OT: Madison, Wisconsin recs and insights?
Our daughter is headed to grad school in Madison. I’ve never been. We’ll be moving her in and staying for a couple of days to explore the town. I’m hearing it’s great, a lot like Ann Arbor. Any noteworthy attractions and places to eat? Hotel rec? Do they have their own Zingerman’s-style popular restaurant/cafe/bakery near campus that could be a reliable go-to for food? We may help her buy a house, so we’ll be trying to get a feel for neighborhoods around campus as well.
Tornado room is a an old school, great steakhouse. Sushi-red has great sushi and Eno Vino is a great, although pricey, tapas place located on the 10th floor of the AC Hotel which is a great place to stay and located a block off the square.
There is an observation deck on the upper portion of the capitol that allows you to see both Lake Menona and Lake Mendota. After that take a stroll or drive down to the Memorial Union, which is a lakeside outdoor seating area where you can grab a drink, or ice cream and relax.
if you’re there on a Saturday check out the farmers market which takes place on the square surrounding the capitol, or make the quick drive out to Verona and walk around Epic’s campus. I know it seems cheesy but it’s actually a cool place with many themed buildings.
Visited Madison for the first time a few years ago and the highlights were getting beer and chilling at the Union and the Farmer's Market (full disclosure: we had grandma and our 4 and 1 year olds with us). Found the food at most places to be pretty good and there were good food trucks on a street on campus (can't remember which one). If food trucks are your thing.
Logged in to say the farmers market.
Just prepare for it to ruin any mortal farmers market for the rest of your life.
I would second Tornado Room as a fantastic old school steakhouse. Like going back in time and the steaks are great.
That said, my favorite restaurant in Madison is Osteria Papavero. Some of the best authentic Italian food I've ever had and pretty moderately priced for the quality of the food. I'll be in Madison for a couple weeks in August and will probably go 3 or 4 times while I'm there.
Madison is great! I lived there for 2+ years, and it's my favorite Big Ten town. (Sorry, A2!)
- The absolute classic is to grab a bucket of beers at the Memorial Union Terrace, overlooking the lake at sunset. Sometimes they have live music or other things going on there as well.
- The Farmer's Market around the capital on Saturday mornings is a huge attraction as well.
- Madison is incredibly bike / running friendly, with paved paths around the lakes and all throughout the city. A fun way to get to know the area, if that's something you're into.
- The Old Fashioned on the square is an easy recommendation for visitors.
- I've heard that it's maybe not quite as great since the pandemic, but State Street is closed to most vehicular traffic. It's lined with fun stores.
- New Glarus beer is only available in Wisconsin. Bring back a case in your car ... or you can buy it post-security at MSN airport.
- If you're flying out of MSN on Monday, be prepared for crowds of affluent 20-somethings who all work for Epic Systems, just graduated college, are overworked and make a lot of money. I was once one of them.
New Glarus pro tip, don't get obsessed with Spotted Cow. It's good, but their more traditional Belgian beers are the thing to focus on if you want to understand the hype.
For my money, they also produce the best Octoberfest marzen in Staghorn (though obviously seasonal caveat applies).
We stayed a the AC Hotel. Ate at Eno Vino and The Coopers Tavern. The Memorial Union has a number of food options and great views of Lake Mendota.
There are parks everywhere, but I would suggest Orton Park, Tenney Park, and Yahara Place Park. You can rent kayaks from Tenney Park which has access to both sides of the ithsmus. I've also found parks to be the ideal place to chat up the locals when looking for a neighborhood to buy a house.
I grew up on Yahara Place Park! Our house is directly across from the basketball court where they set up the stage for the Waterfront Festival. Speaking of which, check event calendars to see if any of the summer festivals are going on while you are there. That's another quintessential Madison experience.
Parking in Madison is absolutely terrible. That's all I got.
Not true. There are plenty of ramps all around the downtown square. Street parking can be difficult in the evenings, but not that hard. I work in Madison and drive all over the city daily and never have a problem with parking.
I will never understand how posts like this are downvoted. Perhaps it's jealousy--one simply envious of your astute parking abilities?
Fishbowl at Wandos
Mickie’s Dairy Bar isn’t at all like Zingerman’s but it is Madison’s Zingerman’s. Ya dere hey?
Mickie’s seems more like a Fleetwood diner?
I would say The Curve is closer to Fleetwood Diner if you're looking for a greasy spoon. It's my go-to breakfast spot and is near the Villas/Bay Creek neighborhoods but it is a cash-only diner.
Mickey's Dairy Bar, not to be mistaken with Mickey's Tavern, has good large pancakes and milkshakes. It often has a line out the door on Saturday mornings but might not be as busy during the summer.
Madison is fine but it's extremely overrated, IMO - much like Ann Arbor is extremely overrated.
Not hating. I live in Ann Arbor. Just the truth.
Everyone aggressively fellates Madison like they do here and it's fine, it's just a mid-tier city and not the greatest thing on earth.
Zingermans is also good food. It is also vastly overrated.
What places top your list, because if Ann Arbor and Madison are "average" I'd like to know what great is.
New Orleans, Asheville, Savannah, LA, Portland have been my favorite US cities. Chattanooga is extremely underrated. Also really love and appreciate Detroit and hope it gets some density back.
Like I said Ann Arbor and Madison are fine, they are also culturally homogenous and not that interesting.
Madison is literally the least culturally homogeneous city in Wisconsin.
It's okay to just say you don't like college towns.
Los Angeles? You serious, Clark?
None of those are college towns
I spent a couple years living outside LA. It felt like a prison sentence. I can’t believe anyone who grew up in the Midwest willingly lives there 😂
From the Midwest...I'd like a word with you. Where we live in LA is the best place I've lived, and I've lived in a lot of places. Maybe not as nice as Wichita, but it's still very nice.
I’d definitely go back to Wichita before I went back to SoCal, but to each their own.
Well, I visited Wichita with my folks the summer before my senior year of high school. While the Flint Hills are pretty, my idea of a good place to live doesn't involve cruising the main drag on Saturday night like in American Graffiti. To each their own.
There must be something right about LA. A ton of Midwesterners live in my neighborhood, and I know a ton of people from Kansas. All love living here.
I don’t love everything Zingerman’s makes but the deli, deli grocery store, next door, next door’s gelato, roadhouse, roadshow to-go airstream, bake house and all the other storefronts out by the bake house makes for a pretty incredible operation. And they use top shelf ingredients, which they will disclose in detail upon request.
False. I have lived in the Madison area for over 20 years. I would leave the state of Wisconsin if I had to live anywhere else.
Join Hoofers at the Memorial Union. Go sailing on Lake Mendota.
Madison is pretty amazing. Went there in early October two years ago and I had never been. It reminds me of a cross between Ann Arbor and Boston. Great campus environment stuck on an isthmus between two spectacular lakes.
It probably won't be available if you're going on a busy move-in weekend but we got a great midweek deal on the Governor's Mansion Inn, which was the actual governor's residence at one point in the 1800s. Not many rooms but it's a really nice place and they have great tea and cookies. And it's right on the lake, walking distance to the Capitol and university. I would definitely recommend staying there if you ever go back for a visit midweek.
I would also recommend trying to find a spot to jump in the lake for a swim. And for some reason old fashioneds are a huge thing there and it seems like there are a lot of spots to get one. I can't exactly remember the name of the bakery place we went to for lunch one day but I think it was Madison Sourdough and their bread is incredible. They have a great arboretum in Madison too.
Madison is now in my top pantheon of college campuses/towns along with UCLA and Princeton. I found it much more difficult to hate Wisconsin teams after my visit there hah.
Greenbush Bakery on Regent Street is close to campus. Green Owl Cafe is a great vegetarian/vegan option with outside seating. I'll underline how wonderful the farmer's market is and Michelangelo's Coffee Shop by the capitol is nice. As are any of the Collectivo shops around the city.
Greenbush is about as good as it gets. I particularly loved any of their cherry donuts and any of the fritters as a kid.
Green Owl is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Madison.
Madison is a great place to live. Plenty of parks, beautiful bike paths that weave all through the city and into surrounding towns. Great food scene - mush of which is thanks to the 20 somethings with Epic jobs (read money and no kids). The lakes are beautiful, and I echo all the people who recommend having a beer on the terrace at the Union.
The food on State Street is aimed at college kids, fried foods/burger etc. Once you get closer to the Capitol square you will find better food options.
Housing in Madison is quite expensive, although not quite as bad as Ann Arbor. Property taxes in the walkable to campus/downtown are very high. One big difference from Ann Arbor is that you can live very close to downtown and still be somewhat rural/less expensive in Oregon, Stoughton, McFarland etc.
Hotel: depends on your budget, but the AC, Hilton Downtown, Inn on the Park and Concourse are all great and walkable around the downtown area.
Best Coffee: Wonderstate/Ancora
Best Italian: Osteria Papavero/Lombardino's
Best Pizza: Greenbush Bar (limited hours), Bar Corallini, Sal's Tomato Pie's, Pizza Brutta
Best Fine Dinning: Fairchild (Just won James Beard for Best Chef Midwest)
Best Brunch: Sardine (they also are a great spot for dinner, and have a beautiful dinning room on Lake Monona)
Best Sandwich in town: Casetta Kitchen -- it is not Zingermans, but it is VERY good
Best Thai/Laotian : Ha Long Bay
Best Steak: Tornado
Best Butcher: Meat People
Best Wine Shops: Square Wine Co./ Steve's University Ave (Steve's also has beer/liquor)
Other great restaurants: Heritage Tavern, Little Palace, Harvey House ($$), Bar Corallini, Kettle Black, Lallande, Ahan
Most of the other comments on this page are accurate, although mostly aimed for the undergrad student who wants to drink beer. The only one I would disagree with is Eno Vino - great view, but terrible wine list and overpriced food.
Hope you love it -
Union terrace as in Memorial Union at 800 Langdon St, Madison, WI 53703?
Sardine is an amazing environment right on the lake. You can pair it with a walk on a particularly nice stretch of the bike path that goes around the lake.
Sardine brunch looks fantastic. Too bad we won’t be there on the weekend. Will certainly head there one night for dinner.
I've mail-ordered coffee from Wonderstate (which I love) but never got the chance to visit one of their shops. I'll have to remedy that the next time I'm in Wisconsin.
State Street Brats for that college bar feel.
Found this little gem a few visits ago:
Lakeside St. Cafe. Coffee and breakfast pastries/sandwiches (if I recall properly). Just off busy John Nolen Dr but into a quiet neighborhood and right on a little bay of one of the lakes.
Old Fashioned as mentioned. Lucille's. Youngblood Brewing. My suggestion for near-Capital.
Williamson St neighborhood is also a neat area to visit but maybe for later trips to town. Working Draft and Barley Pop Tap and Shop for good craft beers selections.
Me and the daughter biked all over Madison on a game day the last time M was there. Never had so many “F%#$ Michigan” hurled at me from drunk coeds at 10 in the morning. As L’Carpetron mentioned UW’s Arboretum is just lovely and a nice bike ride after a M win.
Not much to add on top of what's already been said. You can't go wrong walking up and down State St, visiting the Farmer's Market on Saturday, and getting a view from the top of the Capitol Building (free). I would also recommend grabbing a pitcher of beer at the Memorial Union. If you're here during the week, Concerts on the Square is a neat event where you can set up a chair/blanket, picnic, and listen to a live orchestra (Wednesdays in the summer).
Madison is a very bikeable city so if you're into biking, you can always rent B-Cycles for the weekend to get around which is a nice way to see the Isthmus.
Congrats! It's a beautiful city to live in and a wonderful school. Madison in general is like Ann Arbor, but bigger (there is more stuff going on, because it's also the capitol of the state), and with lakes and better biking and outdoor recreation.
There is nothing like a warm summer's eve at the Memorial Union.
People have listed lots of good places above; amazingly, there are many more! She will have a great time.
Madison - absolutely beautiful.
Greenbush Bakery - Kosher doughnuts. Awesome!
One Barrel Brewing - because nothing goes better with awesome doughnuts than great locally brewed beer!😄
Have a great time.
Ian’s Pizza!
Haven't been there in at least 30 years but I remember Dotty Dumpling's Dowery as having good burgers and cheese curds. Cannot go wrong with cheese curds.
Johnson Public House - has fantastic coffee