I visited from out of town for lunch recently, and this was easily my favorite meal of the trip! We…read morewere looking for a casual stop with delicious food, and this fit the bill perfectly. It was pretty busy at lunch time on a weekend, but luckily we were able to snag seats at the bar. The staff were very friendly and attentive, kindly offering recommendations. I loved that the menu offered both elevated takes on classic dishes in addition to a rotating seasonal menu. Eventually, we decided on the kimchi reuben and the Vindicator, which was essentially a turkey club. There was a great selection of sides to choose from as well, so we went with the wasabi green beans and seasonal lemon zucchini pasta salad. The turkey club was served on sourdough from an amazing artisan bakery down the street, and was absolutely stacked with delicious, high quality ingredients. A large slab of melted cheddar paired perfectly with a smoky chipotle aioli, which almost tasted like bacon. The reuben was also super unique- all of the flavors came together very well, and I loved the contrast of having refreshing kimchi to cut through the decadent Swiss and pastrami. The pasta salad was dangerously addictive and had the creamiest lemon Parmesan dressing. I thought the green beans were crunchy and well cooked, but didn't really taste any wasabi. We left full with leftovers, and felt that the value was great given the quality and quantity of the dishes. I would absolutely be back given the chance, and highly recommend paying a visit!

LAVENDER HAZE ooooo so good! Great spot on the Eastside for dinner & a fantastic cocktail. Such a…read moregroovy spot, love the atmosphere there with all the beautiful wood work. Truly friendly people just enjoying life!

This is a nice supper club that is away from downtown and has parking. We were sat in their main…read moredining room but apparently theirs an upstairs I don't know if that is for parties or the public though and then the have a large bar area. The area is very moody lighting and even has small lamps on each table. Our server and staff were great and everything came out timely. We got an old fashioned and a sangria. The sangria is strong but you won't know it until you stand up. We started with the cheese puppies and they had a fantastic pull to them. Some of the best version of cheese curds I've had in a while. My husband and I both had salads and the bowl was too small for the salad but it was a decent salad I do wish the cheese was sprinkled on top as it ended up going to the bottom of the bowl. For an entree I had steak frites. Fries were solid and the cooking of the steak was good with the charcoal but it didn't have much flavor. The chard on the side was also good considering I've never had it. For dessert we had the valentine special chocolate cake and again it was good but nothing super special. We didn't stick around the bar too long but enough to get a winning pull tab. I would come back for the bar tenders they seemed chill.

So the two stars are for excellent full service at the bar and one rather good appetizer…read more Everything else gets a zero their "Ancho margarita stereo" with ancho chili liqueur suggests a spicy margarita. It is not. It is rock candy flavored with agave. It was sweeter than my wife's rail Margarita on the rocks with salt. Their French onion soup is arguably the worst I've ever had. Flavorless. Slightly warmer than room temperature and the cheese was barely melted yet alone browned. Their appetizer of pork belly Fundido was the best option of the evening. Flavorful delicious and filling it was fantastic. However, the $40 pork chop entrée was unpalatable. Describe as a pork chop topped with a strawberry barbecue sauce. The sauce had no strawberry flavor. The pork chop can hardly be described as a grilled pork chop and is better described as a salt brine soaked Virginia ham warmed topped with watered down sweet baby rays barbecue sauce. Honestly. You could take this cut of meat, put it in a wooden box in the woods and use it as a salt lick stand during deer season. It was disgusting as much as it was dehydrating. The accompanying mac and cheese was basically Kraft dinner topped with panko. The highlight was the summer squash and that's saying a lot as it was nothing special and for crying out loud-it's squash. My wife and I could not stomach finishing more than half the entree between us and left. I repeat. The servers at the bar were great. But nearly everything brought in front of us disappointed.

We have eaten here several times. It quickly became one of our 2 go-to restaurants when we wanted…read morereally good food wrapped up in an excellent dining experience. We went there 3 days ago and were very disappointed. The food's still good, but the service was terrible. The waitress was very nice and apologized for the slow service and said that they had more business than expected on a Thursday night. Ok, that happens. Our entrees were brought out. I was given my wife's and she received mine - no big deal but a harbinger of things to come. We ordered a small plate as an appetizer to have with our cocktails. We were half-way through our entrees when I had to ask about it. The staff didn't seem to be particularly concerned that we had our entrees half eaten and had to ask about our small plate. It finally came, by which point we didn't really want it. We left and went to Sardine for a glass of wine where the service and food are unfailingly top notch. I'm not saying I won't go back, but it is no longer on my 'go-to' list because it has now become unpredictable. It's too expensive for that.

What a great place. A stellar chef driven menu (using the spices that are sold by the Delicouser),…read moregreat wine and cocktail menu and great service. While the dining room doesn't lend itself to a romantic evening (bar overlooking the kitchen, a few high tops and communal long tables), the rest of the experience is top notch. I stopped In for lunch and ordered the ginger fried chicken. A savory flavor bomb, the chicken was perfectly fried and moist and the brioche bun outstanding. I loved the chili crisp mayo along with the house made pickles. I was stuffed but the housemade malt gelato and brioche ice cream sammy called my name. Yes, it was rich. True, it was decadent. Valid, tons of calories. But....so so good. A must try in the land of landscape of very non-original restaurantsrestaurants that seem to be popping up in Madison.

You might be in trouble! If you are looking to kick a bad habit and need a new one to cling to,…read morethis could be it! Lala's Nuts makes small batches of delicious nuts right here in Madison. Today I sampled: Sugar N' Spice Pecans= sweet with a crunchy topping. Not so sweet your teeth hurt. (Same flavor with walnuts- either delicious with a cocktail, perhaps we could pair with a good beer, or a savory dish involving southern greens to go with the southern nuts) Bodacious Bourbon Walnuts: Ultimate favorite. Melt in your mouth, bourbon flavor you can taste with brown sugar lingering on your tongue. I might trade a limb for a bag of these. ( They also have the same flavor with Pecans, but I love the walnuts all the way.) Rumor has it Lala's has some new savory nuts on the way. I'll be the first in line. Move over squirrels. These nuts are mine.

I am a big fan of dark chocolate, and this store is all dark chocolate, so it was perfect for me!…read moreIt's a small shop but they have a good variety of options including prepackaged items and fresh truffles, some of which are seasonal and some are year round. They also have a window where you can see the chocolate factory! They offered free samples of a jelly filled chocolate, which was tasty! The quality of the chocolate is very high and worth the price, in my opinion. I asked the employee for her recommendations and she was very helpful with that, as well as with explaining what some of the flavors were. There is also a list on the wall that explains their flavors in detail, and that list comes with each box as well. I opted for the machu picchu which is a year round flavor and the blood orange caramel, which is seasonal. These chocolates are just so tasty and I really recommend this place for a quick chocolate fix, and they'd also make great gifts!

Top tier crafted chocolates. The brandy hearts are my new favorite, my wife pulls to the curries. I…read morelove them all. I order chocolate from all over the usa, but while the best compete with gail, none exceeds her mark.

I'd never been inside a Kwik Trip before, but my Wisconsin co-worker mates always talked about…read more"going to Kwik Trip to grab some lunch", and I wondered why they would choose to eat gas station food. Now I get it! I was road tripping near Wisconsin Dells last week and decided to check out a Kwik Trip, and was very impressed. They sell real food, like fresh fruits and vegetables, boxed meals- like fried chicken, sandwiches that looked fresh, not like the weird plastic triangle boxed sandwiches you find in vending machines or in gas station coolers. There were plenty of fresh, healthy options. And loads of donuts! They seem to sell a line of donuts, or similar bakery items, that looked fab but I didn't cave. I was really tempted to try the blueberry donuts, but I definitely couldn't buy a full box of six. I wish they sold them individually. The checker was super nice, very welcoming. Speedy service, no wait.

We were in town for the weekend and stumbled upon the Herbiery as we were brewery hoping. It was so…read morecute and so delicious! The ambiance is absolutely adorable, inviting, and full of character from the moment you walk in. I love all of the local community art displayed all around! The staff person was very friendly and helpful, without being overbearing. I sampled the Zingibeer and Great Sage and loved them both. I ended up getting the Zingibeer to drink at the brewery and the Great Sage as a six pack to take home. I'd highly recommend both! My husband got the Under the Tree Amber ale and he loved it! He thought the flavors were complex, hoppy, and caramelly . Yum! We appreciated the quiet environment for small chat and reading. A great place to go for hangout and friend time! Prices were also very reasonable! We loved our experience at Herbiery and we will definitely stop by the next time we are in town from Chicago!

My wife found this place from a friend and we decided to go on opening day. Glad we did! I enjoy…read morehops but this is a unique no hops taproom. They have very interesting beers and well worth a try. The vibe is fun and it was hopping since it opened. Can't wait to come back.

Cute casual spot for Mexican. The mole was especially good and authentic. Portions were…read morebig--definitely good value for the price. Staff were so friendly. Will be back!

Nice little locally run Mexican restaurant in Madison. Probably about 9 tables total inside and 3…read moreoutside tables. The booth tables have beautiful carvings under a lacquered finish. Wait staff are always friendly and prompt to bring menus, chips and salsa and to take orders. This was our second trip and I decided to try the mole enchiladas, which they called Enmoladas. I chose chicken for the filling. They were amazing! Some of the best mole I've had in a long time. Absolutely recommend you try this spot.

My group was looking for a nice, unique spot to round out a memorable trip to Madison, and Mint…read moreMark perfectly fit the bill. From start to end, we could not have asked for a better experience! The interior was super cute and gave Golden Girls vibes. They didn't take reservations, so most times you can expect a wait. We waited an hour but didn't mind, as we simply hung out at the fantastic cocktail bar upstairs (looking at you, The Perch!). They specialize in small plates, so I recommend coming hungry with a group so you can try as many dishes as possible. We split the biscuit, cauliflower, charred cabbage, calamarata, rigatoni, mortadella pizzetta, and Berkshire pork chops. All of the plates arrived as they were ready, so everything was very fresh. The biscuit was super buttery and an absolute must-order! I loved the unique sweet and savory combination from the garlic butter and honey. The cauliflower had a savory sauce that was perfectly rounded out by sweet raisins and crispy cheese. The cabbage was slightly crispy and served atop a smoky, creamy dip that reminded me of muhamarra. I would highly recommend both! Next, we tried the pizzetta, which had a thin, crispy Neapolitan style crust that made the dish not too heavy. With high quality mortadella contrasted by a honey drizzle and crunchy pistachios, this was truly an ideal pizza for me. The tomato sauce was one of the most flavorful I've had in awhile. The rigatoni was well cooked and liked, but given the stardom of the other dishes, fell a bit flat comparatively. The only miss for us was the calamarata pasta. It was extremely briny from the minced olives and had a super sharp cheese in the sauce that left a very strong, unpleasant aftertaste. I think this would take a specific palette to enjoy. It wasn't enough to ruin the meal for us overall, though, since everything else was amazing. We rounded out the meal with the pork chops and frites, which was decidedly the highlight. The pork was among the most tender I've ever had, and was perfectly complemented by a flavorful cherry sauce that didn't overwhelm the meat. The fries were also super crispy and addictive. We left absolutely stuffed and in high spirits, unanimously deciding that this was one of the best meals we've had in recent history. I highly recommend paying a visit and would absolutely return next time I'm in Madison!

We sat out on the patio at Mint Mark and had a really great time. The menu changes quite frequently…read morewith a few standard staples. The staff was friendly and did a great job answering all of our questions. Loved the chips and French onion dip - a must try! The We also got the mafaldine pasta (not pictured) and a pizzetta. I didn't love the taste of these as much. Not the place to go if there are picky eaters in the group.

After waiting weeks for a response to my inquiry on catering.....Someone finally reached out to me…read moreon June 1, via email, asking when they can reach out on June 1 or June 2, I responded with one word " anytime". To date , June 10 I have not heard back either with a phone call or email. This is the absolutely the worst experience I have ever had with any catering business. How awful and unprofessional!!!!

Used Pollen & Platter to cater our work lunch and everything tasted great. They were able to…read moreaccommodate our request for about 30 people with only a week's notice and were very affordable. Would definitely recommend the chicken lunch burritos and beef tips, P&P salad, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and Gramma's slaw!