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The Weekend Ahead April 24-26, 2026

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I recently vacationed in the U.S. Virgin Islands and enjoyed drinking fun, fruity cocktails throughout the week. Thus, I was happy to accept an offer to review Beach Cocktails: Pours, Drinks, Sips, and Bites ($21.99, Gibbs Smith), edited by Allyson ...

Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds

May 18th, 2014

On the far end of downtown Wisconsin Dells, right across the street from Famous Dave’s, is Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds, which opened in March. The old interior of previous tenant Gilly’s Island has been replaced with a southern/country theme, complete with live music each week.

I really enjoyed the food here, if not the prices, and I’m sure I’ll be back to have seconds of some of the restaurant’s platters, which come with corn bread and two sides. Let’s start with the half rack of ribs ($14.99), which weren’t quite fall-off-the-bone tender, but were meaty and full of flavor. You certainly didn’t need to add any of the homemade sauces, though I did drown my fries in them, they were that good (especially the hot sauce).

Onto the fried catfish nuggets ($11.99), which were light and flaky on the inside and not overly battered on the outside. I’d like to put them in a small popcorn cup and have them as a snack sometime.

I would describe the brisket ($17.99) and pulled pork sandwich ($10.99) the same way: juicy and well prepared, but a bit pricey. I don’t think brisket should be more expensive than ribs; this dish would be better priced at $13.99 (that’s also what Famous Dave’s charges), while the sandwich should have been less than $10. Other dishes’ prices were just as puzzling, such as the hot wings ($15.99), smoked turkey leg ($18.99) and 16 oz. T-Bone steak ($29.99).

I had nearly every side item on the menu. Hits were the Hillbilly baked beans, corn bread, corn fritters and pig tail fries (somewhat-curly versions of the steak fries). I was indifferent to the green beans and fried okra, and I couldn’t stand the potato salad, which was too pungent.

Remember, the word “suds” is in the restaurant’s name, and there is a full bar here with a two-page cocktail menu. I enjoyed a glass of the bacon-infused bourbon, which was surprisingly smoky and not at all salty.

Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds serves lunch, dinner and carryout. You’ll find street parking nearby.

***

See more photos in our Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds Flickr set.

Madison-area community festivals

May 11th, 2014

I love how much we pack into our summers here in Madison. In addition to events like the Dane County Farmers’ Market and Concerts on the Square, I always look forward to the community festivals in the area. I’ve rounded them up in a grid and included some notes for each. And yes, I will be watching Cherry Pie perform at least four times this summer, twice during these festivals.

Events Dates Of note
Syttende Mai (Stoughton) May 16-18 Is a marathon just a bit too long for you? Try the annual 20-mile run from downtown Madison to Stoughton. New this year is a strongman competition called the “Viking Games.”
Fitchburg Days May 16-18 On the same weekend we’re celebrating our Norwegian heritage in Stoughton, we can celebrate our Irish heritage in Fitchburg. That means annual performances by both Pat McCurdy and The Kissers.
Verona Hometown Days June 12-15 Hometown Days always books great bands, and this year in no exception with local favorites Charm School Rejects, Madison County and Cherry Pie. The big parade takes place on Sunday.
Fireman’s Festival (Cottage Grove) June 12-15 This festival has a little bit of everything, from a rodeo to craft beer tasting to the Smokin’ Hot BBQ contest to a rugby tournament. Doesn’t have the music lineup of Hometown Days, though.
Oregon Summer Fest June 26-29 See cars from all decades in the annual car show, and enjoy ribs, ribs and more ribs at the Oregon-Brooklyn Lions Club “Thrilla on the Grilla.”
Monona Community Festival July 3-4 I’ve always enjoyed the hole-in-one challenge, which seems to be won with some frequency. And believe it or not, the festival hosts the annual Wisconsin Wife Carry Championship.
DeForest Area 4th of July Celebration July 3-4 Not one, but two, parades to watch (the second is in Token Creek). Lots of free events, including a Super Tuesday concert and pony rides.
Waunafest July 24-27 Waunakee has such strong community spirit, which is why this event has the largest attendance … and also the largest beer tent. Be warned that parking can be difficult.
Sweet Corn Festival (Sun Prairie) Aug. 14-17 As the name implies, you can’t attend this event without eating some of the 75 tons of sweet corn. Since the event is at Angell Park, there will be midget car racing and a tractor pull.
Middleton Good Neighbor Festival Aug. 22-24 Here we are at the end of the summer festival schedule. Check out the huge craft fair and the kiddie parade. Hopefully event organizers add a lot more porta-potties by the beer tent.

Note: I didn’t include the McFarland Family Festival, since it takes place in the fall.

Headquarters Bar & Restaurant

May 4th, 2014

Oregon’s got a new sports bar, aptly named Headquarters Bar & Restaurant and located on the southeast side of town. It’s a welcome environment for families, Oregon High School Panthers Athletics and of course, sports fans.

I ordered a cross section of items from the large, but not unwieldy, menu. Right off the bat I picked a winner with the Buffalo Cheese Curds ($7). They have a nice hint of heat, and the buffalo flavor within the batter perfectly complemented the white cheddar. I probably could have eaten two dozen of these.

Another hit came from the Smokehouse section of the menu. The Headquarters Sandwich ($9), filled with brisket, pulled pork and coleslaw, was generously portioned, had the right amount of BBQ sauce and wasn’t too sloppy. Next time, I’ll probably tackle the rib plate ($14 for half rack).

Of the burgers I enjoyed the Yucatan ($8.50), which is topped with guacamole, Cajun bacon and Havarti cheese. It’s a great combination of flavors and textures.

Fool me twice, shame on me. That’s how I felt about Headquarter’s super dry chicken. In one visit, I had the Pesto Chicken Melt ($9), which did have a tasty pesto, but it couldn’t support the aforementioned dry chicken.  In another visit, I had to douse the Big Chicken Wrap ($8) with ranch sauce to get through it.

You get a choice of bottomless fries, waffle fries or garlic Parmesan chips as sides, or you can upgrade to onion rings or sweet potato fries for $1 more. Out of these choices, I recommend the waffle fries. The chips had almost no garlic flavor and just a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, and the onion rings were just the standard frozen variety.

The restaurant becomes a popular hangout on Friday and Saturday nights. A second room that’s often closed during dining hours can take the overflow crowd, plus it has its own bar and lounge chairs.

Headquarters is open every day for lunch and dinner and breakfast on the weekends. A staff member told me the sand volleyball court should be constructed this week, or at least by the time league play begins at the end of the month.

***

See more photos in our Headquarters Flickr set.

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

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