Nov 27 2010
∞
“ Most people visiting Madison would have to go out of their way to have a bad time. Here’s how to hit the high notes.
Parking: Most of the parking close to Camp Randall is university-owned lots, which are reserved for boosters. Out-of-towners looking for a place to grill are probably best served by parking near the hospitals on Park and Regent, but only if you’re early enough to get a blacktop spot. The hospitals also have ramps if your tailgaiting supplies are ‘the cooler.’ If you want to stick around Madison, there’s a ramp on Dayton and Henry, which puts you next to State Street and the Capital building - the nexus of Madison drinking culture.
Fashion: Unlike our professional brethern up north, we do not go topless in November, nor is our third color blaze orange. Sweatshirts, jerseys, and jeans are par, no matter the weather. Please remember: you will sober up, there will be a wind, and nobody wants you to leave before Jump Around. Double-check the weather before you leave.
Food - Unless in the sort of dire straights one too many multi-story beer bongs can cause, don’t get stadium food or anything from the outdoor beer garden grills. Madison may not own the highest restaurant-per-capita title, but the highest rated restaurant-per-capita they dominate. Your stomach space is at a premium on gameday in Madison: to waste it on stadium nachos or a plain burger is akin to drinking Budweiser: something done out of necessity, instead of pleasure.
Breakfast: Mickey’s Dairy Bar is next to the stadium, where the calories are plentiful - but the seating isn’t. Go early (and I mean before 8 AM) or not at all. Greenbrush Bakery holds amazing donuts a few blocks down Regent from the stadium. Closer to State Street, during Sept and Oct the Farmer’s market is on the Capital Square, which is home to Stella’s hot spicy cheesy bread.
Post-game food: If you have a big crowd, and nobody can decide what they want to eat, your best bet is the Great Dane brewpub just off the Square. One of the biggest, most varied menus in town - one table can have a peanut stew, salad, fish fry, jerked chicken, and hamburger, and all insist they got the best thing on the menu. Plus, they brew their own delicious beer. Closer to campus, the City and Dotty’s both have an excellent beer selection to go along with their delicious burgers.
Alcohol: Before the game, people either tailgate with friends or head to one of the large outdoor beer gardens on Regent Street. Businesses set up shop in their parking lots in order to accomodate the large influx of professional drinkers heading to the game, getting close to quadrupling the capacity of total drinking space on Regent. Generally, the drink of choice is beer, the closer the better. Spotted Cow is the default ‘you have to try this’ offering to newcombers, but anything from the brew haus of New Glarus or Capital Brewery is delicious. The mixed drinks are bloody mary with a beer chaser, or a brandy old fashioned.
Afterwards, the party heads to State Street, where we laugh at your cocktail glasses. We serve long islands in mason jars at the Red Shed and grain alcohol with fruit punch in fishbowls at Wandos. If you have to drive, you could do worse than nurse a beer on the Memorial Union’s Terrace overlooking Lake Mendota.
Post-bar food: Two places come to mind. Ians Pizza is known for their pizza with crazy toppings. Mac and cheese, tomato pesto, BBQ chicken, and steak and fries are the most popular. The Parthenon is gyro-fry done right.
If you can only go to one place in town, make it The Old Fashioned. To summarize how amazing this place is, they have over 150 beers, more than 50 on tap, and only one imported beer: Minnesota’s Grain Belt. Everything about this place is an ode to Wisconsin culture, from the cheese curds and fish fry sandwich to the bloody marys and namesake old fashioneds to the kitch behind the bar.
Parking: Most of the parking close to Camp Randall is university-owned lots, which are reserved for boosters. Out-of-towners looking for a place to grill are probably best served by parking near the hospitals on Park and Regent, but only if you’re early enough to get a blacktop spot. The hospitals also have ramps if your tailgaiting supplies are ‘the cooler.’ If you want to stick around Madison, there’s a ramp on Dayton and Henry, which puts you next to State Street and the Capital building - the nexus of Madison drinking culture.
Fashion: Unlike our professional brethern up north, we do not go topless in November, nor is our third color blaze orange. Sweatshirts, jerseys, and jeans are par, no matter the weather. Please remember: you will sober up, there will be a wind, and nobody wants you to leave before Jump Around. Double-check the weather before you leave.
Food - Unless in the sort of dire straights one too many multi-story beer bongs can cause, don’t get stadium food or anything from the outdoor beer garden grills. Madison may not own the highest restaurant-per-capita title, but the highest rated restaurant-per-capita they dominate. Your stomach space is at a premium on gameday in Madison: to waste it on stadium nachos or a plain burger is akin to drinking Budweiser: something done out of necessity, instead of pleasure.
Breakfast: Mickey’s Dairy Bar is next to the stadium, where the calories are plentiful - but the seating isn’t. Go early (and I mean before 8 AM) or not at all. Greenbrush Bakery holds amazing donuts a few blocks down Regent from the stadium. Closer to State Street, during Sept and Oct the Farmer’s market is on the Capital Square, which is home to Stella’s hot spicy cheesy bread.
Post-game food: If you have a big crowd, and nobody can decide what they want to eat, your best bet is the Great Dane brewpub just off the Square. One of the biggest, most varied menus in town - one table can have a peanut stew, salad, fish fry, jerked chicken, and hamburger, and all insist they got the best thing on the menu. Plus, they brew their own delicious beer. Closer to campus, the City and Dotty’s both have an excellent beer selection to go along with their delicious burgers.
Alcohol: Before the game, people either tailgate with friends or head to one of the large outdoor beer gardens on Regent Street. Businesses set up shop in their parking lots in order to accomodate the large influx of professional drinkers heading to the game, getting close to quadrupling the capacity of total drinking space on Regent. Generally, the drink of choice is beer, the closer the better. Spotted Cow is the default ‘you have to try this’ offering to newcombers, but anything from the brew haus of New Glarus or Capital Brewery is delicious. The mixed drinks are bloody mary with a beer chaser, or a brandy old fashioned.
Afterwards, the party heads to State Street, where we laugh at your cocktail glasses. We serve long islands in mason jars at the Red Shed and grain alcohol with fruit punch in fishbowls at Wandos. If you have to drive, you could do worse than nurse a beer on the Memorial Union’s Terrace overlooking Lake Mendota.
Post-bar food: Two places come to mind. Ians Pizza is known for their pizza with crazy toppings. Mac and cheese, tomato pesto, BBQ chicken, and steak and fries are the most popular. The Parthenon is gyro-fry done right.
If you can only go to one place in town, make it The Old Fashioned. To summarize how amazing this place is, they have over 150 beers, more than 50 on tap, and only one imported beer: Minnesota’s Grain Belt. Everything about this place is an ode to Wisconsin culture, from the cheese curds and fish fry sandwich to the bloody marys and namesake old fashioneds to the kitch behind the bar.
