Have you ever been walking downtown and smelled something like delicious popcorn? That's because there is delicious popcorn... in fact, it's all over State Street.
Unbeknownst to many students, there are three locations where you can pick up a quick snack bag full of great flavored or original popcorn. Located at 127 State St., Vic's Corn Popper has been serving Madison for over 20 years. It is a great little place to stop in for a snack. The business hours at Vic's are 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday.
You can find several varieties and sizes of popcorn at Vic's. It offers original popcorn, also available in low-salt and fat-free varieties, in addition to several other flavors. Among these other flavors are the two house specialties: caramel apple and kettle crunch popcorn. These are flavors you won't find anywhere else. The caramel apple popcorn has two flavors in it: traditional caramel and green apple. Kettle crunch is butter toffee-flavored with various roasted nuts mixed in with the popcorn. Both flavors are crunchy, fresh and delicious, so if you're in the mood for something sweet, Vic's kettle crunch or caramel apple popcorn will definitely satisfy your hunger.
If you aren't feeling so adventurous, try something more traditional, like the yellow or white cheddar cheese popcorn or regular caramel corn.
\We're the only place that offers totally fat-free caramel corn,"" said Vic's Corn Popper owner Tony Azad.
While Vic's offers popcorn retail close to the Capitol, Clary's Old Fashioned Gourmet Popcorn has two accessible locations on State Street offering over twenty varieties of popcorn. There is a Clary's at 105 State St., near Vic's, and another a little bit closer to campus at 511 State Street. The hours for this gourmet popcorn shop are slightly more extensive. Clary's is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and from noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday.
Clary's offers traditional popcorn and tons of popcorn flavors, as well as warm peanuts, fountain sodas and un-popped corn that you can take home with you and make yourself. Recently, Ken Clary, the owner of Clary's, has discovered what he calls the perfect popcorn flavor. It's sweet, but not too sweet. It's cheesy, but not too cheesy. In Clary's new cheesy caramel flavored popcorn, you'll find the perfect balance of popcorn, sweetness and of course, cheese. Clary's is a perfect place to stop for a sweet, crunchy snack after class or after the bars.
""I have students come in here saying, 'I walk by this place all the time, and it always smells so good, but I've never been in here before,'"" Clary said. ""I wonder why they don't come in if it smells so good.""
So now when you smell Clary's great popcorn, walk in and check it out at almost any time of day.
Both of these popcorn shops make their corn on site daily with corn oil, so it's always fresh and cholesterol-free. The popcorn at each place is also quite affordable-bags of original, cheese or caramel popcorn cost between $1 and $4, while the prices of specialty popcorns vary and are slightly higher.
Vic's and Clary's make colorful festive popcorn for several occasions, including holidays. Popcorn can make for a fun and tasty gift, so if you tend to struggle with holiday shopping, keep the popcorn in mind. Vic's and Clary's both offer popcorn tins for various occasions -and of course, they carry tins with Badger and Packer themes. Each store can ship orders to anywhere in the United States, or if you want to send the gift of popcorn overseas, Vic's owner Tony Azad can help.
The two businesses on the first block of State Street tend to have customers from around the Capitol who work on the Square. All three locations would love to see more student customers.
""State Street is certainly not lacking in people, I don't know why more students don't come in,"" Clary said.
As a way to attract a younger crowd, Azad said he now offers a 10 percent discount on purchases under $100 to students with a university ID. So the next time you are on State Street thinking about a snack, follow your nose to one of the three great popcorn shops that have so much to offer.
