What is your favorite restaurant to eat at in Madison? (Monroe: salons, home)

[Harpoon]

I just want to get some ideas for a trip I am planning there next month. Please state the restaurant name and the type of food they serve. Thanks.

[Megan1967]

Here's a web link for some really good restaurants that are owned by a local group.

Food Fight, Inc. | Restaurant Group | Madison, Wisconsin

[RemiJP]

I loved L'etoile! Fancy, French style, with local, seasonal ingredients. But expensive!

I also liked Nat Spil, which serves Asian-influenced bar food. Some folks on San Francisco Restaurants, Dentists, Bars, Beauty Salons, Doctors said its pretentious but I didn't pick up on that. I found the waitstaff to be really friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed, especially compared to places at home in Boston.

Use yelp.com for thorough user reviews of almost all the restaurants in Madison!

[JoshB]

This is nothing fancy but Michaels Frozen Custard is awesome! Also Glass Nickel Pizza and the Nitty Gritty!

Have a Happy and Safe trip!

[mlmeloy]

Mickey's Dairy Bar for breakfast is a must stop for me whenever I'm in town. Diner food: nothing fancy, but excellent (I recommend the scrambler and the coffee cake). My wife and I also love Monty's Blue Plate diner for any meal. The veggie options at Monty's are especially good (try the black bean burger; I'm a meat eater, but I'm hooked!).

Other than that, If there's still time/room, I like to get some cheese curds at State Street Brats, and a gyro at Zorbas.

[Sorge]

Originally Posted by Harpoon

I just want to get some ideas for a trip I am planning there next month. Please state the restaurant name and the type of food they serve. Thanks.

Biaggi's, Italian chain restaurant, I just LOVE it! My favorite dishes there include fettuccine in lobster sauce, tiramisu is also great.
Also, Great Dane pub is very good and popular ... and inexpensive.

[katreese]

The Great Dane - pub food
Lao Laan-Xan - Laotian

[MidwesternBookWorm]

We don't have one favorite; we have about two dozen. This place has a LOT of really excellent restaurants. Here's a quick list of some that we particularly like:

Bunky's on Atwood: excellent Italian and Moroccan food.

Paisan's downtown overlooking Lake Monona: wonderful Italian food.

Smoky's Club on University Avenue: really good steaks in a great, old-style Wisconsin supper-club atmosphere.

Lulu's on Old University: the best Middle-Eastern food I've found in Madison (and there's some great stuff here)

Both Himal Chuli and Chautara on State Street (owned by cousins): Nepali food, very, very good.

Nick's on State Street: great burgers, feels like you walked back in time half a century when you walk in the door.

Brocach on the Capital Square: Irish pub, pulls a lovely pint of Guinness, occasionally has live music.

Restaurant Magnus just off the Capital Square: Argentinian, menu changes every three months, we were highly impressed when we were there.

The Old Fashioned on the Capital Square: a 21st century version of a Wisconsin supper club. Great Wisconsin food.

Quivey's Grove out in Verona: really good regional cooking. Lots of German dishes, very well prepared and not as heavy as some are. Located in an old farmhouse, and the layout is still the same floorplan as the original building. Most rooms don't have more than a few tables, so you almost feel like you're dining in private.

The Old Feed Mill out in Mazomanie: worth the drive! We've never had anything we didn't like here. The grilled walleye pike is exceptional.

I second Sorge's thumbs-up on the Great Dane. If you're going to be here during warm weather, try to get seating in their beer garden. You won't believe that you're in the middle of downtown.

El Pescador on East Washington: very authentic Mexican seafood. Not fancy but excellent food. Can be spicy for Midwesterners.

Ella's Deli on East Washington: great Kosher-style deli food, fabulous ice cream, and if you have kids, you should plan on spending at least a couple of hours with all the cool stuff inside and the carousel outside.

[Harpoon]

Wow, everything sounds so good, it will be tough to make a decision.

[Drover]

Best take on burritos: Pasqual's on Monroe -- right across the street from a branch of the previously suggested Michael's Custard

Best take on "American Restaurant-ized" Mexican: Pedro's on East Washington.

Cornish pastries: Papa Myles Teddywedger's on State Street at the Capitol Square.

Best burgers (among the best in all the Midwest): Dotty Dumpling's Dowry on Francis.

And I might as well be the fourth to recommend The Great Dane on Doty Street for really good pub food and also really good house-brewed beer. Pictures of their aforementioned biergarten: