erin says: There isn’t much information online about this place yet, but I did find a post about them in the Isthmus forums that was started by a friend. We heard good things, so we decided to give the place a try. Something about the color scheme reminded me of a coffee shop or a Panera, but the walls were covered in old doors and windows.  It’s definitely a haphazard decorating scheme, but we were really there for the food.  I ordered a single burger with cheddar, ketchup, mustard, mayo, pickle, and fried onions and a small order of sweet potato fries. I thought the bun tasted nice and fresh, which is kind of a nice change. The burger itself was fairly thin, but still had a hint of pink. The fried onions were not brown at all, but softened.  They have a little menu form you fill out with your order at the counter.  I did notice the similarity to Five Guys (even before I read the Isthmus forum).  I was intrigued by the walnut burger special they had listed by the door.  They have additional mayo, ketchup, and mustard dispensers near the soda, I suppose in case you forget to order them or want some with your fries.  I would go back, although it’s kind of far for us to go for a burger. A friend of mine is moving nearby, so we will might end up going more often (or she might eat there every day, and we’ll have to go on our own!) The sweet potato fries were very good as well. No complaints. I predict that they will fare far better than El Pescador. 8 out of 10.

Visit the Osteria Papavero website for hours and location.

erin says: Friends of ours rave about Osteria Papavero, but this is the first time I have had a chance to visit.  We ordered a plate of crostini with different toppings, a cheese plate, and entrees.  I ordered the tagliatelle with mushrooms.  I thought it was ok.  The cheese plate was delicious, and came with fig jam, olives, and a large clove of garlic.  One of our friends tried the garlic and exclaimed, “At Osteria Papavero you don’t bite the garlic, the garlic bites you!”  The fig jam was particularly good on the fried bread from the bread basket.  Brian ordered the hanger steak, and the bite I stole was tasty.  The piece of scallop I stole from a friend was excellent.  I think this is a place I would enjoy more for lunch.  Too bad I’m almost never downtown at lunch time.  Friends of mine are, and I would encourage them to go there.  8 out of 10.

erin says: Laredo’s opened a new location recently, and we managed to get there despite the construction.  They are in the building that used to be a Pizza Hut with the bubble window on University Avenue, across from the void that will someday (maybe?) be a Target near Hilldale.  There’s nothing new to report.  If you’ve eaten at one Laredo’s, you’ve pretty much eaten at them all.  They are very fast and very reliable for what they do.  They must be doing well since they are expanding.

Porky Pine Pete’s is new in town. You can check out their website at porkypinepete.com. Their menu is under the Services tab (note that it lists Frakes for a side, which puzzled me, but I think it’s supposed to be Fries).  There’s also a series of charming posts over at the Isthmus forums where the owner talks about his history and future plans and the comments from eaters are pretty complimentary so far.

erin says: Our friend, Amy, asked us to join her at PPP’s for BBQ.  They recently opened in the former Frugal Muse space near Westfield Comics and Pier 1 off Mineral Point Road.

When we pulled into the parking lot I noticed that it looked a little dark inside and there were quite a few signs in the windows, but no outside signs.  Their small open sign was lit.  If you go, don’t be discouraged if you think they might be closed – it just looks a little dark.  The first thing that hit me when I walked in the door was the delicious smoke aroma.  It’s a big space with pretty wide spread tables and a few booths on one wall.  The man at the counter, I assume he was the owner, Pete, said we could order at the counter or from a table.  He said he doesn’t have a lot of rules.  We settled in at a booth on the far wall, which happened to be where all of the other diners were.

Amy was a bit puzzled about the Devilishly Smoked Eggs listed on the menu.  The price listed was for a dozen whole smoked (not deviled) eggs, but the deviled smoked eggs are sold by the egg (two halves).  I believe the price for one deviled smoked egg (two halves) was $1.25.  Amy ordered a Tres Banditos platter (full size) with fries and smoked rice, I ordered a 1/4 rack of Babe-Bee Rack Ribs with fries and cowboy beans, and Brian ordered the Pulled Pork Dinner with fries and smoked rice.  Each dinner came with a roll.  I was eating my roll and thinking that the outside seemed different, and then I realized it was deep fried.  Very tasty!  I sampled the pulled pork and the “Butter My Butt and Call Me A Biscuit If This Ain’t Real Texas Brisket”.  Both were flavorful and moist.  The ribs were my favorite.  They had a dry spicy exterior and were tender and meaty inside.  This is a different kind of BBQ than what I’m used to.  I have said before, and I’ll say again, that I am a sauce person.  I was kind of surprised to see Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce on the tables, but it sounds from the forum linked above like the owner plans to make some of his own sauces.  I look forward to that.  Amy knew she ordered too much food and intended to take some home for lunch from the outset, and she did.  The beans are sweet, but pretty delicious.  Amy and Brian liked the smoked rice.  I tried a bite of the smoked deviled egg.  The filling was pretty blah, which might have been to let the smoked flavor shine, but overall I wasn’t a fan.  Amy and I agreed that we thought the ribs were the best.  Brian polished off his pile of pork.  There are a lot of other interesting things on the menu that I’d like to try, including the fried green tomatoes and the Mexican street corn.  We contemplated the smoked cheesecake, but we couldn’t find any room.

They have a mural of an Old West style downtown on one wall and there are a number of Western or Southwestern decor items:  milk can stools, a big silver bull head on the wall, a red velvet stuffed Gila monster…  Our combined total for the three of us was about $40 before tip (we had water to drink, and Amy took home enough pork and brisket for another meal).  The service was a little slow and scattered.  One side item was missing and we had to ask for a third set of silverware and find our own paper towels.  I feel like I can be forgiving since they’ve only been open for a week or so.  They have such a big space, I hope they’ll get some musicians in there on the weekends to liven it up a little.  There was some pretty quiet music coming from somewhere while we were there.  The other Rupperts like BBQ and this is in our general neck of the woods, so I’m sure we’ll be back.  I will give them a penciled in rating of 8, but I intend to visit again to see if my opinion changes after they’ve been open for a while.  If the rest of Madison embraces Porky Pine Pete’s I can see it being a really great and lively place.

Brian says: Mmm, pork.  As Erin mentioned, I was concerned that the place wasn’t actually open when it appeared all the lights were off inside.   Maybe the lights from the former bookstore are just too overpowering for a neighborhood restaurant or something.

I enjoyed pretty much everything I had.  The Pulled Pork was tasty even without BBQ sauce on it, although I did add some sauce later just to make things a little more interesting.  The rolls were delicious and I enjoyed the smoked rice.   The fries (big ones) were a bit dry and I only got a couple of them.  I’m usually not a rib fan (too messy) but I’ll probably try the ribs next time based on Erin and Amy’s comments about them.

I’m a big fan of conveniences like silverware, napkins (or paper towels) and drink refills, and it took a little while to get this all straightened out.  However, I’d say the food made it worth the extra time getting settled, and I imagine they’ll get things worked out.   Probably not the best choice if you’re in a really big hurry.

This place is certainly convenient for us west siders compared the other area BBQ places, so I hope they do well.  Based on the food I’ll give this place an 8, as I think it’d be worth visiting again in the future.

Visit the website for locations, hours, and menu.

erin says: My mom and dad went with me and Brian to La Mestiza this time.  Brian and I had been back once with our friend Amy after the original post. A coworker of mine mentioned that he enjoys La Mestiza and thinks their margaritas are excellent. I still haven’t tried them, so I can’t verify. My dad happened to ask what we knew about the place, and we decided to stop in.  We arrived around 6, and it was a good thing, because the place had filled up by the time we were leaving.  The chips and guacamole are still probably the best I’ve had.  I ordered the Bistec con Salsa Guajillo, Dad ordered the Borrego en Chile Pasilla, Mom ordered the Chiles Relleno de Queso, and Brian ordered the Carne Asada.  The service was good and the food arrived promptly.  I sampled a bite of the chiles relleno and thought they were very good and very mild.  I enjoyed my dinner – with plenty of red sauce to wipe up and mix in with the beans and rice.  I still don’t like the tortillas, but maybe that can be explained by the fact that I’ve grown up in WI with only poor examples to imprint my tastebuds.  I sampled the lamb and I thought it was very good.  Dad thought it was a touch too spicy, enough to make his lips and tongue burn.  I would call it medium-hot, and I would say it’s maybe a touch more spicy than the beef I had.  Brian was not impressed by the Carne Asada, although he has had it before and recalls liking it.  He did say that he would have chosen the beef special over the carne asada on our first visit.  He has a habit of ordering the same thing repeatedly, and I’m trying to get him to branch out.  Sometimes he just doesn’t like one dish and writes off a whole restaurant that I really like – this is a reoccurring theme.  Based on my repeated visits, I would bump my initial rating up to an 8.5.  I feel this is a necessary adjustment.  I look forward to trying their downtown location someday.

Visit the Tornado Steak House website.

erin says: Pat and Kevin gave me and Brian a gift certificate to the Tornado Steak House for our wedding anniversary last year.  We finally got around to using it.  We went to the Tornado a few months ago for fish fry and were not impressed, but we decided to reserve our gift certificate for a nice steak dinner.  Tonight we went for steak, and I think we were both much happier.  I ordered one of the specials, a filet au poivre with mushroom sauce and hash browns.  Brian ordered an 8oz filet with french fries.  He had a Caesar salad and I had clam chowder.  I had the clam chowder last time too, and it has a very definite smoky flavor that isn’t my absolute favorite, but I can see where that might be a plus for someone else.  The bread plate was really generous for two people.  We didn’t finish it all.  Last time, with three people, it was just right.  I like the rosemary in the loaf of bread.  I loved the peppercorn crusted filet, and the mushroom sauce was wonderful.  I gave a portion of my steak to Brian.  I’m not sure, but my filet might have been 12 oz or something.  8oz was too small for Brian, but he got to help with my steak.  It looked like he got a tiny portion of fries, but I got a huge portion of hash browns.  We both left stuffed.  The service was excellent, especially considering that they had a very large party to accommodate at the same time.  I’d give them an 8.5 out of 10.

On a side note:  I think this should be Erin’s food blog, or maybe Erin and Pat’s food blog.  The rest of the Rupperts are not pulling their weight.  Hello?

Visit the Captain Bill’s website.

erin says: Last year I missed Neil’s birthday at Captain Bill’s, but this year I was able to make it.  We had a reservation, but it was pretty empty – that might be typical on Sunday.  I ordered lake perch (what else?) with clam chowder and a baked potato.  Pat, Kevin, Neil, Brian, and I split an order of crab cakes and an order of spinach dip. I liked the crab cakes, which came as two large cakes in a creamy sauce. The spinach dip was just ok. We enjoyed the hot rolls with whipped butter.  The clam chowder was really tasty with a definite herb flavor.  The perch was crispy and lightly breaded, and I believe was served with 6 good sized chunks, which was more than enough for me. When we ordered we were offered a choice of potato OR vegetable (asparagus). I ordered a baked potato, and was surprised to find both a baked potato and asparagus on my plate when it arrived. In fact, we all got asparagus. Bonus? The service was good, even though our server told us she was new. I’d give Captain Bill’s an 8 out of 10. As tall people, we noticed the low overhead in the entry way. It looks like they have a nice patio, although it was too cold to enjoy it the day we were there. I think this week would be a great week for the patio!  Neil seems to love their lobster, so I’m sure we’ll be back.

erin says:  I’ve been here before, so I’m creating this as a placeholder in the (wild?) hopes that some other Rupperts will add some comments.  How about it, guys?

I will say that it was very busy, and they do take reservations, which was an excellent idea for our party of 6.  There was a guitar player with a karaoke-like backup playing, but I don’t think he was a main source of noise.  The place is just tiny, and crowded, and noisy.  Parking is interesting too.  They are fortunate to have some overflow into a closed car shop next door.

Visit the website of the Coopers Tavern.

erin says: It will be no surprise that one of my beer drinking buddies brought me and Brian to Coopers.  As someone who does not enjoy beer or wine, I think I’ve got a slightly tarnished perspective on this kind of place.  The space is half taken up by bar.  Even on a Sunday night, it was crowded at the bar and the tables.  The decor is pretty simple and pleasant, appropriately incorporating barrels.  The staff were very friendly.  We ordered poutine.  At least two of the three of us had heard of it, but never tried it.  We enjoyed it, but it still seems like an odd concept.  Cheese and fries, sure, fries and gravy… ok, not a big stretch… cheese and fries and gravy?  Hmmm…  crazy Canadians.  My companions ordered salmon and a chicken sandwich.  I ordered fish ‘n’ chips.  In hindsight, it was not a good choice after poutine:  too many frites.  The haddock had a nice crunchy, dark brown coating with anchovy tartar sauce on the side.  I would rate this as one of the top fish fry experiences I’ve had recently, although I’m still hunting for a really good perch fry.  The frites had skin and were cut thin.  They weren’t quite as crispy as the other places I’ve been that list “frites” on the menu.  I stole a bite of Brian’s chicken sandwich, and thought it was excellent.  8.5 out of 10.  I’d probably give it a 9 if I liked beer and if that made it worth the trek downtown and dealing with the crowds – it’s a busy place.

Visit the website for Erin’s Snug Irish Pub and read Pat’s previous review.

erin says: Kevin had not been to Erin’s before.  The rest of us (Pat, Brian, and I) have been there before.  Pat had not been there for dinner, only for lunch.  She found out that her favorite lunch options are not on the dinner menu.  I got the fried shrimp dinner this time.  The shrimp were large, and the breading was light and crispy.  I think there were 6 shrimp, choice of potato (I chose garlic mashed), and a pile of steamed carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli, along with a basket of rolls for the table.  The price was something like $14, which seems a bit high.  Kevin didn’t seem to impressed with his dinner.  Hopefully he’ll post his review here.  Brian got a steak and shrimp special and seemed to feel about the way I did.  Pat seemed to enjoy her cobb salad.  I love all of the details in the place.  The decor is really interesting.  I was kind of surprised to see that they still have evergreen decorations with ball ornaments up over the fireplaces.  The atmosphere is pretty dark.  Pat says it’s a bit of a surprise at lunch time to emerge into the sunshine after being inside.  We were interested to see ads for brunch.  It sounded pretty basic, but the price also seemed good, around $10.