With more restaurants per capita than any other city in the United States, Madison offers a variety of cuisines that can tempt any diner's whim. Unfortunately for most freshmen, this means heading down to their favorite joint on State Street.
While State does have its share of great places to eat, another street, Regent, is just a short walk or bus ride away, and has an excellent selection of restaurants with a unique atmosphere.
Unlike the neatly organized boutiques and coffee shops on State Street that make it a shopping mall, Regent Street has a variety of businesses contributing to its unique flavor. Health clinics, bike stores and auto shops provide enough scenery to save Regent Street from monotony.
Regent Street's usual crowd is also an eclectic mix. As red-meat Bucky fans mix with the students, professors and working families that call the neighborhood home, the street offers up food that is just as pleasingly diverse.
Regent Street is loaded with good restaurants, from one end to another. Starting at South Park Street and continuing on until Monroe Street, there are plenty of eateries to lure students away from State Street.
Walk into Josie's Spaghetti House and you can't help but feel a little out of place. The dark lighting, down-home d??cor and quiet atmosphere give Josie's the feel of an old-time supper club. The usual crowd is equally low-key, a mostly 50-plus set of neighborhood old-timers and local employees.
Once you look past the atmosphere, the food at Josie's is pretty good. It offers a nice variety of traditional Italian American foods; the lasagna is definitely worth a try. A rotating selection of daily specials will keep you coming back to try more of the homemade specialties. If the laid-back atmosphere is not your style, try Josie's for a quick bite before or after a football or basketball game. The regulars may be older, but they're not afraid to show some team spirit, and Josie's is a great alternative to sports bars or the Union for some Badger excitement.
Hong Kong Caf??, on the corner of Regent and Mills Streets, is not nearly as understated as Josie's. It's no secret that the food is outstanding, as the Hong Kong Caf?? was voted \Best Asian Food"" by Daily Cardinal readers last year and has won numerous awards from city publications. These accolades are not surprising, as the restaurant offers an enormous menu of well-prepared, tasty dishes. For lunch or dinner, the Caf?? is an outstanding value as well, since portions are large and meals come with lots of rice and the choice of an egg roll or soup.
In the mood for a late-night pizza? Stop by Topper's Pizza. If nothing else, Topper's pizzas are unique. You can go Mexican and get a taco or fajita pizza, try something different and get the baked potato pizza, or just go for all-out flavor and try the New Orleans-tinged Creole Topper. Topper's is open until 3:30 a.m. every day, so it's never too late to try one of the restaurant's eclectic pies.
If meat just isn't your thing, head over to SukhoThai, where you can get a variety of vegetarian dishes cooked in the distinctive Thai style. SukhoThai even has a separate menu for vegetarians. The curried squash and Pad Thai dishes are outstanding, as are the huge Thai spring rolls. There are plenty of excellent meat dishes available as well. Portions are large enough for two, and anyone unfamiliar with the menu can get help from the friendly staff. Also, make sure to try the Thai Iced Tea.
Regent Street's most popular eatery probably has the smallest menu of all the street's restaurants. The Greenbush Bakery has been serving outstanding kosher doughnuts, pastries and cookies for as long as anyone can remember. The apple cinnamon fritter, big enough for two, has a sweet flavor and soft texture that will tempt you to eat it all yourself. Also not to be missed are the traditional cake doughnuts and old-fashioned glazed doughnuts.
Just a short trip away, Regent Street has restaurants that rival State Street's offerings. What makes Regent worth the journey is the neighborhood's unique character as well its eateries' distinct atmosphere and delicious cuisine that you just can't find one anywhere else in town.
