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City Cast Madison

The latest on the hottest places to eat, drink, socialize, and talk about in Madison.

Jade Iseri-Ramos

What Madison bars hold this city together? That’s the question City Cast Madison asked you and you all had opinions. On 

, host Bianca Martin chats with long-time bartender and bar-goer Colleen Hayes about the iconic bars in your neighborhoods. Lots of your emails made it into the show, so be sure to listen!

Here are some of your favorite neighborhood bars. Thanks to everyone who shared their faves!

“The greatest mix of customers you can find – drunks, day drinkers, locals from the neighborhood, folks looking for a great burger. A true dive bar; it has its regulars and they may look at you funny.

 reigns. Rumor back in the day was that this was the safest dive bar in town because it was owned by an ex-cop and cops coming off their shifts would drink here.” 

“Best bar burger in town; regulars abound but visitors are welcomed; neighborhood-y without being clique-y; friendly bartenders but don't waste their time (the best kind); bumper stickers galore on the beer fridge (mostly pro-labor / anti-Walker).

“This place knows what it is and doesn't try to be anything different or more. Last time I was there with my wife, she looked around and said: ‘There are our people.’ Yep.”. 

(Editor’s note: Phil sent in a list of 13 bars, but for sake of space, I’m just plugging two of his favorites. If you see Phil at your local bar, ask him for his other 11 bar recs!)

“It's closest to my house, but also has such a vibe and so many cool rooms. The first time I walked in was shortly after we moved to Madison, and shortly after COVID. With red lights and weird music, my wife and I were like, ‘Whoa, this feels like Twin Peaks.’ While sitting at the bar, eventually we heard one of the bartenders say that they were literally playing the Twin Peaks soundtrack! 

“Anyway, many great nights there. Beers on the patio, negronis and pool, trudging through snowstorms, etc. AND my bluegrass band, 

, has written a tune about it! Called ‘My Old Bar.’ It's an ode to all great neighborhood bars.” 

“Delta Beer Lab, from its opening, has been a gathering place and is adjacent to many neighborhoods. Everyone is welcome! For me, it is placed close to my sister who lives off Rimrock, brother near Nob Hill Road, my daughter in Fitchburg, and my daughter in Monona. I'm on the east side, but this is on the way to everywhere. When I stop in, it's always friendly, and the beer is amazing. My name isn't necessarily known, but my face is.” – 

“Everyone knows my name there! Comfortable, Bob's a great host, as are his staff tending bar. Good food, good drinks, reasonable prices, lots of fun people! Oh yeah, and it's a gay bar. :)”

“It's hard to find a real Wisconsin bar so close to downtown, and the Laurel has everything I expect from an authentic Wisconsin tavern. Really good beer, decent food, and just an overall great environment.” – 

“It's a lovely throwback to simpler, more rustic (bar) times. My favorite things about it:

They have a "cheese plate" that is literally a few different brick cheeses cut into thick slices arranged on a regular ass plate.

“The burgers taste like the griddle has never been cleaned (not really, but you get my point). The tables all have inset trinkets below the glass table tops, infusing some fun into the visit. You can smell how delicious it is from the whole neighborhood. 😋”

“I live within walking distance and I love going there for Wednesday night trivia, labor organizing happy hour, or weekend dance parties. Cardinal is now the oldest LGBTQ+ bar in Wisconsin, and they've kept some great midcentury character intact.

“In February, I had a great time at T4T, a monthly queer and trans dance party. It was denim night and everyone wore 

 from vintage jackets to custom made costumes. So many people came through that I was not expecting and I made some new friends.” – 

“It has a casual Wisconsin vibe, with a tasteful lake and fishing theme, and TV screens displaying sports and nature shows. The patios are our family’s favorite feature; they are cozy, beautiful, again — understated, and (no pun intended) ‘down to earth’.

“People come at first for the great beer selection, then discover their great cocktails and mocktails, and return again because their service is just great. Burgers, patty melts, and fish fries are some of their classics, yet the menu has something for everyone, including for vegetarians and “selective” or picky eaters. When our family comes to visit from the Green Bay area they often ask to go there :)” 

There's not a better neighborhood bar. The owner has quite a history and it’s been at several locations in the neighborhood here. It's now situated on Parmenter Circle. Everybody knows that bar on Parmenter Circle.” –

Looking for more suggestions? Bianca did a 

 and the comment section is full of great suggestions.

Madison has its share of high-end cocktail bars, but there's nothing like a neighborhood bar where it feels like everybody knows your name. We asked City Cast Madison readers for their favorites, including The Laurel Tavern, Delta Beer Lab and The Village Bar.

The Neighborhood Bars in Madison That Feel Like Home

Madison’s Favorite Neighborhood Bars

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in Madison. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

Madison Food & Drink

Food & Drink

Madison might not be a city known for its bagels the way 

. But when it comes to the round breakfast delights, we’ve got plenty of delicious options, whether you want a full morning sammie or just a bagel and schmear.

Here are some of the best places in Madison to get a bagel:

If you’re planning to bring bagels into the office, Bagels Forever is the place you have to go to. Since 1973, the retail bakery on University Avenue has been making New York-style bagels in Madison. You can also ship a box of bagels to your favorite out-of-towner.

Mermaid doesn’t have a physical store, so I feel a little like a secret agent when I preorder my bagels days in advance and then pick them up, made-to-order, at Mermaid’s commercial kitchen on South Baldwin Street. They also sell challah bread and chocolate babka.

As the name suggests, this is the Madison spot that former New Yorkers say comes the closest to their hometown bagels. I’m a big fan of their bagel sandwiches, whether it’s the simple egg and cheddar or the chicken breast sandwich known as the Massapequa.

This bakery on East Main Street makes its bagels using small-batch sourdough breads milled with local, organic ingredients. Don’t expect any wild flavors — they keep it simple with plain, sesame, and everything bagel options, keeping the focus on the quality of the bagels.

Those on a plant-based diet or otherwise looking for grain-free bagels know to go to Paleo Mama Bakery, which offers their “Pagels” to take home. Check out the new bakery and retail space that just opened up on Park Street.

Folks line up for these hand-rolled bagels at the Monroe Street Farmers’ Market, and the owner is planning to open 

his own brick-and-mortar location on Speedway Road this fall

Madison has plenty of great bagel options, from Mermaid Kitchen to Gotham Bagels to Bagels Forever. 

The Best Bagels You Can Find in Madison

Where To Find the Best Bagels in Madison

Easter is Sunday, and you might think that with the holiday being just three days away, your chances of taking the fam out for brunch are close to nil.

But a quick survey of local restaurants offering Easter Brunch this year found that all of the below spots had at least a couple of reservation times open. Here’s where you can get your brunch on. Most offer discounts for kids.

The historic hotel on Lake Mendota offers a $72-per-person brunch in the Grand Ballroom, including a midwest spin on eggs benedict and challa breakfast strata. They still have reservations available in the 9 o’clock hour and at 1 p.m.

The home page for this downtown hotel says its Easter Brunch is sold out, but I did find a 

. Its $59 buffet is popular for a reason, with carving stations, breakfast faves like vanilla bean French toast, and fresh-baked pastries for dessert.

There are plenty of spots left for brunch 

at the downtown Art Deco surf ‘n’ turf spot

, which will feature a prime rib and ham carving station, an omelet station, and a “French toast station.” So many stations!

The brewpub is serving an all-you-can-eat buffet for $35 at its Fitchburg location and is adding special pot roast glazed ham dinners to the regular brunch menus at its downtown and eastside locations.

This restaurant inside the Best Western Premier Park Hotel on the Capitol Square 

 with beef tenderloin and ham, four cheese hash brown cake, and a “flambe strawberry shortcake” station.

Most Easter buffets have a kids’ discount, but how many have their own dedicated kids’ buffet? Madison Club has one with chocolate chip pancakes and chicken tenders, while the grownups enjoy sausage and bacon, chicken tinga loaded hash browns, and a Belgian waffle station.

Brunch is sold out at Little Cloud, the restaurant at the microdairy and boutique hotel in Paoli. But come later after your afternoon nap for an Easter egg hunt on the grounds, followed by Easter dinner in the evening.

What brings a family closer together than gathering around a pot of fondue? The Melting Pot is offering a family-friendly Easter event where kids can help prepare the fondue, decorate their own chef’s hat, and even meet the Easter Bunny.

And to those celebrating Passover this week, chag Pesach sameach!

Don't have plans for the family on Easter morning? Don't worry. Most spots in Madison have openings still for their brunch events, including the Great Dane, Madison Concourse Hotel and The Post.

The Best Spots For Easter Brunch in Madison

Where to Go For Easter Brunch in Madison

Rob Thomas

Each month, we run down the best new restaurants in the Madison area that have either opened or announced plans to open in the near future. If you know of any that we missed, drop us a line at 

The former Benvenuto’s Italian Grill location on McKee Road is now a golf simulator lounge that includes a full bar and pizza from Salvatore’s Tomato Pies.

The owners of this Monticello barbecue spot have opened a fast-casual version of its restaurant at 567 State St., including brisket sandwiches and mac ‘n’ cheese with pulled pork.

This new spot on High Point Road near Alicia Ashman Public Library sells Philly cheesesteak sandwiches as well as other sandwiches and loaded fries. Look for their food truck at various festivals and other events this summer.

An upscale Mexican restaurant is coming to the space at 313 W. Johnson St. that Estrellon used to occupy. In the liquor license application submitted to the city, the anticipated opening date is Aug. 1.

Mint Mark is opening its own outdoor cocktail bar on the sixth floor of the building it occupies on East Washington Avenue, where you can have a drink and enjoy the view or wait for your table downstairs. They’re shooting for an April 13 opening date.

A favorite at the Sun Prairie Farmer’s Market, this bakery is opening its first brick-and-mortar location on Main Street on March 28.

After building up a following selling catfish steaks and gumbo from its food truck, Sista’s is opening its own physical location on April 6 at the Amoco gas station at 1129 S. Park St.

The space formerly occupied by The Ready Set at 113 S. Main St. 

, a restaurant that will evoke supper club vibes with steaks, relish platters, and “old fashioneds for days.” Expect an April 22 opening.

Pastry chef Shawn Bolduc opened his first brick-and-mortar space at 2044 Atwood Ave. on Feb. 21. In addition to the baking classes and made-to-order cakes that Baked Lab is known for, the new space will serve snacks and 

 during the day and plated desserts and beer and wine in the evening.

The owners of Ahan opened this cozy bar on Williamson Street as a place for folks to wait for a table at their acclaimed restaurant. But it’s a great space on its own, serving cocktails and fun snacks like a veggie summer roll and lao bratwurst.

Located inside the oLiv Building on West Johnson Street, 

 offers green tea infused with pomegranate and ginger syrups, Vietnamese egg coffee, and, of course, the titular sandwich on freshly-baked bread.

This Italian restaurant chain will open its first Wisconsin location at Hilldale sometime in 2026 in the space that was formerly Amara, offering wood-fired pizzas, fresh pastas, and “garlic knot sliders.”

It’s never too cold for an ice cream treat, and this new spot at 405 S. Park Street serves ice cream bars, sundaes, cold drinks, and other goodies. Follow them on social media for daily specials.

Himal Chuli is gone. Long live Himali Chulo! The grandson of the founders of the legendary State Street Nepali restaurant is planning to reopen the spot in February with a slightly different name, similar menu, and many of the same employees.

Gourmet hot dogs used to be all the rage in Madison with spots like O.S.S. Madison, and this Stoughton pop-up aims to keep that spirit alive. Can’t wait to try the PB&J-inspired The Teacher’s Pet.

 is getting a new restaurant from Ho-Chunk chef Elena Terry, who plans to turn the former gift shop space into a cafe with homemade soups and pastries, with an eye towards dinner service down the road. The opening date is as hazy as an impressionist painting, but Terry is thinking late spring or early summer.

What started as a coffee truck serving commuters on University Avenue has now become a charming coffee shop in Sun Prairie, with the shop’s namesake cat watching over the customers.

Fresh off the success of their Indian-Italian fusion restaurant Zafferano Ristorante, the owners are 

opened a Mediterranean-East Asian restaurant

This bagel business that draws long lines at the Monroe Street Farmers Market will get its own brick-and-mortar location on Speedway Road (kitty corner from the Village Bar) this summer.

This Filipino pop-up known for lumpia spring rolls and pork belly adobo 

is the latest tenant at Global Market and Food Hall

 is one of the first tenants to move into the Madison Public Market when it opens in March.

Timber Hill Winery in Milton is behind this small plates concept, also confirmed for the Public Market.

 is this Indian street food restaurant – think chai and chaat.

A longtime Park Street favorite that was displaced by development 

reopened up the street in the former Borough Beer Company spot

. The location shift comes with a shift in focus, as the restaurant offers an extensive craft cocktail menu in addition to North Indian cuisine.

Former Bar Corallini executive chef Giovanni Novella

 opened his new restaurant in the former Novanta location on University Avenue. Its seafood-forward menu is inspired by Novella’s childhood on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

This new restaurant and sports bar opened on Bristol Street in Sun Prairie, offering “a taste of the East Coast with a twist of Sun Prairie niceness.” The menu is limited at launch, but includes burgers, smoked sausage, and chicken wings.

The Milwaukee-based coffee shop chain opened its fourth Madison location on Dec. 3 on Williamson Street.

Expect an “Irish bar with French sensibilities” in this spot

, set to open this spring in the Bay Creek spot that formerly housed Black Rose Blending. The owners haven’t committed to a specific style of food because they still need to build a kitchen in the location.

For the adventurous or the indecisive, a food hall has a lot to offer. One Social Food Hall currently has several vendors – 

 (an offshoot of Senor Machetes) offering Mexican food, 

 offering burgers and other pub grub, and 

. serving up lobster rolls and tuna poke bowls. Swing by 

 for a cocktail or a Wisconsin beer to go with your meal.

This month's list of new restaurants include a Philly cheesesteak shop on the far west side, a new barbecue restaurant on State Street and a new bakery in Sun Prairie.

The Best New Places to Eat in Madison

Madison's Best New Restaurants

, the new bakery at 2044 Atwood Ave., is Shawn Bolduc’s dream made real. Once an arts administrator at the Wisconsin Union Theater, Bolduc changed careers to become a baker, making wedding cakes and teaching baking classes out of a food incubator space.

Now, Bolduc has his own physical location for Baked Lab. 

, host Bianca Martin talks to Bolduc about his vision for his bakery, and how he’d decorate the ideal Madison wedding cake.

Here are some other locally-owned bakeries in and around Madison where people who don’t mind getting a little flour on their fingers are making their dreams come true.

2935 S. Fish Hatchery Road, Fitchburg. Open Mondays through Fridays 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed Sundays.

Since 2002, this Fitchburg institution has expanded from an indie bakery specializing in Russian and European pastries to a full-service bakery with a cafe serving breakfast and lunch. You can also find them at area farmers’ markets in the summer.

2021 Winnebago St. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Once a home bread bakery, this brick-and-mortar location opened in Schenk Corners in 2023. Still known for its bread, which ranges from traditional sourdough to adventurous varieties like miso sesame, the bakery also has a cafe and hosts events like “Half-Baked” improv shows.

961 S. Park St. Open Mondays through Fridays 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

No gluten, no problem at this Madison bakery that moved into a former Barriques on Park Street. They offer over 80 delicious gluten-free products as well as paleo-friendly offerings, from vegan pecan bars to keto mint oreo truffle bombs.

6712 Frank Lloyd Wright Ave., Middleton. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

What started out of a UW-Madison student's apartment has become a full-service bakery, offering cakes, cookie cups, and brownies along with cake decorating classes for young and old.

1219 Regent St. Open daily 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

wait in line at the Dane County Farmers’ Market

 anymore for Stella’s signature Hot ‘n’ Spicy Cheese Bread. At their new cafe, not only do they sell large and mini loaves, but they have sandwiches for lunch, coffee, beer and wine, and a patio that will be open for Badger Saturdays.

916 Williamson St. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tucked away on Willy Street is Madison Sourdough, a favorite spot for locals and visitors alike. This bakery is special because not only do they use local grains in their products, but they also 

. They claim roughly 40% of the flour they bake with is milled in house.

1402 Williamson St. Open Tuesdays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Known for their croissants and pastries, Batch Bakehouse has been a Madison staple since 2009. 

The bakery tends to sell out of items later in the day so get there early or call ahead to reserve your sweet treat.

Greenbush Bakery is a Madison institution known for its eponymous donuts, which can also be found at many grocery stores around town. The bakery is also a certified Kosher dairy kitchen. L'chaim!

1924 Fordem Ave. Open Wednesdays through Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Far Breton Bakery on the North Side specializes in French pastries and its owner has previously worked at the Ovens of Brittany, L'Etoile, Harvest, and Samba Brazilian Grill.

1851 Monroe St. and 557 North St. Hours vary by location.

With locations on both sides of town, Bloom Bakeshop is a favorite for many Madisonians. The small batch bakery opened a second location in the 

Did we miss your favorite bakery? Let us know!

Looking for a sweet treat? From cookies and croissants, to bread and beyond, we've got you covered. 

Madison’s Favorite Bakeries

The Best Bakeries in Madison

We love our food festivals in Madison, from Taste of Madison to the new True North Food & Music Festival.

But there’s something especially charming about a food festival that’s built around one specific kind of food, one that the locals are particularly proud of. I mean, you have to really love corn to organize the Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival, or really love brats to stage the World’s Largest Brat Fest.

Over at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, they love maple syrup (who doesn’t?), and this Saturday is the center’s annual Maple Syrup Fest. 

, host Bianca Martin talked to Virginia Wiggen, the center’s education director, about the sweet science behind maple syrup and what this weekend’s festival has to offer.

Here are some other fun festivals coming to Dane County in 2026 that celebrate one particular kind of food.

Head to Mershon’s Cidery in Stoughton to enjoy unlimited sampling from over 20 different brands, with plenty of products to take home and a souvenir glass.

This fifth annual event at Cottage Grove’s Doundrins Distilling will feature 15 different Bloody Mary creations developed by their mixologists, with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions available. Get a 2-ounce sample of each and vote for your favorite.

There’s three days of music and carnival rides for this Willow Island extravaganza. But the main draw is still those Johnsonville brat. In addition to the OG sausage, you can order a jalapeno cheddar chicken brat or a plant-based brat.

Okay, this is technically three food items. But since they’re three of Wisconsin’s favorites, we’ll allow it. This event in downtown New Glarus offers unlimited samples of all three for ticketholders, and if that isn’t Wisconsin enough, there’s also a Polka Tent.

A date hasn’t been set yet for Fitchburg’s summer celebration of Dane County’s delicious crop, but expect lots of strawberry-themed treats and live music.

The National Mustard Museum has put Middleton on the map. On the first Saturday of August, the city gets all yellow with mustard ice cream and other treats, live music, and activities like “mustard bowling.”

Named one of the best food festivals in the Midwest by Islands

 travel magazine, this August festival trucks in 80 tons of sweet corn for buttered goodness, along with a carnival and live music.

While Breese Stevens Field hasn’t announced the date for the 13th annual festival devoted to fried and squeaky cheese, it usually happens in late August or early September.

As a fall chill settles in, head to Ahuska Park to try all kinds of slow-cooked creations from local chefs to warm your insides, from con carne to chicken to vegetarian, and vote on your favorites.

Wisconsin’s oldest (or should that be, “aged”?) food festival celebrates our state’s dairy heritage, with a parade, the crowning of a Cheese Days King and Queen, and of course, lots and lots of cheese.

Whether it's Middleton and its mustard, Sun Prairie and its sweet corn, or Fitchburg and its strawberries, there are some Dane County communities whose identity is closely tied to a specific food. Here are some of our favorite festivals celebrating that connection.

Dane County's Oddly Specific Food Festivals

Sweet Corn, Strawberries and Maple Syrup: Why Dane County Loves Its Specific Food Fests

 at 25 N. Pinckney St. on the Capitol Square. Fittingly located across the street from the 

, L’Etoile quickly became the nucleus of the Midwest farm-to-table movement, putting the locally-sourced ingredients used in its dishes front and center.

Piper sold L’Etoile in 2005 to its current owner, Tory Miller. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, 

host Bianca Martin talks to Piper and Miller together

 about how they are celebrating the restaurant’s lasting legacy.

As the restaurants celebrates its golden anniversary with special events, such as 

 featuring James Beard Award-winning chefs from the Milwaukee area, here’s what you need to know about L’Etoile past and present.

Piper was drawn to move to Wisconsin by the organic farms

 that proliferated in the late 1960s. In 1972 (the same year the Dane County Farmers’ Market opened), she helped open Ovens of Brittany, a celebrated restaurant that sourced much of its food from its own farm.

She broke off on her own to open L’Etoile in 1976, inspired by the cuisine of northern France. Every Saturday, Piper would take her wagon over to the farmers’ market and load it up with ingredients to use at L’Etoile.

As a result, its menu wasn’t set in stone, but created in response to the growing seasons and what could be found at the market. Each dinner service begins with the server telling the diners exactly where their food came from, making each meal an education as well as an experience.

“At L'Etoile, we believe supporting our local farmers and artisan producers has a direct impact on our community,” the restaurant says on its website. “It strengthens local economies; it encourages variety and enriches our food traditions; it promotes health and wellness by offering menus made from natural, seasonal and wholesome ingredients.”

Her approach drew chefs from larger cities like Chicago and Minneapolis curious about her approach (and jealous that her restaurant was located so close to one of the country’s biggest farmer’s markets.). When she won a James Beard Award in 2001, Madison’s place at the center of the farm-to-table movement was secure.

Piper sold L’Etoile to her chef, Tory Miller, in 2005, and Dianne Christensen came on two years later as a co-owner. While Miller has continued the ethos of L’Etoile (now he’s the one taking his wagon to the farmers market on Saturdays), he’s also taken the restaurant into the future.

With its aging original location outliving its usefulness, Miller moved L’Etoile to its current glass-fronted spot overlooking the Square at 1 S. Pinckney St. in 2010. The same year, he opened 

Odessa Piper founded L'Etoile on Madison's Capitol Square in 1976, bringing her farm-to-table philosophy to fine dining. Now under the ownership of chef Tory Miller, the acclaimed restaurant is celebrating 50 years.

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