Great Taste of the Midwest

The Weekend Ahead Aug. 7-9, 2026

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

Miko Poke

November 20th, 2016

20161118_114841According to Eater.com, poke bowls–essentially raw fish served on top of rice or leafy greens–was the “dish of the summer” in the United States. Thanks to the folks at Food Fight, Madisonians can enjoy this trend at Miko Poke, which sits in the former Vodkatorium of Bluephies.

Ordering is done assembly line style. The regular size poke bowl ($10.50) seems about right in terms on quantity, while the small ($7.50) allows you to order a couple of poke bowls and/or add a side. The large is $14.50.

Although I only personally ate two poke bowls, I sense the theme is that the restaurant does an excellent job of combining flavors and textures into a tight area.

For example, the sliced cucumber brightened the Hawaiian Style bowl, while the edamame added density and the avocado brought creaminess to the super fresh, diced tuna.

Meanwhile, in the Spicy Albacore bowl, I appreciated the sweetness of the melon, the crunch from the fried garlic and the heat from the serrano peppers, which were the only thing that made the dish spicy (the spicy aioli was a misnomer).

20161118_115518Other bowls include the Coco Curry (yellow squash, carrots, tahini and toasted coconuts, among other ingredients) and Banzai Shrimp. You also can build your own.

Miko Poke also serves Hawaiian shaved ice ($3.50). I really enjoyed an alcoholic version, the passion fruit punch ($6), which is bursting with flavor that masks the Tito’s Handmade vodka.

On each table are bottles of poke sauce and volcano sauce. The former has a slight sweetness and goes well with fish and rice, as expected. The latter was vinegary, and similar to the aioli, it wasn’t spicy at all.

Miko Poke is open every day for lunch, dinner and carryout.

Miko Poke Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

B-LUX Grill & Bar

November 13th, 2016

20161106_113356I find it funny that B-LUX Grill & Bar in Lake Delton sounds similar to DLUX in Madison, and both restaurants serve specialty burgers. B-LUX opened in May and is located near Pizza Pub (in fact, that’s what the billboard ads say).

The spacious restaurant includes several dining rooms, a large bar, a game room and outdoor seating, plus flat-screen TVs along the walls. Basically, you can go there for any occasion or circumstance.

Let’s take a look at the burgers first:

  • The B-LUX doublestack ($17) is a massive, super-filling burger sporting two thick patties and lots of toppings. I liked that the egg was runny and the bacon was crispy, but the pulled pork was bland and dry. This monstrosity would be helped with some BBQ sauce.
  • The Cheesehead burger ($14) also is over the top, with cheddar cheese and really tasty cheese curds, plus a nice, salty crunch from the chicken-fried (breaded) bacon.
  • You also can make your own burger, or you can order sandwiches such as the southwestern turkey burger ($14).

20161106_112727Unlike DLUX, B-LUX also serves many items besides burgers:

  • The B-LUX chili ($5 cup, $8 bowl, $3 as a side) is beefy and not overloaded with pinto beans, thankfully. The chunks of beef were tender, and the chili is complemented by the Fritos and fresh-cut jalapenos.
  • The tater tots are crispy and seasoned. They’re even better in the loaded chili totchos ($11) topped with chili, cheese and sour cream. Great way to start the meal.
  • On my next visit, I look forward to trying the B-LUX Donut Shake ($8), which is a Nutella shake along with a glazed donut.

B-LUX Grill & Bar is open every day for lunch and dinner.

B-LUX Grill & Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Vets eat free 2016

November 10th, 2016

Here is a running list of Madison-area restaurants that are offering discounts to veterans on Veteran’s Day (click the links to see the promos). If you know of more, please let me know.

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

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