Madison Food Explorers

08/27/2024

Hy-Vee why you gotta be so complicated? I was looking for Merkts cheese spread.
Not in the everyday cheese section.
Not in the fancy cheese section.
Found some Pub Cheese and Boursin in the Deli area, but nothing else.
So then I asked. It was all moved to the end of the cracker aisle! I guess that makes sense if you buy your crackers first? 🤔

08/26/2024

A sandwich from is always good and maybe even better on a boat!

08/22/2024

It’s BYOT season, Bring Your Own Tomato. There’s just no excuse for an unripe tomato in August.

08/21/2024

If you’re in Chicago but don’t have tix for the DNC convention, there’s good viewing on the lower level bar at the Chicago Hilton and Towers - plus free snacks! (A rarity in bars these days to be sure)

08/20/2024

I can vouch for this!

The butcher shop and specialty store is a throwback to an earlier time and carries lots of products to get you through the day.

08/18/2024

Two weekend bar recs: for my new favorite drink, the Fifty Shades of Black, and for a great cheese plate (or sandwich) and comfortable setting. Cheers!

08/17/2024

Fish fry thumbs up at which you can eat at the bar. Two of us shared one perch dinner and it was perfect!

08/16/2024

If you need a photographer for an event, I recommend Abigail. She kindly, gently assembled a large group of people into various groupings, and then captured all our reunion moments with us hardly noticing. Thanks

08/16/2024

I’d like to shout out to all the local businesses that helped make our family reunion for 60 a success! Catering by *** Tent/tables/chairs by Madison Party Rental *** Yard transportation by *** Porta-potties by *** Ice cream by *** Photography by Abigail Schaefer *** Bespoke Reunion ball caps by

08/09/2024

I’ve been cooking from this library cookbook lately. Love it.
I also love chef Molly Baz’s pro-breastfeeding campaign. Go mom!

08/01/2024

Concerts on the Square with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and a delicious dinner by Heritage Catering.

07/29/2024

If you’ve got a party coming up, or a 60-person family reunion like us, I recommend Six Chips Catering They saw us through a backyard fish fry, fried cheese curds, a pig roast, and brunch. The family was very happy!! (We took care of the wine and root beer floats ourselves.) Thanks John and Gina!

07/27/2024

On my way to a family reunion with Dilly Beans and Cambozola, of course.

07/25/2024

Looking for an event space near Madison? This is White Oak Savanna , about 50 minutes west of Madison. We enjoyed a picnic there with the Driftless Area Land Conservancy

07/19/2024

Where am I? Heaven.

07/16/2024

The deck made me do it.

07/11/2024

When is the last time you went for fancy food at L’Etoile? Recommended on a Wednesday night when the view out the window is the crowd at Concerts on the Square. Thanks for a lovely evening!

07/04/2024

Fun tour last night with a great group on a beautiful Madison night. Yummy ham sammies and cocktails at Heritage Tavern, dessert at D'Vino, Concerts on the Square, plus Madison history of all kinds!

06/20/2024

Lunch and dinner out in one day! Always love the spicy poke at and the Strawberry Panzanella at was a nice summery surprise!

06/01/2024

Show me prettier food than ! Delicious too. Pictured here the Salmon with cute little packets of cucumber and goat cheese, the Lamb cappalletti, the foie gras with eel (what? Yes!), the barely pictured but very present soft shell crab, and a yummy cocktail called the Cross Plain Shake. 😘

05/20/2024

Cookbooking. Here’s the original and amazing Collard Greens Melt and Cabbage Slaw from Turkey and the Wolf restaurant in New Orleans. And then there’s my attempt, using cocktail-sized rye bread because we had it, and there’s the cookbook. So delicious and so many ingredients! And leftovers!

05/16/2024

Finally checked out Fresh Mart International Supermarket and am very pleased! Found so many things that I used to wish Whole Foods carried! Great prices on big bags of fresh herbs, many international sauces and such that are easier to find than some of our other international stores. (And no boxes on the floor)

05/16/2024

Excellent dinner at with finally a collab! Pics are the Bijou cocktail (because apparently they have green chartreuse?) and the Morel and Wild Mustard Pesto (a little too spicy for the morels) - and the Lobster (mushroom) Casarecce Pasta.

05/13/2024

Gonna tell you one more time (and probably again) get yourself to Monona’s Metro Market cheese counter because they think cheese actually expires and they mark it waaaay down. Seen here: Humboldt Fog and Fromager D’Affinois among others.

05/12/2024

Proof that Resy notifications work. If you are last-minuting Mothers Day, know that there are cancelations happening around town!
Next time set Resy to “Notify Me” for the places you want to go and something could happen!

04/29/2024

Grateful thanks to at the Dane County airport, which was serving coffee and hot breakfast at 5:30am on Saturday while Ancora couldn’t be bothered to show up. ☕️☕️☕️

04/26/2024

Enjoying the menu and new look at

04/25/2024

Such a good time on tonight’s private tour for donors to ! Old fashioneds and history, highlighted by theatrical readings by actor Casem AbuLughod. The most fun for me were excerpts from the 1850s diaries of Willet S. Main describing early anti-slavery activities, an 1854 eclipse, and the opening of Camp Randall. The 3-story W.S. Main building from 1855 still sits at the top of State Street.

04/19/2024

Learn more about all the Madison locations featured on Bravo's Top Chef Season 21 including the Dane County Farmers' Market, Graze, the Harvey House and more. Want to get the full Top Chef experience? Plan your trip to Madison now for a food-lover's ultimate vacation

04/18/2024

Whoever is behind the ads with the flying cheese for on Top Chef is MY FAVORITE.