I usually keep snacks such as almonds and beef jerky–instead of chips and candy–in my office. When snack foods company El Norteño invited me to try its Mexican-recipe meat snacks, I accepted happily.
El Norteño launched on Jan. 1, 2016 right here in Madison after spending 12 months crafting its recipe. According to a spokesperson, it’s the only company selling authentic recipe cecina (meat that has been salted and dried) as a packaged snack in the country.
The product line features the aforementioned cecina ($45 for 12 bags), tira de carne (meat sticks; $25 for 24) in both habanero and habenero-lime flavors.
You’ll hopefully like that the meat sticks have a strong, beefy flavor, and the heat from the habanero peppers actually comes through. Even better, there’s a good snap to each bite, and you don’t have to worry about the casing getting stuck in your teeth like with other meat sticks.
Interestingly, the dried meat comes with a packet of hot sauce (I didn’t use it). The cecina is well-seasoned, to the point I would call it spicy (NOT spicy-hot). Compared to Jacks Link’s beef jerky, the cecina’s texture is slightly softer, and it carries more protein (16 grams vs. 12 grams) and has fewer carbs (1 gram vs. 5 grams).
Overall, El Norteño’s introductory products make for satisfying snacks, worthy of adding to your lineup.
You can order all the products online or buy them at stores such as Woodman’s and Kelley’s Market. A good place to try them in person would be at the Sept. 29 Bodega at Breese Stevens Field.
If you’re driving from Lake Delton toward Wisconsin Dells, following Hwy 12 as it curves to the right, you’ll likely miss 
Meanwhile, the Nashville hot chicken ($12 for two, $17 for five) was not at all spicy, but it was still delicious fried chicken. Very crispy skin + moist chicken = satisfying (except for the missing heat). You also will find chicken and waffles ($9) and various fried fish on this portion of the menu.
Being that caffeine is the substance of my mornings, I happily accepted the invitation to The LAB team’s 
The Chocolate Espresso Opera Cake’s beautiful and precise design grabbed my attention right when I walked in. The layered dessert consisted of white cake, espresso powder and layers of chocolate all made in-house. It blended together wonderfully without being too sweet and having that kick of espresso. This is their most popular dessert, and I can now see (and taste) why!
