 |  | | May 28, 2025
This past three-day weekend was a much-needed reset and a taste of summer in Madison. Between tossing the Frisbee with my boyfriend, a bonfire with friends and potting annuals on my porch, I packed in several quintessential food experiences: a walk around the Square on Saturday morning during the Dane County Farmers' Market, a trip to Brat Fest and drinks on The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co. patio downtown.
In this newsletter, you'll find a list of more than 250 Madison patios to enjoy, along with a number of things to look forward to this summer. Ha Long Bay reopened on Williamson Street after a year-long hiatus with a fresh new look, a new line-up of cocktails and all the same menu favorites. American Players Theatre's 2025 season is set to start soon and with it, picnics before the show. Plus, there's a new sandwich shop near the Square and a new ice cream spot coming to East Washington Avenue in June — just in time for grabbing a bite and eating it al fresco.
Emma Waldinger is associate editor at Madison Magazine and an award-winning food writer. She curates this biweekly newsletter for Madison Magazine. Reach her at ewaldinger@madisonmagazine.com. | |  | | Dishes, dining and food experiences that I'm fixating on | | | 🍸 I tried an interesting cocktail while I was at The Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co. this past weekend. Field Trip is a mix of vodka, vanilla schnapps, root beer syrup, heavy cream and a splash of seltzer. It reminded me of the milky drink that forms when vanilla ice cream melts into root beer. I'm also loving herbaceous concoctions right now: I had a cocktail at Oz by Oz recently that had hints of almond and elderflower.
🍨 The first weekend that feels like summer requires an ice cream cone, in my opinion. Since I can never choose between sweet and sour, I had a scoop of Zanzibar chocolate and a scoop of Electric Watermelon Italian Ice in a cake cone at Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co. | | | | | |  | | | The long-awaited reopening of this Southeast Asian eatery brings back familiar favorites plus fresh updates. | | | | | | American Players Theatre will have a meta moment this summer when the pre-show picnic tradition is followed by a play about a picnic. | | | | | | D'Vino owners open Dinotto, an Italian sandwich counter with lunch options, take-and-bake offerings and dry goods, on South Webster Street. | | | | | | Get your tickets while they last for Seven Acre Dairy Co.'s Hilltop Dinner Series featuring meals served by top chefs and local legends! | | | | |  |  | | A curated selection of food-related events in the next two weeks | | | Ritual Vine Wine Party with chefs Gai Hoth and Juan Umaña at Wonderstate Madison (27 W. Main St.) | May 29, 5-9 p.m.
Pizza at the Farm Night at Four Winds Farm (5735 Adams Road, Fitchburg) | May 29, 5-9 p.m.
Festa Italia at McKee Farms Park (2930 Chapel Valley Road, Fitchburg) | May 31-June 1
Picnic on the Patio with El Sabor de Puebla and Stellie's Ice Cream at Northstreet (557 North St.) | June 3, 5-8 p.m.
Taco Tuesday with the Navajo Fry Bread Team at Farley Center (2299 Spring Rose Road, Verona) | June 3, 6-8 p.m.
| | | |  | After two years in business, owners of the Monroe Street bistro say the restaurant is no longer tenable. | | | | Patio season is upon us. Check out more than 250 places to soak in the sun in Madison and its surrounding towns. | | | | | | | | Recent Local Restaurant Openings and Closings - Two Madison restaurants — one new and one veteran — closed in the last week. Rue Bourre, a Cajun-inspired restaurant that opened in late 2023 on Cottage Grove Road closed for good on Friday, and Short Stack Eatery, a breakfast spot that's been on State Street for over a decade, closed on Sunday.
- Cliff's Willy Street Eats is also set to close by the end of this month, and will be replaced by a new concept called Sern Sapp. It marks a return of Laotian food to the location that used to be home to Lao Laan-Xang's second location on Williamson Street. Sern Sapp's owner is related to the owner of Lao Laan-Xang.
- Stellie's Ice Cream (formerly Dairy Godmother) is planning a grand opening for its first brick-and-mortar store at 1815 E. Washington Ave. on June 1.
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