Husnu's

Sometimes, no matter what you eat at a restaurant or even how much you eat, nothing can overshadow one really spectacular dish. And at Husnu's that's the hummus. It was so memorable, and smooth, and had the perfect kick.

But in general, Husnu's is a fabulous restaurant. It claims to be a Turkish and Mediterranean blend of tasty goodness. And it is. We've eaten their several times in the 5 years we've lived in Madison and it just doesn't disappoint. Options for meat eaters and herbivores alike, the spices and flavors really stay with you (oh, did I mention the hummus?). The cultural comfy-ness also stays with you as you feel at home but also as if you're not in Kansas anymore.

The location is perfect- lower State street, fantastic outdoor seating in nice weather. Also, apparently it was Madison's first Turkish restaurant (and unless I'm missing something; it's only Turkish restaurant?)

Tutto Pasta

Our very first restaurant experience in Madison was Tutto Pasta, the day we arrived in August 2005. After a long hot day of moving and unpacking, Bob's parents took us out for Italian.

Now here's where you have to remember that we had recently moved from the Boston area. And if was any place that could do Italian food (outside of our native Cleveland suburb) it was the North End. Expectations were pretty high. Besides, growing up where we did, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a dozen or so little italian ladies who could cook circles around you.

But it was a hot day and any place with air conditioning met our expectations. Bread and wine arrived and were devoured instantaneously. Entrees arrived and were tasty but HUGE. if anyone has actually been to Italy they would notice that Italians do not eat 2 lbs of pasta in a single setting. Anyway, we enjoyed the meals- good flavor, menu had great variety and staff was friendly and pleasant. Not too high on the wow factor but it was a good way to start our culinary journey.

the bottom line: it's a fine restaurant with fairly traditional italian cooking and we bet you'll enjoy it (unless it's really crowded then we'll bet you find overhear lots of personal information from the people sitting (practically) on your laps).

Our Mission

August 2005. That's when we first moved to Madison, WI. We thought we had moved here for graduate school. But we realized that what we REALLY moved here for was the food.

Madison claims to have the most restaurants per capita than any city in the United States. While there are others also touting such fame (darn you San Francisco, Louisville and Dallas), we can be pretty sure that we have about 437 restaurants...and about 225,000 people. Not too bad. From Tibetan to Italian, from Russian to Mexican, from French to Peruvian, from East African to Laotian, there is truly not a corner of the world unexplored here.

Determined to find our favorite we have been slowly trying ALL restaurants in the city. A little late to blog about our journey, a friend recently suggested we share our experiences. And so we are. Some of these are places we have tried years ago (and our reviews are admittedly, based on recall but believe us, food is something that leaves a lasting impression!), some are new, and some are on deck (you can see those over on the right hand side of the page).

We'll give you our honest reviews, opinions, memories, and perhaps even throw in some "do (or sometimes don't) try this at home" recipes we have recreated.

Thanks for reading and enjoy!