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...

Caught off guard and regretting my response.

Today while spending some “me time” around the square doing crossword puzzles, drinking iced tea, etc.  Two women approached me asking me what restaurants are good in the area.  I reply with, “What kind of food do you want to eat?”  and they respond, “Healthy, vegetarian.”  I say, “Oh, ok, I’m a vegetarian too,” and I start to name a couple of my favorite restaurants around the capital square, I eventually send them off to The Capital Taphaus on State St.  They have a pretty good vegetarian sandwich.  They thank me and head on their way.

I was really caught off guard with this inquiry and as I walked home I knew there was a place I had forgotten about.  I thought and thought and halfway home it hit me.  The Great Dane Pub and Brewery.  AHHHH.  I wanted to run all the way back and find those ladies and send them to The Great Dane!  I have a food blog for crying out loud!  How could I not blurt this out immediately??  I blame downtown Madison for having so many restaurants.

So I think it’s time I let you all in on some amazing food and beer.

The Great Dane Pub and Brewery is one of our go-to places around here.  They have a diverse menu with a good amount of vegetarian options including pizzas, amazing mac and cheese, falafel, a veggie burrito, and more.  They also have great burgers, fish and chips, and lots of Sconnie favorites.

But the best Sconnie favorite that they have there is their beer! The Great Dane is a brewery and their beer is very very good.  Being a light-beer drinker I usually stick to the Landmark Light and the Crop Circle Wheat, but no matter what kind of beer you like they have a delicious option for you.

My only gripe about this place is their selection of side items.  I only get the fries there because all the other sides I have tried including their coleslaw and cous cous have been majorly disappointing. 
Other than that though, the rest of the food, the atmosphere, and the service are great.

I apologize to the women that I sent to the Taphaus, hopefully they still have a good lunch and a nice time there.  It is a great place, but The Great Dane would have definitely been a better choice for them.  I will not make this mistake again! : )

Insider Tip:  Sometimes this place gets crowded, so if you’re just going there for drinks, there is a Rathskellar with its own bar downstairs that a lot of people don’t know about.  I always seem to find seating down there.

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.

I scream, You scream, We all scream for Gelato??

It’s that time of year again.  When its just too hot and you need an icy treat to cool your blood.  Head to Paciugo if you’re looking to feed your ice cream cravings.

Everyone will yell at me for saying that though.


It’s Gelato, not ice cream!

But really, who cares because it’s just darn delicious. 

This place boasts an enormous selection of gelato flavors including milk based, water based, soy based, and no-sugar-added options.  Every time I have been there, they have a new flavor(sometimes several new ones).

Not sure what to get?  No problem!  Taste as many flavors as you want before you make a decision. 

Still can’t decide?  That’s ok too.  In their small dish you can get a mix of up to 3 flavors.  Today, I had Cinnamon Coconut, Black Cherry Swirl, and Crème Caramel.  In a medium dish you can get up to 4 flavors, and up to 5 in a large.

To make it even better it’s served to you with a sample spoon, which is very small, and makes you take smaller bites and enjoy the gelato that much longer and that much more.

Located right on the corner of State St. and Gorham this is the perfect place to grab dessert after a dinner downtown.

Picture from here

Insider Tip: you think you can eat more than you really can ;)

Livin’ the Veggie Life.

I think its been almost 3 weeks since I last ate meat!  I feel great about myself and proud that I have kept it up.  I actually haven't craved any meat or been tempted by my husbands steak dinners and hamburgers!  

What I have noticed so far.

1.  I feel better about myself as a person.  I started going vegetarian because of where most of our meat comes from and because of how the animals are treated in these places.  It is also kind of disgusting to me how much meat we eat in the US and I just wanted to do my part in helping these animals and get myself into a more healthy and whole diet.

I know most people don’t want to know what goes on in the slaughterhouses and chicken farms, but I don’t really understand why?  Because they know its bad?  Because they feel bad?  If you’re curious please watch this.  Even if you’re not curious you should just watch it to be informed about where your meat actually comes from.

2.  When I eat a vegetarian meal I feel satisfied, but I don’t feel as full, if that makes sense.  When I was eating meat I always felt soooo full after a meal, but now I can eat a meal and feel full, but feel better about it.  It’s like I got enough food in me and that food was much better for me, but my stomach isn’t bursting.  I attribute this to my increased fiber intake.

3.  Vegetarian dishes are amazingly delicious.  I’ve had a few at restaurants, but have also played with some at home (sorry I don’t have pics, I’ve been really busy). 

Last week I made a mushroom burger.  I took the caps of two portabella mushrooms, grilled them up and then put a little pepper jack cheese in between them and then ate it on a bun with all of the normal hamburger fixings.  It was so delicious, and didn’t taste much different from a hamburger except it was a little messier and the texture was obviously different.  Actually, I thought it was better than a hamburger, and when I was done eating it I felt so good.  Again, not too full but satisfied.

4.  I’ve been losing weight.  Not a whole lot yet, as I’m still transitioning to a point and haven’t had time to keep up with exercising, but the new diet keeps me fuller longer and keeps me from snacking.  Plus, when I feel good about my eating decisions I want to keep doing it because of these feelings, so I have some motivation.

5.  My husband loves it and is totally supporting me.  He still eats meat, but told me that he really likes what I’m doing and it just helps so much to have his love and support.  He offered to try Tofu with me and everything and has liked a lot of the things I’ve made so far.  A lot of times we will make something, like the hamburgers for example, and I will just use a vegetable instead of the protein he is using.

He also has been making better decisions, like switching to whole wheat bread!  I love him and love that he is taking my diet shift so well.

So, even though I will have to pass on a lot of things I’ve loved in the past like Wisconsin brats I am more happy with this diet. I feel better about myself from a moral perspective and feel better physically.  I can’t wait to continue this and see where it takes me.
I have tried a few recipes so far, but am still taking any suggestions for vegetarian dishes.  I can never have too many!

Today’s Lunch

In an attempt to lead a more vegetarian lifestyle, today for lunch I had oatmeal that I cooked using soy milk.  I added some ground flax seed and put fresh blueberries (that were frozen in my freezer – so maybe they’re technically frozen blueberries) and a little bit of brown sugar on top.

I used Silk soy milk, the vanilla kind.  What I realized is the vanilla flavor is pretty sweet so I didn’t have to add much brown sugar, if any.  It was very delicious and it felt awesome to eat something using no animal products!

I’m on the hunt for tasty vegetarian/vegan recipes, so if you have some, please post them below so I can try them out.  I’m very excited to take this step away from meat.  I can’t wait to be healthy, full of energy, and feeling good.

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!

Tacos Anyone? Tex Tubbs vs. Los Gemelos

Wow, Madison has some amazing taco joints.  Recently AJ and I brought home Tex Tubbs Tacos from Tex Tubbs on Atwood Ave.  A few days after that I ate lunch at Los Gemelos on State St.  I heard they had great tacos so I had to check it out; and I thought I could write a comparison post, so here it is.

Tex Tubbs

I didn't get the tacos -- AJ did and brought them home, so I didn't get to see the inside of this place.  However I do know someone that works there and I've heard their decor is pretty fun and I know they have good drink specials.

Their menu is really cool and includes tacos that you probably wouldn't see at a more authentic Mexican joint.  We ordered two each of the Carne Asada taco (on the left) and the Derby Bird (on the right).
    
On the Carne Asada there is: Carne asada, cabbage slaw, jack cheese, pico de gallo, and sour cream
On the Derby Bird you get: Honey-bourbon glazed chicken, fresh corn salsa, lettuce, and sour cream
Both of these tacos were tasty and I thought they used classic and delicious toppings.  Each taco was able to stand out on its own because of their different toppings though.  The Derby Bird had a sweet factor because of the honey-bourbon glaze and the corn salsa, whereas the carne asada was more classic in taste.  I will definitely go back to try more and find my favorite.

Los Gemelos

In contrast to Tex Tubbs, Los Gemelos is definitely more authentic.  However, their restaurant could use a little work on the inside.  Currently it is a weird mix of sit down and to-go style.  I wanted to take a break so I ate there and it felt like I was at Taco Bell or something, but with mariachi music playing and an oddly placed bar.

I also think they would benefit from switching their entrance and exit doors.  This sounds silly and trivial, but I expected to walk in and be at the counter to order, but instead the entrance is at the end of the serving counter and I had to backtrack in order to meet the hostess and get a table.  Moving the doors around would make for a better grab and go taco joint because you can walk in, order, pay and move down to the end to get your food.  (I'm picturing the Starbucks flow in my head).  Their location on State St. and their great prices are great for this too.  It's my new favorite for lunch.

The service was good, but just felt a little awkward because (like I mentioned) it didn't feel like a sit-down kind of place to begin with.  I got chips and salsa which was sweet, and though they do have a more elaborate menu containing the basics like enchiladas and such, I stuck to the tacos.  I ordered a pork taco and a chorizo taco.
 
These were both amazingly delicious.  However, I wasn't sure which was which at first as both had the same toppings of cilantro and lime.  It only took a bite of each to figure it out and I realized simple is simply delicious.  The cilantro and lime were all that was needed on these tacos.  The flavors in the meat exploded in my mouth and the pork was incredibly tender.  They give you some hot sauces too; one red, and one green.  I usually am a fan of hot sauce, but the tacos really didn't need anything else.  I tasted each of the sauces with a small bite of my taco, but didn't use them after that.

I will be going back here for sure, but definitely will get my tacos to-go.  The best part, second to the amazing food was the price.  Tacos are two dollars a pop bringing my lunch total to only $4.25 with tax.

Both of these taco joints offer delicious options.  I will go back to both, but recently I have been considering going a more vegetarian route with my diet.  I don’t remember seeing many if any vegetarian options at Los Gemelos.  However, Tex Tubbs offers 6 vegetarian options that sound very tasty.

Tex Tubbs also uses a lot of local ingredients which I try to support whenever possible. That, along with a more vegetarian menu will probably persuade me to go there more than Los Gemelos.  I only wish there was a Tex Tubbs on State…

Sausage Cassoulet

I made this for dinner on Tuesday night.  I've been trying to use more recipes when I cook, but its really hard when I don't have a lot of time for cooking or shopping.  Since I've been back in school I've really stuck to basic dinners that don't require a lot of ingredients, but are still tasty.  I've made this dish once before, but haven't had it in a while so I thought I would try it again.
Growing up we ate Kielbasa on many occasions.  Usually it was a quick dinner for us as a family and being a Sconnie girl, I loved it.  Simple sausage dinner; yummy with just the basic ketchup and mustard.  This recipe called Cassoulet in a Flash (which is actually a take on franks and beans, but I hate saying franks and beans) from the Family Circle Cookbook I own, gave me a way to use the kielbasa I love in a new way that's a little more "grown up."  The recipe is simple and it cooks fast -- good for me since I don't have a lot of time to cook.
Here are my ingredients

1lb kielbasa cut into 1/2 inch pieces ( I would actually cut them into smaller more bite-size pieces)
1 medium red onion cut into thin wedges
1 can white kidney/canelli beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can pork and beans in tomato sauce
1 clove garlic - chopped (I used 2)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon of dried thyme (Yum!)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
 
Cook the kielbasa on medium heat for about 4 minutes

Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 3 more minutes

Add the beans and the rest of the seasonings.
 
Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer 5-7 minutes until heated through.
Great German dish that reminds me of my childhood, but pleases my grown up palate. Yum!

As Promised...Campus Biryani

Now, before I get into the details of our dinner, I want to let everyone know about campusfood.com.  This site provides with a list of restaurants, their services, and their menus and allows you to order online through their site.  It's really convenient since you can find all the restaurants you want in one place.  You can save your address here too, so you don't have to always enter it for every delivery.  The only down side to this site is it tends to run kind of slow, especially when you try to get coupons.  

Anyways, the other night we ordered Campus Biryani gyros for delivery.  We have ordered from here once before and liked it enough to order again.  When we're looking for a quick delivery dinner we usually end up with pizza, burritos, or Chinese.  The great thing about Biryani is that it provides a good change from normal delivery or take out food.

When I entered the order on campusfood.com they gave an estimated wait time of 45 minutes.  The food ended up taking about an hour to get to us, which was disappointing to say the least.  The gyros came hot which was awesome, but the fries probably would have been better if we didn't get the delivery.  Since they sat in the Styrofoam container they got...I guess soggy(but not greasy) is the only way to describe it. They were seasoned really well, but were no longer crispy.

The gyro itself was good.  The meat was delicious and seasoned well, but I almost thought there was a little too much meat in comparison to the other toppings, especially the sauce!!!!  I love the usual cucumber sauce atop my gyro, but this gyro was definitely lacking.  The missing sauce ultimately led to the meat overpowering the dish.  If I were ordering again, I would ask for extra sauce for sure.

The last time we ordered from here, we also got an order of baklava.  It was greasy and tasteless!!  If a dessert is going to use that much butter it better taste good.  This we didn't even finish.

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!

Time to Shop!

We have barely any edible food in our house. Last night we ordered take-out from Campus Biryani, and it was an ok experience considering "campus" in the name. More to come on that later though. For now, it's time to go shopping so I can show you guys some of our home cooking. Stay tuned for some pics, recipes and a review of Campus Biryani!