For most college students, food is something that should be fast, hot and easy. Going to sit-down restaurants is not a priority, and venturing outside of walking distance to nosh is a rare occurrence. In Madison, this is a damn shame. 

Yelp lists 655 restaurants in Madison, not including food carts or farmers’ market stands where other delicious food can be bought. There’s so much more to the Madison food scene than Pizza D’s and Buffalo Wild Wings: All it takes is a little searching to discover it.

I realize that for those not familiar with eateries beyond State Street, taking the first step in exploring Madison’s culinary offerings can be daunting. That is why I, a lifelong Madison area resident and food snob, am presenting you with a Madison food bucket list. In it you will find items from Madison restaurants many college students would never otherwise stumble into. So sit back, relax and prepare to get hungry.

The first on my bucket list is a morning bun from La Brioche at 2862 University Ave. This pastry is filled with cinnamon and sugar and is easily a breakfast in itself. Best served warm, this is the most popular item at the bakery and often sells out, so be sure to get it early. While there, check out the 100 percent feng shui set up of La Brioche’s restaurant, True Food.

While still in the breakfast theme, Sophia’s Bakery and Caf? at 831 E. Johnson St. has truly amazing pancakes. While only open on the weekends, the caf? is well worth the wait. A cozy (read, tiny) spot, dining here is an experience not soon forgotten. The food is homemade and the atmosphere about as east side as the east side gets. You may have to share a table with strangers, but you’ll be doing it while enjoying the best breakfast you’ve had in a long while.

Skipping across to the west side, Shish Cafe at 5510 University Ave has the best falafel in town – and, trust me, I know falafel. Wisconsin is not exactly known for its authentic ethnic food (emphasis on authentic), but Shish Cafe serves up some pretty spot-on Mediterranean cuisine, better than Med Caf? and with a more extensive menu. Remember to get the hummus, and don’t be afraid to forget what country you’re in.

The next item is almost as American as French fries – however, it’s actually as Belgian as pommes frites. Brasserie V at 1923 Monroe St. serves up a mouthwatering version of this salty snack and serves it with two to-die-for aolis. While fried, fattening foods are delicious by nature, these frites put even Parthenon’s fries to shame. Easily shared and even more easily inhaled, this is something you’ll want to have again and again.

Now everyone knows that fries go with ice cream (If you don’t, I highly recommend dipping the former in the latter), and this is the place to get it. Ella’s Deli and Ice Cream Parlor at 2902 E. Washington Ave. is impossible to miss from the street: It’s the one with the carousel in front. 

Get an ice cream sundae (Try the Sparkled Kazoo if you’re feeling daring) and step into the carnival-esque d?cor. Motorized toys line the ceiling, and the tables are filled with pinball machines and trinkets. At Ella’s, you truly have to see it to believe it.

With this next item, it is the food, not the surroundings, that make it a must. Fraboni’s at 822 Regent St. is an Italian grocery and deli, selling all kinds of goodies from the boot across the Atlantic. However, we’re coming here for their sub sandwiches.

For meat lovers, the Otto sandwich is a dream come true. Filled with ham, pastrami, pepperoni, hard salami, provolone and a smattering of vegetables, the sandwich has all that is good about Italian meat (they also serve non-artery-blocking fare for the less carnivorous). Not a sit down joint, but one of the best choices for take out.

The last item on the list, but certainly not the last of my Madison favorites, doesn’t come from a restaurant. Honey sticks from the Dane County Farmers’ Market: There is something about eating honey like a Popsicle that makes it taste better. Several vendors sell the treat, made from bees they themselves care for. 

While spicy cheese bread is well and good and flowers are pretty, do yourself a favor and try something sweet, new and locally sourced from the market before it closes for the season.

These items are just a sampling of the unique tastes of Madison. Enjoy these, then go out and find your own favorites. You have 655 opportunities and counting to find something you love.

Allegra Dimperio ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in journalism.