Eating in Madison A to Z

Teriyaki Sushi Express

In a word: Compact and quick.

The specs: #01095  
30 Fish Hatchery Rd #30, Madison, WI 53713
Visited September 26, 2018

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Teriyaki Samurai

In a word: Fast, cheap and on-the-go.

The specs: #01094  
Visited September 21, 2018

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The bill was $16, or $8/person, plus tip.
JM and Nichole's grades are lost to memory. (see our grading rubric).

Tavernakaya

In a word: For when you've got a yen.

The specs: #01093 
27 E Main St, Madison, WI 53703
Visited September 11, 2018

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JM ate the Korean bulgogi.
Nichole ate the bento box with spicy tuna and curry chicken with a honey ginger soda.
The bill was about $15/person, plus tip.
JM gave Tavernakaya a B+; Nichole gave Tavernakaya a ¥ (see our grading rubric).

Taquitos Marimar

In a word: Winning at lunch.

The specs: #01092  
Visited September 7, 2018

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May 27 virtual town hall: Essential yet Expendable: Wisconsin Food Workers Amidst Pandemic

Please join us and the Wisconsin Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival and Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice next Wednesday, May 27, from 6:30-8pm Central, for "Essential yet Expendable," a virtual event to hear directly from essential food workers about how the pandemic is affecting them and exacerbating an existing crisis.

From seedlings to packaging to retail to dinner tables, food workers are essential to society. However, Wisconsin food workers today—many of whom are immigrants—lack legal protection, living wages, safe workspaces, job security, and healthcare access. And now, COVID-19 has laid bare these contradictions of our essential, and yet expendable, food workforce.

Join us as we listen to John Peck, Director of Family Farm Defenders, and three Wisconsin food industry workers about how this crisis-within-a-crisis is impacting them.

Stay for discussion of how people of conscience can act to build a moral response to the systemic injustices involved in providing us with the very food we eat.

“From farm to table, food connects us; let’s connect on our shared commitment to justice.”

RSVP at tinyurl.com/wifoodworkers or visit Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1360377524161451/

PS dear readers - we hope this finds you well. We’ve been quiet on the blog front long before the current pandemic because, well, life finally got life-y. We’ll be posting some images of meals past in the weeks to come (though we honestly don’t have enough juice for many words about them). Be well, stay safe, care for each other.

Taqueria el Sabor Queretano

In a word: The East Side deserves better.

The specs: #01091  
4512 E Washington Ave #7, Madison, WI 53704
Visited September 1, 2018

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JM ate the beef torta.
Nichole ate the burrito.
The bill was $23, or $11ish/person, plus tip.
JM gave Taqueria el Sabor Queretano a C+; Nichole gave Taqueria el Sabor Queretano a C- (see our grading rubric).

 

Taqueria Gonzalez

In a word: Pretty good for taq'out.

The specs: #01090  
2606 Allen Blvd., Middleton 53562
Details at Yelp, official web site

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JM ate the pork quesadilla.
Nichole ate the shrimp taco plate.
The bill was $20, or $10/person, plus tip.
JM and Nichole gave Taqueria Gonzalez a B (see our grading rubric).

Taqueria El Jalapeño

In a word: Taqu-in' care of business.

The specs: #01089  
1318 S. Midvale Blvd., 53711
Details at Yelp, official web site

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JM ate the chicken burrito.
Nichole ate two tacos and an horchata.
The bill was about $25, or $12ish/person, plus tip.
JM gave Taqueria El Jalapeno an A- ; Nichole gave Taqueria El Jalapeno a B+ (see our grading rubric).

The southwest side of town has pretty good Mexican eats with La Nopalera, Los Atlantes, La Mestiza, Los Gemelos and even Laredo's in a pinch.  But Taqueria El Jalapeno still finds a way to cut through the clutter and be its own thing.  In this case, a place where you can get full at a reasonable price without sacrificing quality.

JM had an enormous chicken burrito with came with sour cream and avocado on top (and queso, sweet sweet, queso).  This was entirely filling and yet every single bite had to be consumed because it was so tasty.  Nichole got two tacos, al pastor and steak, which were both delicious. A glassful of their horchata was among the best Nichole's had in town.

This location has been at least to Mexican places (and Donut Delight and Mediterranean Delight before that) but it seems to have settled into its role as a good place for standard fare. We'll be back to try more of the menu fer sher.

Taqueria 3 Amigos

In a word: Nice food but no place to park.

The specs: #01088  
1133 Williamson St., 53703
Details at Yelp

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JM ate the carnitas burrito.
Nichole ate the two taco plate with one carne asada and one al pastor.
The bill was $23, or $11ish/person, plus tip.
JM and Nichole gave Taqueria 3 Amigos a B (see our grading rubric).

Hard to believe, maybe, but it was "hippie Christmas" when we visited Taqueria 3 Amigos on Williamson Street. Warm biking weather, laid-back vibe, and affordable tasty eats were the impressions we had, after we found the place - in typical A-Z fashion, we went to the wrong address first, and visited the vacant storefront on Henry before pedaling on down to Willy. But we eventually made it!

The opening foray of warm chips with salsa was encouraging. For his meal, JM opted for a carnitas burrito, which was rich and fatty as might be expected. A veritable loaf o' food (beans, rice and sausage all in) lay there on a giant red plate, blanketed in a huge flour tortilla.

Nichole went with the two taco plate, which added rustic refried beans and corn-studded rice. Of the two classic tacos, the carne asada was her preference - loaded with black pepper that gave it zing. The al pastor, in contrast, was mostly salty. Both tacos came loaded with very fresh cilantro and onions.

We'd go back!

Tapatios Cocina

In a word: Southside of the border.

The specs: #01087  
2990 Cahill Main, Suite 100, Fitchburg 53711
Details at Yelp, official web site

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JM ate the steak burrito.
Nichole ate the taco sampler.
The bill was $26, or $13/person, plus tip.
JM and Nichole both gave Tapatios Cocina a B+ (see our grading rubric).

Tapatios in Fitchburg really felt quite Fitchburg-y to us. It's in the same Cahill Main strip mall as the Great Dane and seems to be thinking: "What if people at the Great Dane wanted Mexican food?" This is not to say that Tapatios is bad or anything, just that it's more corporate-feeling than average.  For example, the prices. Tapatios is no taco truck or abarrotes spot, with lovingly prepared but ultimately cheap eats. Everything is bright and shiny in Fitchburg... like it's Madison's Tomorrowland ride.

What is here, though, is pretty good nosh. Nichole dug the taco sampler (which is a great idea: one of each of the 3 or 4 most popular tacos at any given spot - here being al pastor, steak, beef, chicken and fish), particularly the ample veggies on each 3- or 4-bite taco. She followed it with a delicious guava cream cheese empanada from Caracas Empanadas, also three bites big. JM got his Mexistandard Steak Burrito and found this one tasty but a little light on his favorite parts. The salsa selection was very good.

Ever since Casa de Lara became the Thirsty Goat, southside denizens and workers may need a place other than Laredo's to take the office lunch crowd, and Tapatios definitely fits that bill.