Bassett Street Brunch Club is a brunch restaurant in Capitol Square, Madison.
Bassett Street Brunch Club on West Johnson, the Food Fight group's downtown brunch flagship between campus and the Capitol, runs all-day brunch and cocktails.
Signature dishes: Brunch plates, Cocktails
Must order: Whatever the brunch plate of the day is, plus a bottomless coffee or a brunch cocktail.
Tip: Reservations on Tock; validated parking at the Hampton Inn ground floor location.
Address: 444 W Johnson St, Madison, WI 53703
Tipsy Cow on King Street, just off Capitol Square, runs an American burger menu with Wisconsin cheese curds, craft beer and a long whisky and cocktail list.
Signature: Wisconsin butter burger, Fried cheese curds
Order: A Wisconsin butter burger with fried cheese curds on the side.
Tip: Closed Sundays; the bar runs faster than the dining room midweek.
Dotty Dumpling's Dowry on North Frances, downtown Madison's burger institution founded by Jeff Stanley, runs a long burger menu with cheese-curd toppings.
Signature: Melting Pot burger, Onion rings
Order: A Melting Pot burger with hand-cut onion rings on the side.
Tip: Closed Sundays; the front bar gets loud on football and basketball game days.
Tipsy Cow on King Street, just off Capitol Square, runs an American burger menu with Wisconsin cheese curds, craft beer and a long whisky and cocktail list.
Signature: Wisconsin butter burger, Fried cheese curds
Order: A Wisconsin butter burger with fried cheese curds on the side.
Tip: Closed Sundays; the bar runs faster than the dining room midweek.
Glass Nickel Pizza on Atwood Avenue, the operator's original Madison east-side location, runs specialty pies and by-the-slice on the Schenk-Atwood spine.
Signature: Specialty pizza, Pizza by the slice
Order: The Spicy Sicilian specialty pizza or a slice of a daily-changing house creation.
Tip: Closed Wednesday and Thursday at the Atwood location; Friday and Saturday run until midnight.
Ian's Pizza on State Street, the Madison pizza-by-the-slice operator at the foot of State Street, runs the famed mac and cheese pizza late into the night.
Signature: Mac and cheese pizza, Pizza slices
Order: A slice of the mac and cheese pizza and the daily experimental slice.
Tip: Friday and Saturday night runs until 02:00; the State Street slice line at the window moves quickly.
Mickies Dairy Bar on Monroe Street, in business at the same address since 1946, is a classic Madison breakfast diner across from Camp Randall Stadium.
Signature: Scrambler, Buttermilk pancakes
Order: The Scrambler scrambled egg plate or a stack of buttermilk pancakes.
Tip: Cash only with an ATM inside; closed Monday and Tuesday; the lines stretch on football Saturdays.
The Plaza Tavern on North Henry, a block off State Street between the Capitol and UW Madison, is home to the secret-sauce Plazaburger since 1964.
Signature: Plazaburger
Order: The Plazaburger with the secret sauce and a side of fried cheese curds.
Tip: Closed Sundays; the small-town tavern feel makes the dinner shift the right window.
