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.