Adventure 63: Noodles and Co.

Noodles and Company (website)
232 State St.
3 Adjectives: Mediocre, fast, bland
Price: entree (4-7)
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Other Opinions: yelp, madisonatoz, ...
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Noodles and Company (known as Noodles in these parts) started in Madison as one of those nicer than fast food joints that served a decently tasting giant bowl of pasta. Unfortunately, since those glory days when I was in high school, Noodles has slowly but perceptibly declined in quantity and somewhat in quality (depending on which restaurant you go to). Thankfully, the Noodles at State still tastes decent but don't expect delicious Italian or ethnic pasta dishes.

The Noodles and Company at State has a fun layout as it is on the corner of State and Johnson and is therefore triangular. There is plenty of seating upstairs and downstairs with a convenient condiments bar upstairs. The best thing about Noodles is it generally fits a variety of people's tastes and can be easily customized i.e. meat or no meat? salad or no salad? etc. and tastes a lot better than Za's. Also, one can always default to buttered noodles or mac and cheese for those picky eaters.

The last time I visited, I ordered the Japanese Pan Noodles. Unfortunately, these noodles have been progressively "Americanized" and every time I order them it seems like they are less spicy and savory than before. Also, they now serve their noodles on plates giving the illusion that there is lots of pasta even though the portions used to be much bigger. Other more solid dishes are mostly in the "American" section and include the Mushroom Stroganoff and Wisconsin Mac and Cheese. Also, the trio can be a hit or miss depending on if they overdress the salad.

Overall, I would recommend Noodles and Company only if you have a large group of people who have a variety of tastes. If you are looking for a fancier or more specific cuisine, there are many better pastas and noodles in nearby places including, Pizza di Roma, Tutto Pasta, Rising Son's, and Wasabi.

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I have been to Noodles&Company many times. I am a little sick of noodles by now, so my review may be clouded by my tiring of it. However, I usually order the Japanese pan noodles, which content me. I like to order them with tofu, which is an extra $2--kind of a rip-off, since it's not very much tofu. But the tofu is pretty tasty. On less routines trips to noodles I have tried the Bangkok curry and Thai curry soup, which both would probably taste better at an actual Thai restaurant. Only once did I order the Pasta Fresca and House Marinara, requesting that the cheese the ommitted. I would not recommend doing this, since the dishes are not particularly flavorful. Besides, I make pasta with tomato sauce by myself at home all the time, so I am not content paying six dollars at a restaurant for someone to do it for me.

Noodles is good place to go with a large group of people, I suppose, since it's one of those "something for everyone" places. And the mere fact that it has more than three full entres for vegans to chose from should put it at least at a two on the veganness scale...but it's usually not my first choice.

Adventure 62: Chautara

Chautara Restaurant (no website)
334 State St.
3 Adjectives: Cozy, adventurous, flavorful.
Price: entree (7-32)
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Other Opinions: yelp, madisonatoz, mmm...yoso ...
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Chautara is one of two Nepalese restaurants on State Street, the other being Himal Chuli. Since they are owned by relatives the two places serve different dishes to keep things varied.

Chautara has a nice lunch menu with many items being less than $10. On our most recent visit, I got a pork dish (above) while my friend ordered the dosa (left). The food also came with dal or salad. I recommend the dal, a nicely flavored lentil soup. My dish was nicely flavored and the dosa was nicely conceived with a huge flamoyant crust. However, it was not much different than dosas at Indian restaurants.

The restaurant is also quite spacious for a place on State St. with booths downstairs as well as more tables upstairs. Much of the place is adorned with interesting artwork and the walls are painted with flowers.

Since dinner does get quite expensive, and many of the items you can also get at cheaper Indian restaurants, I would recommend Chautara for lunch only. You get good food in a nice and quiet restaurant for a decent price.

Adventure 60: Gotham Bagels

Gotham New York Bagels and Eats (website)
112 E. Mifflin St.
3 Adjectives: warm, big, urban
Price: bagel (1) sandwich (4-10)
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Other Opinions: madisonatoz, thedailypage, yelp...
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Located right off the square, Gotham distinguishes itself with a nice large comic-bookish sign flanked by three lamps, boldly declaring its presence. Founded with the intention of bringing the big, chewy variety of bagel from the City to Madison, this deli is a success.

Inside, Gotham has a few tables and a counter to sit at with a large glass deli display in the back along with a counter to place your order. The feeling is at the same time Atlanta Bread Company juxaposed with corner deli, and with good results, as it generally has a bustling lunch crowd.

The menu is broken down into bagels and sandwiches. There's also in-house cream cheese - some are vegan - and salads. The place even features black and white cookies, an amusing New Yorker touch (though I always wonder how often people actually order these ridiculously sugary things). If I had to pick a favorite cream cheese, scallion is the winner, with fantastic savory scallion flavor throughout. Among the sandwiches the pastrami is quite good, with a flavorful pastrami meat. The last time I went there, I ordered the super egg everything bagel and lox (above). Though the lox was okay, the bagel really shone through with its crunchy exterior and chewiness. My friend ordered the Spanish Harlem, which was pretty messy, but this is not unlike how you would get it in the City anyways.

I would definitely recommend Gotham Bagels if you are ever near the capital or feel like taking a hike for lunch. If the place weren't so far, I'd recommend bringing it to your next breakfast/student org meeting over Einstein's any day. Gotham is so good that I'm sure it can't even disappoint a real New Yorker.

Adventure 59: Bubble Island

Bubble Island (no website)
777 University Ave.
3 Adjectives: Novel, saccharine, empty.
Price: drinks (2-4) froyo (3-5)
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Other Opinions: 77square, thedailypage, madisonatoz, ...
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Also, see Jahboh's edit for Fugu! I was prompted to return again after many people told me their experiences were much better.

I was extremely excited when I heard about this bubble tea and froyo place that had opened up in the East Campus Mall Food Court. Excited enough that I decided to brave the rather dull fast food spots that had opened up in the same location and check it out. I love bubble tea (sadly I've only been able to get it at Nam's and Asian Kitchen) and froyo craze seems to be spreading across the nation so I was eager to get a taste of the food here.

Unfortunately, the food at Bubble Island is rather disappointing. Most of the food is too sweet, and not particularly enjoyable. The mango lychee bubble tea drink I ordered tasted like pure sugar. The froyo is equally as sweet and the fruit toppings I ordered had chunks of ice in them.

The few times I have been in the food court, the area has been strangely deserted - even on days when there are plenty of students around. Therefore, it seemed awkward that Bubble Island even supplied games.

Overall, my experience at Bubble Island was a disappointment. I would not recommend this place for either the froyo or the bubble tea. Hopefully a more satisfying froyo place will open up in Madison in the future!

Tossy's Review will be coming soon!!!

Adventure 57: Chipotle

Chipotle Mexican Grill (website)
658 State St.
3 Adjectives: Fast, filling, tasty.
Price: burrito (7)
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Other Opinions: yelp, madisonatoz...
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One of two fast food giant burrito stops on State Street (the other being Qdoba), Chipotle seems to be the better and closer one.

Upon entering the restaurant, the entree is dished out in a walk-up counter in assembly-line fashion. You basically choose a protein and move down the line as the staff adds the toppings you would like in your burrito. My favorite is the grilled chicken, corn salsa, and pinto bean burrito since the flavors go together well, and the chicken is not overly chewy, which is what I think fails in the beef burritos. Other options include tacos and naked (sans tortilla) but just don't seem to be worth it. My biggest problem with Chipotle is that in order to add guacamole to your burrito, you need to pay an extra $2 for a very measly amount. In the end, the result is a giant burrito that takes approximately two meals to finish. Additionally, the burrito is ridiculously unhealthy - don't even think for one second that lettuce is somehow going to counter the fat and calories in one of those things. In terms of in-restaurant dining, the seating area consists of various booths and high mushroom head-like stools and tables. The overall theme is an urban silver-tan color which is not particularly inviting. However, most of the time I prefer to take it home anyway; Chipotle is perfect for those periods of crunch time where you don't feel like cooking at your apartment.

I would recommend Chipotle as a place to buy something that you can eat quickly and that is decent tasting when you don't feel like making food yourself. Also, sometimes during the semester, Chipotle will hand out or mail out coupons for a free burrito at large campus events, so look out for those deals.

Adventure 56: Tutto Pasta Cucina Italiana

Tutto Pasta Cucina Italiana (website)
107 King St.
3 Adjectives: elegant, buttery, friendly.
Price: app (8-11), entree (11-24)
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Other Opinions: yelp ...
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Located in a trendy mall on King Street, this further away Tutto Pasta (Spaghetti Carbonara) is an upscale version of the Tutto Pasta Trattoria on State. With larger, spacious tables and even settings spread out to the indoor mall (they have some sweet hanging candles out there), this Tutto seems like a very nice place to dine. Also, the two times I have been to the place, the waitstaff has been incredibly nice and helpful.

The menu at Tutto features a variety of pizzas and pastas. Unfortunately, this one seems to be pricier than the Tutto Pasta on State Street but all the dishes come out plated fancier. This past trip, we were a large group and got the sampler plate. I ordered the Spaghetti Cabonara. The sampler was fancily plated on a tray and had some nice bruchetta and calamari. The Spaghetti Cabonara was very good but incredibly heavy. Someone else who got the four cheese pasta also remarked on the heaviness. For dessert (if you can stomach it, or in our case we needed to reach $150), I highly recommend the tiramisu.

Everyone seemed to have enjoyed their meal. It really helped that we got a $75 gift certificate for $9 from Restaurant.com (though we had to spend $150), which basically ment half off the bill. If you subscribe to their mailing list, they often have some nice deals for their gift certificates.

Overall, I think the food at Tutto Pasta Cucina Italiana is a bit overpriced, especially given the cheaper fare closer on State St. I would only go there if you get a nice gift certificate to it online.

Adventure 52: Glass Nickel

Glass Nickel Pizza Co. (website)

5003 University Ave.
3 Adjectives: harmonious, delicious, environmental.
Price: appetizer (3-9) pizza 10" to 16" (12-20)
Authenticity:
Atmosphere: depends on where you eat it
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Other Opinions: yelp, wisconsinfishfry, yahoo, madisonatoz ...
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Madison doesn't seem to have a shortage of delicious pizza places and Glass Nickel is up there among the best with Ian's, Pizza Brutta, Pizza di Roma and Roman Candle (to name a few). To trek to Glass Nickel is not suitable since it's further west than Copps on University but the environmental friendly (they run partially on used veggie oil) delivery trucks can make you feel at ease.

The pizza at Glass Nickel is superb if you stick to one of their many specialty pizzas. From the way the toppings go together in each specialty pizza, it is clear much thought was put into assembling complimentary flavors. Normally the devout meat pizza eater, I seriously can not get enough of the Fetalicious pizza. Their all meat pizza, aptly named Cardiac Arrest, is also tasty. Topped with bacon, pepperoni, sausage, and ham, this is a good compliment to the Fetalicious. Another tasty option is their appropriately spicy Border-to-Border which has a nice balance of spice throughout the Hawaiian-like pizza. In addition to the tasty pizza, Glass Nickel also has this amazing appetizer called Nickel Nuggets: soft and chewy fried pizza dough topped with parmasean and parsley for dipping in marinara. The only disadvantage to Glass Nickel is you can not get pizza by the slice. Before you order, check your coupon books or online since Glass Nickel generally advertises a lot of coupons.

Glass Nickel is a wonderful option for your next pizza night in the apartment or suggest it for your next student org kickoff/lunch seminar.

Adventure 50: Maharani

Maharani Indian Restaurant (website)

380 W. Washington Ave.
3 Adjectives: flavorful,
Price: buffet (9) app (2-8) entree (8-16)
Authenticity:
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Veganess:
Other Opinions: tripadvisor, yelp, madisonatoz, madisonmagazine...
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There is not much downtown competition for good Indian food and maybe it's because Maharani is among the best you're going to get around the city. Perhaps second only to Maharajah on the far west side, Maharani serves a delicious lunch buffet that will certainly satisfy any Indian food craving.

The restaurant is quite big for a downtown restaurant and has everything from booths to tables wrapped around the long buffet bar. I always go to Maharani around lunchtime to sample their varietal buffet (11-3). The single dish entrees for dinner are not as interesting to me as the buffet where you get to sample a variety of delicious foods and is cheaper than any of the single entrees. Most of the buffet dishes are those that are found in many Indian buffets such as dosa, palak paneer, and tandoori chicken. My favorites are the malai kofta (veggetable meatballs in tasty sauce) as well as the butter chicken. These are not to be missed and I always find myself wiping my plate clean with naan to savor the delicious sauces. Maharani also has several nice desserts with the mango ice cream and the kulfi (spiced ice cream) being the best. My only complaint about Maharani is that the food is not as spicy (hot) as I would like as they probably have tried to Americanize some dishes.

Overall, I would highly recommend the lunch buffet at Maharani as the Indian food stop and as a good place to bring friends who are vegetarian. Maharani lives up to its name and is definitely fit for royalty.


Basically the same as other Indian restaurant lunch buffets Tossy has been to in Madison, but it does not matter, because Indian lunch buffets are tasty. Tossy has no problem with another Indian place close to campus. Buffets offers many varieties of curries, tasty stuffed breads and samosas, and nan (best ethnic bread, in Tossy's opinion). Tossy's only complaint is the desserts, which are all dairy based.

Adventure 48: Big 10 Pub

Jordan's Big 10 Pub (website)
1330 Regent St.
3 Adjectives: Friendly, tasty, cozy
Price: entree (5-11)
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Other Opinions: wisconsinfishfry, yelp, badgerherald, madisonatoz...
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The Big 10 Pub consists of your typical sports bar setting with some nice TV screens, a bar, a few tables and some booths on the side. The place is small enough that on a game night it feels crowded but on a slow night like the night I went it was not uncomfortable.

Our server was very nice and brought some menus almost immediately after we arrived. The Big 10 Pub also features a variety of beers on tap and cheap drinks. The menu consists of pretty standard sports bar food; I opted for the philly cheesesteak while my friend got a burger. The cheesesteak turned out to be okay, probably a tad better than a fast food joint and was a bit soggy. However, the accompanying wedge fries were great with the creamy chivy dip that was provided.

Despite being a sports bar and my initial low expectations, the Big 10 Pub actually stood out as a decent place. The friendly atmosphere really helped leverage the okay tasting food.