, covered in the kogani mixture. It is one of the richest foods you will find in a Japanese restaurant, so be prepared. They also have a spicy mustard sauce for dipping, but you have to ask for it since it’s not on the menu. Prices are similar to Takara, costing about $50 for a fabulous dinner. Reservations recommended 608 833 8282. I have not visited Ginza’s new location at 4802 E. Washington Avenue, but I have heard that it’s pretty much the same, 608 661 8890.

Maharaja restaurant at 6713 Odana Rd. is a fabulously delicious Indian restaurant. I love Indian food and I seek it out everywhere I go. Maharaja is one of the finest anywhere. Better than anything I’ve had in any of the big U.S. cities. Their lunch buffet (11-3 weekdays) is my favorite lunch anywhere. Their fish vindaloo is spicy and robust, the chicken tikka masala is perfectly balanced, and the tandoori mixed grill is wonderful. Maharaja has a second location at 1707 Thierer rd. and one in milwaukee which are equal in every way.

Ella's Deli at 2902 E. Washington Av. is a must see Madison institution. Their kosher style deli foods are legendary, and almost as interesting as their collection of mechanical toys and music machines. They also have world famous ice cream. Bring the kids for a ride on the carousel! (In season)

Wah Kee Noodle Co. at 600 Williamson St. is
Madison’s finest Chinese restaurant. Famous for their tong mein and lo mein, they serve Cantonese as well as Hunan and Szechwan specialties. I frequently order the Kung pao tofu, shrimp in lobster sauce, or the yeung chow fried rice. Wah kee is an excellent value with most entrees under $10.

Michaels Frozen Custard is a Madison tradition. The custard itself is richer and creamier than any ice cream. They also serve great burgers and sandwiches in the tradition of the old American roadside drive-ins. There are three Madison locations including 2531 Monroe St, 3826 Atwood Ave., and 5602 Schroeder Rd.

Lazy Jane's Cafe at 1358 Williamson St. is my favorite breakfast place in the Mad City (since Bev’s diner and the original Cleveland’s Lunch closed ). Egg specials, juices, teas and homemade scones anchor the menu. My standard order is ‘the works’ which consists of eggs any style, potatoes, toast and their thick smoky bacon. The service is wait your own and bus your own, with the cook yelling out your name when your order is done. Deelishus!

American Table is located at 1201N. Sherman Ave. in the Madison East shopping center. This is a fine American family style restaurant, with all the usual amenities thereof. Kid’s menu, senior citizen specials, grilled sandwiches, daily dinner specials and pasta specialties all come together for the perfect Midwestern family restaurant experience.

Jamerica is a small Jamaican restaurant at 1236 Williamson St. More like a mom & pop grocery store with a kitchen and a few tables, Jamerica is small on choice, but BIG on flavor. The home style Jerk chicken is almost always my choice, with rice, beans, vegetables and gravy, I rarely finish it all.

Mediterranean Café at 625 State St. is my favorite place for falafel or hummus, and their chicken kofta is perfectly spiced. ‘The Med’ is small and inexpensive, but rich in flavor and value.

The Avenue Bar at 1128 E. Washington Ave. is a favorite hangout of local politicians and celebrities (I have had dinner next to senators, U.S. rep’s, the governor, TV news anchors, etc.) More a restaurant than a bar, they serve great steaks and prime rib, daily dinner and lunch specials, and the best fish boil (a Wisconsin tradition) outside of Door County. On weekends they serve a great brunch with egg specials, and the finest waffles in town. Note: the brunch service is slow, so don’t go if you’re in a hurry, or better yet, bring grandma and the kids and spend some quality time with the family. Reservations recommended for dinner, 608 257 6877

Essen Haus is Madison’s favorite German beer hall. Complete with polka bands, dirndls and boots of beer. All the standard German fare is present, including spaetzle, sauerbraten, Wiener schnitzel, and fresh pretzels & mustard, and it’s all fabulous. Essen Haus is at 514 E. Wilson St. 608 255 4674. Reservations suggested.

El Pastor Mexican restaurant, located at 2010 S. Park St. is my favorite Madison Taqueria. With excellent tacos, tortas, enchiladas, burritos, chimichangas, and wonderful fajitas, it can be hard to choose. Also available are mexican beers and sodas, plus their recently opened full bar.



[This message has been edited by HigherFlyer (edited 08-03-2003).]

I travel through Madison on a regular basis.

I'm looking forward to your suggestions.

PS: seeing as you seem to know about Madison, I'm searching for a woman who has a small storefront on the SW or W side of Madison. She supposedly makes brats that are incredible. Ring a bell at all?

Hmmm. Doesn't sound familliar, but I'm intrigued.

More Madison Munchables…
Lao Laan Xang, at 1146 Williamson St. serves Asian food with a Laotian flavor. Madison’s most interesting curry dish IMHO is their Gang Galli, with elements of Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian cooking coming together in one dish.

White Horse Inn at 202 N. Henry St. serves some of Madison’s best steaks, chops, and game meats, and they are perpetually in Idine. I prefer their prime rib over any other in Mad Town. Reservations recommended, 608 255 9933

Monty's Blue Plate Diner at 2089 Atwood Ave. serves traditional diner favorites with a twist. My favorite was always the T.L.T. (tempeh, lettuce and tomato) sandwich with waffle fries and a cup of soup. The desert case here is possibly the best in Madison, with cakes, pies, tarts, cheesecakes, brownies, and a ‘Death by Chocolate’ that nearly lives up to it’s name!

Fyfe's Corner Bistro at 1344 E Washington Ave. is an upscale, eclectic restaurant and bar, serving Wisconsin favorites, with a style bordering on ‘California cuisine’. I love the broiled sea scallops, and the lobster with pasta and cream sauce. The steaks and chops are excellent too. Reservations recommended, 608 251 8700

Mother Fools Coffee House at 1101 Williamson St. is a funky coffeehouse in the tradition of beat poets and bohemian artists. Also an art gallery with changing monthly exhibits, including a graffiti mural on an outside wall, and a music venue attracting local to international artists, but the coffee’s the thing here. Their Mother Fools House Blend was once judged the ‘best brewed coffee in the known world’. Try the cold brewed iced coffee, and the vegan pastries!

Jenifer Street Market at 2038 Jenifer St. is a neighborhood grocery store, with great produce (much of it organic and locally grown), excellent butcher counter and deli, and a small hot lunch counter with soups salads and homestyle entrees made from ingredients in the store. I often go there for things like roast pork with mashed potatoes or rice, gravy, green beans, and a roll with butter, or sliced beef with scalloped potatoes, peas and pearl onions, and Italian bread with butter. Their bin of imported cheeses is also fantastic.

Wisconsin Farmer's Market happens every Saturday morning at the state capitol. You can find everything from small farm meats and cheeses to homegrown honey, from baked goods to edible plants, and it’s all made and grown in Wisconsin. Fantastic home made pies, sausages, jerky, and jams are just a few of the one of a kind, hand crafted food items I have found here.

In addition to HigherFlyer's suggestions, how about - excuse spelling -
The Curve
SaBaiThong
Bahn Thai
WilsonStGrill
Saigon (RIP)
La Paella-Tapas place on S Fish Hatchery
L'Etoile
Imperial Garden -E & W
And many more! MadCity is probably the best restaurant town of its size around. Enjoy!
GO BADGERS!


[This message has been edited by knowitall (edited 08-14-2003).]

a potential place in Madison I read about:

http://citypages.com/databank/24/1187/article11477.asp

Wow! How could I have forgotten to mention Bandung!?! This is undeniably the best indonesian restaurant I have been to in the US. Amsterdam has a few that are excellent, but Bandung is just as good. I love their homemade tempeh, and the sate is unrivalled in my opinion. Try the Empek-Empek (pronounced empay empay). It's a sweet fish cake with rice. MMMMMM!

Imperial Garden??? The others are good, but Imperial Garden is Scary!

I've eaten at and enjoyed some of the places mentioned and hope to try the others. My last visit to the Laotian place I didn't order the dish I had the first time and it wasn't as good as I expected from first visit.

There was an excellent coffee shop that roasted their own beans. It may have had more than one location and it participated in Idine. Really good strong coffee sweetened with honey.

It was called Ancora. They had several locations around madison. Don't know if they still exist

Essen Haus is really, really bad. I'll go there for beer, but don't like to eat there.

They're still there as of August.

Wonders Pub @ 1980 Atwood Ave. has some great dinner specials. Mondays it's 25 cent wings! Fairly standard hot wings, but for 25 cents, they're fantastic. Blue cheese & celery are extra. (First monday of the month is Irish night, & the special is corned beef & cabbage) Tuesday it's $5 pizzas. Wednesdays it's fried chicken or fish. Thursday is chef's choice. Friday is their fish fry with beer battered cod, and an incredible seafood chowder. Saturday is $1.25 1/4lb burgers, served plain. Cheese, letuce, etc. cost extra, but not much. Fries & a beer with a fully loaded burger is still under $6. For lunch anyday, try their 1/3lb burgers. Most days there is a soup & sandwich special. This week I had a corned beef sandwich with a great creamy potato / bean soup for $4.50. If I'm in town on a Monday or Friday, unless it's a special occaision you'll probably see me here for dinner.
*Edited to fix the address.*

[This message has been edited by HigherFlyer (edited Mar 21, 2004).]

These are probably all gone now ( ), but the Plaza Inn, home of the Plaza Burger, was always a big fave of mine!

Also, the IHOP on campus.

Also, that vegetarian Afghan restaurant on State Street.

We had terrific bbq at Famous Daves this summer.