Buraka's

Just last week I tried out Buraka's on State Street with a friend, and was pleasantly surprised from this restaurant that I had probably walked by a hundred times without ever noticing it in the past four years.  Buraka's brings Ethiopian cuisine to Madison as you walk downstairs to its location beneath State Street.  It's a rather small venue, but with a nice bar and plenty of seating.  I had the vegetarian dish which was reallyyy good.  It is presented as cooked vegetables in a curry sauce in the center of an Ethiopian bread (that looks like a spongy circle of flatbread).  Then you are supposed to tear off the bread and use it to grab the food with your fingers.  

To accompany this yummy meal, I tried the fresh mango juice while my friend ordered the freshly pressed coffee.  Even though I don't usually like coffee, I actually enjoyed the coffee, but when I go back to Buraka's I'll have to order the mango juice again, because if you close your eyes you really do feel like you're in a tropical setting drinking from a real mango.  

The service was spot on with our friendly bartender and the food was good.  It's a new place I'd highly recommend, especially because the prices are not relatively inexpensive :)

Sardine Restaurant

One of my favorite restaurants in Madison - that I cannot believe I have not written about so far - is Sardine Restaurant off of Lake Monona.  Owned by two of the coolest guys in Madison (who are the same owners of Marigold Kitchen up the road by the capital), Sardine is a french bistro-style restaurant located in the Machinery Row building next to William Street Bicycles.  

Fondly called "The Fish" by some of its regulars, Sardine has a great menu to offer the Madison community and like some of the other restaurants I have mentioned in this blog, Sardine was also elected as one of Madison's Best Restaurants in a recent year.  Some of my all-time favorite dishes at the Fish would actually not be the full entrees, but instead the duck confit salad, butternut squash soup (in season only), and the mussels.  One time a friend of mine went to Sardine, and she told me later that when she was deciding what to order for an appetizer, she only had to look around her where a mussels appetizer sat on almost everyone's tables to decide.  It's true, the mussels are fantastic, with a lively flavor and that comes with a heaping plate of frites (french fries).  The frites themselves are reallyyyy good and you have to be careful not to spoil your appetite with them.  

In general though, Sardine offers entrees between $10 and $20, and throughout the week it is a lively spot for a date, business dinners, the casual after-work hangout and prom night dining. Although some of its more interesting dishes favor the meat-lover, there are also vegetarian options and many dishes can be prepared vegan by special request.  On Saturdays and Sundays it offers a smaller brunch menu with a Salmon entree, omelettes and pastries fresh from the bakery that day.   These brunches usually attract more families with little kids.  

Although the menu is great, the atmosphere of the restaurant is one of my favorite things about it.  Some complain about finding the restaurant's parking lot on the lake side of Willy Street  (which, granted, is sometimes difficult to drive in to, depending on which direction you're coming from), but once you're there, the interior of the building takes your breath away.  There is a unique history of the building, which I'll let you research on your own time some day, but inside you're bound to enjoy the white-tiled walls, tall ceilings, wooden beams and dark-wood tables with white cloth napkins.  The bar area itself is where I usually choose to dine because the bartenders always provide some interesting conversation and I love their greyhounds and mimosas :)  The front of the restaurant, facing Lake Monona, is basically all windows and patio doors, bringing in the wonderful breeze from the lake and the colors from sunsets, and on Sundays you might even be able to watch the waterski show team practicing their routines.  When the weather is nice, be prepared for high competition in sitting outdoors :)  

Inka Heritage Peruvian Restaurant

I should have written about Inka Heritage awhile ago, but as usual, time flies by and suddenly it's been three weeks since I actually ate there.  However, don't let time fly by you and your time in Madison- don't miss out on eating at Inka Heritage!  I read one review of this Peruvian Cuisine restaurant (located on Park Street across from La Hacienda) that stated it perfectly: 'we didn't know how much Madison's dining was missing out on until Inka Heritage came in'.  It's so true!  I feel that hardly many people could say they know much about Peru, and even less so about Peruvian food.  I went to Peru last year and let me tell you, it is great.  I immediately grew addicted to the choclo (large yellow corn) with a slice of cheese, the chicha (a corn-based, sweet alcoholic drink), and the many combinations of avocado, llama meat and potatoes.  

At Inka Heritage I was meeting my mom for lunch, and we started out with an avocado-chicken salad appetizer.  Fresh slices of avocado drizzled with a tasty mayonnaise sauce and slices of cherry tomatoes adorned the chicken salad, and even though we split it, I felt like I barely had room for my actual entree!  It was very good though.  Then I ordered the Aji Chicken for an entree, which, although an interesting blend of tastes, was not my favorite (after I tried my mom's delicious salad).  However, I have been to Inka Heritage before, for dinner, and I stand my ground in saying that it is everything like the Peruvian food I had in Peru, and still one of my favorite restaurants.  One piece of advice for someone who is new to the South American cuisine: try something new!  You won't be let down :) 

Paisan's!

This afternoon I was meeting up with a close friend who I hadn't seen for 8 months, so we decided to go someplace fun and new for us both.  What happened to be convenient and have an excellent review online?  Paisan's!  Located on 131 W. Wilson Street, about two blocks off of Madison's capital and a spacious amount of seating that overlooks Lake Monona, Paisan's location and appearance was the first thing that we liked when we walked in the door.  It was still a bit chilly and windy today to sit outside, but I can only imagine that when summer truly sets in, the outdoor patio facing the lake would be very enjoyable.  The atmosphere was very enjoyable as it was family-friendly and there was a small birthday gathering next to us.  Although the service was somewhat slow at first because of the busy lunch hour, this was easily made up for by the cheerful personality of all the servers.  

Since we were in somewhat of a rush because we each had classes later that afternoon, we did not look very closely at the menu, but chose what had been recommended to us by practically every person who has been to Paisan's: the Vegetarian Pesto pizza.  And mmmm, it was delicious!  Probably the best pizza I've ever had in Madison!  No doubt, I'll be going back to order that again.  The crust alone was a treat, but the fresh slices of tomatoes, mushrooms, black olives, and pesto sauce in the pizza were just perfect.  Even though it is a bit pricey ($13.95 for a small 9" pizza) it was definitely worth it, and we figured out that a good combination of food was to get the cup of soup (today the soup was stuffed green peppers, also very tasty) and split the pizza.  Plus, you are automatically given warm narrow slices of bread that were just as tasty as the pizza.  Needless to say, for $14 each, we were extremely satisfied with lunch at Paisan's!  

The Weary Traveler

After an hour of kundalini yoga at the Perfect Knot studio, what better place to go for a chill lunch than The Weary Traveler, right next door?  In the Willy Street neighborhood of Madison, located on the intersection of Willy Street and Few Street, The Weary is a well-known pub for everyone.  During lunch, the atmosphere is laid-back and not too busy, but at night it turns into a busier, hip hang-out for downtown folk.  The atmosphere is shaped by dark wood for the walls and tables, and musty mirrors lining the walls.  Also, blinds and plants line the windows and there are shelves of board games and cards in the corner of one section of the restaurant for anyone to choose from.  For me, the service has always been good (with only one exception of a new server who could hardly remember to return to our table) and the food is fabulous...  

At The Weary there are great options for vegans (the vegan chili served with vegan cornbread is great!), and both healthy and not-so-healthy options for everyone else.  For instance, the healthy hummus plate is a colorful plate of lettuce, tomatoes, and other veggies and bread.  (This and the 'South of the Border' plate can be shared as appetizers with your friends).  On the other hand, if you love big, juicy burgers (which I do!) then you should definitely try one of my favorite burgers in Madison, the 'Bob's Bad Breath Burger'.  Plus, there are daily specials for lunch (I'm not quite sure they extend into dinner or not) that usually involve interesting fritadas and other egg dishes.  Last Sunday it was a fritada with fetta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, yumm!

I've looked over their wine list and it looks great, but I haven't taken advantage of it yet because usually I just need water or a cold beer to compliment my lunch after yoga.  Overall, even though the menu isn't huge, this is a comfortable venue in the Willy Street neighborhood that is great for family brunches, a casual date, or a regular hang-out for friends :)

Sushi Muramoto

At the Sushi Muramoto bar, lit tea-candles cast shadows on an impressive display of sake and wine bottles that line the shelves above the polished glasses.  I look at the menu and everything looks so good!  The menu, with some new additions as of last week, offers a great variety of salads, appetizers, cooked entrees and Madison's best sushi, in my opinion.  

Lately I've been eating more vegetarian foods, so the seawood salad (one of my favorite salads here because its taste is so fresh) and lightly salted edamame sound like good appetizers.  Perhaps I'll follow that with two smaller rolls, like the kampyo roll (marinated gourd and I like to add a little cucumber for added texture, as suggested from one of the sushi chefs) and one of my new favorites, the unagi roll (cooked eel with thin slices of avocado and a unique semi-sweet sauce).  People don't normally consider sushi to be very filling, but these four choices will fill me up to the equivalent of a steak and fries... and be a hundred times healthier!  

The special rolls (called 'special' as they are a new exotic style of sushi that shock the taste buds with vibrant tastes) are a treat all by themselves and are definitely worth the few extra dollars.  My favorites are the ecuador, dragon and tarantula rolls, which I could go into more detail describing, but that would take away from the fun of discovering it for yourself!  

To go with my selection for dinner, a glass of water and a tasty sake will do perfectly.  The standard sake at Sushi Muramoto is served hot and costs little, but within the past few weeks there have been some new additions to the wine and sakes.  It is surprising how different sakes can taste.  My recent favorite is the Chikurin sake, light and with a pear-like taste, but there is also a good sparkling, sweet sake to my liking.  A great option for new sake-drinkers are "sake flights" listed on the menu that gives a small glass of three different kinds of sakes to try.  

Also, I love that even if you're unsure if your friends might not like what's on the menu at a sushi place, there's a convenient online menu or you can stop in ahead of time to pick up a take-out menu.  So far, even those of my friends who are downright scared of sushi have still found a roll on Sushi Muramoto's menu that they like, and for a decent price too for the great food you get!  

Finally, whether you are sitting at the sushi bar, a table, or the regular bar, everyone who serves you is not only attentive and friendly, but also will take the time to answer any questions you might have about the drinks or food, which can be very helpful in a traditional Japanese restaurant full of foreign and interesting foods!