| Although I usually write about new restaurants, I wanted to give a shout-out to the oft-overlooked Papa Bear’s BBQ, which resides in a small strip mall on Cottage Grove Road. Madisonians tend to think of places like Smoky Jon’s when asked about barbecue joints, and that’s a shame because they’re missing a gem in Papa Bear’s.
It starts with the ribs. I ordered the full slab ($19 for the meal), which is served with the individual ribs pre-cut. The meat is extremely tender and there’s just the right amount of Papa Bear’s homemade BBQ sauce to enhance the flavor. In my opinion, that sauce is better than anything found at Smoky Jon’s, Fat Jack’s, Famous Dave’s or Brickhouse BBQ. I also loved the corned beef brisket ($7.25 for small; $10 for large). The thin-sliced corned beef (misspelled as “corn beef” on the menu) works well outside its usual home inside two slices of rye bread, though I was tempted to stuff some inside the biscuit. The flavorful pork shoulder ($6.95 for small; $9 for large) was sliced instead of shredded and again served on its own. There was just the right amount of fat on each slice, though that may be a turn-off to some people. I combined bites with the creamy cole slaw, which I also enjoyed. All meals are served with a biscuit and two sides. My only disappointment was the hot links ($5.25 in a sandwich), not because they weren’t tasty but because they weren’t really that spicy hot. Other items on the menu include smoked chicken ($8.25), oven-fried chicken ($8.25) and the Papa Bear Burger ($5). Papa Bear’s BBQ is open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner. While there is space inside to dine-in, I would recommend calling ahead and carrying out.
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Posts Tagged ‘east side’
Papa Bear’s BBQ
Sunday, May 13th, 2012
Jade Mountain Cafe
Sunday, April 8th, 2012
Before I stepped foot in Jade Mountain Cafe, I was trying to remember when was the last time I had bubble tea, the specialty here. Sadly, it may have been several years ago, when the bubble tea place at the old University Square existed (I never went to Bubble Island at the now-defunct food court).
I’m guessing it won’t be years in between sips again, as the bubble tea at this small cafe not too far from Ella’s Deli is fantastic. You can order from the milk teas (e.g. black, oolong, etc.) or from the iced fruit teas (e.g. peach, mango, etc.). Prices are $2-$2.50 for small, $2.30-$2.80 for medium and $2.50-$3 for large; just add 50 cents for the tapioca or lychee jelly bubbles.
I immensely enjoyed the passion fruit, lychee and red bubble teas, in that order. They’re just so refreshing that I could see myself slurping them on the outdoor patio on a hot summer day. Word of caution: don’t slurp too quickly, or you may choke.
Jade has a full coffee selection as well. There also are a few appetizers, desserts and pastries (provided by Stella’s) on the menu. I had the 10-piece chicken pot stickers ($4.99), which appeared overcooked but actually were quite flavorful. I wouldn’t order the pork steamed bun ($3.25) again, though delicious as the filling was, there was just a tiny bit of it (95 percent bread otherwise).
Jade Mountain Cafe is open every day. You can find parking on the street, or there’s a small parking lot nearby, though the stalls aren’t marked well.
Nonna Rita’s
Sunday, April 1st, 2012
If you ever have both sweet and salty cravings, then Nonna Rita’s may be the place for you. The small store that boasts empanadas and pastries in its name opened in January in the space formerly occupied by Milio’s not too far from the intersection of East Johnson Street and East Washington Avenue.
I ordered the beef and chicken empanadas ($2.50 each). Instead of frying them, Nonna Rita’s bakes them. The crust was nice and flaky, but I didn’t care for the beef (too much cumin) or the chicken (a bit dry). You also can try taco, ham & cheese, spinach, corn and tuna; one dozen costs $25.
The small pastries are based on traditional Argentine baking techniques and are either topped or filled with dulce de leche (similar to caramel in flavor), a custard-like cream or both. I really enjoyed the dulce de leche–it’s a wonderful alternative to the typical chocolate topped/filled pastries you find at other bakeries.
I also liked both the butter croissant and the “saltier” croissant (as it was described to me). Both have so much flavor that you don’t need to add jam or anything. I paid $7 for a dozen pastries, but I got that as a discount since they were about to close for the day.
The only other item on the menu are the pizzettas ($2.50, $3 or $3.50), personal-sized pizzas that can be topped with pepperoni, heart of palms or tomato basil, for example.
Nonna Rita’s is open Tuesday-Saturday. There’s usually ample street parking right in front. Credit cards are currently not accepted.
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