The Capital Times • 4th August 2021

Madison Youth Arts Center brings dancers, drummers and divas together

With its sprung floors for dancers, black box theater, upright pianos and surfaces made of kid-friendly “indestructible stuff,” the Madison Youth Arts Center, or MYArts, is poised to make big changes for students. MYArts is the new, official home of CTM and Madison Youth Choirs, the two anchor partners.

The Capital Times • 3rd August 2021

Just a sample: Smaller Taste of Madison gears up for Breese debut

Taste of Madison moved off the Capitol Square for a variety of COVID-related reasons. The move wasn’t universally popular. But Sara Klemme, president of Madison Festivals, sounded both determined and optimistic at a preview event.

The Capital Times • 28th July 2021

A food cart without wheels: Taco Local tries a new model on Willy Street

The taco shop 811 Williamson St. is essentially a food cart without wheels. The menu has been streamlined, so similar toppings on petite tacos fit in limited cooler space and the kitchen can be managed by one cook at a time.

The Capital Times • 6th July 2021

Globally inspired Hone refines itself on East Johnson Street

At his three-month-old restaurant, Hone, Mike Parks asked chef Adam Droski to play around with dishes he loved. Reinterpret those culturally specific foods to create a “common language.”

The Capital Times • 25th June 2021

Home on the stage: Forward's 'Within These Walls' tells intimate stories

Forward Theate's “Within These Walls: Stories of Home,” has two main themes — the push and pull of home, and individual experiences of the pandemic.

The Capital Times • 16th June 2021

Madison Ballet dreams again: 21-22 season includes 'Midsummer,' new 'Nutcracker'

“We’re coming out of this pandemic with ‘Midsummer,’ which is going to be a healing process for our dancers,” said Artistic Director Sara Stewart Schumann.

The Capital Times • 13th June 2021

Q&A: Artist Rita Mawuena Benissan captures her Ghanaian heritage under one big umbrella

Now people are saying, “OK, I can't go to a museum, I can’t go into a space. But on Instagram, I just go on my phone, and all this history is accessible to me.” They’re seeing a different perspective on how Ghana was. A lot of times they don’t have these photos or have access to them, so how are they going to see these moments? Or even the different traditional music? You’ll see documentation from other databases on YouTube, and I’m able to place those on our page. Like – Louis Armstrong, he pe

The Capital Times • 9th June 2021

Hang at the bar with the Bard's headliners at American Players' 'Improbable Fiction'

American Players Theatre chose an imaginary hang with several of Shakespeare’s headliners to welcome us back to the Hill Theatre in Spring Green this summer. James DeVita wrote "Improbable Fiction" early in the pandemic using Shakespeare's own words and characters.

The Capital Times • 3rd June 2021

Reopening Sardine, Part 1: Sardine’s pandemic year

The Corner Table: Reopening Sardine is a limited series. For this first episode, we interviewed Sardine's co-owners John Gadau and Phillip Hurley about what it was like to shut down for over a year.

Feast and Field • 31st May 2021

Quince & Apple preserves the sweetness of Midwestern summer

The husband and wife team of Matt and Clare Stoner Fehsenfeld founded Quince & Apple in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2009. Their delicate, not-too-sweet preserves often include tea — peach chamomile, tart cherry and white tea, figs and black tea — and aromatic elements. They’re designed to pair with cheese, crackers and cured meats. (Part of a five-part package)

The Capital Times • 19th May 2021

A destructive cocktail: At Merchant and Lucille, a pattern of tirades and rage

Staff described violent outbursts that sometimes became physical, tirades in front of diners, threats and unpredictable rage.

The Capital Times • 20th February 2021

How to think smarter about ordering takeout and delivery

Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant is on all the apps: EatStreet, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub. Every order helps, but Erik Francisco Doroteo would really prefer that customers call. “The deliveries always take a commission."

madison.com • 10th October 2020

How Culver's created its take on the veggie burger

Plant-based “meat” is trying for similarity, while Culver's Harvest Veggie burger looks and tastes like vegetables, cheese and grains. That seems to be the point.

Cap Times Idea Fest • 28th September 2020

Rethinking restaurants: How COVID-19 is transforming the service industry

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the brokenness in a restaurant industry that too often exploited workers, perpetuated inequity and deprioritized mental health, all on perilously thin business margins. On this panel, we'll talk about how a time of crisis could lead to radical, positive change. Featuring Ashley Kosiak of the James Beard Foundation, Dave Heide of Liliana's Restaurant and Francesca Hong of Morris Ramen.

The Capital Times • 2nd July 2020

Your bartender tested positive for COVID. Now what?

“Workers call and they’re so angry,” Koenig said. “They want to know who it was they work with who tested positive. But it’s not their right to know that information unless it affects them.”

The Capital Times • 22nd February 2020

Grubhub hubbub: Restaurants fire back at delivery companies that post menus without consent

Over the past few weeks, restaurateurs across Madison have been raising a chorus of frustration over the tactics of third-party delivery companies like DoorDash, Grubhub and Postmates.

Growler Magazine • 1st August 2019

Iron Woman: American Skillet Company and FeLion Studios’ Alisa Toninato forges a career in cast iron art

Two summers ago, five days past her due date, Alisa Toninato stood at the outer edges of an iron pour in Cambridge, Wisconsin. She was uncomfortable, and not just because her daughter, Rhea, wouldn’t arrive for another week. She wanted to get in on the action.

Columbus Monthly • 27th March 2019

Best Driving Vacations: Madison, the Cultural Capital

"Being Forward" reflects a cultural aesthetic that feels particular to Madison—progressive values, deep local ties and a view of the future with a healthy respect for the past.

Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine • 10th January 2018

Food Safety Experts Shine Some Light on the Glitter Coffee Trend

Whether they needed it or not, what lattes got in 2017 was a sprinkle of fairy dust. In early November, reports began to emerge about shiny gold and holographic-looking “diamond cappuccinos” made at Coffee by Di Bella in Mumbai. A reflection of the shimmery rainbow trend in baked goods and unicorn-themed blended frozen drinks, these blingy capps looked like latte art made with a melted disco ball.