As the weather warms and patio umbrellas pop up around the city, new restaurants have been opening their doors to diners.
Locals can find fresh spots for Peruvian seafood and New York-style pizza, Korean hot pot and vegan burgers. There’s a new brewery and taproom, a new east side ice cream shop, an Italian American supper club coming to Mount Horeb and a breakfast/lunch place coming to Mazomanie.
All of these restaurants, cafes and bars have either opened in the past few months or are about to open, most of them soon. Note that opening a restaurant is a notoriously fickle business and prone to delays — we’ve done our best here to confirm plans, but things may change.
Know of a dining or drinking spot we missed? Email lchristians@captimes.com and we’ll add it to the Corner Table newsletter, where we share restaurant news every week.
Now open
Pizza Supreme Madison — 6714 Raymond Road
Pizza Supreme opened a few months ago in the former location of Thai Basil, serving New York-style pizzas with classic mid-American toppings like Italian sausage, green bell pepper, red onions and black olives. Try riffs like a Mexican pizza with fresh chorizo and caramelized onions, or a four-cheese pie with gorgonzola and cheddar.
Mad Rabbit Café— 805 Williamson St.
West coast transplant Nate Anger brought his Sacramento vegan food truck, Rabbit Food Revolution, to the Midwest several months ago. He opened Mad Rabbit Café in the former location of La Kitchenette on Feb. 1, serving plant-based versions of American comfort food. According to food writer Mahanth Joishy, the Mad Rabbit burger was a “huge win” with fresh ingredients, and the tofu with ranch dressing sent him to wrap wonderland.
Taberna Tacos & Tequila — 1925 Monroe St.
Restaurants take time — the Cap Times first reached out to Pasqual’s owner Ben Roberts a year and a half ago about his new Monroe Street taco shop, which Roberts had already determined “will NOT be a Pasqual’s.” The concept for Taberna, per a State Journal story in April, is “taco sports bar” with a variety of tacos (Americanized “gringo” tacos, traditional Mexican tacos and “luxury” tacos). Roberts is working with Alin Stupinean, a partner in Pasqual’s Cantina Taco Truck in the Wisconsin Dells, in a space that was formerly Berke & Benham Seafood Market. The restaurant opened May 8.
The Shop by EBNS— 626 Langdon St.
Kenzie Beam is working with friends to bring a little sustenance to her new shop on Langdon. Beam’s pop-up business, Every Bitch Needs a Scrunchie (EBNS), found a permanent home on April 26. It will serve baked goods from Miggy’s Bakes, Madison Sourdough and Stella’s as well as cold brew coffee and iced tea. Hours are Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Mishqui Peruvian— 1901 Cayuga Ct., Middleton
Two years after opening on Monona Drive, Mishqui Peruvian Cuisine has taken its empanadas, ceviche and stir-fries to a second location in downtown Middleton. Cynthia Garcia opened Mishqui on March 16 in the former location of K-Peppers.
BeneBlends — 208 E. Verona Ave., Verona
Laura Behrends opened her first smoothie, bowl and juice bar on the west side in December 2021. A few years later, she has a second location serving vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free treats, for example, the CPB Bowl: banana, “plant-based chocolate protein,” peanut butter and almond milk, topped with chocolate cashew granola, fresh fruit, cacao nibs and peanut butter.
Minocqua Brewing Company — 2927 East Washington Ave.
Minocqua Brewing Company, owned by Kirk Bangstad, has opened a new taproom in Madison in the former location of Growlers-A-Go-Go. Minocqua is vocal about its progressive stances, making beers like Fair Maps 2.0 IPA, a fruited sour with pineapple and mango called Love Wins, and Labor Lager.
Opening soon
Les Delices de Awa— 2045 Atwood Ave.
Awa Sibi, a force of nature from the Ivory Coast, ran a catering business for many years in Madison. She will open the doors to her West African restaurant on May 15. Opening hours for the restaurant, located in the former Monsoon Siam space next to BarleyPop Tap & Shop, will be 4:30-8:30 p.m.
Jade True Food — 2227 Parmenter St., Middleton
A “breakfast, lunch and espresso bar” called Jade True Food is planning to open this spring in the former location of My Sister’s Kitchen. Details are still scarce, but a post on social media indicated the chef could be Zack Loyd and dishes may include chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits and steak and eggs.
My Sister’s Kitchen— 8 American Legion Drove, Mazomanie
Shelly Skinner closed her home-style breakfast and lunch spot in Middleton in August 2023 and spent several months looking for a new home. She found it in Mazomanie, per the Wisconsin State Journal, in what had been R&J’s Saloon. Skinner told the WSJ “I don’t necessarily want to own a bar, but I probably will” serve Bloody Marys and screwdrivers with breakfast. Recent social media updates estimate a May 20 opening.
Sassy Scoop — 2302 Atwood Ave.
After a contentious beginning that led to two ice cream shops operating less than a block from each other in Schenk-Atwood, the newcomer, Atwood Scoop, has left. The State Journal reports that Jele Magdalina, an entrepreneur with a food service background who grew up in the neighborhood, will rent the tiny triangle shop and is calling it Sassy Scoop, serving Sassy Cow ice cream. Magdalina hoped to be open in time for Mother’s Day. Attempts to confirm this were not returned by press time.
Bar Manzo — 209 E. Main St. Ste. H, Mount Horeb
Skål, a Norske-style beer hall, will be replaced by a new project from 107 State owner Nathan Mergen. In a State Journal story Mergen described Bar Manzo as a “red-sauce” joint, with Italian American food and a supper club vibe. He said he hoped to open by late May.
Obert-Alvin — 2969 Main St., Blue Mounds
Per the State Journal, former co-owner of the Weary Traveler and the Blue Marlin Chris Berge is opening a coffee shop called Obert-Alvin in Blue Mounds at the end of June. The business is described as “part coffee shop, part event space and part vacation rental.”
Forage Kitchen — 2824 Prairie Lakes Drive, Sun Prairie
The eighth location of the locally based greens-and-grains chain Forage Kitchen is in the works now for Sun Prairie, taking the place of a salon. A company rep says they’ll be able to share a specific opening date after construction and final inspections are complete. They are aiming to open the first week of June.
Amar Peru — 610 Junction Road
The seafood-focused Amar Peru is a project from Daniel Rodriguez and Esmeralda Bascones. The couple formerly ran Inka Heritage and Estacion Inka and are currently the owners of Pikkito, a Peruvian spot in Middleton. They announced their plans in March for a June opening of Amar in the former Mr. Brews Taphouse location.
Ama — 809 Williamson St.
A Nepalese restaurant named for the founder of Himal Chuli and run by her son, Ama is set to open soon on Willy Street near Mad Rabbit Cafe and Taco Local. Owner Rajan Pradhan used to own Dobhan, also on the near east side. The new restaurant was aiming for a Mother’s Day opening back in March; Cap Times requests for an update have not yet been answered.
Korill Hut Korean BBQ & Hot Pot — 232 E. Towne Mall
A new Korean hot pot and barbecue spot is planned for the former location of Lulu’s 13 Pub, a restaurant located inside the East Towne Mall. Posts from the restaurant describe it as “Korean BBQ modernized with a full bar and nightlife atmosphere,” serving 20-plus dips and a variety of meat, meatballs, seafood, vegetables and more. On the restaurant’s Facebook page, the opening is estimated for fall (“third quarter 2024”).
Mint Mark— 1874 E. Washington Ave.
Mint Mark’s final day was May 4, and it will remain closed for a few weeks as it moves into a newer, larger location in The Standard apartment buildings on East Wash. The current opening date is estimated around mid-June; watch social media (@mintmarkmadison) for updates.
Closed
Recent closings include Nick’s Restaurant, set to have its last day on May 11. Nectar Bakery in Spring Green, Rocket Velo Cafe in Verona and Morris Ramen all closed in recent months. Harvest, which closed during the pandemic, has confirmed it will not reopen.
