January is usually a slow time for restaurants – who wants to leave the house when the air hurts your face? So, much as they did with the slow period in the summer, a few years ago Madison Magazine started hosting “Winter Restaurant Week.”
The deal is that for $30 and up, diners get a three-course prix fixe meal of appetizer, dinner, and a dessert. Some restaurants are also offering a $20 and up three-course lunch as well. It’s a great way to discover a new spot or a new dish at a favorite spot – I found my absolute favorite dessert in Madison, the budino at Osteria Papavero, at a Restaurant Week lunch.
Get your appetites ready for this year’s Winter Restaurant Week, running Jan. 19-24, and listen to Emma Waldinger from Madison Magazine give her tips for making the most out of the week on the City Cast Madison podcast today.
Here’s some places you ought to check out, no matter what part of the city you live in.
The fried breaded pork cutlets at Merchant are served with collard greens and house-pickled okra. (Photo by Merchant)
Downtown
Osteria Papavero has a $30 dinner where you can get torta pasqualina or a Tuscan-style stew known as scottiglia, along with that heavenly budino. Try the citrus cured Atlantic salmon or juniper and caraway crusted pork loin at Heritage Tavern.
The Stuffed Olive in the oLiv building (get it?) on State Street offers steak skewers and sesame-seared tuna, but homemade doughnut holes for dessert! And Merchant offers a fried breaded pork cutlet that sounds perfect for cold weather dining, along with warm beignets for dessert.
This three-course meal – oysters, chicken cutlet and apple baklava, is available at One & Only. (Photo by One & Only)
West Side
The Peruvian restaurant AmarPeru opened last summer, and is offering both a lunch and dinner menu, including seafood mixto and beef anticuchero. The new One & Only on Monroe Street offers seared cod and Panko-fried chicken cutlets and oysters three ways as an appetizer.
I hear a lot of good things about Sushi Lover at West Towne Mall, including an all-you-can-eat sushi and hibachi lunch for $20! And enjoy a three-course poke lunch at Miko that includes a bowl, soup or salad, and dessert.
These pork belly buns could open your four-course meal at Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar. (Photo by Umami)
East Side
The Colombian restaurant La Pollera Colombiana is offering lots of options for lunch and dinner, including dinners at both $30 and $40 price points. Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar is offering a rare four-course dinner including buns, dumplings, noodles, and mochi ice cream.
On Willy Street, Sultan Restaurant is offering a potato and berry chaat appetizer with a naan and nihari entre. Did you know this restaurant doesn’t take tips?
North Side
Bear & Bottle’s innovative offerings include poke nachos and a mystery dessert. Beef Butter BBQ will fill you up with incredible full barbecue meals with mac and cheese and brisket chili on the side.
The $20 three-course lunch at Craftsman Table & Tap looks like one of the best values of the week, including a smash burger or parmesan risotto and chocolate creme brulee for dessert.
