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Last updated Spring 2024

MADISON, WI

My beloved college town whose culinary scene follows its agrarian heartbeat.

★ - All-time favorite / ✸ - Changing menu / Must-orders are bolded

  • If you ask me where to eat in Madison, I’ll always send you here. Chef Sean is a master of the seasonal menu (and a James Beard Nominee!). They moved from their intimate original location to much a bigger, elevated space in June 2024.

    ✸ Order notes: The biscuit, cauliflower, and duck frites are the only items I have had on their new menu since they changed locations. 

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  • There are good sandwiches and then there’s Casetta. I never had one that compared during my four months in Italy. I also worked here during my last semester of college!

    Order notes: Turkey, Paradigm, or Hoboken on focaccia, pasta fagioli, chocolate chip cookie.

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  • A fantastic cafe with a mom-and-pop-shop feel in the Tenney-Lapham neighborhood.

    Order notes: Sunday morning breakfast sandwich, regular breakfast sandwich, tuna melt.

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  • An authentic, homey Chinese restaurant inspired by the small alleys of Beijing.

    Order notes: Tofu skin salad, cucumber salad, garlic green beans, potstickers, scallion pancake, lamb skewers, beef bone noodle soup, dan dan noodles.

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  • The poster child of local, farm-to-table dining. They’re known for their pork-based dishes but their menu goes far beyond the pig.

    ✸ Order notes: Charcuterie, assorted deviled eggs, crisp pork belly and blackfin tuna, monkfish tom kha.

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  • The best burger and cheese curds in Madison, brought to you by the owners of Mint Mark.

    Order notes: Hank burger, fried chicken sandwich, waffle fries, cheese curds.

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  • The best quality baked goods in the city and the most enthusiastic staff.

    Order notes: Country sourdough, cinnamon roll, gingersnap cookie, croissant egg sandwich.

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  • My favorite Peruvian food - period. You might see every frat boy you know here, but it’s worth it.

    Order notes: Pollo tropical con arroz con cilantro.

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  • An upbeat French bistro that holds a special place in my heart. Any occasion justifies a trip to Sardine, even if you’re Bernie Sanders, who I once saw there.

    Order notes: Brunch - Fine herbes and gruyère omelet, Belgian waffle, croissant. Dinner - Warm monte-chevre goat cheese, moules frites, French onion soup, house-cured salmon, steak frites.

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  • A charming, refined pub on Capitol Square serving solid Wisconsin classics.

    Order notes: Cheese curds, sweet corn caesar, fig and prosciutto salad, Cooper’s burger, chicken sandwich.

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  • A beloved Vietnamese and Thai restaurant with impossible-to-miss neon green and orange walls.

    Order notes: Panang curry, chicken satay, pad see ew.

    Website

  • A true reflection of Midwestern culinary excellence with 2023 James Beard award-winning chefs Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger at the helm.

    ✸ Order notes: Deviled eggs, monkfish, pappardelle bolognese, driftless organic beets.

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  • A vibey dive that turns simple bar food into quality dishes.

    Order notes: Good idea, prit’ near.

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  • James Beard-awarded Chef Tory Miller is a famous name in this town and for good reason. Graze is his more casual restaurant, which fuses his Koren-American heritage with regional fare and a stunning view of the capitol.

    Order notes: Brunch - Korean fried chicken honey biscuit, Belgian waffle. Dinner - Bread & spread, dolsot bibimbap, chiocciole alla vodka.

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  • A Willy Street bakery and cafe whose bread can be found in many Madison restaurants.

    Order notes: Pain au raisin, classic breakfast sandwich, chocolate espresso cake.

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  • A sophisticated riff on Wisconsin’s historic supper clubs. Here you’ll find elevated midwestern cuisine and creative interior like a refurbished train car and fully open kitchen. 

    Order notes: Sizzling shrimp de Jonge, Harvey’s chopped wedge, slow-cooked salmon, walleye filet-o-fish sandwich.

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  • The line might wrap around the restaurant, but the pancakes are worth the wait, even for a waffle person like me. 

    Order notes: Buttermilk stack, breakfast sandwich, breakfast potatoes.

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  • Most recognizable for its giant ivory shell that you can dine in, this is the spot for seafood in Madison. 

    Order notes: Shrimp cocktail, scallops, arugula chèvre, ono, fish & chips, double-cut pork chop. 

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  • Great Italian food with a beautiful interior and an A+ playlist in the Atwood neighborhood.

    Order notes: Antipasti board, 8 finger cavatelli, rigatoni alla bolognese, cannolo.

    Website / Instagram