Fratelli's

Fratelli’s Trattoria

Fratelli's Trattoria is a cozy Italian restaurant and bar in Monona that feels like it's been around for decades, even though it opened a few years ago (in the former Angelo's space) ...
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 ...

Paul’s Club

June 17th, 2012

Earlier this month, Paul’s Club–tree and all–moved a few yards up State Street to the former Jack’s Shoes. The  new space is much bigger; it’s still narrow but has more depth and couch space.

Besides the fact that the layout is the mirror opposite of its previous incarnation, with the bar on the left side as you walk in, I couldn’t help but notice how bright it was inside (bring your sunglasses to the bathroom). To me, this disappointing feature gave Paul’s Club less of a bar feel. I can only hope that management comes to its senses and returns the darkness version 1.0 had.

Also lost during the change was the coziness the couch areas previously had. It’s almost as if the seating areas were an afterthought. I think moving the seating areas closer together and adding some decor would be a helpful start.

Still, it’s the people who make the bar, and on a recent weekend night, even with school out for the summer, Paul’s Club was packed. With its prime location across from the Overture Center, it makes for a nice pre- and/or post-show watering hole.

Paul’s Club is open daily. The nearest parking ramp is on the same block; enter on Dayton Street.

New items at Bison Jack’s, Taco Bell, Sonic

June 10th, 2012

Here’s a look at some new items on menus around town:

2012-03-01 12.03.02In March, Bison Jack’s invited me to try some of their new sandwiches; most of its menu was heretofore bison dogs.

I love reubens, and I was actually impressed by Bison Jack’s version. If you didn’t know the corned beef was actually bison, I would dare you to say that you could notice the difference. General Manager Matt Brink told me they go through all the same steps of corning the meat, and it shows.

***

2012-06-09 19.19.11Taco Bell has been advertising the hell out of its Doritos Locos taco. The taco itself is fine, but I was disappointed the bland shell didn’t taste more like a Dorito. For instance, you don’t get any of that cheesy residue on your fingers, part of the fun of eating Doritos.

(As an aside, my favorite flavor of Doritos was the Taco Bell version, until it was replaced with the less tasty taco version. Funny how the two companies reversed its cross promotion.)

I also tried the new beefy nacho burrito, which has nacho chips inside. While that may seem like a good idea on paper, the chips are soggy from all the nacho cheese. I would have preferred a crunchier chip, but that’s what happens when you put chips inside a burrito.

***

2012-06-10 11.53.22Sonic has some great burgers, but now I’ll be sure to order its hot dogs, too. I tried the new Wholly Guacamole Dog, which comes with jalapenos, tomatoes, diced onions, cheese sauce, pepperjack cheese and of course, guacamole. Lots of flavor here. I would definitely get it again, though next time I would hold the pepperjack cheese, as I didn’t feel it added anything to the final product (weird texture, too).

For some reason, Sonic doesn’t list this dog on its website, so I couldn’t find nutritional info. Maybe that’s a good thing …

Food fit for a queen

June 3rd, 2012

This week, Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee (60 years on the throne). The town of Gloucester is presenting her a lamprey pie, made from the lamprey eel (and coincidentally imported from the Great Lakes).

While lamprey pie is apparently a delicacy, I’m not sure how the Queen will take it. That begs the question: if you were going to give a member of royalty a food-related gift, what would it be? Let me know your thoughts in the informal survey:

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

  • Blog Home

    You are currently browsing the EatDrinkMadison.com blog archives.

  • Archives

  • Categories