Alchemy, Madison, WI

I'd heard from co-workers early on in my time that Alchemy had one of the best burgers in the area. Being something of a burger fan and aficionado, I've wanted to try this place for some time now. That time came this past weekend when I decided to throw caution to the wind, jump on the bike for a 1.5m ride, and head on in for a helping of beef.

The scene was bustling as I walked in. It's a multi-level kind of layout, with the bar in the upper left corner. I made my way over and wound up having to stand for just a little bit as some of the people seated at the bar got seated in in the dining room. I ordered a fall pumpkin brew and took it all in. Once seated, I spent some time with the menu below, but mostly just to make sure which burger I wanted to order - "the AppleRum Burger, Deluxe, please."

It was also nice to know they have a varied menu and could satisfy most palettes and dietary needs. I happened to sit right by the kitchen at the end of the bar and watched much of the food come out for other diners. All of it looked good, with the Flank steak being really popular and inexpensive (to my mind).  

It being a Saturday night with a concert happening at a venue nearby, this place was hopping. The kitchen had plates stacked out the door and onto the bar counter. I was pretty impressed, surprised, and entertained by the circus of it all. Kitchen staff, Wait staff, and the bartenders - everyone was all hands on deck. 

It must have taken a good 30-45 minutes for my order to arrive. Frankly, I was fine with it. The bartenders took kindly on this sad sack and chatted with me on and off. Once the burger arrived, for those that know me, it didn't spend too much time on the plate. It was delicious from the first bite, with solid, steak-cut fries alongside. 

(Funny, tasty Cheddar cheese clearly melted in first pic, not melted in second pic)

After the first course, I decided to order one of their fancier cocktails (blamed partly on the 8.6% ABV in the first beer I had) and decided to try their Alchemy Old Fashioned. Well, it's not a normal whiskey-cherry-orange type Old Fashioned, and I didn't really like it. To be clear, its taste matched the description of ingredients, it just wasn't what I was looking to drink. I mentioned this to the bartender and she happily traded it out for another pumpkin beer on their seasonal tap. Thanks, Ma'am.

Due in part to my drink ordering gaff and the fact that it was nice to be in the middle of a bustling place on a Saturday night, I decided to order one of their dessert offerings, sourced from local Honey Bee Bakery. It was touted as a fancy butternut squash cheesecake with marshmallow frosting. I have to say, it was just ok. No flavors really stood out or wowed me. And as a fan of marshmallow, the limp pool of something white on top was nowhere near what I was expecting or hoped for - I thought it was a meringue, not marshmallow. It's ok, I'm still glad I tried it. I think if I'd seen it first, I would have chosen differently, so bad on me for not asking more about it. 

Having said all that, I'd absolutely go back. The service was excellent, the food was solid, and the atmosphere was perfect for an autumn Saturday night in Wisconsin. I also realized afterwards that the drinks made me mistakenly undertip, so I really need to make amends for that too (Sorry, Kat!).

Quote of the Day

These are lyrics this time, from London Grammar. I thought them appropriate as the days grow short and the nights grow long...

My only friend keep on Wander or leave, Turn into winter lights Keeping your strength When it gets dark at night

Behind the Cheddar Curtain, Woodman's Food Market, Madison, WI

Did you know the state line between Illinois & Wisconsin is affectionately referred to as the Cheddar Curtain? I knew it was the case when I moved here, but only recently caught a really good glimpse into the fromaginations* of the residents here.

Below are pics from a local grocer's cheese selections. The grocer is Woodman's and even though they have locations in other cities and states, I don't think any other location, even in WI, can rival this locations cheese breadth or depth. It's insane. I loved it all. 

This bad boy alerts you to the fact that you're not in Kansas anymore... you're in Wisconsin!

Dive in!!!

Sort of the fancy case

Any size you desire - 1/4lb, 1/2lb, 1lb. 2lb, rolls, blocks, squares, etc. (that's not a mirror halfway down, it's another ~20-feet of cheese selections

All the shredded cheeses

And up-close

It took me four pics to capture another 20-30-foot section of refrigerated, solid form cows' milk

Don't forget the creamed cheeses (and some bagels)

You can find me on Instagram ('mkator') or Facebook where I'll be posting a weekly pic of a new cheese variety from this store's cheese cases. Watch for some clever hashtags too, like #cheesedtomeetyou, #quesoloco, #fromagefix, #grateshots, and "#curdesyofWI.

* Fromagination is the name of a very nice cheese monger in downtown Madison, FYI. I didn't come up with the word myself.

Madison Night Ride

Dark comes early now, but that shouldn't stop you from exploring. Everything looks different in the dark.

Dane County Farmers' Market

There's not much more "hometown" than a local farmers' market, and if I have my info right, the Dane County Farmers' Market is one of the largest and longest running in the US. Simply put, it's awesome. They ring the Wisconsin capitol building virtually every Saturday from March through October (and then it sets something up indoors for the winter). People quite literally do their weekly shopping at the farmers' market. If you plan carefully, you can not only shop locally for much of what you eat, but buy organic, and avoid spending money at chain stores... not to mention the health benefits.

But enough about all those social & physical benefits. What's the vibe there?! I think the best way to show you, no surprise here, is with pictures...

Got syrup?

Need honey? Note: it helps to draw the crowd in with a "zany" outfit - Genius!

Need a hunk o' Hen?

This ginormo Hen of the Woods 'shrom was sitting in a cooler in the back of the guy's stall. It must have been as big as my chest (which admittedly is rather average). I got the feeling he sells mushrooms like other people sell illegal substances. Then again, maybe he was just showing it off or holding it for a commercial customer.

Gourdgeous!!! I don't know why or what I would do with a pile of gourds, but this guy, actually "The Gourd Guy, has seemed to figure it out.

I recommend grabbing a meat-stick snack to nibble as you walk along... and try their dips too...

All delicious.

Giant Mushroom, meet Giant Kohlrabi. Note: not for sale. Ha!

Dang, some gorgeous peppers. This guy offered me a free "Carolina Reaper" pepper to take home. It's the new "darling" of the hot pepper world. It contains 1.5 million Scoville units, where a jalapeno contains about 10,000 max. Uhhh, no thanks, pal, I'll pass.

It was also a learning experience to be at the market, who knew you could see live bes, including the queen.

I'm going back as soon as time and my Saturday morning laziness allow.

Quote of the Day

I will do today what others won't, 
so tomorrow I can do what others can't.
- Jerry Rice

Old Sugar Distillery, Madison, WI

About a month in on the new town, almost the end of summer-ish - time for a stiff cocktail in the afternoon. 

I headed out by bike to Old Sugar Distillery just west of the Capitol. It's a pretty cool spot - kind of classic brewery/distillery set-up with tables outside in summer and more tables inside. Then you add in some shiny distilling stills, a reclaimed wood bar, extra picnic tables, aging barrels, and voila! Distillery. 

They seem to take their spirits seriously, 

as do I! Well, maybe not so much me.

They have an extensive, well-laid out menu of their cocktails, along with a description of each spirit they distill. 

They had some great looking cocktails and stronger drinks too. I settled on a Gringo. It promised horchata, honey liqueur, spices and a kicker of a Snickers ice cream bar - yes, please!

I'd show a picture of mine, but not only did I neglect to snap one, it would pretty much just look like a glass of milk with ice. Not too exciting. It was pretty fun to see most of the cocktails as they came out with each patron. There is plenty to try on subsequent visits. 

What also impressed me was the full run of items on the menu. Both in terms of drinks, two pages worth, and their available bottles to take home (two sizes), merchandise, and even gift ideas. 

For those eagle-eye or more curious readers, you may also notice their distillery name and one of their liqueurs harkens back to another Madison landmark, know as the Old Sugar Factory in the early 1900's, or more recently as the Garver Feed Mill. This building, as it happens, was on my bike route to the distillery and seems to be up for a rehab project that will turn its large space into a community food space for bakers, brewers and the like. It is in rough shape right now, someone has a big project ahead of themselves. 

At its inception, it produced beet sugar from farmers in a 100 mile radius. Most recently, it was a feed mill producing food for livestock animals. Fun. 

Not only do I look forward to more strong drinks at Old Sugar Distillery as the summer turns to fall, but I also look forward to seeing what happens at the namesake factory.