GM Banh Mi

GM Banh Mi

On a busy stretch of W. Johnson Street sits GM Banh Mi, which opened last fall. It can be tough to find parking nearby, but the bread is worth the effort ...
The Great Gatsby

The Weekend Ahead July 31-Aug. 2, 2026

Here's a curated list of the major Madison, WI events happening this weekend ...
ActivatedYou

ActivatedYou

I am a proponent of anything that can improve health and wellness, and thus I was happy to accept an offer to try products from ActivatedYou ...
Atwood Fest

The Weekend Ahead July 24-26, 2026

Here's a curated list of the major Madison, WI events happening this weekend ...

El Panzon

September 16th, 2018

img_20180907_121640697I was surprised one day to find Le Petit Croissant had closed and replaced with a Mexican restaurant/bakery, especially given that Taqueria El Jalapeno and Santa Maria Grocery are next door. Now in its sixth month of business, El Panzon mostly distinguishes itself through its focus on cemitas (sandwiches).

The cemitas here are big–so big that I had to cut it into fourths. The version I ordered (Milanesa, $11.99) had breaded fried chicken, which was bland. Fortunately, the flavor was helped by the smoky chipotle peppers, the melty cheese, the thinly sliced ham and the abundance of sliced avocado.

You also can get cemitas with spiced pork, pork head or beef leg, and you can build your own.

You can’t go wrong with the tacos ($2.59), served on corn tortillas along with the requisite onions and cilantro. I had one with tripe, and it had an excellent fried flavor to it. Chicken, pork, steak, tongue and deep-fried pork are the other toppings.

img_20180907_120831892One additional taco choice is the taco arabes ($2.99), which features a flour tortilla with fried onions and diced pork, which was tender, juicy and super flavorful.

Everything is made fresh onsite. Unfortunately, on one of my visits, the restaurant didn’t have any tamales ($1.99) or the pollo con mole ($8.99). So instead, I got the burrito ($7.99), which comes with your choice of one of the aforementioned meats. My steak burrito was quite filling with the rice and pinto beans inside, but at least there was enough of the tender steak to make it a satisfying meal. I spiced up the burrito with the housemade red sauce, which is fresh and spicy.

El Panzon is open every day for lunch and dinner.

El Panzon Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Weekend Ahead Sept. 14-16, 2018

September 13th, 2018

the-weekend-ahead

 

Here’s a rundown of some of the major events happening this weekend in the Madison, Wis., area:

Expos, Festivals, Conventions

Sports, Races

 

Poke It Up

September 9th, 2018

img_20180905_120313302combinedI’ve made it a whole month since reviewing a poke restaurant, which is not easy considering how many new ones have sprouted up. On the docket is Poke It Up, which has one distinguishing feature over its brethren, and that’s the poke burrito. Is it enough to lure customers here?

The burrito is an interesting and messy way to eat a poke bowl. Think of it as a much larger sushi roll. Seaweed is used in place of a tortilla for the wrap, and it binds everything inside amazingly well.

The burrito is not closed at the ends, so you will have some of the components fall out while you’re eating it. Also, the rice-to-ingredients ratio, which is usually too high in many rolls, is exacerbated as a burrito.

I tried the Spicy Style ($11.50) as a burrito. I was disappointed that nothing–not the spicy tuna, not the spicy salmon, not the spicy aioli and not the sliced jalapenos–was even remotely spicy. Not surprisingly, it’s overloaded with edamame; the rest of the ingredients include red onion and fried onions.  I recommend you ask the staff to hold the lettuce, as it doesn’t contribute anything to the burrito.

img_20180905_120127787The other house creations were fairly similar to each other. The main difference in the Lover Bowl ($13.95) is that you also get shrimp, which were tiny and overcooked, as well as spicy tuna, salmon and an assortment of veggies. The tuna and salmon were delicious, especially in the creamy poke sauce, but as a whole, the dish didn’t wow me.

You’ll also find a bowl with unagi ($11.50) and one with just veggies ($9.50). There are no appetizers or desserts.

Poke It Up is located on campus where Erbert & Gerbert’s used to me. It is open every day for lunch and dinner.

Poke it Up Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

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