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2 Restaurants Worth a Visit to Madison + a Vlog

March 28, 2018March 28, 2018 Crystal // Dreams, etc. 17 comments
2 Restaurants Worth a Visit to Madison + a Vlog

Happy Wednesday, friends! I’m FINALLY here with my final video on my weekend trip to Madison, WI last December. If you missed it, my mom and I went to visit a relative who lives there and we decided to go in December so that we could see the State Christmas Tree, which we used to visit when I was younger. We had so much fun that we definitely want to go back to see more of what Madison has to offer and visit the city when it’s really at its peak: spring and summer. (We’ve been there during warmer months before, but it’s been awhile.)

Today I have two restaurants that you should totally go to Madison for, if all the cool stuff about the city doesn’t excite you. And I have a vlog from our trip. So, without further ado, here are the two restaurants.

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

IKE’S PIZZA ON STATE STREET

Macaroni and cheese pizza, need I say more? This restaurant is close to the capitol, right on State Street, so if you time it right you can grab lunch after you tour. I would anticipate the restaurant gets busy over typical lunch times, though. I mean, it was busy when we went and I think we were there after the typical lunch rush. You can buy pizza by the slice and one slice is definitely filling! My mom and I actually picked up two slices. One was a really tasty slice with mozzarella, spinach, and tomatoes. I think it was called the Venetian, or something like that. It was what was recommended when I asked if they had a tomato basil. We also had to try the Mac and Cheese pizza, which was SO much better than we anticipated! We cut each slice in half to make a whole for ourselves and it was definitely plenty of food! If pizza isn’t your thing, but you want to check out this cute joint (seriously, such a fun place to go to AND while we were there we got to listen to a random group of carolers sing) there’s also a salad bar.

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

HA LONG BAY

I heard this was voted one of the best restaurants in Madison, if not the best. As a bonus: it’s not located in the downtown area so it gets you out into a different part of Madison. (Also, there’s a chocolate shop nearby that apparently has the best chocolate. We didn’t stop. I have no explanation. Actually, I do. We passed it and didn’t go back later. I felt like maybe no explanation was better than that one. 😂) We ordered a bunch of appetizers (my favorites were the dumplings; get them for the dipping sauce alone! For our entrees we got the Pad Thai and the Vietnamese Rice Vermicelli Salad with Grilled Chicken. I think their Pad Thai is well-known, but my fave was definitely the salad. Be sure you pour the sauce over it, because it really brings everything together!

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

THE OLD FASHIONED

We got there before the usual dinner rush starts to try and get a table, but the wait was STILL too long and we ended up leaving, but I wanted to throw it in here anyway so that you can for me! (Just kidding, I definitely plan to check this place out and see if it’s as awesome as I think it will be in a future trip.) This restaurant serves Wisconsin faves. And it’s called Old Fashioned. How perfect is that?!? I was definitely planning to get an old fashioned at Old Fashioned and it would have been amazing. I think they have a fish fry on Friday nights. I’m usually not one for fish, but I do enjoy a good Friday night fish fry in Wisconsin with an old fashioned on the side. Also, it’s right across the street from the capitol and the capitol building at night is 😍.

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

Aaaaand… last, but definitely not least, here’s the vlog from our trip!

Have you been to Madison? What are your favorite restaurants? Where do I need to go?

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About Crystal

About Crystal

Hi! I'm Crystal, a millennial learning how to live slowly and sustainably, while still seeking adventure and following my dreams, etc.

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17 comments

  1. Cristina says:
    March 28, 2018 at 12:56 pm

    I’d love to check out the pizza place, looks SO good!

    Reply
  2. Jasmine Maria says:
    March 28, 2018 at 7:47 pm

    Ian’s pizza is the best! I love their Mac’n Cheese pizza.

    Reply
  3. Kristeena says:
    March 29, 2018 at 10:18 am

    Oh, the food all looked so good here! Now I’m craving pad thai haha

    Reply
  4. Gwendolyn Meredith says:
    March 29, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    It sounds like you had an enjoyable visit to Madison, WI. I always love visiting new places in December because you get to see the beautiful seasonal decorations. The state Christmas tree looked beautiful in your video. I’m sure it was wonderful to see in person.

    Reply
  5. Tami says:
    March 29, 2018 at 1:28 pm

    I’ve actually never been to Wisconsin but if I go, I definitely want to try that pizza place. It looks so good!

    Reply
  6. Kimberly M says:
    March 29, 2018 at 1:43 pm

    You had me at the Mac N Cheese Pizza slice – WOWZA!

    Reply
  7. Beth Kondrick says:
    March 29, 2018 at 3:49 pm

    NOM. I want it all. I think my husband got into the Old Fashioned when he went on a beer trip with some guys. I’m trying to convince my husband that on our St. Louis trip this summer we should come back through Wisconsin and hit up Madison.

    Reply
  8. Sheila says:
    March 29, 2018 at 5:08 pm

    WOW! This looks so amazing! I’m from NY and I love pizza, but Mac and Cheese Pizza? Get Out! I would love to try a slice of that! I need to visit Wisconsin I hear so many wonderful things about it!

    Reply
  9. Denise Riehle says:
    March 29, 2018 at 6:22 pm

    Ian’s pizza is indeed awesome. And State Street is always fun.

    Reply
  10. Allison Ellzey says:
    March 29, 2018 at 7:05 pm

    These sound like such great places! I’ve never been to Madison (or Wisconsin), but when we finally do make it up there–I’ll have to keep these in mind!

    Reply
  11. Beth_Daily_Dog_Tag says:
    March 29, 2018 at 9:49 pm

    Everything looks delicious! I don’t know that I’ll ever go to Madison, but if I do, I hope I make it to Ha Long Bay!

    Reply
  12. Melissa Marie says:
    March 30, 2018 at 6:28 am

    Have never been there before but will keep the pizza place in mind. That macaroni and cheese pizza looked legit. Yum!

    Reply
  13. Cameron says:
    March 30, 2018 at 10:49 am

    Both of these look amazing! And mac & cheese pizza?! Sign me up haha!

    Reply
  14. Eli@coachdaddy says:
    March 30, 2018 at 2:43 pm

    Gah. I want to make that Pad Thai my screen saver! I’ve never even been close to Wisconsin, but now I want to know what a Wisconsin fish fry is all about.

    Loved the vlog, too. Glad to have found you through that Peaceful Posse!

    Reply
  15. Erica @ Coming up Roses says:
    March 30, 2018 at 6:24 pm

    Excuse me can we talk about that pizza?!?!?! OH MY LORD. #need

    Reply
  16. Messy Cutting Board says:
    March 30, 2018 at 10:41 pm

    Oh these places sound super tasty!! Sorry you didn’t get to check out old fashioned I can’t wait to read the review when you do!

    Reply
  17. Steven N Madison Weaver says:
    April 3, 2018 at 8:56 am

    These sound like great restaurants! I’ve always wanted to visit Madison!

    Reply

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hi!

I'm Crystal, the storyteller behind Dreams, etc. I'm all about learning how to live slowly & sustainably, while also seeking adventure as we follow our dreams, etc.

May 2023. Savannah, Georgia. Lots of Mina. Lots of May 2023. Savannah, Georgia. Lots of Mina. Lots of new growth on plants.
The other day I realized that there is no Savannah The other day I realized that there is no Savannah on my feed and…well, Savannah is beautiful and needs to be there. These were taken in Lafayette Square on my second day in Georgia.
Picture it. It’s the day after Thanksgiving. I d Picture it. It’s the day after Thanksgiving. I didn’t go on my weekly dam walk earlier in the week when I was excited about it. On this day I was tired after a long week and my least favorite holiday. My bed was oh so comfortable. I forced myself to roll out of bed and journey to the dam. It was filled with people and I was pokey…taking my time to get there and even journeying down one of the other paths to avoid walking across the dam. (Which isn’t long.) I finally joined the crowd and walked across. And then came back, happy to have made my weekly journey. This is when the top layer of the water started to freeze.
From March: an old mini vlog from a bagpipe rock c From March: an old mini vlog from a bagpipe rock concert, which is mostly me trying the say bagpipe rock. Some word combinations are hard! 😂 There was a sign asking us not to film, which is why there’s no concert footage.
Some of my weekly dam walks have been therapeutic Some of my weekly dam walks have been therapeutic and while the walks haven’t fixed the problems, they’ve help me breathe and connect with the world and relieve stress. 💕
April 2023. We got more snow, but it also melted. April 2023. We got more snow, but it also melted. The dam was almost overflowing. The animals are beginning to emerge. Spring is here!
Happy Independent Bookstore Day! After a coffee st Happy Independent Bookstore Day! After a coffee stop (of course) a friend and I checks out two indie bookstores that we have never been to before. I definitely want to go back to Uncle Hugo’s and Uncle Edgar’s! Did you do anything for #independentbookstoreday

#indiebookstore #indiebookshop
After watching some shopping ASMR videos I had to After watching some shopping ASMR videos I had to try it.

#asmr #groceryshopping #groceryshop  #asmrvideos
I’m a little behind in weekly dam walk reels. Le I’m a little behind in weekly dam walk reels. Let’s go back to the third week in November when there was just a little snow on the ground and the footprints in the snow seemed notable.
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