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City Cast Madison

Rob Thomas

Madison has two Restaurant Weeks and a Black Restaurant Week – 

now it’s time for a Halal Restaurant Week

. Running Sept. 4-13, the inaugural event showcases Madison restaurants that will offer alternatives to their usual menu items prepared in the Muslim halal tradition.

Here are the details on Halal Restaurant Week.

Halal is Arabic for “allowed” or “permissible,” and covers a variety of practices for followers of the Islamic faith. 

But in the context of dining it refers to specific food and dietary restrictions

. For example, pork and alcohol must be excluded, and animals who are used in halal food must be slaughtered in a specific ritual tradition. It’s similar to the Jewish practice of keeping kosher, although the rules can differ between individuals. [WebMD]

While Muslims can find halal food throughout the year at certain restaurants, Bushra Zaibak 

said she started “Eat Halal Milwaukee” to expand the amount of available options

 for halal food to burger restaurants, Mexican restaurants, and more. She got the idea after her son asked to go out for burgers instead of the usual shawarma. [Madison365]

These eight Madison restaurants are taking part in Halal Restaurant Week. Note that, unlike Madison Restaurant Week, these restaurants won’t have special menu items for the week, but instead will be offering halal-certified alternatives to its regular menu items.

Once Halal Restaurant Week is over, make sure to check out 

this list of Madison restaurants that serve halal-certified food

 year round. [UW-Madison Muslim Students Association]

Madison’s first-ever Halal Restaurant Week runs Sept. 4-13. Discover local restaurants offering special menu options prepared in accordance with the Muslim halal tradition.

How to Celebrate Halal Restaurant Week in Madison 

Where To Eat Halal in Madison

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

September means that local theater companies are kicking off their 2025-26 seasons, including a couple of world premieres. In the Overture Center Playhouse, Forward Theater Company has the world premiere of the lost-at-sea musical “

Forward Theater, who’s sponsoring our monthly guide this September, is giving City Cast Madison readers the chance to win free tickets to see “Steady She Goes”! 

Just head over to our Instagram page and enter

” (Sept. 17-20), a musical inspired by the collection the Hand Drawn Map Association, to Overture’s Promenade Hall. The Bartell Theatre’s production of “

,” (Sept. 18-26) about a woman who buys a robot version of her late husband, couldn’t be more timely in the age of AI angst. Edgewood University revives Moliere’s French comedy of manners “

It’s been a hard summer in Madison, and on the east side especially. But the neighborhood’s iconic and eccentric 

 (Sept. 19-20) is a chance for the community to get together and get weird. In addition to several stages of live music and lots of food and drink, everybody is invited to dress up and march in the Sunday morning parade.

Good things come in small packages (or small plates) at 

 on the Capitol Square (Sept. 5-6) with over 90 food vendors. 

 (Sept. 26) at Warner Park will feature 17 restaurants and eight bands, including Nashville’s Langhorne Slim headlining.

 (Sept. 12) features live music, food, and drink. But what sets it apart is the opportunity to decorate and personalize a lantern, either to remember a loved one or set an intention for the future, and release it on the water in a healing ceremony. Editor’s note: Water Lantern Festival is also a sponsor of City Cast.

Push yourself to the limit (and support someone who is) at 

 (Sept. 13). Athletes love coming to Madison not just because of the beautiful and challenging course that includes a downtown run, a hilly bike ride, and a swim in the lake, but because of the crowds cheering them on.

 has been in Madison before, but never like this. On Sept. 22 at the Orpheum Theater, Smith will tell stories and play songs inspired by her new memoir “Bread of Angels.” Ticketholders will get a free paperback copy of the book courtesy of A Room of One’s Own.

Discover the best things to do in Madison, Wisconsin, in September 2026! From vibrant fall festivals to concerts and athletic events, plan your perfect autumn with our ultimate local guide.

Your Guide to Madison in September 2026

What To Do in Madison in September 2026

Find the best of everything that Madison has to offer.

Madison’s Best

Madison's Best

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 name may be giving copy editors headaches, but the new restaurant on Monroe Street is drawing a lot of attention. Opening Aug. 28 in the former Kettle Black Kitchen space, Sara Anderson and her co-owner and son-in-law, Chef Christopher Lund, are bringing back some old faves while introducing new contemporary Latin dishes.

This Italian restaurant chain has set a Sept. 2 opening date for its first Wisconsin location at Hilldale in the space that was formerly Amara, offering wood-fired pizzas, fresh pastas, and “garlic knot sliders.”

This new Chinese restaurant opened in the Enson Market on University Avenue, offering build-your-own-bowls with a variety of broths, meats, and add-ons.

Having its soft opening this week at 203 W. Gorham St., this new restaurant promises authentic pho and banh mi, as well as Vietnamese coffee and lemon tea.

This new pizza spot opened Wednesday in the Discovery Building, featuring pinsa pizzas, a Roman-style flatbread. The restaurant will offer four rotating kinds of pizza – September’s limited offering will be prosciutto, fig, and arugula.

This pizza spot just opened in the former location of Ben’s on Water Street, offering 12-inch Neapolitan pizzas baked in a brick stone oven, from margherita and pesto pizzas to the bacon-and-jalapeno “Nfaf Special.”

There aren’t many details about the restaurant going into the first floor of this boutique hotel opening early 2027 in the century-old Churchill Building on the Capitol Square. But folks can get excited knowing there’s at least one big name at the helm — 

Milwaukee chef and “Top Chef” contestant Dan Jacobs

Based on the long lines outside on opening day, Verona is starving for mac ‘n’ cheese pizza and the other unusual slices 

at this Madison favorite’s latest outpost

This Minneapolis favorite just opened its first Madison location on Frances Street, and should do well with the campus crowd with its mix of pizza, cheesesteaks, and “Frankie Tender Combos.”

One of Madison’s favorite breakfast spots, Marigold Kitchen, 

has added sit-down service to its catering kitchen space

 at 1511 Williamson St. Grab a stool at the counter and enjoy a breakfast sandwich or berry French toast sticks.

New York bagels will meet brewed Indian chai in this restaurant planned for the corner of Gorham and Henry streets. 

The owner told the Wisconsin State Journal

 that Dasta should open sometime this fall.

I’m not sure if there’s any connection to the terrific Haveli restaurant that closed recently in Fitchburg, but this new restaurant also offers classic Indian cuisine such as chicken biryani and salmon tikka.

The former Good Company restaurant at the Pioneer Pointe Golf Club is now Thirteen, offering smash burgers, pizzas, sheet pan nachos and more. And you don’t need to know your 9-iron from your 3-wood to eat there!

The former Jing Jing Cha tea and coffee shop on West Gilman Street is now this small sushi restaurant, which opens at 5 p.m. and stays open until the wee hours.

The owners of this Oshkosh Vietnamese restaurant say they’ve 

signed a lease to open another location on Farwell Street in McFarland

After you’re done grocery shopping at the Brennan’s Market on Watts Road, hang out in this new space that includes a patio, full-service bar, and fire pits. They serve sandwiches, salads, and cheese boards along with glasses of wine and classic cocktails.

This Raising Cane’s-style chicken restaurant chain is opening its third Wisconsin (and first Madison) location on Mineral Point Road, fittingly in a former KFC location.

The Arkansas-based drive-thru-only coffee shop chain 

opened its first Madison location on Lien Road

 near East Towne Mall, purporting to offer 22,000 drink combinations.

This new ice cream shop opened on Sun Prairie’s Main Street

, bringing “elevated nostalgia to the cone” with traditional flavors like vanilla and chocolate and more unusual ones, like Calico Coffee made with cold brew from 

. They also serve several dirty sodas (which they call “magic sodas”).

This pop-up bakery sells sweet Mediterranean-inspired treats

 at farmers’ markets and special events around town, such as the Madison Night Market. The menu includes fruit mousse cake and homemade Dubai chocolate.

Enjoy the flavors of South Asia, including ready-to-eat meals, fresh vegetables, beverages, desserts, and more at this new spot at 6704 Watts Rd. They’re having their grand opening on June 29 with complimentary sweet tea, butter tea, and snacks.



The long-awaited taproom and brewery in DeForest

 has an official opening date – tomorrow! They’re celebrating the launch of the 6,500-square foot space on May 29, which includes a full kitchen, with some typically normal Young Blood beers – a bourbon-barrel aged espresso stout and a pineapple upside-down cake inspired pastry sour.

This coffee shop has opened inside the Hotel Indigo on East Wash, with a summer menu that includes Dubai chocolate iced lattes and bakery goodies.

, this new spot adds meat options to the vegan space. Chef James Bloodsaw prides itself on its gluten-free fried chicken wings and cheese curds, along with salads, jerk chicken, mac & cheese, and more.

Not only do we have a firm opening date for the 

 (July 23 – squee!) but two new food vendors have been announced. Little Tibet, a longtime favorite for its Himalayan and Tibetan food, will be opening a “kitchenette” in the market. Fortune Favors, the Madison candied pecan business, will also have a presence at the market.

The food hall on West Wilson Street has opened two new vendors, a coffee shop called Social Grounds and a sushi spot called Mizu. And you can enjoy both while overlooking Lake Monona on the food hall’s new outdoor space, The Promenade.

This regional coffee chain is coming in hot to the Madison area, 

announcing on Instagram that it will open two spots

 on State Street and Middleton sometime in 2026. The menu combines hot and cold coffee drinks with cakes, macaron and other sweet treats.

Mint Mark has opened 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.

 tucked away in the former home of Black Rose Blending has rolled out gradually, with coffee and a limited menu that includes raclette and tins of fish. But on April 29 they kicked it up a notch with a full food menu and beer, wine and spirits.

The coffee shop that serves Garver Feed Mill just opened its first standalone location 

in the former home of Calnin Design Studio

. While Ledger focuses on the quality of its coffee, it’s hoping to sell pastries from local faves like Level 5 Donuts.

This month’s list of the area’s best new restaurants includes a new outpost for a wildly popular local pizza chain, a new sushi spot near campus, and a new Indian restaurant in Verona.

Madison’s Best New Spots to Eat and Drink

The Best New Restaurants in Madison

Universities of Wisconsin officials said Monday 

they are willing to freeze tuition at its universities for the 2027-29 biennium

, and restrict any increases to the rate of inflation for two years beyond that.

In exchange for the freeze, the UW system wants the state to invest an additional $190 million in aid. Here’s the details of the plan, and how Wisconsin got here in terms of state aid for higher education. [WPR]

Called the “4-Year Tuition Pledge,” the plan was detailed Monday by Board of Regents President Kyle Weatherly and interim UW system President Renée Wachter. The move is part of the larger budget proposal for the upcoming biennium, and would mean that 

a four-year undergraduate student starting college in fall 2027 would see declining tuition

 (relative to inflation) over their four-year academic career.

But, Weatherly said it would be difficult to implement a freeze without that $190 million commitment.

The idea will be presented during budget negotiations in the fall to the state Legislature, and the decision may likely be up to Wisconsin’s next governor, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany or 

Democrat Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley

Tiffany pledged that if elected governor he would reinstate the tuition freeze

 in response to recent increases in tuition and state aid. [News 3, 🎧 City Cast Madison, Daily Cardinal]

: Tuition freezes are nothing new in Wisconsin. In 2013, Republican Gov. Scott Walker signed a tuition freeze into law that lasted nearly a decade. The 

Republican-controlled Legislature voted to lift the freeze in 2021

, but the Board of Regents opted to extend it another two years because of expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic that the families of students faced. In 2023, 

the Board of Regents raised undergraduate tuition by 5%

The freeze saved students thousands of dollars, but 

critics say the lost revenue threatened the financial stability and educational quality of UW universities

🎒 Another Way To Make College Affordable:

 University leaders have been criss-crossing the state in the last week in hopes of building support for their budget goals. Weatherly and Wachter are 

also proposing a new program called Wisconsin Work and Learn

, which would eliminate tuition for in-state students who earn at or below the median household income if they commit to work or enroll in an internship, apprenticeship, or some other kind of career prep. [WMTV]

The Universities of Wisconsin propose a 2027–29 tuition freeze and inflation-capped increases, conditional on a $190 million state funding increase.

Will UW-Madison Students Get Another Tuition Freeze? 

UW Floats Tuition Freeze in Exchange For State Aid

On the City Cast Madison podcast, we break down some of the biggest Madison news of the week. Find new episodes every Friday.

City Cast Madison: Madison's News Podcast

Madison News

 makes no secret of her love for the Milwaukee Brewers. She and her husband have season tickets, heading to American Family Insurance Field a dozen times a season to see the team play.

she designed a T-shirt to be given away at the Aug. 12, 2025 game

, and even got to throw out the first pitch. Now, she’s turning that T-shirt design, called “Seventh Inning Stretch,” into a mural that’s being unveiled today at 2 p.m. at McKee Farms Park in Fitchburg.

who was on the City Cast Madison podcast in 2024

 talking about the Chappell Roan-themed haunted house she helped create in the neighborhood, is an in-demand Madison artist. She’s created several other murals around town, and was artist-in-residence in the Madison Public Library’s Bubbler.

As she put the finishing touches on the mural last week, she talked about bringing her Brewers love to life:

It’s the same design, just reformatted. The Brewers originally approached me to do a mural, but then we couldn’t find a wall in the area. Then the T-shirt opportunity came up. So I thought, let’s design the T-shirt, but make sure that the design coordinates with the eventual mural.

What was your inspiration for the design? Who are these people?

They’re just fans that I see myself when I go to games. Just kind of vibing with the crowd. You always make friends with the people around you. All the little moments that happen in the crowd.

I like the idea of putting a lot of details in it. Every time you come back, you might notice something new.

Did you have anyone specific in mind for these people?

The person wearing the “Brew Crew” shirt is actually my likeness. I have that sweatshirt. And that’s my husband next to me. We always link arms and sing [“Take Me Out to the Ball Game”]. Interestingly, the two guys sitting next to us look like the two guys who sit next to us in our season tickets. Not intentional.

I usually go to a handful every year. But since I’ve been working with the Brewers, it’s really excited our interest in going to actual games. I’ve always listened to them on the radio. One of my birthday presents this year was this old-school antenna radio. But going to the games has definitely picked up.

Maybe a couple of years? It’ll be here for a while. 

There will be a celebration for this on Aug. 17

. Some Brewers people are going to come, I think a couple of mascots will be here. We’re going to be having some giveaways, including some of the T-shirts. They were only available at that game last year, so this is your chance.

Madison artist Emily Balsley unveils her new "Seventh Inning Stretch" mural at Fitchburg’s McKee Farms Park, inspired by her Brewers T-shirt design.

Milwaukee Brewers Mural Unveiled in Fitchburg

Madison Artist Knocks It Out of the Park With Brewers Mural

Blackened mahi-mahi from Jolly Bob’s. A morning bun from Ovens of Brittany. A She-meh-neh late-night burrito from Burrito Drive. And, as of last month, 

These are just a few of the Madison dishes that now live on only in our memories, as the restaurants that once served them are now long gone. On 

, the team commiserated about the restaurants, bars, and cafes that we still miss. It’s a healing process, trust me.

Pour One Out for Madison’s Best Bygone Bars and Restaurants

We also asked our readers and listeners to share their favorite defunct restaurants, and dozens of you responded. Here are some of your old favorites you just can’t let go of. Thanks to everybody who wrote in!

 Besides delicious food, there was a great bar that limited their margaritas to three per person, for good reason!” – Elizabeth B.

Nick Schaivo and his family were so wonderful and kind and the place was magic! Really magic! Nick, his mom Rose Marie, and dad Tony and the amazing bar! Simply magic is what it was and I have not been able to find the magic anywhere.” – Danielle V.

. It was my go-to spot for working lunches and their hummus was the only I could get without garlic. Their specials were always great and I loved their falafel sandwiches.“ – Molly C.

 that was located in the basement of Porta Bella during the 70's. There were always lines of people waiting for a table snaking down the staircase. The walls of the stairway were covered in vintage travel posters. The basement restaurant was dark and moody and hung with rewired antique light fixtures. The food was so good. I would always get a Garibaldi and a Schlitz, and the waiting in line was part of the fun.” – Linda M.

 I worked there as a server, bartender and host…and it was delicious! The best margaritas, queso fundito, pork tenderloin, venison, pecan encrusted halibut, corn soup…I could go on and on!” – Anna T.

“The first thing that came to mind while reading your article was the cottage cheese salad at 

. I have tried to replicate [it] but it’s always missing a small something.” –Trudy B.

 (aka Cafe Momo)! Not for any particular drink or food (though it was all good), but the ambiance: dark, cozy, neighborhood bar but classy. A perfect place to meet up with people, and they often had great bands, too!” – Lis S.

“Every time my husband and I plan a date one of us says ‘Wish we could just go back to 

.’ We used to joke that you needed a passport to get in, the rum drinks and vibe felt like you were transported to an island!” – Caitlin R.

 on State Street. Their croissants were then and still are the best ever. Paired with their Turkey Almond soup you had the perfect lunch.” – Deirdre D.

! I loved eating outside on their roomy, shady patio. Despite being on East Washington Avenue it was a pleasant quiet place to gather with friends, family and even my dog.” – Kate L.

. Fantastic for tapas, basque cake, and perhaps the best burger I've ever had. I believe my now wife and I were their last customers, on the Halloween night of 2020.” – Leo B.

. It was the place to go to get a huge slice for cheap and pretty yummy too!” – Gabriela V.

. They had THE BEST quiche I have ever had. I loved how cozy the space was and all the different people you would see there on a weekend morning.” – Ryan L.

. The original. Jazz, grand piano, chimichurri sauce and homemade bread and the best bartenders. Will always be my favorite restaurant in Madison.” – Kelly K.

 in Monona had the best fish on Friday's. The fish was beautifully fried as were their signature potatoes, also fried served with sour cream. My late mother, always a stickler for hot food, would rave not just about the excellent food but the temperature of it.”

 It was possibly the very first restaurant to close during COVID. Their old space next to The Plaza has been vacant ever since as well. I’ve wished someone would interview the old owners to see what they are up to. My dream is that their recipes are magically bestowed to another restaurant or food truck where we can eat the pad Thai again.” – Stacy H.

We also asked our readers and listeners to share their favorite defunct Madison restaurants, and dozens of you responded. Here are some of your old favorites you just can’t let go of, from Ovens of Brittany to Burrito Drive to Jolly Bob's.

Remembering Madison's Bygone Restaurants and Bars

These Madison Restaurants Are Gone But Not Forgotten

City Cast Madison staff

Tomorrow is Election Day for the August primary! Are you ready? 

, host Bianca Martin and producer Jade Iseri-Ramos take a deep dive into Tuesday’s election.

They talk about who’s running statewide and in Madison, and 

tell you everything you need to know in order to vote Tuesday

, including polling location hours, what you need to register at the polls, and how to return an absentee ballot. Don't forget, you can also find your ballot, polling, and more election information at the 

What You Need To Know For Tomorrow’s Primary Election

Bianca also revisits clips from our interviews with five of the candidates for governor (the only one who didn’t come on the show was Tom Tiffany – there’s still time, Tom!) If those clips whet your appetite, here are links to our full interviews. Listen to them all, and then make a plan to vote!

There are still seven candidates in the running for Wisconsin governor. Find out where they stand on the issues. 

Interviews with Wisconsin’s Candidates for Governor

Listen to Our Interviews with Wisconsin’s Candidates for Governor

We're trying something new at Madison Minutes! See if you can solve this crossword puzzle about people, places and things (especially lakes) you ought to know in Madison! 

Madison, Explained

Play the Madison Minutes Crossword!

Rob Thomas

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