Best Coffee in Town…and Delicious Crepes!

There are so many coffee shops in downtown Madison, but I think I have found the best.  Many of you may know about it already, and I have for a while as well, but have finally found the time to write about it and am so excited to share it with you.  Bradbury’s on N. Hamilton St. has by far the best coffee I’ve had in this city.

Now, let me tell you, I am not really a basic coffee drinker.  I usually get the specialty drinks, like lattes and mochas.  I also drink regular coffee with some delicious creamer in it, but I have to say Bradbury’s pour over coffee goes down so smoothly and tastes amazing with nothing added to it! 

The first time I visited Bradbury’s I had a latte, and I remember wondering, “What’s taking so long?” but when it arrived, I realized it was made with such care, and the flavor and warmth made up for the wait.
At other coffee shops I usually end up getting flavorings in my lattes, but here it is completely unnecessary.  There is a perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness, and it has thick foam that is so yummy I would get coffee here everyday if I had the time and money.

Bradbury’s also serves crepes (for some reason I can’t figure out how to put the accent on the “e”).  They use local, fresh, seasonal ingredients and they are amazing.  I grew up eating crepes a lot.  It was kind of a tradition on my dad’s side of the family, but we would always make dessert crepes and have them for breakfast.  They were filled with fruits, sour cream, brown sugar, whipped cream, etc.  However, I had never had a savory crepe until I had this at Bradbury’s…

This is a ratatouille crepe WITH a dippy egg!!  Mmmmm!  It was so surprisingly good and it was a lot of fun to watch them make the crepes too.

The only complaint I have about Bradbury’s, and some may argue with me on this, is that it is the hole in the wall of all holes in the wall.  It is tiny.

This wouldn’t be so bad, except for the fact the food and coffee is amazing and so there is often a line that extends out the door, and sometimes you may find yourself with nowhere to sit.  On cold Wisconsin days this is especially annoying because of cold air constantly coming in from outside.  Here is a picture of seriously the entire café (ok, it does the accent automatically on café, but not on crepe, hrmph) including the kitchen area, and as you can see it is definitely a tight squeeze.
Overall though, best coffee and one of my top picks for breakfast.

Insider Tip: So busy on the weekends...

Lazy Jane's Cafe

Located on well-known Williamson St. in a very eclectic neighborhood, Lazy Jane's Cafe offers up the homiest eating experience in Madison that I know of.  The cafe is basically a house that was simply converted into a communal eating space by eliminating some walls, adding some more furniture, and creating an ordering/serving area in the entryway.  The kitchen doesn't even seem to be very accommodating for the business they bring in; and I'm always amazed at how they can pump so much good food out of it.  This neighborhood favorite compiles homey furniture, cozy seating, and a mish-mosh of dinnerware to give guests a lovely home-away-from-home experience.

Let's not forget about the food here.  They have a great cafe menu with plenty of options and its a great place to grab lunch during the week, but my favorite time to go to Lazy Jane's Cafe is on Saturday mornings.  On Saturdays the cafe only serves breakfast which at any other restaurant would turn me off (due to my issues with eggs, and recent vegetarianism).  Fortunately, this place has some great surprises on their menu.  The last time I went, here's what I had.

Seitan Hash and Tomato Bisque

Tanya had the Biscuits and Gravy and Melon Soup.

It was all delicious as always, but I was really impressed by how good they made the seitan taste.  It was my first time every having it and it tasted just like any other breakfast sausage or meat (maybe a little spicier, but I didn't mind).

The tomato soup was incredible as well.  There were huge chunks of tomato in it and it was really creamy and seasoned well.

The melon soup was almost like a juice, and was surprisingly refreshing and palate cleansing.

Tanya said the biscuits and gravy were great and I trust her opinion :).  They looked amazing.

Lazy Jane's is one of those neighborhood places where you can tell they put so much love into the cafe and into the food.  It is incredibly inviting, cozy, and delicious; and the staff is fun and friendly.  I recommend Lazy Jane's all the time for visitors looking for a good local place for breakfast or lunch, and I'm recommending it to you now.  Check it out.  You won't be disappointed.

Check out their Yelp page here for more info.

Insider Tip:  The cafe is cash only, but they have an ATM inside.  Get there early on Saturdays to beat the rush for breakfast or go for a late brunch.  If you go later though, you may miss out.  They run out of some dishes quickly.

Breakfast Tradition

Whenever these are made or talked about in our family, the reaction of outsiders is usually, "Ewwww" or "Wait, what did you say?"  These -- my friends -- are Cottage Cheese Pancakes and boy are they delicious!

Ingredients

4 eggs

1/2 cup of flour ( I used whole wheat flour)

1/4 stick melted butter

1 cup cottage cheese

pinch of salt

 

Easy huh?  Combine all the ingredients and there's your batter!  There's debate in the family of what toppings are the best.  My favorite is the traditional maple syrup.

Other Toppings that are just as delicious:

Powdered Sugar

Cinnamon Sugar

Any mix of the three

Take a chance on these.  They might sound gross at first, but I promise, everyone who was skeptical has ended up loving them.

Enjoy!