Madison eating news...

Well there were some not so good things going down in Madison in regards to food. Everyone has their neighborhood/go-to restaurant and for a couple years for us it has been JT Whitneys. We even had our wedding rehersal dinner there. But alas that all might be over. The current JT Whitneys has closed indefinitely and it might reopen under new ownership although they could change the format entirely. I am also a bit bummed that we are losing both Delitalia and Tony Romas. Both were good and I'd go to each once or twice a year. But alas neither could survive not only the struggling economy but being in often overlooked locations. I mostly just hope though that JT Whitneys comes back the same although I seriously doubt it. Might be out a good $100 in gift cards as well. Guh!

I also have to take exception to and agree with some restaurant reviews. Here is the Sonic review. First off I don't like her use of "like it could be a bad fit for a city that prides itself on environmental consciousness". Most people like that would never eat fast food anyways. Plus I didn't know Middleton prided itself on things like that. Other than that she is almost spot on. The burgers are overpriced and pretty lame. And she did try the java chiller and loved it; she should, it is one of the best items you can get at any fast food restaurant. She also failed to talk about breakfast (which is served all-day) and how it is the best of what Sonic offers and the best values any time of day. That's right, her review mearly talked about lunch and traditional lunch offerings. Oh yeah, and I don't get the obsession with Limeade either. All in all though, I don't really care much for most food critics but she is pretty bright so kudos to Lindsay Christians.

Which leads me to my pride and joy, the burger. Yes I like burritos but they are so diverse and everyone has a differing opinion on what is good and what isn't. The burger is something that is pure and easy to compare stop to stop. Here is a recent review of two of Madison's legendary burgers, the Gritty burger and the Plaza burger both which live and die by the sauce. Living by the sauce is what makes the Gritty burger. While any burger at the Nitty Gritty would be above average, the Gritty sauce is awesome and is one of my favorite sauces. It is one of those Madison original places you have to try. The Plaza Burger was featured in Hamburger America and the author loved the sauce so I tried it right after the book came out. The burger itself is pretty weak (Joe average's bar burger) and the sauce was weak as well. It's even sour cream based which should be good but it seemed a bit bland for my liking. But, you know, I think I want to give this another chance. I just think that maybe I am missing something and went there on an off-day or had a weird stomach that day or something. And it isn't like the burger is terrible or expensive so the price of trying it doesn't seem too bad. Yes, I will try you again Plaza burger because I want to like you and I try to like you...I just don't yet.