What should I do in Madison, Wisconsin tomorrow?
Asked by
lrk (
757
)
May 5th, 2010
I get to visit Madison, Wisconsin tomorrow! I have about six hours free in the middle of the day.
Where should I get something nice for lunch (for one)? What cool sights can I see? (Touristy things are fine!) Where can I sit around for a bit? If I want to take a bus somewhere, what’s the fare, and do I need coins?
(Also, I’ll need to make an hour-long phone call at some point. Obviously, my hotel room would be ideal for this, but if I’m already out and don’t want to go back to the hotel, where’s a nice, calm place where I can take that phone call without disturbances?)
I’m a college student and I tend to like… I dunno, normal college-y things?
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9 Answers
Madison is known for its German food. Try the Essen Haus at 514 E. Wilson Street.
I lived there for about 13 years. I would recommend heading downtown to State Street, which is an outdoor street mall. Good restaurants and bars and stuff, lots of freaky locals. From there, you are right near one of the lakes, so head over the The Memorial Union and grab a beer on the terrace. Beyond that, just walk around the central downtown area. It is an isthmus between two lakes, so there’s lots of chill stuff to see.
Eat at Brasserie V on Monroe St.! It’s one of the best places I’ve ever eaten, and I’m a semi-serious foodie. I’ve eaten a lot of really good places. The food is amazing, the beer list fantastic, and the portions just right. Everything we had there was just amazing.
Oooh, if the weather’s nice, hit the Menorial Union on Langdon Street (I’m UW alumna) and go out to the back of the Rathskellar and relax a bit on the shores of Lake Mendota. I spent many a fine afternoon having a beer and talking with my profs, classmates and TAs.
Just wandering around UW is great. I think it’s a wonderful campus.
I hope you’ve gotten some custard by now! Or a cream puff, or went to Dotty Dumplings Dowry for burgers!
On weekdays, and especially during clement weather (which means that the season is just about over) Madison is also well known for its food cart vendors. Not so much “two-wheeled hot dog carts” though there are some that specialize in ‘gourmet’ and Chicago style hot dogs but truck-towed enclosed trailers licensed by the city and serving all manner of tasty treats.
If you get over to the Good Food cart at Johnson & Mills, tell Melanie that her dad thinks of her often. She often has vegan / vegetarian fare on the menu (usually posted in advance on Facebook) and I hear that it’s pretty good. I’m a meat-an / meat-etarian myself, so I never touch the stuff.
PS: Good Food recently received the highest evaluation rank given by the city during its first year of operation.
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