Posts Tagged ‘east side’

Stalzy’s Deli

Sunday, August 14th, 2011

Hey Stalzy’s Deli: will you please open a second location downtown? I truly believe there’s a market for your presence around the Capitol. Ever since Jacobson Deli closed its shop across from the Bartell Theatre a few years ago, that deli niche hasn’t been filled yet (sorry Merchant, you don’t quite fit the bill).

In fact, Stalzy’s says on its website that it opened to “buff out Madison’s deli deficiencies.” To that, I say, great job so far.

When I stopped in at Stalzy’s, which took over for the space once occupied by Africana on Atwood Avenue, I was tempted to stock up on some cured meats. Instead, I concentrated on the sandwiches.

Both the Classic Club and the Stalzy’s Triple were quite nice. When Stalzy’s first opened in May, people complained on its Facebook page about the lack of meat on the sandwiches (sounds like Full of Bull). However, that problem has obviously been rectified, as both sandwiches I tried had generous portions.

The latter, which I somehow managed to finish despite its size (see photo), had corned beef, pastrami, turkey pastrami, swiss cheese and coleslaw. I thought it was dynamite, but I wouldn’t order it again only because it cost $15. The Classic Club, which featured turkey, bacon, cheddar, lettuce and tomato, was slightly easier to swallow (pun intended) at $12.

Just for the heck of it, I tried the House Burger ($6) as well, and I thought it was juicy and tasty. You also can double and triple the number of patties, and the sandwich comes with American cheese and fried onions preloaded.

Stalzy’s also serves various sausages, reubens and “the best pastrami in town,” according to my server. You can dine in or carryout, and there’s a parking lot adjacent to the building. Just beware: no credit cards are accepted.

bd’s closing is HuHot’s gain

Friday, July 16th, 2010

And then there were two.

A little more than a year ago, Madison suddenly found itself with three stir-fry restaurants spread throughout the city–Flat Top Grill at Hilldale, HuHot Mongolian Grill on the far west side and bd’s Mongolian Grill near East Towne. But now bd’s has closed, and HuHot is there to swoop in.

According to a brand ambassador from Appetize, which owns HuHot, “We are looking to help these patrons redeem a bit of their (gift card) money and experience our restaurant. We are also looking to help employ a number of bd’s employees who have suddenly lost their jobs.”

Regarding the first point, HuHot will accept bd’s gift cards from now until further notice. That means dollar for dollar up to $20 and $0.50 for every dollar over $20 (up to $100). So, a $20 gift card is worth $20 and a $100 gift card is worth $60.

That’s a nice business tactic by HuHot, whom I applaud for also trying to hire some people who just lost their jobs.

Knuckle Down Saloon

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Hidden on a street parallel to Stoughton Road is the new Knuckle Down Saloon, which takes over the space formerly occupied by AREA 51. Even if you’re driving on the cross street of Pflaum Road, you’re likely to miss the bar and grill because it’s in a non-descript building on the seldom-driven Seiferth Road.

Knuckle Down had a soft opening (mainly to friends and family) until its grand opening on March 20. It still has a ways to go–food isn’t being served yet, it hasn’t determined how/when it will have live bands, the happy hour isn’t set and the talks of an outdoor volleyball court are still preliminary–but you certainly can get a cold beer, and that’s all that matters now.

Regarding the atmosphere, it is indeed a saloon-esque bar that feels like it could be located in a smaller Wisconsin city. For example, it serves free peanuts at the bar (throw the shells on the floor) and it’s not a place you would order a cosmo; yet at the same time, Knuckle Down takes credit cards (surprisingly) and serves Absinthe (complete with the spoon).

Without any advertising, Knuckle Down Saloon has done a good job of spreading the word about its existence, judging by its 400+ fans on Facebook and the large crowd on Saturday. That certainly bodes well for the future. In fact, I see a lot of potential in this bar and will return some day to grab a bite to eat.

    North Italia Urban Air

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