Madison, WI

This past weekend Micah and I headed to Madison, Wisconsin for a much needed mini vacation. We packed up Friday morning and hit the road. I love having someone to go on adventures with!

DAY ONE:

 

Our first stop was lunch at the Great Dane Pub and Brewing Company. They have this great little outdoor seating area out back surrounded by vine covered brick walls. I had the 

Capitol Falafel (Ground chickpeas and seasonings crisp-fried and served in a warm flatbread 

wrap with hummus, tomatoes, Bermuda onions, mixed greens and our

homemade cucumber yogurt sauce.) and Micah had the Texarkana Burger

(Seven-ounces of fresh choice beef* broiled to perfection topped with sharp

cheddar, BBQ sauce, Applewood bacon, haystack onions and chipotle

cream cheese.) We both really enjoyed it!

After lunch we walked along Lake Monona on a path bustling with other walkers, joggers, bikers and rollerbladers. Meanwhile people were boating and kayaking in the lake. That is one of the greatest things about Madison, there is so much to do outside! 

The heat got the best of us though so we headed back to the car to change into shorts. :) After we changed we walked around the stunning Wisconsin State Capitol building (pictured below) and then down State Street. State Street is full of fun and unique shops and restaurants. Very fun!

After our long stroll we headed to our hotel to check in, rest and get ready for dinner.

When it was time for dinner we headed back downtown with the intention of eating at The Old Fashioned. When we got there it was almost an hour wait so we headed down the street to get a drink while we waited. We chose Merchant for a glass of wine but when we were seated right away we decided to stay for dinner, and oh my goodness am I glad we did! Merchant focuses on "quality local ingredients, honest and simple cooking, and the American craft of bartending." The result is incredible. I had the Tagliatelle pasta (tagliatelle pasta, French filet beans, oyster mushrooms, onion, pistachio & spinach pesto, Grana Padano, cracked pepper) and Micah had the Pork Pappardelle pasta (pappardelle pasta, Fox Valley Berkshire pork sausage & San Marzano tomato ragu, cherry tomatoes, house-made ricotta, Grana Padano, green onion). The pasta was homemade and all the ingredients were so fresh and delicious. Even though our meal was filling we couldn't resist dessert. We went with the Red Beet & Dark Chocolate Cake (Harmony Valley Farms’ red beets, dark chocolate ganache) with vanilla gelato. Holy Moly! Words cannot describe how amazing it was. So smooth and rich! I will remember that cake for a long time. :)

Day two:

First stop was ^^Colectivo Coffee^^. Some of the best coffee we have ever had. Go there.

Next was breakfast at Marigold Kitchen. I had a yummy omelette with a side of delicious potatoes and Micah had eggs and pancakes. We washed it all down with a couple of mimosas. We were on vacation after all. 

It did rain Saturday morning but we were prepared and it was actually kind of fun!

After breakfast we wandered around the enormous Dane County Farmers' Market. So, so, so many fruits and vegetables! But my favorite thing was the flowers. They were beautiful!

After we made it through the farmers' market we stopped at Brocach, an Irish pub, for a drink. There was even a man playing a bagpipe outside.

Next we headed to Fromagination to taste some cheeses and peruse the shop.

After Fromagination we headed back to State Street to people watch and window shop.

We had a late lunch at The Old Fashioned. This time we were seated right away. :) The Taste of Madison festival was in full swing after lunch but it was pretty crowded so we avoided the crowds and decided to check out the capitol building a little more. 

This building is beautiful and the pictures I took do not give it justice.

Since Merchant specializes in cocktails we made our second stop for an afternoon drink. I had the Bee's Knees. Very tasty!

After our cocktail we drove back to the hotel to swim and relax before dinner.

For dinner we chose Sardine. I had the Grilled Norwegian Salmon (French lentils, sautéed spinach, portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, beurre blanc) and Micah had the Steak Frites (grilled ribeye, compound butter, frites). Not too shabby.

Day three:

This was my favorite day!

It once again started with coffee at Colectivo Coffee.

I loved their yellow espresso machine. ^^

One last walk around the capitol before breakfast.

Breakfast was at the Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery. Micah and I both enjoyed a strata, an egg casserole dish.

^^Venus Fly Trap^^

My man enjoying the conservatory and carrying my purse for me. :) Lugging around a camera and a purse can get pretty heavy after awhile!

We meandered around the Olbrich Botanical Gardens after breakfast. The conservatory was our favorite part. Really pretty!

Cheers!

Babcock ice cream from the Daily Scoop. I had the Mocha Macchiato. Yum! 

Last but certainly not least - Memorial Union Terrace. This was my favorite part of our trip. It was a beautiful day to sit by Lake Mendota with my feet in the water and have a drink with my husband. Since it was Labor Day weekend everyone decided this was the place to be. People were swimming, paddle boarding, boating and just enjoying the weather.

It was hard for me to leave that day. Madison, you have worked your way into the heart of this lady. Maybe this can be a yearly tradition. :)