If you didn’t score season football tickets this fall, fear not: In addition to the first home game of the year, this weekend also marks the annual Taste of Madison event, a showcase and celebration of Madison’s plentiful culinary delights organized by non-profit Madison Festivals, Inc.
On Saturday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 67 Madison restaurants will set up shop on Capitol Square, serving 6 oz. portions of menu items that will make your mouth water and your taste buds cry out with joy. There will also be a massive TV screen showing the Badger game on Saturday night, so you can join in the feast without missing too much of the action.
“Aside from the big LED screen broadcasting throughout the weekend, this year’s Taste has more than 15 first-time restaurants,” said Scott Smith, event promoter for Madison Festivals, Inc. But those are not the only new features at this year’s Taste of Madison.
“We hope to make the 2009 event more interactive. People with mobile devices like a smart phone or iPhone can pull up our mobile site while they’re at the event and see a full list of restaurants, menu items, pricing and the full entertainment schedule,” Smith said.
Madison is home to more restaurants per capita than any other city in the Midwest, and with so many of these restaurant choices available at Taste of Madison, it’s hard to go wrong.
“Between the diversity of the food items and the music, everyone can find something to enjoy about the event,” Smith said.
More selective eaters can sample pizza and ice cream from several different vendors, or chow down on traditional Wisconsin favorites like fried cheese curds from The Old Fashioned.
But adventurous eaters could put together a more daring menu. Start out with a quirky appetizer like chilled melon and peach soup from Sweet Sophie’s.
Award-winning entr?e selections include Sa Bai Thong’s pad thai and chicken tikka masala from Taj Indian. With over 200 menu items to choose from, even the most seasoned foodies are bound to discover a new favorite.
But it’s the dessert selections that sound particularly tempting, with choices including pumpkin spice cheesecake from Grace’s Cheesecakes, panna cotta from Lombardino’s or a cookie dough chocolate chip egg roll from Bluephie’s.
Better still, each dish only costs between $1 and $4, so if you decide something’s not for you, you can toss it without feeling guilty. Or, if you take a particular liking to a dish — fried plantains from Caf? Costa Rica, for example — going back for seconds (or thirds) won’t break the bank.
“A cross-section of Madison’s overall population is evident at Taste. You’re definitely going to see a representation of people that call Madison home,” Smith said.
And since many of those people are UW-Madison students, Taste of Madison definitely has a student appeal. Student favorites like Gotham Bagels, Buraka, King of Falafel and Jamerica will be serving up some of their most mouth-watering menu options for a fraction of the usual price.
After grabbing a bite, wash it down with something from one of the 20 different beverage stands serving water, soda, wine and beer, including Wisconsin brews like Island Wheat and Wisconsin Amber. The Taste of Madison is free and open to the public, but proceeds from the event benefit United Cerebral Palsy of Dane County.
“Everyone can feel good about supporting this great event because it benefits so many. Since the event’s inception 27 years ago, United Cerebral Palsy has been our charity of record and Taste of Madison has helped them raise approximately $350,000 in the past decade alone,” Smith said.
The Taste of Madison also features free, live performances on three different stages sponsored by five different Madison radio stations. The entertainment will span several genres including country, rock and hip hop. Some of the more noticeable names include country crooner Jessica Harp, “College” lover Asher Roth, and rapper/songwriter Jason Derulo — the one who samples samples Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” in his summer smash “Whatcha Say.”
Taste of Madison doesn’t end with the food, either. Following the event on Sunday evening, a parade of lighted boats sponsored by Dane County Buy Local will start at dusk at Maple Bluff and end at Memorial Union with a firework display. (Food and fireworks on the same day? Yes, please!)
Taste of Madison will take place Saturday and Sunday. For more information about this event, visit www.tasteofmadison.com.
