Holidays and Events | EatDrinkMadison.com

Archive for the ‘Holidays and Events’ Category

An ideal Father’s Day

Sunday, June 12th, 2011

The number of restaurants that advertise Mother’s Day specials compared to Father’s Day specials has to be 25 to 1. What, are dads supposed to spend the day watching sports on TV and then grilling out in the backyard? That’s not really different from any other Sunday.

So dads, how are you going to celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, June 19? Here’s an itinerary that I would like:

MORNING

Eat breakfast at a diner, such as Hubbard Avenue Diner or Mickie’s Dairy Bar. Although I prefer to play golf in the afternoon (so that I can have a drink or six), I’d play a round after breakfast at The Oaks or Foxboro.

AFTERNOON

Have lunch somewhere quick and casual, maybe Coopers Tavern or Great Dane Fitchburg. Spend the rest of the afternoon cruising on a boat on Lake Mendota, with a stop for (more) beverages at The Pier at the Edgewater Hotel. If you don’t have access to a boat, Betty Lou Cruises has special cruises on Father’s Day.

EVENING

We have to get some meat at dinner! How about Samba or The Del-Bar? I’d then cap the night with some scotch and cigars at Maduro.

For other dining suggestions, try the “Father’s Day” check box on the EAT page. Happy Father’s Day!

Tags: Father's Day
Posted in Holidays and Events, Things to do | Comments Off on An ideal Father’s Day

Memorial Day dining and events ideas

Sunday, May 22nd, 2011

I love Memorial Day because to me, it signals the start of summer here in the Midwest. If you plan on heading out of town, here are some events, restaurants and bars within a two-hour drive that I suggest checking out:

Lake Geneva area

I’ve enjoyed the all-you-can-eat fish fry at Popeye’s On Lake Geneva. Champs Sports Bar and Grill and Hogs & Kisses are some fun places to grab a drink or watch the game. I would like to try Ryan Braun’s Tavern & Grill (formerly the Cactus Club) some day.
On the other side of the lake is Fontana, which features the Abbey Resort. If you’re looking for a spa, the on-site Avani Spa is definitely the place to go (you may not want to leave!).
Not too far from Lake Geneva is Burlington, home of the annual ChocolateFest (Friday-Monday), complete with live music, chocolate and wine pairings and a chocolate eating contest. It’s a fun event, but I really mean this: there needs to be more chocolate! For example, most of the food vendors don’t sell chocolate.

Galena, Ill.

I really like the restaurant Fried Green Tomatoes–it has good food, good drinks and of course, really delicious fried green tomatoes. Another place worth trying is Fritz and Frites, a place for both French and German cuisine.
The Grape Escape is the place for martinis, and it will re-open in its new location just in time for Memorial Day weekend. For other drinks and live entertainment, try Frank O’Dowd’s Irish Pub & Grill.
There are a bunch of wineries in a 30-minute driving radius, including Rocky Waters, Massbach Ridge, Galena Cellars and Bauer-Kearns Winery. You can get a stamp at each and then a prize if you make it to the ones on their list.

Kohler/Elkhart Lake

The Midwest’s only AAA Five-Diamond Resort, the American Club, will host many of the events for the Kohler Festival of Beer this weekend. I wonder if patrons are supposed to wear suits and dresses when they drink the beer?
Speaking of the American Club, the Horse & Plow is a pub and grill in the same complex that’s open to the public. Sorta has a Boston feel to it. For places to eat in Elkhart Lake, watch this informative video from the visitor’s bureau.

Please leave a comment below if you have some fun places or events worth checking out. Have a great weekend!

Tags: ChocolateFest, Elkhart Lake, Galena, Kohler, Kohler Festival of Beer, Lake Geneva, wineries
Posted in Holidays and Events, Things to do | 1 Comment »

Bockfest

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

On the last Saturday of every February, Capital Brewery throws an outdoor party called Bockfest to feature the release of its Blonde Doppelbock beer. The event includes a 1K Running of the Blondes, live band and staff throwing fish from the roof.

I have to say this event is soooo Wisconsin–drinking beer outdoors in 20-degree weather with snow falling. After being a regular for a few years, I boycotted the event after the debacle of 2008, when Capital Brewery decided to let people in at 11 a.m. but not serve them until noon, allowed too many people to come through the gates (imagine more than 3,000 people wearing winter clothing crammed into a very tight space) and reduced the number of stands selling beer (lines were more than an hour to purchase beer).

Consider yourself forgiven, Capital Brewery. This year attendance was limited to 2,500, and there were plenty of places to buy beer (I never waited more than five minutes). Even better, patrons could purchase the Blonde Doppelbock (one per customer for the whole day) at the beginning of the event instead of later in the afternoon. This helped prevent a mad rush at the time the beer became available, and it allowed people a better way to pace themselves over drinking liters (the preferred volume at the event) of other Capital beers for the first three hours, then drinking an eight percent alcohol beer.

Many people got (free) tickets by attending the Bockfest Ticket Release Party. While the event started at 6 p.m., the first group got in line at 2:45, and by 3 p.m., there were already 12 groups in line. Perhaps an easier way is to book a room at a nearby hotel, which will not only give you a place to crash immediately after binge drinking for several hours, but also two free tickets.

Tags: Bockfest
Posted in Holidays and Events | Comments Off on Bockfest

Search for:
Blog Home

You are currently browsing the archives for the Holidays and Events category.

Archive for the ‘Holidays and Events’ Category

An ideal Father’s Day

Memorial Day dining and events ideas

Bockfest

Archives

Categories