Posts Tagged ‘downtown’

Tipsy Cow to open; BW3s downtown to move

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Monday was a seemingly big day for restaurant news, as I received press releases about the opening of the Tipsy Cow and the moving of Buffalo Wild Wings downtown.

Regarding the former, it’s going to be another craft beer bar. This will make the second time the owners have copied what’s already on the Capitol Square, as they opened King & Mane after Coopers Tavern opened (both are gastropubs), and now they are copying Coopers again in the beer aspect. Still, I have high hopes.

I’ve had a lot of fond memories of the BW3s on State Street, especially from drinking the Buffalo Zoos (imagine a Wando’s Fish Bowl in a 22-oz glass). They are having some specials until they close later this month, then they’re reopening at University Square.

Announcing the Tipsy Cow

Madison, WI – Adding to downtown’s diverse restaurant and bar scene, Patrick O’Halloran and Michael Banas (co-owners of Lombardino’s Restaurant), along with Sue Kirton, are proud to present their newest venture, the Tipsy Cow, opening May 23, 2011 at 102 King Street.

The Tipsy Cow is a craft beer bar at heart while also following in the Wisconsin corner tavern tradition. With house beers from Left Hand and New Glarus having a permanent spot, the tap and bottle selection at the Tipsy Cow will be ever-changing, as they will be Madison’s go-to bar for some of the best and most interesting micro-brews from around the country.

To accompany these fine brews, chefs Patrick O’Halloran and Robert Kulow have crafted a menu that will please foodies and beer enthusiasts alike. Using high-quality, simple ingredients, the menu is a straight-forward approach to tavern dining. Here, traditional fare such as burgers and fries are given new life with simple touches. Menu highlights include white truffle fries, Spotted Cow-battered onion rings and the spicy slaw dog. These innovative dishes are enhanced by local ingredients including Usinger’s sausages from Milwaukee, Nueske’s bacon from Wittenberg and Whitetail Country Meats ham from Hayward.

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FIRST BUFFALO WILD WINGS® IN WISCONSIN – STATE STREET IN MADISON – CELEBRATING MAY 21 CLOSING WITH PARTIES, RETRO PRICES

New, Bigger Location Opening Late Summer on University Ave.

MADISON, Wis. (May 6, 2011) – On Dec. 3, 1993, the nation’s tenth and Wisconsin’s first Buffalo Wild Wings® opened its doors at 529 State Street. The Madison fixture will be closing its doors for good on May 21 to make way for a bigger, better location steps away at 789 University Ave.

The popular Madison hangout, which opened just in time for the Badgers to beat Michigan State in the legendary Tokyo game, is saying thanks for 17 great years with big parties and 1993 retro prices. On Tuesdays May 10 and May 17, wings will be just 25 cents, and during its last week, drink specials all day long will rolled back to prices featured during happy hour in 1993.

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Nostrano

Sunday, December 19th, 2010

As mentioned in a previous entry, Nostrano opened Oct. 7 in the space formerly occupied by Peppino’s. It’s an Italian restaurant that follows the same formula as other nearby restaurants, such as 43 North, in which portions are small relative to the price.

While the newly remodeled space–which includes a larger bar–is impressive, the food was not. For example, the braised beef shortribs weren’t tender (they should melt in your mouth) and the accompanying gnocchi needed more of the sauce to give it some life.

Meanwhile, the crispy chicken thighs were just ordinary, though the fennel puree helped provide some contrast in texture. I was looking forward to the grilled sturgeon, a rarity on Madison menus, but after eating it I wish I had ordered something else, as the fish just didn’t seem to mesh well with its accompanying salsa verde and chickpea aioli.

Dessert is a specialty of one of the co-owners, so we made room. We tried the crema, which featured milk chocolate cream and pumpkin sponge, a tasty combo. We also had the sorbetto, a plate of pomelo sorbet, white chocolate mousse, tapioca and elderflower. The presentation was nice, but the elderflower did not belong on this plate. The mousse was very good and helped an otherwise so-so sorbet.

The specialty cocktail menu was a robust list of original concoctions, but at $9 each, they were a bit steep. For reference, I had the cognac old fashioned and the Our Word (gin and chartreuse).

Other oddities: we went on a Monday night and were the first in the restaurant, yet the hostess was hesistant to seat us without a reservation (only two other groups came in during the time we ate) … our waitress didn’t bring us any bread, despite bringing the other two tables bread (we didn’t say anything to see if she would notice) … our food took so long to make that they brought each entree out one-by-one.

Nostrano is open for dinner Monday-Saturday.

See more photos.

Capital Tap Haus

Sunday, December 12th, 2010

Capital Brewery’s beer has a new home at a brewpub called Capital Tap Haus in the former House of Wisconsin Cheese at the top of State Street. It curiously opened the day before Thanksgiving and with little advanced word–not sure if that was a smart combination.

I love the atmosphere: the big wooden booths and tight space make me think I could be in a bar in Chicago or even Boston. You’ll see a nice mix of business professionals from the Capitol, students and everyone in between.

On a lunch visit I tried the burger, and I was quite disappointed in several ways. I think the hallmark of any brewpub is its burger, but Capital Tap Haus’ was dry (despite ordering it medium) and tasteless. On top of that, toppings cost extra (e.g 50 cents for grilled onions, $1 for bacon) and fries are an extra $3, all of which can add considerable heft to a $6.50 plain burger.

From the appetizer list I tried the fried pickles. I was expecting pickle coins, but instead they were spears and quite salty. However, the ranch dressing dip significantly helped. Meanwhile, the soup of the day–corn chowder–was really watery instead of the normal mushiness that make for a delicious soup.

On top of all of this, the food took a long time (26 min.) to bring out, and it wasn’t crowded at all.

On a dinner visit (this time it took 29 min. for our food to be brought out, though the waitress apologized twice for the unknown delay), I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and loved it. The pork was tender and the sauce was amazing. It included a side cup of BBQ sauce with a dab of mayonnaise, both of which I used as a dip for my fries.

I also tried the pan-fried walleye, which was fine but not an entree I would order again. Capital Tap Haus also has a daily fish fry dish, and I will likely order that next time. All entrees list a suggested beer pairing.

I did join the mug club, which for $35/year you get one free beer and 24-oz beers for the price of 16 oz (does that scream binge drinking or what?), amongst other deals. I think I will definitely get my money’s worth, seeing how much I enjoy the various beers (especially the bocks) from Capital Brewery.

Capital Tap Haus is open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner.

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

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