Zuzu Cafe

Zuzu Cafe. Say it with me. Zuzu cafe. It's fun, isn't it? It's also right across the street from Vilas park and the free Madison zoo, which ensures it's busy on sunny summer weekends with families and mostly cute young kids. Otherwise the neighborhood is entirely residential, so it feels like a corner cafe for the community. The inside is small and cozy, but brightly decorated and full of light. It's also got a few outside tables on a mostly quiet street and sidewalk. So it's got a nice atmosphere during the weekend to sit and people watch over a cup of coffee. And during the week, when it's not nearly as busy, it's a great place to do some work.

But the food is also surprisingly good. We've had the breakfast sandwiches often (fried egg on toast, with optional veggies and bacon), and besides the standard lunch menu, there's typically some kind of tapas meals. My personal favorite are the Gyros, which are the best I've had in Madison. Granted Madison probably isn't a Gyro hotspot, but they hold up well enough to get them repeatedly. They also have desserts, which look good, and ice cream, which is the only thing I've been disappointed by. At any rate, everything is priced below the quality level, so you certainly won't come away disappointed.

Inka Heritage

Inka Heritage is probably the best Peruvian restaurant I've ever been to. I don't think I have to finish that joke. Okay, so it's unique. But it's quite good at their specialty, Central American seafood. I had some fried fish fillets, served with a chunk of rice in a square and sauteed vegetables. But every time I go, I end up jealous of the meat dishes my wife gets, which are typically served on a bed of quality french fries. Yum.

The food may be a little bit overpriced (they've raised the prices recently), and a little on the salty side. But you can always walk right in to good food and a warm atmosphere.

Blue Moon Bar and Grill

For the record, I love blue moon beer. However, I'm really not a fan of this restaurant. I've eaten there before and had a fairly positive associations. BUT, that could have been because I used to work near the hospital and there are just no other options for a good lunch (except the gas station subway).

So, Bob and I met there for dinner one night. It's relaxed and just what you might expect for a casual bar and grill. The menu is small (which I always consider to be a good thing) and looks ok at first glance. But if you're not in the mood for a burger, then forget about it. Why are you here? I opted for the spanish burger and honestly, it was disappointing. The meat was kind of dry and crumbly and it just tasted too greasy to be super yummy- but I really feel it had potential.

Bob had the california reuben and reported it to be "soggy and gross." Well, that sums it up. If you're in a spot and need food, Blue Moon will provide sustenance. But you can do better- just across the street even.

If you want a fun place for a beer or for happy hour- this might be perfect. I would stay away from the food. Although, the more beer you drink, the better things might taste.

Graze

It's a restaurant, a verb, and a favorite pastime of ours....and I fear, of cows. Oh well. Of all the things Graze is, it is also a really excellent new gastro pub on capital square. We decided to do the inaugural tasting during brunch, and I think we made an excellent choice. The menu was small, tasteful, and featured local, fresh ingredients. Options ranged from "totally breakfast" options (pancakes, french toast) to "totally lunch" options (steak, beet salad) which is a good thing. I like options and at 11am on a Sunday who knows, I could go either way.

However, I went the way of the breakfast because as I glanced down the menu I saw something so delightful I immediately knew I would order it- nutella stuffed french toast with blueberries, red raspberries, and smoked almonds. Say no more- I'm sold. And it was everything I imagined it would be- actual french bread, light on the nutella, heavy on the seasonal fruit. It was delicious. Bob got something else- I think it was pancakes- but I was too entranced and could not bother to notice.

But here's the thing- Graze is owned by L'Etoile, a fancy pants french restaurant (also serving local produce). And we've always been a little put off by the fancy pants nature of L'Etoile, though we've only eaten there once. It feels a little more on the stuffy side and a little less on the "food to the people" side. So I was a bit concerned about Graze. But it was comfortable, relaxed, very open and bright (huge glass walls on 2 sides) and didn't feel stuffy at all. I could have done with more homage to the local farms and farmers in the menu descriptions and the waitresses' spiel but perhaps now I'M the one who's being stuffy. Hard to say.

We enjoyed our visit and will definitely go back- I think that means it was a winner.

The Library Cafe and Bar

It's called the Library, but it's not actually in a Library. It has books, but they're mostly crap and they're all there for show. So don't concentrate on the first part of the title. It is, indeed, a cafe and bar. But it's more as well. Witness the following facts:

1 - There's a fireplace with a fake fire going at all times. Also, on top of this fake fireplace is a counter on which you can eat on barstools. This is in the very middle of the cafe.

2 - Around the fireplace are couches, as if this were a cafe in the coffeeshop sense. It's not.

3 - On the walls are televisions tuned to espn, cnn, and who knows what other airport suitable station. This makes me think it might be a bar. But then again, I'm eating there for lunch, so it's not.

4 - There are tables as well, and when you order at the counter you are given a number to display proudly at the table. In this sense, it is a typical cafe.

The food is mostly burgers of various types and several varieties of fries. The Texas burger is a favorite, and one I used to like, until I read an unfortunate Times piece on the ground hamburger industry. Now I tolerate the portobello mushroom sandwich, with pine nuts, pesto, and roasted peppers. A great idea in theory, but often overly oily. Anyway, I'm never disappointed by the spicy fries, so that's something. Also, my alternative for a nearby lunch is subway, the ICU Deli, or QQ Asian Buffet. So not high praise, but praise all the same.

Lazy Jane's Cafe and Bakery

Lazy Jane's is packed every weekend at brunchtime. It's packed because it's got a great brunch. Since we had Friday off, we decided to go see what a non-packed Lazy Jane's looked like. It looks, well, non-packed.

Unfortunatly, it might not be packed because the lunch wasn't as good as the brunch. Perhaps I should have known this going in, but sandwich with Bruce Willis as it's namesake is an open-faced cheese and bacon mess. Unfortunately, I don't think Lazy Jane's is up to Bruce Willis. It seemed more like a Stephen Baldwin, different, not too bad, but somehow, unpracticed.

I suppose I go to Lazy Jane's looking for something worthy of Alec Baldwin, which is what they serve for brunch. The menu of delicious veggie-filled omelets, frittatas, good coffee, great pastries is polished and classic, but somehow maintaining an obvious appeal to the young and hip, which of course means me. I know not everyone agrees, but for me, I'd rather wait for a good Alec than walk right into a Stephen.

Jamerica

It's Jamaica meets...America. Obviously. It's also simplicity, taste, and relaxed. We've done the whole take out thing from Jamerica a couple of times but Bob informed me it didn't count until I ate IN the restaurant. So recently, a co-worker and I went for lunch. Take that!

The best thing about lunch? Small menu (printed on small cards). And actually, it's smaller than you might think as there are very few "dishes"- but each comes with chicken, beef, salmon, or tofu. I had the mango rundown tofu and was not disappointed. But I am a sucker for ANYTHING mango. I can not resist. I might also have gotten the mango rundown chicken. or hey, even the mango rundown beef. It had a great flavor and add some red beans and rice? Filling and satisfying. Plus, just being in the place feels very...well...chill (the reggae probably helps with that). Posters on the walls of Bob Marley, Bob Dylan (and Brett Favre- it IS Wisconsin), postcards from around the world and pictures of the owner, families, and guests.

To top it off, as we were getting ready to pay our bill, a staff member stopped by to ask if we wanted to be friends (with the restaurant). If so, we could show our lasting bond by displaying a Jamerica bumper sticker on our car. We gladly took the gift and left.

I have no doubt there will be more Jamerica outings- good food. good people. good prices.

Francesca's

Ok, besides being fun to say, Francesca's is also the newest little lunch place on the square- or at least, newest to me. I ate there today with two co-workers- and was not disappointed. They have great lunch specials (Mondays are spaghetti and meatballs; though I didn't try it) and decent prices. I got the pizza special- flatbread pizza with arugula, parmesan, olive and truffle oil. YUM. Unable to finish it (the curse of the pre meal bread) I have some for lunch tomorrow- excellent.

The space is really the highlight here. It's a GREAT location- lots of light, lots of windows, huge open dining area. There's the usual Madison patio seating, though on a day like today, I'll take the air conditioning. But the view of the capital and the Monona Terrace is hard to beat. It's also right in between a Starbucks and The Ocean Grill, which is also a fabulous place, so we'll see how it does. But location is everything and it's got that in the bag.

I heard good things from both of my fellow lunchers about their meals and while the waitress had a bit of trouble keeping our orders straight when it came time for the bills, it was overall a great experience. I would definitely go back. Perhaps for dinner as their wine list looked good- and apparently state employees aren't supposed to drink during workings hours (puritans).