Tasting Madison
Madison celebrates its diverse food culture
Eric Ely & Hani Fouad
Issue date: 9/23/09 Section: Entertainment
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More than 60 restaurants, 20 beverage stands and three stages kept people flooding in to experience "The Taste of Madison." The 2009 event benefitted the United Cerebral Palsy of Dane County and raised thousands of dollars. The event also helped build connections between residents and participating restaurants that sold dishes priced from $1.00 to $4.00.
This year the event was extremely lucky in that is was held in absolutely gorgeous weather; indeed the weather was nearly perfect. It would be difficult to find a better way to pass an afternoon than slowly strolling the streets on Capitol Square basking in the warm rays of sunshine. The perfect weather and leafy setting allowed all of the many varieties of food on offer to be enjoyed in equal measure: spicy Indian dishes were enjoyed in the shade and ice cream was enjoyed walking in the sun.
It is the food, of course, that was the focus of the event. Some of Madison's finest culinary offerings were on display. Fans of all tastes-Italian, Indian, American, Asian, Mexican, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern-had options to please their palates. Madison's only Costa Rican restaurant, Café Costa Rica, was also present, rounding out the great range of diversity the event had in store for its visitors. Lombardino's Italian Restaurant and Bar offered traditional Italian, and pizza was available from Little Ceasars and Toppers. Taj Indian Restaurant, Café Costa Rica, Bandung Restaurant, and Sa Bai Thong were at the top of the ethnic eatery list.
Veggie options were widely available for the herbivores in the crowd. Standouts among them included the jerk tofu with rice and beans from David's Jamaican Cuisine, pad thai from Sa Bai Thong, the fresh spring roll from Natural Juice, and the falafel from King of Falafel.
For those with a sweet tooth there were plenty of options to savor as well. Popular desserts included the vanilla bean panna cotta from Lombardino's and the cream puff from the West Side Club. The cheesecakes available from Grace Cheesecakes were so popular supplies were running low and eventually ran out early Sunday afternoon. Being lucky enough to have gotten a taste, it was easy to see why.
The real beauty of the Taste of Madison lies in the diversity and uniqueness of food on offer. It is the perfect opportunity to sample something different and unique. There were many dishes that stand out in this category. At the top of the list was the chocolate chip cookie dough eggroll. This may seem like an odd combination, but Bluephies, the home of the dessert, went through a quite a few over the weekend.
Another unique offering came from Sweet Sophie's of Waunakee. Their chilled melon and peach soup was a Taste of Madison hit. The entire menu offered by Costa Rica Café was unique to many at the event. Fried plantains, coconut shrimp and patacones (twice-fried plantains) with beans were all available and new to many patrons. Bourbon Street Grille also had a unique offering: mummy shrimp (shrimp wrapped with thin potato strings), for those adventurous eaters prowling the square.
The Taste of Madison offered more to feast on than food: the entire weekend was a visual feast, a prime opportunity for people watching. The diversity of food vendors was matched by the diversity of the people attending. Much like the food, the attendees ranged from hot and spicy to cool, calm, and laid back. It was just as easy to enjoy the people waiting next to you in line as the food you were waiting for.
Shirtless men with no shame were enjoying themselves just as much as prissy Barbie dolls in heels. Tattooed punks and yuppie college kids stood side by side waiting in the beer line. The young sipped their chocolate milk and slurped their ice cream while the old found refuge in the shade or on a bench with their beer or wine. Friends and family laughed and joked, enjoying their time together, the laughter getting louder and the jokes cruder as the empty plastic cups began to pile up. Others were sitting on the Capitol lawn playing with their little kids or their partners. The diversity of Madison, one of the things that make it so special, shone throughout the weekend. Ignoring the warning signs of no pets, even dogs in backpacks and their owners managed to enjoy themselves (as much as a dog in a backpack can). It was quite a shock to turn and come face to face with a dog instead of a person.
Apart from the food and people watching opportunities, entertainment of several types was also provided. On Saturday night the Badger game was shown on a big screen TV. A Guitar Hero competition was held, with the contestants doing better on Expert Level than I can do on Easy. Live music was performed both Saturday and Sunday on three different stages. Whether you prefer rock, country, Latin or R&B there was something for you to feast your ears on. Watching and listening to "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" Sunday afternoon, a distraction presented itself in the form of the changing of the traffic lights from red to green. This brought the location of the event itself into focus. Instead of driving down Wisconsin Avenue to the Capitol, I was standing before a stage hosting a live musical performance. Capitol Square had been completely transformed for the weekend into a pedestrian paradise.
The Taste of Madison was indeed a feast for every sense. Taste and smell were obviously well cared for. The music stages provided entertainment for your ears, and it was also a prime people-watching weekend in downtown Madison. The square and surrounding streets were flooded with thousands of people simply enjoying life. Everyone was there to taste The Taste of Madison, but even tastier than the food was the gathering of people getting together with friends and family to have a good time.
Another successful year of the Taste of Madison has come and gone and, having left a pleasant aftertaste, leaves us looking forward to next year.
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