Madison: The Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned in downtown Madison was on my list from my previous visit. One person I ran into told me that some of the dishes served; stuff like beer soup, weisswurst, knackwurst, and creamed herring. I was also told that the prices were reasonable…. and that there was always a nice selection of local brews on tap…… need I say more?

I made my way from Chicago, checked into my hotel, and took a nice drive to downtown Madison. Since this was a Sunday evening, I didn't encounter any traffic, and found parking with minimal effort. I parked in the shadow of the Capitol, and had a chance to enjoy the autumn colors…… something we don't really encounter here in San Diego.

The Old Fashioned is located right across the street from the Capitol building.

In spite of the looks, this place was packed to the gills, so I decided to grab a stool at the bar. Unfortunately, it's basically almost pitch black dark, so this will be a "PWTSDS" ("putz" – places where the sun don't shine) so I must apologize in advance for the lousy photos. As soon as I sat, a very chipper young lady named Ashley took my order. Friendly and efficient, always striding with a purpose, I gotta say, Ashley was awesome. There were thirty different brews on tap, Ashley asked me if I like "hoppy" IPAs. She suggested I try the Tyranena Brewing Company Bitter Woman IPA, especially since it was only $2.50. It was "not a big investment". To my very uneducated palate, it was quite hoppy, but not very bitter, with a hint of citrus. It turned out to be fairly refreshing.

Since I was in Wisconsin, where Germans make up the largest ancestry group, known as home of the Bratwurst…. of course I had a Brat. I had a single Miesfield's Market Sheboygan "Grand Champion" Bratwurst ($5.95):

Served on a hard roll, with a nice brown mustard, onions, and pickles, this was quite good. The brat was unlike anything I've had in San Diego….. less strong herb flavors, a bit sweeter, a very balanced flavor overall.

And just because I could, I had a side of Beer Battered Cheese Curds ($3), Ashley recommended getting the Horseradish Dip (50 cents) with these……

These were the best battered cheese curds I've ever had… not that I've had a bunch of them in my life. It wasn't too gooey, with a hint of cheddar flavor, and even a bit of a "squeak" to them. The batter was crunchy, yet light.

In spite of watching the Chargers lose on the television; this was probably my favorite meal in Madison. I'd come here again in a second. Nothing fancy, unpretentious, great service, and relaxing in spite of the crowd, I really enjoyed this meal.

The Old Fashioned
23 North Pinckney St.
Madison, WI 53703