CONTENTS may 2014–july 2014
publisher
Towns & Associates, Inc. 126 Water Street Baraboo, WI 53913-2445 P: (800) 575-8757 • F: (608) 356-8875
original art
advertiser index:
MadisonOriginalsMagazine.com
Andy Fletcher and Katie Musolff................................... 30
editor
dining
Amy S. Johnson ajohnson@madisonoriginalsmagazine.com
contributing writers
Erin Abler, Jill Carlson, Jeanne Carpenter, Kay Myers, Vivian Obarski, Callie Steffen, Liz Wessel, Holly Whittlef, Steve G. Ziegler
Automatic Gratuity........................ 36 Banzo................................................ 6 Porta Bella....................................... 18
home Old Fashioned Favorites................ 42
landmark Old Governor’s Mansion................ 10
publication designer
service
director of production & design
Bubbling Up Community Creativity........................................ 22 Renu Massage & Day Spa............. 26 Wisconsin Cheese Originals........... 34
director of technology & design
travel
Barbara Wilson
Jennifer Denman Barbara Wilson
graphic designer Susie Anderson Sarah Hill
What’s Out There to Eat................. 38
wine Wollersheim Winery........................ 14
photographer Eric Tadsen
additional photographs
Andy Fletcher, Green Concierge Travel, Madison Public Library, Madison Trust for Historic Preservation, Katie Musolff, UW-Madison/Facilities Planning & Management, Wisconsin Cheese Originals, Wisconsin Historical Society, Wollersheim Winery, ZDA, Inc.
advertising director Amy S. Johnson
ajohnson@madisonoriginalsmagazine.com
(800) 575-8757x105
advertising coordinator Mike Connell (800) 575-8757x226
administration Jennifer Baird Lori Czajka Rose Lee Evelyn Mattison Krystle Naab
vol. 38
including From the Editor................................. 4 Contest Information....................... 46 Contest Winners............................. 46 A Heavenly Finale.......................... 44
American Players Theatre.................................37 Badger Barter....................................................41 Banzo...................................................................7 Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce..........37 Bavaria Sausage...............................................13 Bonfyre American Grille....................................21 Capital City Coins & Jewelry..............................9 Chad’s Carpentry.............................................23 Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream........................27 Coachman’s Golf Resort..................................28 Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery..................................20 Dane Buy Local.................................................41 Delaney’s...........................................................31 designCraft Advertising....................................41 Dobhan Restaurant...........................................45 Douglas Art & Frame.........................................14 Fitchburg Center.................................................2 Forget Me Not Studio........................................16 Fort Atkinson Chamber of Commerce.............17 Fraboni’s Italian Specialties & Deli...................33 Gayfeather Fabrics...........................................11 Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.....16 Habitat ReStore.................................................40 Hallman Lindsay Paints.....................................40 Harvest...............................................................15 Hilldale Shopping Center....................................6 Ho-Chunk Gaming............................................13 Home Savings Bank...........................................40 Imperial Garden Chinese Restaurant..............21 jacs Dining and Tap House...............................45 Jeweler’s Workshop..........................................41 Karen & Co./Sassafras........................................5 Kessenich’s Ltd....................................................9 Lidtke Motors.....................................................11 Lombardino’s Italian Restaurant & Bar............17 Lynn’s.................................................................19 Madison Computer Works................................40 Madison Originals..............................................47 Madison Taxi......................................................23 The Nitty Gritty...................................................29 Northside Farmers Market.................................35 The Old Fashioned Tavern & Restaurant............5 The Old Feed Mill Restaurant............................19 Organic Payroll/Kollath CPA............................41 Playthings.................................................. 25 & 37 Quivey’s Grove....................................................5 Smoky’s..............................................................33 Sprecher’s Restaurant & Pub............................31 Stone Fence........................................................7 Synergy Networks, LLC......................................41 Tadsen Photography.........................................46 Terese Zache Designs........................................27 Tornado Steak House........................................39 Towns & Associates, Inc....................................40 Union Cab..........................................................12 Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.......................48 Wollersheim Winery...........................................15 Wonder Bar Steakhouse.....................................8 ZDA, Inc..............................................................42
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featuring:
Madison Originals Magazine exclusively promotes Madison Originals® restaurants in the dining portion of our publication. Madison Originals Magazine is published and owned by Towns & Associates, Inc. through a licensing agreement with Madison Originals®. The name “Madison Originals” is a registered trademark of Madison Originals®.
Watch for the next issue of Madison Originals Magazine August 2014.
additional copies? Madison Originals Magazine is available free at over 150 locations. If you would like a copy sent to you, please send mailing information and $3.00 (payable to Towns & Associates) for each magazine to Madison Originals Magazine, c/o Towns & Associates, Inc., 126 Water Street, Baraboo, WI 53913.
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comments?
from the editor amy johnson Warming weather announces spring’s long anticipated arrival—finally! And it isn’t just our clothes getting lighter, it’s also our moods. It was a particularly brutal winter, and it weighed heavily on everyone. Already you can feel a change in attitude in even the simplest of interactions and conversations, and we have many suggestions to get started. Start the season right with a visit to Renu Massage and Day Spa. A healing massage and other spa services will help you feel renewed and uplifted—ready for the increased activities spring and summer bring. And it’s the perfect time for our “What’s Out There to Eat” article, which encourages your upcoming outdoor activities to include food exploration. While foraging and food gathering is certainly nothing new, renewed interest in a healthy, locavore lifestyle starts the conversation again. A visit to Wollersheim Winery should definitely be included in your plans. Named one of the country’s top 10 winery tours, you’ll be guided across the grounds and then led inside for a wonderful tasting room experience. It’s also the time of year when first blooms and spring fragrances fill the air and lift our senses. These memorable scents come from flowering shrubs and plants brought to Wisconsin by early settlers. Steven Ziegler of ZDA, Inc. explains that they remain an integral part of our culture, and how you can more fully enjoy them at your home. We again also happily suggest more delectable dining options. First, Porta Bella continues to be a Madison favorite. This time of year, you can enjoy yourself indoors or outdoors. They can also accommodate meetings, receptions, or parties in their banquet facility. Banzo, which opened in 2012, quickly became a local favorite for authentic Middle Eastern Food. I am frequently asked for dining recommendations, and the food at Banzo certainly returns to me some of the most enthusiastic feedback. There’s much more inside, and it is our hope we have motivated you for the season!
We welcome your questions and comments. Please submit to Madison Originals Magazine, c/o Towns & Associates, Inc., 126 Water Street, Baraboo, WI 53913 or email ajohnson@madisonoriginalsmagazine.com.
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all rights reserved. ©2014
No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without prior written permission by the publisher, Towns & Associates, Inc. Cover photo of House-made Hummus with pita bread taken by Eric Tadsen at Banzo. Photo on page 3 taken by Eric Tadsen at Porta Bella. 4 | madison originals magazine
Photograph by ZDA, Inc.
To place an advertisement, please call (800) 575-8757x105 or email ajohnson@madisonoriginalsmagazine.com.
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dining
BANZO
The Little Restaurant that Could BY JEANNE CARPENTER
When it comes to eating at Banzo, there are two basic things one needs to decide: 1) what one wants, and 2) how one wants it. The seemingly easy choices of falafel, beef kebabs, char-grilled
chicken, or shaved brisket get a little more complicated when one realizes they can be presented in a pita sandwich, on a platter with majadra rice, on a homemade hummus plate, or in a salad. Just watch someone try to decide what they want
to eat at Banzo, and it’s immediately clear that what seems to be a list of simple offerings is actually an offering of tasty, complex dishes hiding in deep disguise. Virtually every choice on the menu is a good one. Ask any customer,
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6 | madison originals magazine
Chic Pita
Harvest Salad
and they’ll tell you the only option is to return repeatedly and work your way through the menu, one order at a time. Banzo, the little-Mediterraneanrestaurant-that-could on the city’s north side, opened in 2012 inside a former two-story house on Sherman Avenue. The site had previously
all food cooked for the food carts, as well as their extensive catering, takeout, and delivery business. Netalee is originally from Israel, and Aaron is from Wisconsin. The two met while studying in Australia. Four years ago, when the couple lived in New York, the mainstays of their current restaurant—falafel and hummus—
EVERYTHING ON THE MENU IS MADE FROM SCRATCH been home to a couple of short-lived restaurants, and locals feared Banzo might not be the right fit. But two years later, owners Netalee Sheinman and Aaron Collins, with chef Dan Schmitz, have renovated the space into a neighborhood hot spot, with locals and visitors alike seeking out Banzo as a destination for authentic Middle Eastern food. The trio leapt onto the Madison food scene in September 2011 with their Banzo food cart, which now sits at the corner of State and Lake Streets. They’ve since added a second cart on the Capital Square at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The restaurant, which seats 60, including the popular outdoor patio, is technically their third location, and serves as home base for
were being served on every corner of the city. “Mediterranean food has taken over New York,” Netalee says. “Every time we came back to Madison, we wanted to eat Mediterranean, and there weren’t a lot of options, especially late at night. So we thought, why not, let’s open a little hole in the wall here.”
would like to incorporate a farmer of the month program. But, for the most part, their casual eatery with straightforward menu, inside dining, and outdoor patio with live music on the weekends is wildly successful. “Everything on the menu is made from scratch and prepared in small
The couple married in 2012 and saw so much immediate success with their Banzo food cart, that a brick-andmortar restaurant seemed like the next logical step. Since then, the owners and their group of dedicated workers have applied many a gallon of paint to the building and renovated it inside and out. The pair say they still have more work to do—Netalee has decorating plans for the main downstairs dining space and Chef Dan MadisonOriginalsMagazine.com
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batches,” Netalee says. “Customers tell us they can taste the difference.” Chef Dan uses local ingredients whenever possible, and uses only high-quality components, especially for the hummus, which has grown to have a stellar reputation in Madison. The most popular item on the menu continues to be The Banzo, a classic falafel of Garbanzo beans ground with veggies, herbs, and spices. It can be served as a pita sandwich with hummus, chopped salad, chips, pickles, and tahini, with yogurt or hot sauce; or as a platter, with majadra rice, hummus, chopped salad, and a side of white or whole wheat pita. Another option is to have it served as a hummus plate, topped with fresh, homemade hummus with tahini, parsley, olive oil, chickpeas, and pita bread, or as a salad over a bed of mixed greens and homemade lemon-agave dressing. “Our hummus is smoother and creamier than most people are used Hummus a
nd Babaga
nush
WHEN IT COMES TO EATING AT BANZO, THERE ARE TWO BASIC THINGS ONE NEEDS TO DECIDE: 1) WHAT ONE WANTS, AND 2) HOW ONE WANTS IT.
8 | madison originals magazine
Banzo Platter
to,” Chef Dan says. “And we cook our beans for hours; they’re not canned.” Other menu items include char-grilled chicken tenderloin, grilled beef kebabs, falafel balls served with slices of seared eggplant and fresh greens, and thinly shaved brisket with horseradish slaw. A popular dish is The F-Bomb, which features two falafel balls, plus a choice of grilled chicken or beef kebabs.
banzo
2105 Sherman Avenue Madison, WI 53704 (608) 441-2002 Monday–Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
banzomadison.com
While two lunch-time street carts and a restaurant open Monday through Saturday are more than enough to keep the Banzo folks busy, they are looking to the future and working to build their catering menu, which can serve parties of 15 to 1,500 or more. “I enjoy the challenge of catering and developing special menus—it’s more work, but it’s more fun and pushes us to do more,” says Chef Dan. Netalee agrees. “We’ve found our niche here. People seem to like us and we like them. The neighborhood has been so supportive, and we’re looking forward to growing our catering and takeout business. It’s going to be a busy summer.” Jeanne Carpenter is a former farm girl turned freelance food writer, living in Oregon, Wisconsin. MadisonOriginalsMagazine.com
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By Erin Abler
Socialites, Statesmen, and Students A Brief History of the Old Governor’s Mansion Local history buffs know that Mansion Hill (then known as “Big Bug Hill”) was the unrivaled social center of late 19th century Madison. Guest lists at social events frequently boasted leading citizens, traveling diplomats, politicians of state and national repute, and nationally known artists, writers, and performers. For all the many parties held in all the many prestigious homes on the Hill, few are more storied than the house built at 130 East Gilman Street, whose walls sheltered some of the city’s most distinguished citizens. Currently managed by the University of Wisconsin, the building falls under the care of the UW’s Facilities Planning and Management division. As Daniel Einstein, Historic and Cultural Resources Manager, explains, the building has had a number of names. On the National Register for Historic Places, it’s the Old Executive Residence. The University called it Knapp House for the 60+ years it housed graduate scholars. And, owing to its most prominent residents, it’s also sometimes referred to as the Old Governor’s Mansion. 10 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
Early Days Built around 1855, the house was one of the first constructed on Mansion Hill. Its first owner was Julius White, giving rise to the joking monikers the “White House,” or “Madison’s White House.” According to Daniel, White “was a socialite and art collector, one of many rich owners of the house.” White only lived there for about two years, at which point he sold the house to George Delaplaine. “The
when he tried, unsuccessfully, to install Madison’s first central heating system in the house.
To Court a Violinist In 1868 the house was bought by the Thorps, a family based out of Eau Claire whose patriarch, J. G. Thorp, had made his fortune as a lumber tycoon. “Eau Claire was not sophisticated enough for Mrs. Thorp, who had social ambitions,”
Madison landmark is firmly guided by those with its best interests at heart. Delaplaines were land speculators,” says Daniel, “and they were also socialites. Both White and Delaplaine were known for their lavish parties—they hosted all kinds of socialites and bigwigs.” Although they stayed in the house for more than a decade, the Delaplaines eventually left because they couldn’t keep it warm—it was too big and therefore too costly to heat. Apparently it wasn’t for lack of trying; secondary sources claim Delaplaine was “the subject of derision”
explains Daniel. “Mr. Thorp had been elected to the legislature, and this was a chance for them to move to Madison to be closer to the Capitol and move up the social ladder. Their daughter was 18 at the time when she meets Ole Bull. In contemporary terms, he’s a rock star, except he plays the violin. He’s known throughout Europe, throughout the United States. He meets Sara Thorp after a concert in Madison—she has a crush on him—the only problem is, Ole Bull
Photograph provided by UW-Madison/Facilities Planning & Management
or iginal landmark
is 58 years old. But this does not stifle Mrs. Thorp. She sees this as a great opportunity to marry up.” Thus, when Ole returned to Madison for another concert in March 1870, Mrs. Thorp cannily arranged for him to stay at their home. Ole and Sara were given enough time alone together that their attraction grew. Before leaving Madison, Ole invited Mrs. Thorp and Sara to accompany him on a summer trip to Norway. After a brief courtship, Ole and Sara secretly married in June 1870 in Norway. Daniel notes that while “Mrs. Thorp is delighted, Mr. Thorp thinks this is scandalous. He does not savor what his wife is doing.” Nevertheless, when the newlyweds returned to Madison, the Thorps held a second marriage ceremony at their home, celebrating
By and large, though, Ole and Sara’s marriage seems to have been a happy one. Unfortunately, it lasted just 10 years before Ole died at the age of 70.
The Governors Period and Beyond In 1883, the Thorps sold their Gilman Street house to Governor Jeremiah Rusk. In 1885, Rusk, who later went on to achieve national prominence as Secretary of Agriculture, convinced the state government to buy the house from him to use as a governor’s mansion. It subsequently became the official residence of 17 governors, including the famous progressive Robert La Follette and his sons, Philip and Robert, Jr., both of whom also served as prominent Wisconsin politicians. Then, in 1945, Governor Rennebohm convinced the government to buy the current governor’s house in Maple Bluff. After years of playing a central role in the state’s
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The house is thought to have retained the majority of its original characteristics, including a “low, hipped roof,” and “tall, narrow windows” that make it look “smaller and lower than in actuality.” with an elegant party to which a whopping 1,000 people—including the likes of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow— were invited. For the next decade, punctuated by numerous travels both domestic and abroad, the Thorp house became Ole Bull’s U. S. headquarters. But the story isn’t quite happily-everafter, as Daniel notes. “Ole does not care for Mrs. Thorp—it’s one of those unfortunate mother-in-law situations. He does everything he can to distress her when she attempts to set up social events to show off her daughter’s great catch.” MadisonOriginalsMagazine.com
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Photograph provided by Madison Trust for Historic Preservation
sheltered some of the city’s most distinguished citizens political and social movements, the house at 130 East Gilman was suddenly left without any residents at all. Finally, in 1950, the Board of Regents bought the house with funds from the Kemper K. Knapp bequest. The Knapp House became home to a Kohler Foundation fellowship program, where graduate students aimed to “live in the house during the final years of their PhD programs, with the idea that a communal experience for scholars will provide them
with interdisciplinary opportunities that they otherwise wouldn’t have,” says Daniel. “For 62 years they live in this house, and they have monthly seminars where they bring in speakers and they share a communal meal in the front parlor. In 2012 the graduate school, which has responsibility for overseeing this program, decides they no longer can manage this program or this house, so they vacate it.” With more than half a century of student housing behind it, the Old Governor’s
Mansion once again stands bereft of occupants.
A Continuing Exploration Tending a building that’s nearly 160 years old has its challenges, but fortunately, the Old Executive Residence is a sturdy structure. As Daniel attests, “the exterior’s in good shape.” Although “no photograph or detailed description of the exterior exists prior to 1900,” the house is thought to have retained the majority of its original characteristics, including a “low, hipped roof,” and “tall, narrow windows” that make it look “smaller and lower than in actuality.” Constructed of native Westport sandstone, the walls measure no less than 18 inches thick.” “It’s considered Victorian in style with Italianate components,” says Daniel. “It’s kind of a mishmash. At one point it had a large wraparound porch that was built in 1898, so that gave it a much more Victorian look. If you look closely at the exterior of the building, you can still see where the exterior porch roof was attached to the side of the building—
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there’s a shadow line. That’s one of the things I love about what I do—trying to unscramble the mysteries of how the house has evolved over time, looking for shadow lines on the floor where a wall may have been, things like that.” Daniel’s enthusiasm doesn’t end there. He’s completed photo documentation of the house’s furnishings, trying to determine what pieces have survived from the Governors Period. “Over a 62-year period of students living in the house, they brought in a lot of stuff,” says Daniel. Sorting through myriad furnishings, Daniel compared them with historical photos of the house’s interior with known dates. “When I tried to track down those pieces which were left behind when the Governor moved to the Maple Bluff house, I found some pictures of tea luncheons that the Governor’s wife would host in the house. That’s how I was able to make a connection with a specific buffet and mirror combination and the Governors Period.”
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Photograph provided by Madison Trust for Historic Preservation
What will become of the Old Governor’s Mansion? As a vacant property still owned by the Board of Regents, options are being explored for either another government unit to make use of the building, or for the house to go back to private ownership. Fortunately, the future of this Madison landmark is firmly guided by those with its best interests at heart. Erin Abler is a Wisconsin native and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She divides her time between online content strategy, information architecture, and freelance writing.
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ori gin al wine
WollersheimWinery
By Holly Whittlef
Forget Napa, Sonoma, and the Willamette Valley. Nestled on a sloping hillside in Prairie du Sac, Wollersheim Winery is helping transform Wisconsin into a wine lover’s destination. The winery is run by French-born winemaker Philippe Coquard and his wife Julie, and is sprawled across 27 acres overlooking the Wisconsin River. With dry soil and advantageous sun exposure, Wollersheim Winery enjoys a warmer sub-climate that makes the 170-year-old property ideal for winemaking. Wollersheim Winery’s approachable and Midwest-friendly attitude has made them a regional hub for wine enthusiasts. With more than 1.1 million bottles produced each year, Julie affirms, 14 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
“There is something for everyone here.” That message is quickly spreading across the United States. Last November, Wollersheim Winery was featured in the Salon.com article “Four Unexpected Wine Regions Worth Visiting,” which highlighted Wisconsin’s growing wine industry. In addition, TripAdvisor, a popular review site for travelers, has named Wollersheim Winery as one of the top 10 winery tours in the country. The winery is open daily and tours run every hour for $5.00 per person. Visitors are welcomed into the gift shop, and then guided through the wine garden and by the vineyards before returning inside to the fermentation room, limestone aging cellars, and tasting room. Tastings
WOLLERSHEIM WINERY Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin
Named one of
“America’s Top 10 Winery Tours” by TripAdvisor
Open Year-round Tours & Tastings Daily 7876 Hwy 188 Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin 1-800-VIP-WINE wollersheim.com |
run a mere $2–3, with complimentary “featured wine” tastings. Wollersheim Winery’s success is the result of more than 40 years of hard work by the Wollersheim family. Bob and JoAnn Wollersheim—Julie’s parents—purchased and resurrected the property in 1972. For 60 years prior, the area laid dormant after an extra cold winter killed the vineyards and the prohibition era quelled any hope for regrowing grapes. Bob and JoAnn replanted the vineyards, began aging wine in underground cellars, and opened Wollersheim Winery to the public in 1973. However, a state that is world famous for making beer had little precedent for how to make wine. So over the next 10 years, Bob drew upon his home winemaking and engineering backgrounds, and began to experiment with hundreds of grapevines to find which ones worked best in the cold climate. With the help of a young Frenchman, Wollersheim Winery continued to
progress their winemaking. In 1984, Philippe Coquard—the son of a vineyard consultant with a family history of 13 generations of winemaking—arrived at Wollersheim Winery. The plan was to spend six months practicing winemaking in Wisconsin before moving to Australia for another six months to do the same. However, Julie laughs, “He never made it to Australia.” Two years after arriving, Philippe married the winemaker’s daughter. Now, he and Julie have three children of their own and run the winery together. Wollersheim Winery first found success in the market in 1989 after years spent developing their own wine style. That year, they released Prairie Fumé, a nottoo-sweet, not-too-dry white wine that exploded in popularity. “It was about balancing the flavors and sweetness,” Julie states. “That wine put us on the market.” Prairie Fumé was praised for its bright, fruity flavor and drinkability, winning numerous awards, including the “Blockbuster Wine of the Year” award in 1997.
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Besides fan-favorite Prairie Fumé, Wollersheim makes 17 other wines, including three types of Port and the estate-grown Domaine du Sac red. The Port wines are a personal favorite of Philippe, who had a custom Port-themed motorcycle made by Sauk Prairie Harley
in honor of the after-dinner wine. The winery is making Port—a grape wine fortified with grape brandy—in the traditional Portuguese style that brings out the grape’s natural sweetness. They also offer a unique white Port, which is difficult to find outside of Europe. Currently, Wollersheim Winery employs 20 full-time and 30 part-time staff that works from harvest season through the more tourist-heavy summer season. The Wollersheim family also owns Cedar Creek Winery in historic Cedarburg, which they bought in 1990. Being the largest winery in Wisconsin has had its benefits. Many up-and-coming winemakers look to Wollersheim as leaders, and as Julie points out, “Being in a region without a certain style, we can set the style and do what we want.”
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Despite their growth, Wollersheim Winery is focused on keeping their winery as local as possible. Phillip and Julie use 100% Wisconsin-made oak barrels to age some of their wines, as well as their brandy, which is normally aged in French oak. However, they do source grapes from other regions with climates similar to Wisconsin. That includes Washington and New York, which offer chardonnay and pinot noir grapes that are impossible to grow in Wisconsin. With most grapes grown on-site, pruning begins in late winter/early spring with most of the harvest occurring around Labor Day weekend. Ideal weather conditions that yield the best grapes include lots of sunshine in August and not too much rain leading up to the harvest. “You only get once a year to make wine,” Julie says. “So you cross your fingers and hope for the best.” Wollersheim Winery is constantly finding ways to expand and improve upon what they do. Recently, they restored the old wine cave located in the hillside, which is now available to tour. Their biggest new venture, however, is in brandy. In 2009, state lawmakers passed legislation authorizing winemakers to make brandy. In 2010, Philippe began the brandy-making process, and this year, Wollersheim is in its second year of distribution. It typically takes 120
gallons of white wine to produce 13 gallons of brandy, and two years to age. Like so many of their other products, Wollersheim’s Coquard Brandy has been well received thus far. The future also looks bright for Wollersheim because the winery looks like it will stay in the family. Philippe and Julie’s daughter Céline graduated with her master’s degree in oenology (wine science) from Cornell University, and their son, Romain, is studying food science and marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The next generation of winemakers is already gearing up to continue to expand Wollersheim Winery and grow Wisconsin’s burgeoning wine industry, which now includes more than 180 winemakers. Holly Whittlef is a freelance designer and writer who lives in Madison, and blogs about her love of good design and food at Hollis Anne.
Photographs provided by Wollersheim Winery.
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dining
side-lit mural of Italian cities Verona and Mantova, complete with stone bridges, an expansive river, and historic architecture. The room is anchored by a dark wooden bar with full selection of Italian wines, and faces an expanse of vaulted ceilings and chandeliers.
A perennial “Best of Madison” winner for romantic dining, Porta Bella has been serving homemade Italian dinners, pizzas, steaks, and seafood for more than 45 years in its cozy downtown restaurant on Frances Street. Known for its outdoor scenic courtyard and indoor intimate booths, these days the venerable eatery is establishing a new reputation as a modern banquet facility and conference center. 18 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
Porta Bella’s new Mantova Room, named for Madison’s sister city in Italy, opened in December 2012, and continues to come into its own as one of the city’s premier meeting spaces. The arched room, lined on one side with flat screens and lush red drapes, comfortably holds 200 guests, and can be split into two areas, separated by a series of seven soundproof 400-pound sliding doors. The opposite wall features an impressive
The banquet room started as a semiretirement project for owner Ed Shinnick, who helped establish Porta Bella in 1968, but has become a full-time job as weddings, corporate meetings, and parties filled the space the past year. “I love it, so I guess I can’t retire,” Ed says with his trademark grin. “I’ve got some great managers running the day-to-day operation, so that gives me time to do projects like this.” The Mantova room is available seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to midnight, and offers Italian continental breakfasts, luncheons, and dinners. The facility boasts unique audio and
Chicken Rollatini
visual capabilities with screens for presentations. It also has the ability to host live music for social events. “We host a lot of weddings, as well as corporate and university meetings,” Ed says. One of the room’s newest functions is to host a monthly wine dinner. The Shinnicks travel to Italy every two years to discover new wines and Italian culinary techniques, and often stay overnight at wine estates, getting to know the owners and winemakers personally. These relationships have led to several Italian winemakers traveling to Porta Bella to host four-course dinners with one-of-a-kind menus.
The dinners start with a 6:00 p.m. welcome time and generally sit down at 6:30 p.m. The events are typically capped at 40 guests, who are treated to new recipes discovered by Ed during his time in Italy. “We try out new dishes at the wine dinners, and quite often, they end up on the regular menu. It gives our regulars a chance to be the first to try new things.” Afterward, the featured wines are available for sale to attendees. “These are wines not typically available at Madison retail markets,” Ed says, “so it’s a nice way for customers to try new vintages.” About half of all dishes at Porta Bella have been inspired by the Shinnicks’ trips to Italy, while the rest are still based
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Lobster Ravioli with Tomato-Vodka Cream Sauce
Porta Salad
on the old Greenbush neighborhood recipes. Ed learned to cook Italian from Roy and Rose McCormick, his original restaurant partners. “Roy and Rose were great cooks and spent a lot of time with me. My family is Irish, so all I knew was pretty much meat and potatoes.” Today, as one of Madison’s most experienced restaurant owners, Ed still remembers where he came from. He started out as a busboy and worked his way up to the kitchen at Paisan’s, which the McCormicks owned. When he was hired as the manager at the new Porta Bella in 1968, he was “the new guy on the block.” Today, he gives his staff dayto-day autonomy, but is always available for advice and questions. One of his 20 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
main roles is to bring back new recipes from Italy and work with the chefs to incorporate them into Porta Bella’s menu. One newer dish is Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce. A regional favorite of Mantova, the pumpkin-stuffed ravioli is topped with a creamy Gorgonzola sauce and walnuts. It continues to be both a staff and customer favorite. Another Mantova regional dish offered at Porta Bella is Bigoli with Bolognese. Bigoli, extruded pasta in the form of a long and thick tube, is topped with a spicy tomato sauce of Italian sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions. Other traditional dishes include Chicken Parmesan, Lasagna, Veal Parmesan, and
the restaurant’s famous Tetrazzini—in both chicken and seafood varieties. Porta Bella also offers its signature New York Strip, which can be pepper crusted and topped with a creamy Gorgonzola or Marsala sauce. The restaurant is well known for seafood, especially its Maryland Blue Crab Stuffed Shrimp, stuffed with green peppers, onions and spices, and served over a bed of spinach fettuccine with a white wine clam sauce. Porta Bella’s famous thin crust pizza is also a favorite, especially in the summer time at a comfortable table in the courtyard with a glass of red. The Chicken Florentino pizza is a perennial favorite, featuring chicken breast, bacon, tomatoes, spinach, and feta and mozzarella cheeses. “We are continually voted Madison’s most romantic restaurant, and we are proud to be home to more first dates, anniversary Prosciutto and Panna
dinners, and special occasions than anywhere,” Ed says. “We’re looking forward to many more years.” Jeanne Carpenter is a former farm girl turned freelance food writer, living in Oregon, Wisconsin.
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Madison Public Library’s Artist-in-Residence Program If you’ve been looking for a place where kids and adults alike can experiment with more art materials than you can shake a stick at, you may be in luck. If you’ve also been hoping to meet and learn from artists who are looking for your help in creating their next great work, we know exactly where to send you. Creative adventure awaits you at Madison Public Library’s (MPL) Bubbler program, where the latest Artist-in-Residence (AIR) is sure to put your ingenuity to work.
Based at MPL’s Central Library location, the AIR Program is a multi-month residency that gives artists and makers a public studio space to work on one or more projects. Interaction with the public is a key component, since the artists not only work in public view, but also hold both scheduled and walk-in workshops. Scheduled workshops led by the AIR are made available at all nine Madison branch libraries during the course of the residency. True to the Bubbler’s overarching goal of connecting the community to local resources that help them learn and create, the structure and substance of the AIR Program is determined largely by the resident artists themselves. The artists determine how to invite the public into their work, and the public in turn helps shape the discoveries— and the results—of the residency. It’s a formula ripe for experimentation, and it’s sparking imaginations across the city.
Many residency programs offer exciting opportunities for creative people, but 22 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
MPL’s have some unusual components that make them even more engaging for the right person. The combination seems to be working: so far the Bubbler has attracted both artistic talent and community engagement in spades. We had the chance to speak with each of the AIRs to date.
After working as an artist for years in Jersey City, New Jersey, Barbara Landes came to Madison four years ago to attend graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She had previously met Trent Miller, the Bubbler Program’s founder and coordinator, at an artist residency in Vermont, so she was excited to see him again when she moved to Madison. “Knowing nobody in Madison, Trent was kind of the ideal person to know because he knows everyone and has so much energy,” Barbara says. After finishing her UW degree with specialties in paper- and printmaking, Barbara encountered difficulty finding a studio space in the area. With nowhere to go for the time being, she was very receptive when Trent suggested the
possibility of working in the library. “Trent had been talking about wanting to do this program for awhile,” Barbara remembers. “It was one of those things of being in the right place at the right time: being in the heart of Madison; meeting all kinds of people; I didn’t have a studio. It was really a good opportunity.” As the program’s very first AIR, Barbara helped set the tone for both collaboration and freedom with regard to the structure of the residency. Together with Trent, Barbara wanted to make sure the experience worked well for both her and the library. “[Trent] was very open to trying different things, and it was a workin-progress. I have a feeling everyone will bring their own thing to it.” The program was an immediate hit. “Opening day was really intense,” says Barbara. “My husband actually came and we literally did papermaking and pulpmaking with people for five hours straight, not even looking up. We just had this stream of people coming in. Afterwards we had so many of these pulp paintings, I thought it would be interesting to make something bigger from them. So I used cardboard to put together a Community Shingle Wall. It was kind of fun to make this bigger project out of the public working with me.”
people and in the public eye all the time. I thought, ‘How can I take advantage of this and have the public help me?’ One project was the Crumplers. I would have people leave me notes—it could be your to-do list, your grocery list, you could leave a quote or a sketch. Then I’d make pictures like the lines of your note, match the handwriting or the sketch. That in itself was really fun—it makes you look a lot closer at what people create. Then I crumpled them up and left them around the library. We had to tell the cleaning staff, no, this is not garbage. It was fun.”
thinking differently, thinking how can I get the community involved, have the community helping me make my work. That was a nice challenge.”
Barbara is currently teaching an introductory papermaking class at UW-Madison. She “did finally find a studio,” and finds “it’s good to be back making art again. I’m working very differently not having the community around me, but I’d like to carry some of that thinking that I learned at the Bubbler into my future work. I learned a different way of working. I definitely was
You could say that Victor Castro traveled light when he left his native Mexico to pursue a career as an artist. “I carried with me a knife and pliers and all my conception of art,” he remembers. It was in Spain, and later in Peru, that Victor developed an interest in using everyday objects as art materials. As a student, he began working with food cans leftover
As Barbara learned, the public setting brought both challenges and rewards. “I was used to working shut up, alone, and now here I was, interacting with
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important opportunity, since the project relies on community donations of used Tetra Pak containers. Focused on the collaborative aspect of his art, Victor makes a point of involving others in decision-making around his art. “I want to make a social structure where people feel comfortable to participate,” he says. Inviting volunteers to make proposals for the Meadowridge piece, Victor offered them envelopes and gave them glue to make a collage. “I gave only one requisite: be abstract,” he says. “It shouldn’t represent anything. Use concepts of geometry, anything, but keep it abstract.” After gathering 170 sketches, Victor posted them on the wall and invited a panel of library staff members and artists to narrow down the selection. He then posted an online voting system for the public to choose the final Meadowridge mural design. “I’m not going to make personal decisions in this project, because I want to make a really community-based project,” he says. “I’m receiving a lot of beautiful compliments from people saying that they are enjoying the process and I’m really happy with that.”
from his own meals. Soon, friends started offering him their used cans too. Ever since then, Victor has continued to experiment with used materials, establishing a system of collecting and creating that he associates with the Spanish word recolector. “It means I’m a gatherer, I’m a collector,” he says. The seeds of Victor’s early inspiration have come to full bloom in Madison. With “USgathering,” a collaborative, community-centered art project, Victor is turning over 2,000 used Tetra Pak containers into a permanent relief mural outside the renovated Meadowridge Library. The project relies on public participation in most every respect, from visual design to materials provision, and is the recipient of a $10,000 grant from the Madison Arts Commission. As the Bubbler’s second AIR, Victor used his time at the library to engage the community with workshops and drop24 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
in activities as well as the Meadowridge Art Project. “They offer you a space to do what you want, and I open the door to everyone who wants to participate,” Victor says. “We transform this space into a playground for adults and kids.” The residency also gave Victor the chance to spread the word about USgathering—an
Looking back on his residency, Victor is happiest to think of the connections he saw and felt happening throughout the experience. “Something happened in these three months for staff, for visitors, for me, for the kids,” he says. “I received several emails from friends sharing with me how their kids got crazy after working with me. They don’t want to put anything in the recycle bin—they want to save it all and do art. I really
like to work with kids, but after this experience, I changed my definition of kids. Now I say, ‘I work with kids from 1 year to 99.’”
Six years ago, sisters Laura and Sachi Komai opened a Madison paper and craft shop called Anthology. In addition to selling their own creations, Laura and Sachi carry the work of some 100 local artists and craftspeople. Anthology’s special space—which pairs clever, original product offerings with the materials and room to create some of your own—has since proved a popular State Street destination. “We share our inspiration and our products, but we also want to get people thinking about themselves as creating and join in the fun,” says Laura. “We have always had our craft table where people could work on their own projects, and we sell supplies for them to go home and continue working there.” Seeing that the size of the store presented some space limitations, Laura and Sachi contemplated ways to expand the reach of their creative offerings. Partly through Sachi’s experience teaching creative workshops at the library and partly through meeting Trent Miller, the sisters began to realize that more space didn’t necessarily mean more store space—in fact, it made more sense to look for more community creation space. “Early on in the Bubbler Program, we kind of had our eye on that space,” says Laura. With scheduled weekend events as well as drop-in projects, Laura and Sachi are excited to be extending the spirit of their store to a new environment. “I think it just kind of meshes with our overall goal of inviting people to do creative things,” Laura says. “The setting of the library works particularly well with working with paper crafts: things like using the paper of discarded books to make pottery, or creating altered books. Projects like that that are spinoffs of library things.” Not only has the AIR program given the sisters more room to share their creativity with the public, it has also provided them with personal studio space and— with a location just two blocks away
from Anthology—the physical proximity to keep their store up and running. “There are projects that certainly seed off the fact that we’re Anthology, but we’re artists on our own,” Laura says. “There are projects that I don’t have space to work on at the shop, and it’s nice to have the opportunity to work on those. With studio times for ourselves, we’re present and able to show people what projects we’re working on in more of an informal setting.” Perhaps most importantly, Laura and Sachi hope to expand public perceptions about creativity as a whole. “I think the main thing is just to emphasize to people that this space is like all library space,” says Laura. “Everybody’s welcome; it’s not a restrictive space. I have this problem sometimes where people come into the store and say, ‘This is a great store, but I’m not creative,’ and they say this as though they’ve disqualified themselves. It’s the same thing for libraries: people have a limited view of what it’s for— books, internet access, only books for my kids—they have a particular idea of what the library is, and there’s so much more than that. We want to invite people to come and be surprised and enjoy the serendipity.”
For the latest on the Artist-in-Residence Program, visit madisonbubbler.org/ artist-in-residence. To find out more about the Meadowridge Art Project, visit madisonbubbler.org/meadowridge-art -project. Erin Abler is a Wisconsin native and graduate of the University of WisconsinMadison. She divides her time between online content strategy, information architecture, and freelance writing. Photographs provided by Madison Public Library.
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Renu Jill Carlson 26 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
In this busy, hectic world, taking time out to enjoy a therapeutic massage or a spa treatment is a real treat and a much-needed stress reliever. Heidi Aschenbrenner is a CPA with a background in business and accounting, and has been an adjunct instructor in the business department at Edgewood College since 2010. Therapeutic massage and acupuncture became personally important to Heidi in 2006 for relief from the pain of a herniated disk. She decided to attend the East-West Healing Arts Institute in Madison to become licensed as a massage therapist. “I graduated from massage school at
the end of 2011 and learned about a massage business for sale around the same time,” says Heidi. She purchased the Madison Westside business, and remodeled, renamed, and rebranded it in the summer of 2012. Renu Massage and Day Spa is a calm and welcoming environment where healing happens. Originally from Southern California, Heidi said she didn’t feel like she belonged in California. The Midwest was more like home, and Heidi’s mother had roots in Green Bay. Heidi felt the pull to move to Madison in 2009. “My parents raised me to be Midwestern,” Heidi chuckles.
Heidi, a nationally certified massage therapist with the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, is a member of the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia, which requires additional hours of training and experience, and holds an MBA from Cal Poly Pomona. And in her spare time, Heidi teaches Jazzercise classes. In addition to Heidi, the staff of Renu Massage and Day Spa is comprised of three independent massage therapists Heidi met while they were students at East-West. They learned about anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology, in addition to the healing modalities. “We also learned traditional Chinese medicine theory, acupressure points, working with clients’ energy meridians, TuiNa, which is Chinese medical massage, and other Asian bodywork techniques,” Heidi explains. Heidi wanted therapists at her spa who were like-minded in offering unique and healing massage and spa services to clients. Once a month, she holds a staff coffee meeting so they can share success stories about what has worked best with clients. “We like to hear about how a therapist used a technique or combination of treatments that helped their client with a specific pain or injury,” says Heidi.
Madgalena Cerrina has had good results in her work with headaches, migraines, and temporomandibular joint dysfunction, a disorder which affects the jaw. She uses trigger point therapy and acupressure during her session, as well as myofascial
techniques. She has a special interest in treating chronic headache conditions. Olga Andreeva specializes in TuiNa, acupressure, and working with depression, headaches, migraines, back,
Each therapist does the basic massage modality and uses therapeutic specialties in which they were trained when working with clients. Heidi is interested in cupping therapy, an ancient Chinese modality in which suction is created on the skin, using a cup to help mobilize blood flow and promote healing. She’s found that cupping provides relief for sciatica, knee, and shoulder pain, and improves range of motion limitations. Melanie Kind utilizes TuiNa and reflexology, and is a certified Reiki master. She likes to incorporate energy work with bodywork skills during a session. Another of Melanie’s specialties is prenatal massage, which is done after the first trimester to help alleviate the extra stress on the body of the mom-tobe from carrying the baby. MadisonOriginalsMagazine.com
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neck, and shoulder pain, and stiffness, arthritis, sports injuries, and foot pain. Three massage rooms are comfortable, quiet, and provide a calming environment. The couples massage room features a sofa, coffee table, two massage tables, and an infrared sauna. Couples snuggle in cozy robes in the private suite while soaking their feet, and nibbling on strawberries and chocolate. A 90-minute side-byside aromatherapy massage is done by two massage therapists and a two-hour couple’s massage includes time in the sauna after the aromatherapy foot soak. Day spa services include The Mud Package, which soothes, heals, and cleanses with red clay or Dead Sea mud treatment, and also includes time in the sauna and a 60-minute aromatherapy massage. The Sea Buff & Massage utilizes Mediterranean sea salts and oil to remove dead skin cells on the arms, legs, and back, followed by time in the sauna and a 30-minute massage. You will leave with skin feeling silky smooth and muscles relaxed. Eco-friendly and natural products are used at Renu for all services. A waiting room is available if clients arrive early for their appointment or they can enjoy the Relaxation Room prior to their service. The Relaxation Room offers two cushy chaise lounges, tea or water, and the ability to chill out before admission to relaxation heaven. Creating a nurturing place for massage therapists to work is another of Heidi’s goals. “Working as a massage therapist is
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very hard on the body. I want to make sure that the therapists here are taking care of their body and taking breaks when they need them to ensure they are not overusing their body.” Massage therapists are also taught good body mechanics in school to avoid repetitive stress injuries. A half hour between clients is scheduled so that the therapists can do paperwork, have prep time before the next client, and also have time to talk to their client before and after the session. Heidi said she is motivated to alleviate pain for her clients. “Most people don’t know how good massage or cupping can be. We can correct things that have been bothering them for a long time. I want to reach out and educate people about the benefits of massage.” Renu is an LGBTQ-friendly business— same-sex and transgender individuals and couples are welcome to experience the many services offered here. Jill Carlson is a Madison-based freelance writer who enjoys writing about the business owners, artists, and interesting people who represent the local flavor of Madison.
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commune less with the land, it becomes obvious that nature must remain. We must continue to look at images that show a type of classical nature made new again by a focus on local food, local flora and fauna, and the importance of direct contact with the natural world. I recently spoke with Andy Fletcher and Katie Musolff, an artist duo who live in the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin, about the environment that inspires their work and the partnership that fuels their creativity. Andy and Katie are each known for the vivid, meditative, and lyrical work they create in paint and watercolor.
As early as 40,000 years ago, man created images to communicate ideas. We began to tell stories using pictures. Animals have always appeared as subject matter, while landscape has been in and out of vogue since about 1500BC. These are long-standing genres of art that are continually changing, yet remain rooted; just as our society and civilization continue to grow, yet hold to long30 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
standing ideas about community, faith, and communication. The continuation of art genres like botanical illustration and landscape painting provide hope for a reality where both the present and future remain connected to the natural world that once surrounded us all. As we trend toward spending more time with technology and
“I think I’m known for doing a lot of barns and things like that,” Andy says. “I grew up in Waukesha and a big part of me was growing up and seeing all the urban sprawl. It left a mark on me. At 19 I started being concerned about where my food comes from, so I started to paint local spaces and farms and places that were being destroyed; places I felt were so emotionally important to living there. And you take those places away and it makes everyone so much less happy.” Katie grew up in Milwaukee. She and Andy met at an open figure drawing
creating in a similar way, in a similar space session at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. “Oh yeah, my work has changed because of place,” Katie says. “The River Journal. I wasn’t making anything like that before I lived here. Essentially, being here brought out something that was always there, when it comes to picking stuff up off the ground, collecting feathers, collecting rocks, all the stuff that would happen anyway. But now, being on the river, not in Bayview, it’s just at your fingertips all the time.” The Driftless Area in southwestern Wisconsin was created as a result of its having escaped glaciation in the last glacial period. Just west of Madison, all the way to the Mississippi River, stretches the Driftless Area. It is characterized by rolling hills, dramatic valleys, and seven rivers besides the Mississippi. “Vernon County feels good,” imparts Andy. “Maybe it’s the absence of strip malls and subdivisions. There are still problems here: rural poverty and ignorance, but there is also Organic Valley and the ridges and the small farms. People are emotionally attached to the landscape here and that feels good. That’s what I try to capture in my painting: the emotion that is tied to being in a particular place.”
“You could spend an entire day collecting natural things,” reveals Katie. “There are so many fish and bugs. It is so abundant! There are all these crazy birds and dragonflies hatching and mayflies. It’s the spirit of discovering something, like those explorers at the turn of the century going down the Amazon and recording everything and bringing back specimens. The thrill of finding makes you feel like a little kid.” You can see the wonderment in the work Andy and Katie are creating. And the sense of discovery is palpable. They are both capturing and offering the environment in analogous ways. Andy presents the sweeping view with succinct detail, drawing from the hours
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chunk of time to work. I can’t put it off till tomorrow because the subject might be in a totally different condition by then. But when I’m drawing, I’m just staring, staring, staring, observing, observing, observing, so it’s a quiet thing.” “I don’t work from photographs ever,” says Andy. “I work outside. If I go down to a place that’s popular on the river, people get out of their cars and I’m sitting there painting, sitting there painting, and it’s taking me a long time and people get out of their cars and take their picture in front of the water and then leave. They are completely disconnected from the river. Over the course it took me to do that painting, it changed. I was sitting there looking at it, and looking at it, and looking at it and I saw the wind die down. Or a cloud goes by and the whole color changes and that’s such a different experience. And the river’s like that. It just takes time and energy to really be connected to those things and there are no shortcuts.”
spent on location: the sun beating down or the wind blowing the grass. Katie delivers the goods from those hours: the butterflies plucked from the prairie, the ferns growing by the brook, the turtles that hatched from a nest in the yard.
There is a visceral quietude in the work, and strong sense of connection to place. “There’s a totally different sense of time here,” Katie conveys. “There is a rush, because I have to sit down in one big
Andy and Katie echo one another. It draws you into the work, to know they are creating in a similar way, in a similar space. They reveal their shared life in unique ways. “Being with another artist, I think I’m much more calm,” Andy says. “I feel technically a lot better. More creative. Understood.” Katie agrees, “You never feel like a weirdo. We both get to a point where we just need to work, just make work all day. It’s nice to be able to say, “I just need a day,” and know that you’re not being selfish. I think we both miss having a more normal schedule sometimes. Andy functions on the sun, literally, if a storm rolls in or something, you have to go capture it.” To be understood is one thing, but what I really recognize in Katie and Andy is the deep appreciation they have not only for one another, but also for the community and environment that surrounds them. They revel in nature and reckon time well spent: fishing on the Mississippi, shopping locally, and sharing the place they love so well. “When I’m painting outside, it’s relaxing for me,” Andy explains. “Being on the river, doing things outside, and spending time with friends, it brings me balance. When you work by yourself, it’s important to spend
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time with friends and family. That helps the most.” It’s important for Katie too, but in a different way. “People just bring me things,” she relays. “When I was at the Pfister Residency in Milwaukee, I was showing the River Journal series and people would bring me birds they found on the street. Really remarkable, illegal birds that one should not carry around! And it’s a different contrast, just what people bring you—they are like my cats,” she laughs. “‘I thought you might like this,’ they say, as they hand me a baggie of cicada skins. No one else would, but I do. I think it’s an interesting phenomenon. It lets me know that other people are curious and care.” In a world where information overload is the norm, two artists in southwestern Wisconsin are literally taking time to stop and smell the roses…and the peonies…and the lilacs. At a time when we are becoming nature deficient, I hope the revival of classic ideas with a contemporary twist will continue to turn our heads away from the many digital screens and back toward the outdoors. After such a long winter, isn’t it time to get back out there? To view more of Andy’s work and to read his blog, visit andrewclairfletcher.com. You can connect with Katie and view more of her work at katiemusolff.com. Katie’s work is also available at the Artisan Gallery in Paoli, Wisconsin, and The Grand Hand in St. Paul, Minnesota. The duo are often on the road, making
appearances at art and craft fairs across the country. Check their websites to see where they’ll be next. ———————————————— Kay Myers is a local artist and freelance writer. Photographs provided by Andy Fletcher and Katie Musolff.
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Wisconsin Cheese Originals By Holly Whittlef
There are few—if any—things more synonymous with Wisconsin than cheese. Semi-soft or hard, wickedly creamy or crumbly, fresh or cave-aged, cheese is our state’s most beloved food. And Wisconsin Cheese Originals is determined to spread that love. Lead by enthusiastic cheesemonger Jeanne Carpenter, Wisconsin Cheese Originals is dedicated to sharing information about artisan cheeses through special events, classes, and tours. With more than 200 members, Wisconsin Cheese Originals is quickly transforming area cheese lovers into cheese connoisseurs. With an intentional focus on artisan cheese—small-batch cheeses produced by hand—one of Jeanne’s goals is to push consumers beyond cheddar into a wider variety of more unique, complex tastes. Membership is not required to attend events or classes, but 90% of events are never announced because they sell out so quickly to members. Special events include cheese tours, tasting classes, and chef-catered dinners with cheesemakers. “I think of stuff I would want to do, then I organize it. It seems to work really well, and I have a lot of fun doing it,” Jeanne says. Her passion for cheese is infectious, and local foodies will find the roster of classes impossible to resist. Past offerings 34 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
include tastings crafted around fondue and Swiss cheese, gourmet grilled cheese, and world champion cheeses. They are reflective of Wisconsin Cheese Originals’ motto: “Have fun. Do good. Eat cheese.” As the organization’s owner, Jeanne is well versed in the world of cheese. She will take the American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional exam this year, a distinction requiring more than 4,000 hours of experience working directly with cheese. It does not make her a cheesemaker, but rather a sommelier for cheese—an expert professional knowledgeable about the nuances of taste, production, and industry. In addition to Wisconsin Cheese Originals, Jeanne works as the full-time manager of the specialty cheese department at Metcalfe’s Market in Madison. She is also a member of Rotary Club, and in 2012 was elected to the Village Board in Oregon, where she lives with her husband and daughter. “I don’t relax well. When you’re doing something you love, it’s not work,” she says. Most people are familiar with Wisconsin Cheese Originals for its annual festival— two days of eating and educational seminars on artisan cheeses from across the United States. After five years of hosting the festival, Jeanne decided to retire it this
year. Instead, she is ramping up Wisconsin Cheese Originals in new ways, including offering domestic and international smallgroup cheese tours. “I want the consumer to meet the cheesemaker and shake their hand—you just cannot do that at a festival,” Jeanne explains. Tours will run two to three times a year and offer a backstage pass into the lesserknown cheese plants of Wisconsin’s and the world’s top cheesemakers. Jeanne is eying several international destinations, including the Lombardy and Piedmont areas of Italy and Switzerland. She advises “super foodies” are perhaps the best fit for tours—people who not only love food, but are eager to learn more about where it came from. Because when your primary food group consists of cheese for up to a week, she laughs, “You REALLY have to love cheese.” Wisconsin Cheese Originals is also shifting their focus to more smallgroup cheesemaker dinners. Dinners will feature a gourmet three-course meal for an intimate group of about 40 people. Each course incorporates a different artisan cheese from up to three different cheesemakers, who are all in attendance. “You get to sit at the table, enjoy each course and have that personal conversation with them,” Jeanne says. She works with local chefs who
have a similar passion for Wisconsin artisan cheese on crafting the menu. Most events are held in Madison and Milwaukee, but Jeanne recently worked with Wave Kasprzak of the Dining Room at 209 Main, a farm-to-table restaurant in Monticello. Her love for and knowledge of cheese is demonstrably apparent, but it was only 10 years ago that Jeanne found herself launched into the world of cheesemaking. Raised on a farm, she spent her early career as a city government reporter and agriculture writer before joining the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), eventually serving as its spokeswoman. In the early 2000s, the State of Wisconsin received an earmark from Congress to reinvest in its dairy industry. At the time, more than 300 dairy farms per month and three to five cheese plants per year were being lost. One of the problems? The majority of cheesemakers were making cheddar. In 2004, Jeanne
and a DATCP team helped open the Dairy Business Innovation Center to support the development of specialty and artisanal cheese. The team also convinced cheesemakers to diversify and move from making cheddar to more artisan varieties. “I really fell in love with cheese, and met the most genuine, most hard-working people,” Jeanne says. In 2007, Jeanne left the state to work as a public relations and marketing consultant for some of the cheesemakers she had worked with. Unfortunately, the Dairy Business Innovation Center closed in 2012 due to a lack of funding, but their work remains evident. According to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, specialty cheese is now 22% of Wisconsin’s total production. In 2012, more than 600 million pounds of specialty cheese was produced in the state. After working with so many Wisconsin cheesemakers, one has to wonder if Jeanne has a favorite cheese. After a moment’s hesitation, she confesses,
“Uplands Cheese Rush Creek Reserve. It’s stinky, meaty, and downright delicious.” Wisconsin Cheese Originals hopes to continue increasing artisan cheese production by maintaining strong networks with cheesemakers. Several years ago, they supported Todd Jaskolski, owner of Caprine Supreme, who was forced to reorganize his dairy plant after a genetic disease began making it hard for him to lift his arms. Now, with a revamped setup, he is able to produce his revered “La-Von,” a French farmhouse brie made with goat’s milk. As Wisconsin Cheese Originals moves into the future, Jeanne hopes to build the strong community that has formed around artisan cheese. She concludes, “We are on the cusp of diversification of cheese. Cheesemakers are always telling me about the new cheeses they are making, and a lot more young women are becoming cheesemakers. It’s an exciting time.” More information on Wisconsin Cheese Originals and how to sign up for special events and classes can be found at wisconsincheeseoriginals.com. Holly Whittlef is a freelance designer and writer who lives in Madison, and blogs about her love of good design and food at Hollis Anne. Photographs provided by Wisconsin Cheese Originals.
MadisonOriginalsMagazine.com
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dining
AUTOMATIC BY VIVIAN OBARSKI
It is no secret that many servers depend on tips to make ends meet. Now it may be tougher thanks to a January 1 change in IRS law. The revision “basically eliminates automatic gratuity,” says Kim Ruef, owner of TRUE Consulting, which offers bookkeeping services to business clients. The modification states that automatic gratuity for large parties (usually parties of six or more) can be considered a service charge, which is subject to IRS reporting. “What you end up with is a situation that when a larger group comes in, if you add an automatic gratuity, the server isn’t provided access to the funds and they have to be put through payroll taxes,” said Krys Wachowiak, Co-Proprietor of L’Etoile and Graze. “From the server’s side, it makes it more difficult to keep track of things.” The problem is that depending on the restaurant, some are still using automatic gratuity, such as Graze and L’Etoile. But others are eliminating the automatic gratuity, which adds to the confusion. “What the general population should know is that in situations where they
36 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
Gratuity
assumed there would be an automatic gratuity, it won’t necessarily be the case anymore,” Krys says. “We’re paying close attention to servers who are working the floor and their perspective on things,” Krys says. “At L’Etoile and Graze, we have decided to keep the auto-gratuity because it protects our servers. Over the past 25–30 years, we’ve seen automatic gratuities become more standardized to protect servers.” Krys adds, “Now we’re seeing—because of the additional cost with accountants and headaches—more restaurants say they’re going to get rid of auto-gratuity because it costs more money on the bookkeeping end, and the servers don’t want to wait for their monies.” There isn’t one true perspective from his servers, Krys says. Some don’t mind having automatic gratuities withheld because it saves them from a large tax burden at this time of year, when they’re not earning so much from customers. “Servers are talking about tax liabilities,” he says. “I’ve been in the industry for 20 years, so I understand that you had to save money for a rainy day. But when you remove the automatic
gratuity, it becomes a little riskier for servers.” Kim explains that customers can expect to see restaurants educating patrons more about the changes. Referring to one client, she says they were getting into the habit of telling customers, “There’s no automatic tip; would you like to add one now?” While on one hand eliminating automatic gratuity may not be a bad thing, given that tips are a way of rewarding good service, it also makes servers more vulnerable to low tips,” explains Kim. “People have become reliant on the fact that if they come in with a large party, the tip is added on. Now that’s not the case and it’s more about educating customers.” Vivian Obarski is a local freelance writer, passionate about policy, food, and community news. Vivian is writing on behalf of Madison Originals®, a not-for-profit association of independently owned restaurants and affiliated businesses in the Madison, Wisconsin area.
Spotlight
American Players Theatre
At American Players Theatre, world-class theater meets world-class experience. Bring your friends, pack your picnic basket, relax and chat, then see the play. Come visit APT this summer, and find out for yourself what made The New York Times rave: “Now this is what summer theatre is all about.” For tickets and information, visit americanplayers.org, or call 608-588-2361.
Musical Toys
The Saxo-flute is a construction toy and musical instrument all in one. Kids will be inspired to creatively connect the tubes and come up with many different musical instruments! Hilldale Mall, 702 N. Midvale Blvd., Madison. (608) 233-2124. playthingstoystore.com
Baraboo’s Big Top Parade
Join us in beautiful downtown Baraboo on Saturday, July 26th for the Big Top Parade! This circus-themed parade steps off at 2:00 with Grand Marshall Tom Wopat leading the way. Come to Baraboo for Circus Celebration Days July 24–27. For more infomation, visit www.baraboo.com. (800) 227-2266. 600 W. Chestnut St., P.O. Box 442, Baraboo.
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Photograph provided by Robert & Mihaela Vicol
o ri ginal travel
Black Mulberry Tree Fruits (Morus nigra)
What’s Out There to Eat
The phrase “edible landscape” conjures up visions of Willy Wonka. Lacking a sweet tooth, I seek other food in my surroundings. For the adventurous or curious, a lot of healthy food is available for the taking if you follow guidelines of responsible food gatherers and know where to look. Foraging, gleaning, fallen fruit, and edible landscapes are all terms attributed to a renewed interest in a locavore lifestyle or finding and sourcing foods close to home. Foraging and food gathering has its roots in history. But more modern interest might have started in the 60s with the back-to-nature movement. For those of us in our 50s, who can forget Euell Gibbons’ “Stalking the Wild Asparagus” and his famous declaration, “Many parts are edible.” Foraging requires a good helping of curiosity and requires measured amounts of scientific method and caution to know when and where to look and what’s not safe. Add a dash of creativity to take what’s available and transform the ingredient into edible concoctions. Today locavores embrace a wide range of activities from backyard gleaning to wild sourcing. Participants are drawn for the same reasons Gibbons was and more, including nutrition, food security and 38 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
need, avoidance of waste, the challenge of the hunt, minimizing environmental impacts of a global supermarket, or just another way to explore nature. An activity like this necessitates guidelines to ensure food sources remain productive and accessible. Almost every foraging and gleaning website and book exhorts: Know where you can and cannot pick, and ask permission no matter where the trees and bushes are located. Be safe. Do not harvest and eat plants, fungi, or berries unless you know what they are. Respect private property. Many backyard fruit trees are accessible simply by knocking on the front door. Respect nature. Leave something for the next person. Stripping trees/bushes can often harm the plant. Don’t leave a mess and minimize your disturbance. Use what you harvest. On public lands, find out if local, county, state, or national policies exist that cover gathering plants for personal use.
Chicken of the Woods Mushroom
By
Liz Wessel
Generally they will not be as explicit as those for hunting and fishing. Get the policy or ask for permission. Your backyard Start in your own backyard. Do you have dandelions? A mulberry tree? An occasional puffball? Amazingly, my backyard has had all of these and more. And as I look around the neighborhood, I see pear and apple trees. You can evolve your yard into an edible landscape by adding your favorite edible plants, trees, and shrubs. Other private lands Start by asking the owner. While subscribing to a local farm for produce, we discovered wild berries along their fence lines. With permission, we were welcomed back to pick. And after a hiking trip, a stop at a friend’s property led to the discovery of nearby black raspberries. Rather than pick then and there, we returned home, called the owner, and received permission to return two days later. Our neighbor has an uncanny sense for morels and has taken my husband with him on searches. Because he hunts, he has relationships with many rural landowners, and their land is often his source of the wonderful mushrooms.
Respect places that do not allow collection or harvesting under any circumstance such as botanical gardens, arboretums, and other private or nonprofit spaces whose mission is to protect the landscape, diversity, and natural communities. The University of Wisconsin-Arboretum does not allow any collecting or harvesting. Public land in urban areas Urban centers have become a hotspot for the locavore movement. Spreading through Canada, the United Kingdom, and United States, communities have embraced and encouraged local foods. A March 2010 USA Today article noted that volunteers in Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Madison have mobilized to plant more fruit trees on public lands in parks and neighborhoods.
Farmers’ markets Don’t forget to visit a farmers’ market when looking for wild-sourced foods. Ramps, wild mushrooms, including morels, watercress, berries, and nuts can all be found, depending on the season. Of course, this eliminates the challenge and thrill of the hunt, but you are supporting local food entrepreneurs. Last fall, I saw impressive Hen of the Woods mushrooms at the Westside Community Market in Madison. Rural/remote public lands Rural public parks and lands provide great destinations for a hike or outing. Most state lands allow berry picking. If in doubt, check the policy before you go. Travel with bags or repurposed ice cream tubs in the car during the summer season. My favorites include sections of the Ice Age Trail and Governor Dodge State Park.
Other groups have used the Internet to share information on when and where to pick fruit in Chicago, San Francisco, Austin, Minneapolis, and New York, to name a few. In Madison, visit the web map put together by Madison Fruits and Nuts to find what’s out there beyond your backyard.
Not all public spaces invite visitors to collect foods. Wilderness and conservation areas are dedicated to protecting the diversity of these landscapes with minimum disturbance. Again, know before you go and respect the answer, even if it is not what you want to hear.
Laura Whitmore, community relations coordinator for Madison’s Parks Division, indicates people who want to plant fruit trees in city parks must pay for the trees and do the work. This requires submitting a planting, harvesting, and maintenance plan, and getting city approval. She also notes that designated conservation parks do not allow collecting or removal of materials as they are set aside to provide an undisturbed look at natural areas. The City has 18 conservation parks.
During the coming growing season, keep your eyes peeled for potential culinary fun when walking your neighborhood, local park, or favorite state park. Liz Wessel is the owner of Green Concierge Travel, which has information for honeymoons and other ecotravel at greenconciergetravel.com. Photographs provided by Green Concierge Travel.
Crabapple in the Lauritzen Botanical Gardens, Omaha
Suggested Resources Thayer, Samuel (2006). The Foragers Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Wild Edible Plants. Ogema, WI: Forager’s Harvest. Shufer, Vickie (2011). Everything Guide to Foraging: Identifying, Harvesting, and Cooking Nature’s Wild Fruits and Vegetables. Avon, MA: Adams Media Krumm, Bob (1996). The Great Lakes Berry Book: A Complete Guide to Finding, Harvesting, and Preparing Wild Berries and Fruits in the Great Lakes. Billings and Helena, MT: Falcon Press Publishing Co. City of Madison Parks (cityofmadison.com/parks/parks/ conservation) Madison Fruits and Nuts (madisonfruitsandnuts.org) Neighborhood Fruit (neighborhoodfruit.com) Urban Food Forestry (urbanfoodforestry.org/initiatives)
Famous for Steaks
Photograph provided by John Severns
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Bar Opens at 4:30—Dinner at 5:00
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o ri ginal home
Old-fashioned
FAVORITES for Fragrance and Color By Steven G. Ziegler, PLA, ASLA Old-fashioned flowering shrubs were among the first plants brought to the Wisconsin landscape by early settlers. Though most plants and seeds were brought over for food, these cherished shrubs were carried across vast oceans and prairies for pure enjoyment and have become a part of our inherited cultural landscape. Familiar scents and brilliant colors celebrate spring’s arrival, and the shrubs epitomize the enjoyment of a fleeting spring moment. By incorporating these shrubs into your landscape, they may help you to rejuvenate after a long, cold winter.
What makes a shrub an “old-fashioned” favorite? A profuse flower display and vibrant color combined with intoxicating fragrance. Over the years these shrubs have been deemed a single-seasoninterest plant and are often overlooked because they tend to be “too big,” lack structure, and have insignificant fall color. But how can you not love a freshly cut bucket of lilacs filling the house with fragrance and color? Growing up, I waited 51 weeks to see my grandmother’s lilac hedge and revel in all its splendor. Her hedge was also home to a flock of wild canaries all
site planners landscape architects garden designers 831.5098 zdainc.com
OUTDOOR CREATIVE 42 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
summer long, and in the winter had a beautiful silhouette. Madison’s Longenecker Gardens at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum is home to one of the best collections of lilacs and flowering crabapples in North America. If you visit the garden on Mother’s Day, you will be blown away by the lilac perfume and the abundance of purple, pink, and white. I highly recommend starting a tradition of visiting the gardens and seeing it for yourself. Create your own spring extravaganza by following a few simple guidelines. First and foremost, select a spot with ample sunlight and plenty of room. Flowering shrubs need 6–8 hours of sunlight per day to produce spectacular floral displays. Locating these shrubs
in the back of borders or as property line hedges allows them to be stars in bloom and then become background structure for the landscape when their flowers fade. Along with enough room and sun, old-fashioned flowering shrubs need proper pruning to reach their full glory. Shearing or “meat balling” old-fashioned shrubs will limit their impact and may ruin their flower display and natural form. Renewal pruning, the removal of 1/3 of the largest canes at ground level, and gentle shaping maintains the shrubs’ natural form. It’s best to shape shrubs right after flowering to avoid cutting off the buds that form for next year’s bloom. Along with performing maintenance, pruning just before flowering can be a real treat because the branches can be taken inside to enjoy. Timing is critical when cutting for bouquets; be sure to
cut just prior to bud break when the buds are swollen and showing color. I recut the branches and pound the new cut to open up the end and allow for better water up-take before arranging them in a vase of lukewarm water. These extra steps will help force the flowers and greatly increase the length of the display. Another consideration in planning for and planting your old-fashioned flowering shrubs is the bloom time. You can extend the flowering season and create different combinations of color and fragrance by selecting different varieties. A favorite combination of mine is the late spring display of the pale pink Beauty Bush with the deep purple of the Royalty Lilac. They always seem to bloom at the same time, so not only do the colors complement each other but their distinct fragrances also intermix.
The following is my general guideline for sequential bloom times of my favorite old-fashioned flowering shrubs, from the earliest to the latest. Please note that there are considerable overlaps and that it is far from an exact science. This spring, be sure to stop and smell the flowers. Steven G. Ziegler is a principal landscape architect for ZDA, Inc., Landscape Architecture, 4797 Capitol View Road, Middleton. Call (608) 831-5098 or visit zdainc.com. Photographs provided by ZDA, Inc.
Bloomtime Bloomtime April May June July
Height (ft) 6–8 8–12 6–10 4-8 8-12 6-10 6-10 6-12 8-12 5-7 6-12 5-7 6-10 6-12
--- no ffragrance fragra agr nce
Fragrance -* -*** *** -** *** * * *** *** ---
Color Brilliant Yellow Pink White White to Blush Pink White to Purple Pink Pale Yellow Pink to Purple Light Pink White White Purple to Pink White White
* som sso some ffragran agra ran an ncce n e
Common Name Forsythia Double Flowering Plum Manchu Cherry Korean Spice Viburnum Common & French Lilac Old Fashioned Weigela Father Hugo Rose Chinese, Royalty, Dwf. Korean Beauty Bush Bridalwreath Spirea Mock Orange Rugosa Rose Arrowwood Viburnum Grandiflora Hydrangea
** m ** more fragrant ant
Scientific Name Forsythia x intermedia Prunus triloba Prunus tomentosa Viburnum carlesii Syringa vulgaris Weigela florida Rosa hugonis Lilac sp. Kolwitzia amabilis Spiraea x vanhouttei Philidelphus coronarius Rosa rugosa Viburnum dentatum Hydrangea paniculata
*** ** very ve e fragrant agran MadisonOriginalsMagazine.com
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By
Callie Steffen Roth Kase Grand Cru Gruyere, Pleasant Ridge Upland Reserve, or Carr Valley Benedictine.
2011 Wollersheim Winery Port
2011 Wollersheim Winery Port, $25.99 for a 750ml bottle In production since 2001, this style of Port is closest to a ruby in terms of style. The winery again sources grapes from New York, this time utilizing the Maréchal Foch varietal. Heavier on the palate and less perfumed than the white port, this example brings plenty of molasses, raspberry kirsch, prune, and subtle chocolate nuances to the table. Try this one with Hook’s Paradise Blue or Sartori Sarvecchio.
$25.99 for a 750ml bottle
Finale
A Heavenly It’s the magical time of day when the sun is setting low over a gorgeous early summer day. Savoring the last few bites of a delicious evening meal, our palates yearn for something sweet. You know who you are—clean plate club member with a pleasantly full stomach who, instead of asking your server to bring the check, sheepishly asks to peek at the dessert menu. There is a small, yet undeniable part of our brains that craves something sugary to cap off a great dinner. But dessert doesn’t always have to be in the form of crème brulee or bread pudding. Dessert wines come in all shapes and sizes and most of them pair blissfully with the abundance of artisanal cheese Wisconsin has to offer.
as well as an ice wine and a brandy made from locally grown grapes? All of these seasonal creations are labors of love and not too be missed. They are the perfect substitute for traditional dessert and can significantly enhance an after-dinner cheese tray.
2012 Wollersheim Winery White Port 2012 Wollersheim Winery White
When most people think of dessert wines, Port instantly comes to mind. Do you know Wollersheim Winery produces three distinctive styles of Port, 44 | m a d i s o n o r i g i n a l s m a g a z i n e
$26.99 for a 750ml bottle
Port, $26.99 for a 750ml bottle Co-owner and winemaker Philippe Coquard sources Muscat grapes from New York for this Port. Traditionally drunk in southern France as an aperitif instead of a dessert wine, this is the lightest and most aromatic of the three Ports the winery puts out.1 Deep straw yellow in color with the classic spicy honeysuckle nose characteristic of the Muscat grape. Honeyed pear is married with white flower, grape must, and candied peach notes. It pairs nicely with
2009 Wollersheim Tawny Port
2009 Wollersheim Tawny Port, $48 for a 750ml bottle A small percentage of the (Ruby or Red) Port is set aside for four additional years of barrel aging in American oak barrels.2 This lengthy maturation process allows the dessert wine to develop not only interesting flavor components, but a richer texture. Mellow in style with cinnamon, burnt caramel, walnuts, and mocha elements. This bottling is extremely limited; your best bet for obtaining a bottle is to go to the winery directly. Sublime with Roelli’s Dunbarton Blue or Bleu Mont Dairy Bandaged Cheddar.
$48 for a 750ml bottle
2011 Wollersheim Ice Wine
2011 Wollersheim Ice Wine, $54.99 for a 375ml bottle The cold Wisconsin climate lends itself quite well to sweeter white varietals such as the St. Pepin grape used in this exquisite dessert wine. There’s a reason why ice wine has such a cult following—
$54.99 for a 375ml bottle
once you have experienced the incredible richness and concentration of flavor that can be achieved, there is no going back. The grapes for Wollersheim’s ice wine are hand selected and left to develop on the vine well into December. These overly ripe and naturally sweet grapes are then harvested and pressed while still frozen, a process that requires plenty of patience, as well as a good deal of cooperation from Mother Nature. The final product is a thick, golden concoction of intense sweetness with notes of candied pineapple, caramel, apple pie, nutmeg, and clover honey. Sip it with Fantome Farm Chevre or Carr Valley Billy Blue.
Coquard Brandy Release Date is May 1, 2014,
Coquard Brandy Release Date is May 1, 2014, 2013 price was $29.99 for a 375ml bottle Founder Bob Wollersheim and Philippe Coquard had shown interest in creating their own brandy since the 1980s. But Wisconsin legislation at the time prevented a winery from operating as a distillery so the idea was placed on the back burner. Fast forward to the year 2009 and the state law finally changed. Distiller’s license in hand, Wollersheim Winery began producing small amounts of brandy. Bob, who passed away in 2005, would surely have been proud to witness the inaugural release of Coquard brandy, which was a huge success, selling out almost instantly. The second release, set for the first weekend in May 2014, promises to be just as fine. The estate
2013 price was $29.99 for a 375ml bottle
will again be using a Portuguese copper pot still and Wisconsin oak barrels for the creative process. Two local white grape varietals, La Crosse and St. Pepin, undergo two years of maturation in these specially toasted barrels to create a soft, delicate style of brandy that is lighter in color than most brandy with notes of orange zest, flowers, and vanilla.3 Callie Steffen is a Wine Specialist at Barriques Market. Photographs provided by Wollersheim Winery.
1. White Port winemaker notes, wollersheim.com/wines/WhitePort, January 2014. 2. Aged Tawny Port winemaker notes, wollersheim.com/wines/tawnyport, January 2014. 3. Anne Schamberg, Wollersheim Winery Releases its First Brandy, jsonline.com/ features/food/wollersheim-winery -releases-its-first-brandy-1l9fdlm -202798381.html, January 2014
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CONTEST Win a $50 Madison Originals® Gift Certificate! Question: Which Madison Originals® restaurant owners also have a food cart in downtown Madison? Enter by submitting your answer to the above question online at MadisonOriginalsMagazine.com, or by mail with your name, mailing address, phone number, and email to: Madison Originals Magazine, c/o Towns & Associates, Inc. 126 Water Street Baraboo, WI 53913 All entries with the correct answer will be entered into a drawing for one of two $50 gift certificates. Contest deadline is June 15, 2014. Gift certificates will be honored at all current Madison Originals® member restaurants (subject to change).
Good Luck!
Winners Thank You to Everyone Who Entered Our Previous Contest. The answer to the question, “Which Madison Originals® restaurant owners were each previously fine-dining pastry chefs in Chicago?” is Tim and Elizabeth Dahl of Nostrano. A $50 Madison Originals® Gift Certificate was given to each of our winners, Morgan Sharpe and Rebecca Stabe, both of Madison.
Congratulations!
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Š 2013 Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.
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