Madison Locally Sourced – September-October 2023

Amy Johnson lead designer

Jennifer Denman

copy editor & lead writer

Kyle Jacobson sales & marketing director

Amy Johnson designers

Linda Walker, Barbara Wilson administration

Lisa Abler, Olivia Seehafer

contributing writers

Jeanne Engle, Chris Gargan, Lori Scarlett, DVM photographer

Eric Tadsen

additional photographs

Paul Atkinson, The Chocolate Caper, Jyotika

Dietrich, Barry Guitierrez, Jafe, Kickback Café, Alexa King, Mark Markel, Allison Pareis

PUBLISHER from the

Watch for the next issue

NOV-DEC 2023

subscriptions

Madison Locally Sourced is available free at over 150 locations. To purchase an annual subscription (six issues), send $24 and mailing information to:

Madison Locally Sourced c/o ASJ Publishing LLC, PO Box 559 McFarland, WI 53558

comments

We welcome your questions and comments:

Madison Locally Sourced c/o ASJ Publishing LLC, PO Box 559 McFarland, WI 53558 mls@madisonlocallysourced.com

advertise

To inquire about advertising space, please call (608) 729-4888 or email mls@madisonlocallysourced.com

all rights reserved. © 2023

No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without prior written permission from ASJ Publishing LLC.

The beauty of our Community & Culture issue is that it so well represents why Madison Locally Sourced exists. We get to highlight the local people, places, and things of Greater Madison that meld together and build a richer and more interesting community.

During a time when differences are frequently publicized and exploited, shifting focus to our local communities is how we shape a place that’s quite spectacular. Think about it, if people and their thoughts and beliefs were the same, life would be quite monotonous.

Imagine if we only had restaurants that offered burgers and hot dogs. Many people don’t eat them, and even those that do don’t want them to be their only choices. Fortunately, we have options from across the country and around the world providing us excellent tastebud experiences.

We also have a variety of offerings that are as Wisconsin as it gets. Take ice cream. What if our only options were national brands and basic flavors, such as chocolate and vanilla? Instead, we have wonderful independent producers offering just about any flavor imaginable, and they create them with locally produced ingredients, making them extra yummy! Best of all, they’re easy to find at local storefronts and even in grocery stores.

cover photograph

Delta Beer Lab taken by Eric Tadsen

photographs on page 7 ( left to right ):

Dragonsmeade Icon, Morgan Stallion by Alexa King taken by Jafe Three Cup Chicken from Tavernakaya taken by Eric Tadsen

Artwork from Grand Inspired taken by Eric Tadsen

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cone from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company taken by Eric Tadsen

Beer is another cultural taste of Wisconsin. While you can purchase macro-sized national and even international brands, when in Wisconsin, nothing beats our own tremendous craft breweries. You can experience the breweries in person, and easily stock up at any liquor or grocery store.

With so many examples of positive differences, we’re happy to introduce you to some of the local businesses that emphasize them: Tavernakaya, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, and Delta Beer Lab. We also have our regular pet, landmark, and arts features, and we preview Stoughton Gallery Night, a perfect display of how different mediums of creative work created by different people create things of beauty.

I hope you take the time to explore and learn from all our community has to offer.

TAVERNAKAYA

Tempura cheese curds. Clock Shadow Creamery white cheddar, spicy mayo, togarashi—they even won the Madison Curd Crawl one year. Yeah, you didn’t know you wanted that in your life until now. Unless, of course, you’ve been to Tavernakaya, Madison’s American/East Asian fusion restaurant on the Capitol Square.

You might think that having a menu willing to take the occasional risk means coowners Michael Ding and Wendy Kuo have an extensive culinary background. With a setup like that, you probably won’t be caught off guard when I say that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“My husband and I, we grew up in New York,” says Wendy. “Both of our dads worked in restaurants or owned restaurants, but we didn’t grow up, like, working in the

by Kyle Jacobson

kitchen. I took takeout orders over the phone in high school, but that was it. We decided to change our careers. I studied information systems and marketing from NYU, so I graduated from Stern [NYU’s school of business]. My husband actually graduated from UW–Madison, and he was working on Wall Street.”

By the time 2010 rolled around, the market wasn’t doing so great, and Wendy wasn’t enjoying her job. Wendy and Michael decided they would be happier making a change in lifestyle. That year, the two got married, realized living in New York was super expensive, and set their sights on the city of Michael’s alma mater.

Madison didn’t have it all, though. The East Coast had been enjoying the ramen uprising, and, as a whole, the ambitious isthmus hadn’t moved that far past Maruchan. “There were ramen shops everywhere in New York, but there weren’t any here,” says Wendy. So step one for Michael and Wendy was

Tempura Cheese Curds

to change that with Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar on Willy Street.

The ramen there is superb, the dumplings perfected from an old family recipe, but the thing I fell in love with is the pork bun. Pork belly, pickled cucumbers, scallions, and house blend hoisin sauce housed inside a pillowy steamed Chinese mantou bun. It’s one of those faithful reminders that life is worth living.

Many of the items available at Umami migrated to the Tavernakaya menu when it opened, in 2015. In case your Japanese is rusty, an izakaya is a Japanese tavern serving small, often inexpensive food alongside beer and sake. Culturally, the norm involves small plates being shared by everyone at the table, which leads to another surprise for Wendy and Michael’s menu concept. “In 2015, people were not as used to this whole sharing your plates. Everybody was still very much ‘this appetizer is mine. This is my entrée.’ We ended up changing some of our items to accommodate people’s tastes.”

Some of the changes involved coaching people how to eat their food. It wasn’t all intentional, but if you order a big plate of chicken fried rice and then a big

plate of chicken fried rice comes to the table, you’re going to think, “Man, this is too much chicken fried rice.” You’ll then share your order with others, and they’ll share their plates with you, and you’ll realize that getting a little bit of everything makes a lot of sense when working your palate over to appreciate all the different flavors and textures each dish adds to the experience.

Sushi lends itself quite nicely to table sharing, especially when they’re as delicious as Tavernakaya’s house favorites, like the T.K.O. roll. “It’s our specialty item,” says Wendy. “It has spicy tempura pineapple inside with bacon, and then it’s topped with seared albacore tuna and avocado.” If you also wanted to try the Rainbow roll (kani

crabstick, avocado, cucumber topped with yellowfin tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and escolar) or the Dragon roll (shrimp tempura, eel sauce topped with eel and avocado), bring a few friends and pass the plates around.

The “OG” Pork Buns

T.K.O. Roll

To highlight the hospitable atmosphere, Tavernakaya also has some killer vegan options. Take the General Tso’s Cauliflower. “Usually, people that have it are surprised it’s cauliflower.” There’s also Japanese Curry, Inari, Togarashi Fries, and more. It’s not just that everyone is welcome, but that everyone will be taken care of.

In terms of location, it doesn’t get much better than being on the square. “The space was vacant for a long time, and we invested a lot upfront to build it out to make it look the way it does today. We worked with Art & Sons, a brand and design company, to help us with the look and feel along with our architect, John Martins.”

The result is something that, even after almost a decade, feels contemporary while holding its own identity. There’s high-top seating at the front that utilizes the natural light from huge floor-toceiling windows as well as comfortable, intimate seating just inside. Patrons can also enjoy top-notch sake at the bar under a wave of wood planks mimicking patinaed barnwood.

It really feels like the whole area can transform into whatever the moment needs it to be, which makes sense given the space’s life after dinner. “We actually also do Late Night on Friday

and Saturday nights. We have a DJ, and this whole place turns into a night club.” There’s a dance floor, laser lights, and more, and it happens year-round.

Tavernakaya won’t settle into something the owners insist on the space or menu. If changes they made through COVID prove anything, such as reorganizing the entire entrance to promote their conscientious takeout service, it’s that Wendy and Michael are always ready to shift gears to fit whatever force is driving them. Yes, the restaurant is still their vision, but it’s also a reflection of everything around them. Whatever

General Tso’s Cauliflower

a trendy tavern might look like in the Midwest, Tavernakaya feels like it can only exist in Madison.

Kyle Jacobson is a writer/editor who prefers cold lasagna over reheated.

Photographs by Eric Tadsen .

Complete Shoulder Care

TAVERNAKAYA 27 E. Main Street Madison, WI 53703 (608) 286-1548 tavernakaya.com

Stoughton Health OrthoTeam Clinic Shoulder Center accepts over 160 area insurance plans including Dean Health Plan and Quartz.

OrthoTeam Clinic

Shoulder Center 2 Science Court, Madison (608)231-3410 900 Ridge Street, Stoughton (608)877-3419

A Clinic of Stoughton Health • orthoteam.com

Photograph by Barbara Wilson

Kyle Jacobson

GALLERY NIGHT Adding Definition Stoughton

by Kyle Jacobson

All over Wisconsin, the charm of small cities and towns provides a clever backdrop to some of the most relevant and thoughtful works of art you’ll find in today’s world of ideas. The spirit of creativity breathes through our artists in all mediums, from music to literature to the fine arts. In fact, many artists make it a point to visit or move here so they can interact with their muse daily.

With these artists come those who want to recognize and celebrate this creative artery of Wisconsin life, and when it comes to the fine arts, local gallery owners have their ears to the ground. In Stoughton, the growing number of galleries downtown provide opportunities for gallery owners to share the voices of the artists they represent along with themselves. The result is Abel Contemporary Gallery, Grand Inspired, Woodland Studios, and Zovar Fine Art establishing the twice-annual Stoughton Gallery Night.

“It’s an event the galleries in Stoughton started brainstorming last year,” says Theresa Abel of Abel Contemporary Gallery. “This fall will be the third time that we’ve done this. We’ve recognized that there’s a growing fine arts scene in Stoughton, and that these events draw attention to the fine art galleries in this vibrant community.”

The event itself centers around people going from gallery to gallery to not just experience the pieces themselves, but to meet some of the artists who created them. Venues might also have artist demonstrations, where artists show and discuss their methodologies. For example, Ray Zovar at Zovar Fine Art is always happy to share his process in creating his fiberglass sculptures, and you’re sure to learn something about working in wood as a fine art medium at Grand Inspired, which features fine woodworking complemented by pieces representing work in metal, glass, ceramic, and stone.

Zovar Fine Art

Woodland Studios

Of course, there are the more expected, yet no less fascinating, forms of two- and three-dimensional fine art, and many patrons find it intriguing to learn just what goes into some pieces, whether it be an engaging thought process or an uncommon brush technique. Darren Bell of Grand Inspired says, “People are able to have discussions with the artists to feel a little bit more of a connection to the works themselves.”

For me, it used to feel like the fine art world insisted I obtain an art history degree before I was allowed to participate in it, but the opposite couldn’t be more true with the displays and atmosphere of Stoughton Gallery Night, where all are welcome. Yes, those with deeper backgrounds in art movements will have a different experience than those without, but anyone can appreciate what each gallery has to offer.

At Abel, the old tobacco warehouse is allure enough and provides one of the most compelling homes for regional artists practiced in throwing clay, designing jewelry, layering acrylic, and beyond. There’s even the large

NO. 5 showroom for experimental and grandiose pieces.

Grand Inspired utilizes an old Hudson automobile showroom to display the more utilitarian side of art. Chiseled, turned, welded, and cut furniture pieces include nightstands, tables, cabinets, wine racks, and more. But unique decorative pieces, like the delicate Kumiko assemblies (a 1,500-year-old Japanese technique involving precisely cut wooden panels held together by pressure alone without glue or hardware), solidify the notion that there’s intention behind each work.

Woodland Studios showcases thoughtful two-dimensional works alongside unexpected gems, like the gourd carvings of Stoughton’s own Gary Kvalheim. Glass art, jewelry, paintings, investment art, and more are on display in cozy nooks where visitors can take all the time they need to reflect on a piece. There’s also a must-see fine art museum in the back gallery.

On display at Zovar Fine Art are the inimitable works of fiberglass artist Ray Zovar. Ray’s luminous sculptures incorporate a contemporary take on Grand Inspired

Abel Contemporary Gallery

Anyone can appreciate what each gallery has to offer.

retro aesthetics through an abstract artist’s eye. It’s a colorful space with good energy and good jazz.

Alan Sheets of Woodland Studios says, “Each gallery really is their own type of gallery, and the goal of each of our galleries is to have a variety that’s different from

each other.” Those attending Stoughton Gallery Night are in for four distinct experiences as they walk the few blocks of an increasingly revitalized downtown. In fact, Stoughton is at a point in its evolution of becoming more than its prominent Norwegian heritage, and the galleries are witnessing the change firsthand.

“Stoughton is rapidly becoming an art enclave, which is really, really cool,” says Lisa Zovar of Zovar Fine Art. Theresa describes it as an explosion, Darren as a booming arts town. Alan says, “There’s no reason that downtown Stoughton won’t be a major destination for all types of art.”

Grand Inspired

The image only helps local businesses, something all four galleries are passionate about. “People love an arts destination,” says Theresa. “The more art businesses there are, as an art lover, you’re going to want to come and spend the whole day or stay at a cute bed and breakfast.” There’s certainly enough to do in a one-hour radius for anyone to spend weeks in the area, including hikes, beaches, boating, food, shopping, antiquing, comedy clubs, scenic drives, and exploring the capital city.

Alan says that the things that specifically drew him to the area are what will keep bringing more and more people to Stoughton. “There’s no reason we can’t be Monroe Street [in Madison] or even more. Stoughton is very accessible from the expressway. There’s enough parking, and you can walk. There aren’t many small towns that are multiple blocks long both sides where you can walk from store to store and have a variety of things to see.”

In Theresa’s words, the event “is an evening of strolling about and having a good time in a gallery.” Darren adds, “These nights show the value that galleries bring to the area.” If it hasn’t happened yet, Stoughton Gallery Night is quickly becoming one of those community flares that keep people coming back to an area they can’t help but fall in love with.

Next Stoughton Gallery Night: Friday, October 13, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Kyle Jacobson is a writer/editor living tomorrow for yesterday.

Photographs by Eric Tadsen

Photograph by Barbara Wilson

Kyle Jacobson

Abel Contemporary Gallery

Image: Timea Tihanyi

Woodland Studios

Abel Contemporary Gallery

Zovar Fine Art

by Kyle Jacobson

BEER LAB DELTA

“The German beer hall was the community hub where people would get together in a huge room and talk to the people they came with—talk to the people they didn’t come with. I’m sure ideas were sprung; I’m sure disagreements were had. But that’s community. We see it in our state politics, our national politics, and our local community. I think breweries are a ripe place for change, one way or another.”

—Pio (Tim Piotrowski), Chief Beer Officer at Delta Beer Lab

Just about every Greater Madison area craft brewery has embraced their role as a community hub. This doesn’t mean they look or function identically, but that they operate with a strong sense of the values and goings-on around them. In the case of Delta

Beer Lab, that recognition translates into actions promoting equality and equity through almost every business decision they make.

But promoting progressive philosophies wasn’t always Pio’s mission. Growing up and going to college in Stevens Point gave him the heart of the Lorax in nature preservation and resource management. “After college, I moved out to California and was the camp director for the YMCA of San Francisco. I lived at this beautiful camp—1,000 acres of redwood forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains.”

Awe-inspiring as it was, Pio also found he was learning a lot about life and diversity from the counselors and campers in the program he directed.

He was also doing something he called camp brewing, which is essentially homebrewing in his private residence at camp. A new calling came, so he took the supplemental American Brewers Guild education program, which meant six months of intense biology, chemistry, and engineering courses ending in an internship.

Pio’s internship took place at the revered Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, Colorado. From there, he worked at three Rock Bottom Breweries in the Boulder/Denver area before transferring to their Minneapolis facility as head brewer. “I got to work in the shadows of some incredible brewers and form my own brewing philosophy based on what each had taught me.”

There was one more thing Pio had to do before committing the next phase of his life to Delta Beer Lab: hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. “The business plan was mostly written before that. Fundraising was started. The Delta name came up when I was about halfway through in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia—it’s the mathematical and chemical symbol for change. When I finished up the trail, I moved to Madison and wrapped up the fundraising side and got a lawyer, an architect, and a loan from the bank.”

Every experience up to that point proved influential in developing Delta’s mission statement, to expand the community through quality local craft beers without

barriers to gender, race, and sexual orientation, when it opened in February 2019. The trick was striking a balance between wearing their progressive values on their sleeves without rubbing people’s faces in it.

“We want it to be a place where if you identify as LGBTQ+, you would immediately notice, and you’d feel welcome. There are folx in our community that don’t feel safe leaving Atwood because, even in Madison, they don’t feel safe in different parts of the community or different establishments. That’s not okay.” Signage outside makes Delta’s values clear, and the inside has a few rainbows hidden in plain sight, like the laboratory glass display behind the bar and some geometric wall art.

Messaging alone might be enough for some Greater Madison area businesses to feel good about the impact they’re making, but Delta needed more. They started by hiring bartenders that truly

Famous for Steaks

Home of the 20 oz. Bone-in Tenderloin

• Charbroiled Steaks

• Saturday Night—Prime Rib

• Sunday—Chicken Dinner

• Late Night Bar Menu & Happy Hour

(Beginning at 10:00 pm)

• Seasonal Outdoor Dining in our Grotto

• Corral Room Available for Private Parties

OPEN DAILY

Mon-Fri Bar Opens at 4:30 pm—Dinner at 5:00 pm Weekends Open at 5:00 pm

For Reservations Call: 256-3570

Entrances at 116 S. Hamilton & 115 W. Main Street

tornadosteakhouse.com

believed in the cause. “Everybody who walks through our door should be treated like a human first and foremost. We expect our staff not to treat everybody exactly the same, but we expect that they start from a place of humanity and welcome them into our home.”

Staff are paid Madison’s living wage plus revenue sharing, which means your tips are actually donations to a local nonprofit partner, rotating monthly. Each nonprofit has gone through a vetting process to ensure the majority of monies donated are being spent toward improving people’s lives. It’s been almost five years, and Delta Beer Lab has raised over $200,000 total for 42 nonprofits.

Delta also donates 1 percent of their revenue through 1% for the Planet, a program started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon

Flies. After 21 years, 1% for the Planet has raised over half a billion dollars for environmental causes.

“Oh, and we make great beer,” says Pio.

In the world of craft beer, there’s generally a spectrum of focus a brewery will take when designing their beers, with true to style on one end and experimental on the other. Delta might have some fun beers, like their PKL.01 (Pickle Ale), but Pio’s passion in brewing lies in recreating styles as close to time and place as possible.

Getting the grain, hops, and yeast to be close to what was used centuries ago is easy enough, but in terms of water profiles, you’re generally victim to what’s available nearby. That’s where Delta’s industrial reverse osmosis water filter comes in. If you have Delta Beer Lab’s porter, the water is built up to mimic water in Dublin, Ireland. If you have their pale ale, that’s Burton-on-Trent, England, water.

Pio likes to call what he’s doing with beer a science, but I maintain there’s an art to his process. He was quick to agree. “That consistency could be considered art because I controlled the situation to present something beautiful to you while getting to an end goal or providing a message. ... Part of the art is introducing people to flavors that they

thought they were not supposed to like, but they actually do when presented in a different manner.”

We were essentially saying the same thing from two different perspectives, but finding a shared language is something Pio strives for. He doesn’t expect the values of his guests to always align with his own, but he insists on every person starting from a place of shared humanity. “I feel like it’s okay to encourage people to see equity as the only way forward.” Whether you come for beer or conversation, Delta Beer Lab is sure to welcome you with open arms.

Kyle Jacobson is a writer/editor currently living.

Want us to grow your veggies? Visit Rooted's Troy farm stand and sign up for a fall produce share

The farm stand is open every Thursday from 4:00-7:00pm at Troy Farm through October 12. Extend the season through the end of the year by becoming a Troy Farm fall share member! rootedwi.org

Photographs by Eric Tadsen

Photograph by Barbara Wilson

Kyle Jacobson

CHOCOLATE SHOPPE

Ice Cream Company

BY KYLE JACOBSON

The pastel red and green, a cow rubbing its belly eating ice cream—isn’t it iconic...don’t you think? Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream can be found in ice cream shops all over Wisconsin, but it comes from a manufacturing plant on Daniels Street, just off Buckeye Road between Highways 90 and 51, right here in Madison. Since its inception, in 1962, the family business has been steeped in supporting and celebrating all things local.

Thanks to a plant expansion in 2022, Chocolate Shoppe is now making its own ice cream mix, the unique blend that serves as a base for all their ice cream, using milk from Sassy Cow Creamery. Co-owner Dave Deadman says, “Two to three times a week, we get a semi load of James and Robert’s milk. It’s beautiful because, A, they’re an amazing company and an amazing family doing the dairy stuff and farming right in Bristol and, B, we get to have super locally sourced dairy.”

Prior to the expansion, Schoep’s in Madison; Galloway Company in Neenah; and Meadowvale in Sandwich, Illinois, were making Chocolate Shoppe’s mix to the family’s specifications. It came as a little bit of a surprise to Dave when Schoep’s and Galloway told him that he’d be happier going forward if Chocolate Shoppe made its own mix as it would give Chocolate Shoppe more flexibility. Turns out the dairy industry is very collaborative, believing that if one company is successful, it helps everyone else in the industry.

This idea translates to Dave’s philosophy on ice cream stores across the state. “You won’t find our pints in grocery stores outside of Madison, and that’s by choice. We really want ice cream stores to succeed. We like ice cream stores. We feel that if we don’t sell Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream in grocery stores, the ice cream store is then a special place to go for our ice cream, and you support the local ice cream store.”

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream does not operate as a franchise. Only a handful of Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream stores in Madison actually belong to Dave. The rest are private ice cream stores that choose to carry Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream. The mission isn’t to dominate the ice cream world, but to help others succeed.

To further aide in the success of local ice cream stores throughout the state, those carrying Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream can come to the manufacturing plant and use the mock ice cream store training center. “Anybody who wants to serve our ice cream in their ice cream store or restaurant, we bring them in here; train

them how to scoop ice cream; care for ice cream; serve customers; make malts, shakes, sundaes. We also take them out to our own ice cream stores here in Madison.

“People create their own dream on what they want their business to be. We are going to help them serve the ice cream in that dream. If ice cream is part of that dream, we can help them do that. But their business is their own dream and their own creation. We like that part of it. You see a lot of fun and creativity that way.”

It was this same business model that brought Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream into existence. In 1962, Dave’s parents, Chuck Sr. and Nancy Deadman, started a candy store in Madison on Cottage Grove Road and Monona Drive that was part of Chocolate House Candies. “They were a candy company in Milwaukee,” says Dave. “So my parents said we’ll buy their candies and resell them. But they wanted more than just candy, so they ended up buying a custard machine from Leon’s Custard, which is a Milwaukeebased custard company to this day.”

Ultimate Oreo Milkshake

Soon enough, the super-premium ice cream became the focus of Chuck Sr. and Nancy’s sales. Chocolate House Candies reached out to them and said they needed to start selling more of their candies or change the name, and Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream was born.

“That’s our niche in the industry,” says Dave. “It’s called super premium, which is the higher butter fat, denser product, meaning there’s less air in it. Our threegallon containers weigh 20 pounds, where a lower-cost ice cream would weigh 14 pounds for the exact same size.”

Thanks to the expansion, Chocolate Shoppe’s richer product comes in more flavors than ever before. Dave believes they’ve come out with almost a dozen

new flavors this year alone. He’s also working with local companies to come up with new ideas, like a collaboration he’s doing with Octopi Brewing in Waunakee. Chocolate Shoppe uses Octopi’s stout to infuse into the ice cream and create something to be released simultaneously alongside the beer.

Dave fully acknowledges the support of the community to get Chocolate Shoppe to where it is today, going so far as to say ice cream stores belong to the community. Every ice cream store owner soon realizes after opening that their store is actually a gathering place for events and meetings.

“The community supports us as a business and a family,” says Dave.

Munchie Madness Sundae

“We make our income and livelihood out of the community, so my parents, very early on, said you have to be part of the community and give back to the community always.” Chocolate Shoppe sponsors events all over the Greater Madison area. In fact, when looking at lists of sponsors for area festivals, it’s rare to not see the belly-rubbing cow.

Last year was Chocolate Shoppe’s 60th anniversary. Through all the challenges and successes the decades have brought, it seems to me the owners remain grateful for each and every opportunity they’ve earned. From their 100 employees at the plant to every dreamer carrying their product, the Deadmans recognize each moving part as essential. That goes all the way to the consumer. Dave likes to say, “Nobody knows the 1,000 steps between cow and cone. Nor should they. ... Have fun. It’s ice cream.”

Kyle Jacobson is a writer/editor who thinks The Wizard of Oz is a science fiction story concerning teleportation .

Photographs by Eric Tadsen

Photograph by Barbara Wilson

Kyle Jacobson

South Main Street Historic District OREGON’S DISTINCT DOWNTOWN

Eleven buildings and a World War I memorial fill two blocks of Oregon’s central business district, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 and, according to its nomination, “retains a high level of historic integrity in setting, materials, feeling, association, and design. ... [This] grouping of late 19th and early 20th century commercial buildings [is] immediately recognizable as a downtown.”

The historic district is on the 100 blocks of South Main and Janesville Streets, forming one corner of a triangle. The World War I memorial is the focal point where the two streets meet. The buildings were constructed between 1877 and 1915, and the memorial, thought to be one of the first erected after World War I, was added in 1920.

The earliest Oregon businesses were operated out of log cabins nearly 40 years prior to when the village, then known as Rome Corners, was incorporated in 1883. At that time, 29 businesses were located in and around today’s historic downtown. While the addresses of the historic buildings have changed somewhat, local businesses are still housed in the buildings.

Dan and Elizabeth Donoghue own The Chocolate Caper (105 S. Main Street) and Kickback Café (107 S. Main Street). Their businesses have been in the McDermott Building since 2014 and August 2021, respectively. “We love getting to be a part of the history of Oregon, being able to take something old and use it in a modern way,” says Dan. “There was so much craftsmanship that went into our building, like floor joists 3 inches thick and 12 inches on center. I never have to worry about the floor collapsing as I bring in equipment for The Caper.

“A nice surprise when renovating the space for the Café was finding the original floor, in good shape and clean, below seven layers. We were happy that we could match the original finish. Some people like to lean away from the history of a building; we

by Jeanne Engle

want to lean into it. We feel like we are more integrated into the village by having our businesses in a historic district.”

Bergey Jewelry (111 S. Main Street) has been in the Cowdrey Tailer Shop building (built in 1878) since 1972. It’s among the longest-surviving commercial buildings in Oregon. Called the White House because it was originally built of cream brick thought to have come from a brickyard east of Oregon, the building has been faced with red brick. The original name can be seen in a white stone inlay on the building’s façade.

Jill Hoff took over the business four years ago from her father, who bought and restored the building to its original look, including a wood floor and raised ceiling. Jill likes being in the historic district, saying, “People will comment on the historic character of the building. It reminds them of a jewelry store they shopped at when they were younger—even down to the antique cash register. However, we just use it as a cash drawer now since the largest amount it can handle is $99.99.”

Built in 1898, Dad’s Barber & Hair Shop (114 Janesville Street) and the commercial vernacular-style building housing it are owned by Curtis Kneifl. A barber shop had been sited there since 1943. Before then, several other barbers, a harness maker, and the saloon for the Hausman Brewing Company were in the building. Curtis says the building originally had a second floor, but that was destroyed by fire and not replaced.

Curtis cautions those considering opening a business in a historic district to know what they want to do with the outside of the building. There are regulations that apply in historic districts set by local historic preservation commissions. Renovation plans require approval.

Next door to Dad’s is Cutler Financial Group (116 Janesville Street), an investment management and retirement planning

Photograph provided by Kickback Café & The Chocolate Caper

Photograph provided by Kickback Café

Photograph provided by The Chocolate Caper

Kickback Café

Kickback Café and The Chocolate Caper

The Chocolate Caper

company. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, owner Levi Cutler has been in his present location for five years. Levi is from Oregon and relocated to the downtown. “Oregon’s historic downtown is a core part of the community. There are people always on the move. We like being where the action is.”

Katie Ace, also from Oregon, is the owner of Ace’s Main Tap (121 S. Main Street). The commercial vernacular-style building was constructed in 1880 and updated in 1907 and 1940. This building and the one next door were erected for Isaac Howe, a doctor who moved from Vermont. A drugstore, a grocery store, and a general store were former occupants. Katie’s uncle owned the bar for 20 years before her father, Kevin Ace, took over in 2014. Katie worked for her father, who trained her to eventually run the bar; she took over when Kevin passed away in 2018.

“I love the vintage, older look of the building,” says Katie. “When you go down into the basement, it feels like you’re passing through a train tunnel, a concrete archway lined with bricks. I like this location. People driving through our downtown stop because there are different businesses to explore here.”

Doris Deits has been in business with Peaceful Hearts (123 S. Main Street) for 20 years. “Being next to other established

businesses was beneficial to my business getting noticed and accepted into the community when we first opened.” As the building owner, Doris says, “There’s a comfort to being in an old building and having renovated, remodeled, repaired, or repainted every square inch of it. I have a more intimate relationship with this building than most business owners have. I feel more rooted and grounded here.”

In February 2022, The Ready Set restaurant and bar (113 S. Main Street) opened in part of what is the Oregon Masonic Hall. The building was listed previously on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. An eclectic commercial design built in 1898, the hall is the “oldest and most enduring of a number of clubs that have been a characteristic feature of the social life of Oregon from its founding days to the present,” according to the Register nomination. “[It] is the best preserved of surviving reminders of the most prosperous period in the village history.”

Nate Herndon, one of the restaurant partners, felt welcomed into the community with its locally sourced seasonal food and cocktail offerings. His favorite feature of the building is the pressed-metal ceiling. Two bathroom doors came from the state Capitol. Nate says the interior of the building has been opened up so patrons can see into the kitchen.

Since 1971

Italian Specialties & Delicatessen

Huge Deli Featuring Salads, Olives & Fresh Italian Sausage

frabonisdeli.com

• Housemade Frozen Pizzas

• Hot Sandwiches & Dinners

• Homemade Deli Salads

• Lasagna & Mostaccioli

• Spaghetti with Meatballs

• Gluten-Free Pastas & Sauces

• Homemade Pasta Sauces

• Prosciutto & Mortadella

• Meatballs & Sausages

• Great Wine Selection

• Italian Recipes & Housewares

• Imported Olives, Olive Oils & Vinegars

• Tomato Products

• Artisanal Pasta & Cheeses

• Specialty Sub Sandwiches

• Take & Heat Dinners

• Catering for Large & Small Groups!

MAKERS OF PORKETTA For Over 70 Years

Please visit www.frabonisdeli.com for current hours 108 Owen Rd, Monona • 608-222-6632

History repeats itself. Oregon’s businesses prosper, and the buildings remain lovingly cared for by their current owners.

Jeanne Engle is a freelance writer.

by

Owners who renovate historic district commercial may be eligible for state and federal tax credits. Information is available from the Wisconsin Historical Society’s State Historic Preservation Office. (608) 261-9582

Jeanne Engle

Photograph

MOD Media Productions

Photograph by Jyotika Dietrich

Photograph by Jyotika Dietrich

The Ready Set

The Ready Set

Recently, I talked with a pet owner who had turned 50. To celebrate, she went skydiving, canoed a long river, and performed in a burlesque show—all in one weekend! When I saw her two days later, she complained that her knees hurt (mine hurt just thinking about it). Most likely, it was from degenerative joint disease, something we all experience as we age. Better known as arthritis, it’s also a pain our pets aren’t immune to. For pet owners, the difficulty is knowing when pets are in pain. They don’t say, “I had such a great time chasing that tennis ball yesterday, but I’m feeling sore today.” They get up a little slower, but still look at the tennis ball to see if it needs more chasing.

Pain signs include getting up more slowly, doing more stretching, taking longer to go up and down stairs, hesitating before jumping up on furniture or into a vehicle, and sleeping on the floor rather than jumping to a high perch. As someone once said to me, pets don’t feel sorry for themselves. They won’t yelp, whine, or moan when they have chronic pain.

There are great new treatments available for pet arthritis pain. One for cats is Solensia, a monthly injection approved by the FDA and available earlier this year. I wanted to try it on one of my cats first, although I didn’t think they showed any signs of arthritis. By age 12, 90 percent of cats are thought to have

NEW Arthritis Treatments FOR PETS

by Lori Scarlett, DVM

arthritis signs. My oldest, Catalina, at 16 seemed to jump up on the bed and run up the steps just fine. She didn’t like being brushed much on her lower back and wasn’t grooming well, but I thought this had always been the case. I gave her an injection anyway, assuming she had to have some arthritic joint changes.

Solensia and the recently approved Librela, for arthritic dogs, are monoclonal antibodies. We have a lot of antibodies—proteins in our blood that bind to an antigen and destroy it. When we are infected with a virus, our immune system reacts by making antibodies that bind to part of the virus, removing it from the bloodstream and destroying it.

But arthritis isn’t due to a virus or bacteria. There’s a whole cascade of things that lead to pain and joint inflammation. One is something called nerve growth factor. The monoclonal antibodies in Solensia and Librela bind to nerve growth factor. Monoclonal means they’re the same antibody, binding and destroying the same thing. Because these antibodies are made from cat or dog protein, when injected, the cat or dog doesn’t recognize the new protein as foreign and doesn’t bother it, so there are no side effects and it’s safe, even in animals with other diseases.

About a week after giving Catalina her first Solensia injection, I realized how much chronic pain she had. One

evening, she was in the bathtub wanting me to throw paper balls for her to chase. It had been at least a year since I saw her do that. She jumped up and wanted petting along the full length of her body, and was more willing to have her lower back brushed. After a second injection, she pulled toys out of the toy box. The third injection found her getting into a window 12 feet above the ground! She definitely had chronic pain that I completely missed. I’m sold on the benefits of Solensia, and Librela should be available for dogs by the time you read this article. I’ll be trying it out on my nine-year-old collie, Scout.

Other injections can also be useful for arthritis. While Solensia and Librela remove molecules involved in inflammation, Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) slows down joint cartilage loss and restores joint lubrication. This decreases inflammation

and helps improve the cartilage left in the joint. These injections are given under the skin twice a week for a month then repeated when signs of arthritis return.

Spryng is a new product consisting of naturally occurring proteins injected directly into the diseased joint. The proteins act like cartilage, filling the joint and providing a new joint cushion and lubrication.

We’ve also had success with laser therapy. When I first heard about laser therapy, I was pretty skeptical. How could a cold laser help with pain or speed healing? It’s just a red light, right? But I had heard it worked, so I looked into it more and then brought the technology into my clinic.

Cold laser therapy uses focused light (low-power lasers or LEDs) to activate a process called photobiomodulation, or PBM. Photons from the light penetrate the tissue, interacting with cell mitochondria. This triggers biological events that increase cellular metabolism, which decreases pain and inflammation and accelerates healing and tissue repair. It’s different than high-power lasers that cut or destroy tissue.

We were trained to use the laser and started offering it to cats and dogs with specific joint arthritis pain. For chronic pain, it can take up to six sessions for good improvement (session length depends upon the number of joints being lasered). I’ve even used it on some of my own joints. Because it penetrates cells, it’s useful for more than just joint pain. We use it to decrease pain and inflammation and speed healing in many areas: surgical incisions, lungs (bronchitis), bladder (cystitis), ear infections, anal glands, paw infections, and more.

We use a class IV laser, which is more powerful, penetrates deeper, and works more quickly than products purchased on the internet for at-home

use. The smaller ones can help, but take longer to penetrate the joint. They’re also not regulated, like many other “medical devices.”

In addition to the new arthritis therapies, there are still oral nonsteroidal antiinflammatories as well as supplements that can be used alone or in combination with other treatments. The goal is to keep your pet comfortable and active for as long as possible. Ask your veterinarian if these treatments would benefit your arthritic pet.

Dr. Lori Scarlett

Lori Scarlett, DVM, is the owner and veterinarian at Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic. For more information, visit fourlakesvet.com.

The goal is to keep your pet comfortable and active for as long as possible.

by Chris

KING ALEXA

“We search in the arts not simply for signs of skill, which are, if not easily taught, still teachable. We search for the signs of a unique human presence.”

—Adam Gopnik, The Real Work: On the Mystery of Master y

It would be difficult to overestimate Alexa King’s reputation in the sculpture world and, specifically, in the arena of equine arts. Visitors to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, are immediately confronted with a larger-than-life representation of its history and purpose. At the behest of its owners, Alexa created a 125 percent scale representation of the

great stallion Barbaro flying along the rail with rider Edgar Prado, all four feet suspended above the ground. Cast in bronze, it’s a tour de force of illusion. The horse appears to be floating without support, a veritable act of magic due to hidden supports extending from the rail to the body of the horse.

On the Churchill Downs website, Alexa is identified as a Kentucky artist, but she in fact resides and works in Springdale Township, approximately six miles west of Verona. Her outsized renown in the art world may escape many locals. Some may be familiar with her sculptural

work on display at the entrance to the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, but they’re likely unfamiliar with the vast scope of Alexa’s accomplishments.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, a hierarchy of worthy art subjects evolved, placing history painting—the depiction of grand historical events or conflicts— at the pinnacle followed by religious subjects, portraiture, genre painting (scenes of common life), landscape, and animal painting and still life at the bottom rungs. This conceit was often followed by critics into the 20th century with equine specialists, like George Stubbs and Alfred Munnings, commonly being dismissed as second-level painters due to their choice of subject. Today, with fellow sculptors like Deborah Butterfield, artists of Alexa’s caliber are finally being recognized for their artistic achievements.

In 2006, Gretchen and Roy Jackson brought their colt, Barbaro, to the Kentucky Derby for the first leg of the legendary Triple Crown series. Following five winning performances, Barbaro won the Derby by nearly seven lengths, keeping his unbeaten streak alive. But his next start, at the Preakness Stakes, proved fatal, as he was injured emerging from the starting gates. Despite efforts to save his life, the difficult decision to

Gargan

Photograph by Barry Guitierrez

Barbaro (at Art Castings of Colorado, Loveland, CO)

Pounce, Fox Vixen

Whooping Cranes & Colt

Photograph by Paul Atkinson

Photograph by Paul Atkinson

end his life was made the following year. The Jacksons memorialized their great stallion by commissioning the sculpture by Alexa, which stands at the place of his greatest achievement.

Alexa started her artistic career as a painter, studying at Ball State in Muncie, Indiana, where she was born the daughter of an Army colonel from whom she acquired the peripatetic lifestyle that has seen her living across the country and exhibiting from coast to coast. She has always raised, shown, and even raced horses, including Arabians, Hackney Horses, and Saddlebreds. While raising her children in Scottsdale, Arizona, Alexa shifted to sculpture because “I could always come back to a sculpture. I didn’t have to face the difficulties of a painting drying before I had the opportunity to return to it.”

Largely self-taught, Alexa read every book in the Scottsdale library on sculpture and animal anatomy. Beginning with the human figure as a subject, she quickly shifted to horses. Her initial exhibition success was kindled at a Minneapolis wildlife and western art show, which led to her first major commission—a depiction of the Pony Express for the Nelson A. Rockefeller collection. A succession of galleries led her to working with the Cross Gate Gallery in Louisville, and she now exhibits and fulfills commissions globally.

Barbaro (at Churchill Downs)

Photograph by Allison Pareis

Photograph by Jafe Tyson, Golden Retriever

Alexa’s sculpting method is both exacting and traditional, beginning with a maquette, often one-quarter the intended final size. Alexa creates her sculptures in a porcelain clay body that includes wax and petroleum to ensure the clay doesn’t dry out. She enlarges her initial model over an elaborately engineered steel armature built up with a mixture of aluminum foil and insulating foam to rough out the larger form. Using an enclosing box and utilizing a technique called pointing, she’s able to transpose measurements at an exact proportional scale to her model. This is covered with the clay body, which she’s then able to mold and carve to the desired final form. After completing the sculpting, Alexa calls in professional moldmaker Carla Knight, who in the case of Barbaro cast seventy-five separate piece molds to be shipped to Loveland, Colorado, for final bronze casting. The final sculpture averages one-quarter-inch thick, and

the overall weight of Barbaro is over 1,500 pounds.

At the UW School of Veterinary Medicine entrance is another monumental piece: a veterinarian, for which Alexa’s daughter posed, stands in clinical garb tenderly holding a cat while a Jack Russell terrier stands at her feet, attentively looking up. Behind the doctor is a large tondo of bas-relief bronze surrounded by 15 smaller wheels of bronze, reminiscent of a rose window in a cathedral, depicting the multitude of practicing arenas in which the students are trained and researchers are employed, from wildlife rescue to agrarian husbandry. It has a commanding presence while subtly resonating with the sacred depictions of saints and their work.

The true breadth of Alexa’s achievements can be seen in her work across the animal kingdom. For the Birds in Art

The Peace of Wild Things (1.25 life-size whitetail buck)

Photograph by Mark Markel

show at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, she created a bronze figure of a running ostrich that exudes a spontaneous spirit of grace and movement. The triumph of the work, like that of all great artists, is that Alexa celebrates her medium by treating the clay almost as if it were paint, using broad strokes and privileging mass and form over detail.

With regard to her audience, Alexa says, “You have 15 seconds. You have to get them with the language they understand.” For Alexa King, it’s the language of animation briefly captured in bronze.

Chris Gargan is a landscape artist and freelance writer working from his farm southwest of Verona. You can find his work at Abel Contemporary Gallery in Stoughton. He’s seen here with his dog Tycho Brahe.

Chris Gargan

Photograph by Larassa Kabel

UW School of Veterinary Medicine Bronze

Photograph by Alexa King

contest Win a $50 Gift Card!

question:

“In addition to Tavernakaya, Wendy Kuo and Michael Ding own what other local restaurant?”

Enter by submitting your answer to the above question online at madisonlocallysourced.com or by email or mail. With your answer, include your name, mailing address, phone number, and email to mls@madisonlocallysourced.com or Madison Locally Sourced c/o ASJ Publishing LLC PO Box 559 McFarland, WI 53558

All entries with the correct answer will be entered into a drawing. Contest deadline is September 30, 2023.

good luck! winners

Thank you to everyone who entered our previous contest. The answer to the question “Who first looked at Austin, Boulder, and Seattle before selecting Madison as home for his new food cart business?” is Michael Sollinger of Braisin’ Hussies. A Nitty Gritty gift card was sent to our winner, Cindy Groom of Madison, WI.