City: Madison, WI

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (608) 257-2874

Address: 914 Regent St.

Description: Not much remains of Madison’s early Italian neighborhood, Greenbush, other than the name and memories. But this bar, located in the basement of the old brick Italian Workman’s Club building, lives on. Much is homemade from the soups and peasant bread to the Italian sausage, and all meat and eggs are acquired locally. The crackerlike, thin-crust pizza is the highlight, though they also do a thick-crust variety, and the sandwiches and pastas aren’t bad either. The decor is unpretentious to say the least, with colored lights strung along the ceiling like perpetual Christmas. Tall clientele may have to duck their heads as they descend into the basement from the street. Out of the way and quiet, this is a good place for conversation or an off-the-beaten path casual date. A full bar has a small but nice selection of wines and good beers. The homemade cannoli are recommended for dessert. Parking is on the side streets. Greenbush is closed on Sun but otherwise open for dinner and serving a bit later than most places. Not wheelchair accessible.