Eating in Madison A to Z: Grid Iron

In a word: And there was great weeping and gnashing of teeth...

The specs: #0207
Address, hours & details via Isthmus.

JM got a Minute Maid lemonade.
Nichole got a Coke.
The bill was $4.
JM gave Grid Iron a D-; Nichole gave Grid Iron an F.

Grid Iron

Maybe context is the key to understanding:

19 February 2001: Chris Martell praises Grid Iron for being a "restaurant of some ambition."

15 March 2001: Samara Kalk Derby says it's so good she'd "hate to see it overrun."

17 July 2001: Madison City Council approves a ban on amplified music, which is debated by readers of Channel3000.com.

Sometime in here Grid Iron is added to the Isthmus Eats list.

21 February 2003: Stewart Kirkham writes for the Badger Herald about the venue's unique character, live music offerings and game room. He notes that "The Grid Iron is a giant leap forward from any house party, and the sight of a keg-stand or beer bong would be totally inappropriate," but then describes Grid Iron's kill-the-keg night and other delights.

15 September 2004: Megan Costello writes for the Badger Herald about the Alcohol License Review Committee meeting at which neighbors of Grid Iron complain of "poor security and loud music."

9 March 2006: Cap Times reports Grid Iron's landlord wants to turn the block into more condos.

Summer 2006: brou-ha-ha between the landlord and the tenants of Journey, next door to Grid Iron, erupts.

14 October 2006: Nichole and JM, finding Grid Iron open erratic hours, decide to go on Homecoming Saturday. Despite signs for $3 brat-and-chips, there's no food to be had. Plenty of shot girls and Badger fans, though.

As Nichole crosses the back patio, a barrel-chested woman walks up and shoves her with both hands, then staggers off. Given the drinks menu (heavy on the lite beer) JM and Nichole pay $4 for 2 cans of soda, one of which needs to be washed off before it is safe to drink from, and beat a hasty retreat.

New food books

Barbara Passino: Chocolate for Breakfast: Entertaining Menus to Start the Day with a Celebration From Napa Valley's Oak Knoll Inn
Not every recipe includes chocolate. Not every recipe is for beginners. But every recipe is pure food pron! {Find near you | Our review copy was provided by the publicist.}
Patrick Evans-Hylton: Popcorn
Popcorn gets its due as the healthful, scrumptious vehicle for flavor combinations. Just in time for Oscar season, too - so pick up a bag of baby rice at the winter Farmer's Market and have yourself a ball. {Find near you | Our review copy was provided by the publicist.}
Julie Hasson: The Complete Book of Pies: 200 Recipes from Sweet to Savory
Vegan internet chef Julie Hasson pulls together a tome to please the pie fan in us all. She makes homemade crust sound as easy as, well ... {Find near you | Our review copy was provided by the publicist.}

Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Wow.

I assume the soda can-washing was not on JM's beverage? I can't believe he would have failed to F that stuff up with a soda can contaminant.

Dubious congrats on your first F!

(or, F you!)

Posted by: Kyle | November 06, 2006 at 11:15 PM

Come on! This sounds like your kind of place! People pay good money to be shoved by barrel chested women in some parts of this country! When did I start using so many exclamation points!

Posted by: Ryan | November 07, 2006 at 11:01 AM

Yeah, first F...must be some sort of landmark.

Posted by: nichole | November 07, 2006 at 11:53 AM