Saved by The Market Basket

Living five blocks from my state's capital sure has its perks.  The capital square is event central and I love being in the thick of things.  The downside however, is the lack of affordable groceries close by.  So, my grocery shopping didn't go as planned today and has been hereby postponed until tomorrow.

That however doesn't solve the issue of having no food for tonight.

Solution:  I found a lone pork chop in the freezer that I grilled up with a little salt, pepper, and coriander.  I ate it with BBQ sauce.....

It was food.  For me anyways, but when the hubby got home from work it was a different story and like many nights before we found ourselves being saved by The Market Basket.   

Located on East Mifflin St. near the capital The Market Basket is a small grocery store that has all the necessities for the off campus college crowd.  It is similar to a convenience store or an open pantry, but has much more of a neighborhood feel.  So, after a walk to the capital to check out the mobs of protesters we headed down to get Mr. Low some dinner.  We ended up getting soup for his dinner. We also got butter so I can make popcorn, donuts for breakfast in the morning and a Diet Pepsi.

For any college students east of the capital that don't know about this place make sure you check it out.  It's a bit pricey, but super convenient and will save you in a bind.  They're open until 11pm which  is of course awesome and the people that work there are always friendly.  $5 minimum to use a credit card though, so keep that in mind. 

Some necessities they carry:

Milk

Eggs

Fresh fruit and veggies

Tampons

Toilet Paper

Snacks

and the most important necessity .. Wine :)

Happy Shopping!

Madison's Best Late Night Pizza!

Ian's, I dub you, best late night pizza in Madison. Open until bar time, Ian's gives the University crowd the fourth meal fix they need after a Thirsty Thursday kind of day. Offering pizza by the slice covered in any topping you could think of, Ian's caters to all pizza lovers.

In the picture above you can see me chowing down on a slice of taco pizza...mmmmm (Picture taken by my brother-in-law Adam Roskom, check out his photography!). Taco pizza! you say? Sounds crazy, but that's a normal slice compared to others they serve. Ian's has a large variety of specialty pizzas and seems to have something new every time I stop by.

They are best known for their mac-n-cheese pizza, which is covered in elbow macaroni and lots of good Wisconsin cheese. My husband's favorite is the BBQ steak and fries pizza. Yes, I said fries on pizza. Yum! You can also find, chicken pot pie pizza, Chili Cheese Frito pizza, gyro pizza, and so much more. All are seasoned perfectly and the crust is amazing. It is soft, but crispy and there's just enough of it.

The atmosphere at Ian's is great too. Chill for a quick lunch in the afternoon, and rowdy on a Saturday night. Prepare to wait in line for a bit if you get there around 1am on a weekend as it will be full of college students looking for an after midnight snack. In Madison there are two locations, one on Frances St. and one on State. I prefer the State St. location myself as it tends to be a little less crowded.

Whether you're a college kid, or not, Ian's offers a fun and tasty meal. Next time you're in town for say a Badger game, farmers market, or stroll around town, make sure you stop and have a slice!