Self-Guided Madison Food Tour: Eating Like a Badger

2013-05-09T09:09:00-05:00

In 2011, Eating in Madison A to Z worked with Rama Food, a self-guided tour app, to create an excursion that shows off Madison as it is experienced by UW students and visiting alums. For our 9th anniversary of eating this way (and since Rama has gone on hiatus), we've decided to offer a slightly modified version of "Eat Like a Badger" for your summer reading and eating pleasure. Enjoy!

Ever wonder what powers those raucous Wisconsin students in the stands at football, basketball, and hockey games? Eating Like a Badger puts you right in the heart of the University of Wisconsin campus with some great food and great opportunities to observe Badger students in their natural habitat.

This tour is a “101” level introduction to the food scene in Madison as a college town. The emphasis is on cheap but iconic eats, people-watching and hanging out.

It’s set up as a three-day weekend (Friday lunch through Sunday breakfast) but is easily modified. The nine venues covered include institutions like Mickies Dairy Bar, Paisan’s, and State Street Brats; places that put Madison on the map like Ian’s Pizza; and under-the-radar spots like City Bar, Indie Coffee, Mediterranean Cafe and Taco Shop.

View Eating like a Badger in a larger map

All the restaurants are vegetarian-friendly (with the possible exception of State Street Brats) and are generally kid-friendly, but there is one bar where no one under 21 would be admitted. Unfortunately several of the restaurants are not wheelchair accessible.

This tour works best when Wisconsin is not in its “frozen tundra” state - that is, you’ll be fine from March to November, or year-round if you dress for the weather. Madison is a very casual town and nothing on this tour requires a dress code. Comfortable shoes are a must. The tour is doable by car, but parking is usually a hassle and is not free. The tour covers approximately 3 miles. As of this writing in spring 2013, the total cost of the suggested dishes is about $70 not including tips.

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Edible Book Festival 2013 report

2013-04-18T06:00:00-05:00

The 6th annual Edible Book Festival at UW-Madison Libraries was on Tuesday, April 16, 2013. It was pretty awesome. There were a dozen fantastic entries this year, some from new entrants and some seasoned hands from last year. As judges with Orange Schroeder and Leigh Henderson, we faced a challenge picking the favorites in each of five categories, but still had a blast figuring it out.

Anyone can enter the event, but most of the book-based edible art was made by librarians and artists. So start up those sugarplum dreams for the 7th annual!

Here are a few snapshots (more on flickr - taken on an iPod, which hardly did them justice). Stephanie Unertl's "We are on a cake!" was the Funniest/Punniest for its title switcheroo, and a masterfully precise cake creation.

Memorial Reference Department's One Book, Two Book, Red Book, Blue Book took Best Literary Mash-Up incorporating two or more titles. We loved the Fig Newton volumes.

MERIT Library made a fondant bus and drove away as the Best Entry Based on a Children's/Teen's Book.

Healthy Wisconsin Leadership Institute took Best Visual Presentation with a fantastic vegetable spread portraying Green Truck Garden Giveaway (just a tiny detail shown here).

Jacobsen Primate Library had the Most Creative Use of Ingredients (taro root, nori, Triscuits, jello, spinach, and gumdrops!) in its diorama of Ham the Astrochimp.

Falling for Rapunzel by Sarah and Maria Dietrich showed a pretty awesome use of rice cakes to create a magic tower, complete with damsel. The (cookie) ground beneath the window was strewn with fondant garments and other items in keeping with the kids' book's plot. And still there were more great entries!

Make sure to check it out next year, if you missed it!