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

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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

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Where’s the beef?

January 1st, 2012

723 lbs.

That’s how much prime rib the University of Wisconsin football team ate at the annual Beef Bowl at Lawry’s. Oregon, meanwhile, ate only 612 lbs.

This triumph bodes well for the Badgers, since the winner of the Beef Bowl has gone on to win the Rose Bowl 71 percent of the time. Last year, TCU out-ate UW 670 lbs to 650 lbs, and you know what happened in that game.

Some interesting notes: UW sophomore Travis Frederick ate the most, chomping down eight slabs of prime rib, which at 13 oz. each totaled more than 5 lbs. … Frederick told the Journal Sentinel, “You’ve got to feed the body. I can’t keep a girlish figure like this.” … Oregon lineman Mark Asper performed the Heimlich maneuver on a man who was choking at a nearby table.

Christmas Dinner at the White House

December 25th, 2011

Happy Holidays! I enjoyed tender, juicy prime rib for Christmas lunch and succulent ham for Christmas dinner. For some reason, it made me wonder what’s served at the White House on Christmas.

While I couldn’t get this year’s exact menu, I did find previous ones. Did you know in 2009 the White House threw 28 parties/open houses and prepared 120,000 cookies, according to CBS News? Even the President’s Hannukah party has 500-800 guests.

Here’s a menu from 2006, according to Salon.com:

  • Display of Specialty Cheeses and Winter Fruits (Served with a Bountiful Display of Lavish Specialty Crackers and Spiced Pecans).
  • Colossal Shrimp Cocktail and Jonah Crab Claws (Served with Ramseys Cocktail Sauce and Spiced Remoulade).
  • Stuffed Turkey Breasts with Winter Mushrooms, Cheese and Brandied Cranberries.
  • Sugar Cured Virginia Ham with Hot Pepper Mustard (Served with Warm Blue Corn Muffins).
  • Chicken Fried Beef Tenderloin with White Onion Gravy (Served with Tiny Icebox Rolls).
  • Herb Roasted Lollipop Lamb Chops served with Warm Yeast Rolls.
  • Honey Cup Mustard Sauce.
  • Fresh Tamales with Tomatillo Sauce and Black Beans.
  • Baked White Cheddar Farfalle.
  • Sweet Potato Soufflé.
  • Asparagus Tier with Lemon-Garlic Aioli.
  • Golden and Crimson Beet Salad with Orange, Fennel, and Feta.
  • Chocolate Peppermint Cookies with Peppermint Crunch.
  • Pecan Sandie Tree (Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes) with Layers of Cookies.
  • Holiday Ornamental Cookies: Barney, Miss Beazley, Christmas Trees, Snowflakes, Candy Canes.
  • Red Hat Box Mascarpone Cake.
  • White Pound Cake with Mascarpone Cream Filling, Red Marzipan Frosting and Red Ribbon Bow Decoration.
  • Coconut Cake.
  • Coconut Chiffon Cake, Coconut Pastry Cream Filling and 7 Minute Meringue Frosting.
  • Chocolate Roulade (Christmas Log): Soft Ganache Frosting with a Chocolate Sponge, Meringue Mushrooms, Magnolia Leaves in White Chocolate, Raspberries.
  • Mini Tartlettes.
  • Pecan Pie, Lemon Meringue Pie, Orange Chiffon and Chocolate Boston Cream Pie.
  • Chocolate Truffles.
  • Homemade, Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache.
  • Long Stem Strawberries with Dark Chocolate Dipping Sauce.
  • Warm Macintosh Apple Cobbler With Oatmeal Crumble.
  • Pumpkin Trifle.

Surge Delivery Cafe

December 18th, 2011

Surge Delivery Cafe is a simple sandwich shop on Atwood Avenue. That’s too bad, too, because the name and interior decor make it a perfect fit for an Internet Cafe/coffee shop.

And why add “delivery” to the name? Surge wants to be “the only place in town that will bring you a breakfast sandwich and a mocha.” In that case, it probably should have picked a location closer to more offices, such as downtown or American Family Parkway.

Anyways, on to the food. Sandwiches come with your choice of bread, including ciabatta roll and whole wheat wrap; hot ($3.89), cold ($3.89) or salad ($4.09) form; and optional protein, such as $1 for turkey or ham.

I tried the Zeus’ Fuel (olive tapenade, tomato, red onion, spinach, feta, cucumber, red pepper dressing) with steak and a whole wheat wrap (hot). That combination of vegetables just did not work out. Even removing the cucumbers, which I normally like, probably would have helped this experiment gone awry.

Meanwhile, the Solar Flare (romaine, tomato, red onion, cucumber, avocado, cheddar, alfalfa sprouts, ranch dressing) wasn’t much better. I ordered the sandwich hot, but the chicken I added to it was cold. Overall, it tasted like a chicken Caesar sandwich mixed with every item on a salad bar–in other words, no direction.

The only saving grace to this meal was that I felt like I was eating fairly healthy. But as I alluded to, I think Surge went overboard with the vegetables.

Surge Delivery Cafe is open every day for breakfast and lunch. It also offers catering.

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

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