-
Local Spotlight: Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar
It’s unfortunate that the grand opening of Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar on Madison’s East Side occurred just a few weeks before dump trucks and fork lifts rolled in to tear up Willy Street in a major road construction project that won’t conclude until October. Umami is located at 923 Williamson Street in a building that, from the outside, just looks like a renovated house. Inside, though, the space is modern and I dare say hip… all this in a neighborhood where tie-died shirts and Crocs are considered appropriate dinner attire. You can still wear your Crocs there, but you might feel upstaged a bit by the sexy lighting, bamboo…
-
Here Comes the Sun
Chilly, damp, and dreary spring weather, you are officially banished. My spirit and my wardrobe can take no more. I’m ready for lighter, brighter clothing, like this floaty dress from Twigs (1925 Monroe Street, Madison). I would put it together with a wide-brimmed hat, classic shades, and a handbag big enough to hold enough stuff for a whole day’s adventure. The ensemble is ready for anything a warm day might bring: a stroll to the farmer’s market, an outdoor concert, or drinks on a restaurant patio or a friend’s porch at twilight. Never mind that this summer, I’m more likely be found waddling in flip flops and maternity shorts. (Just…
-
A Recipe for Wintry Weather
It’s been snowing all day here in Madison. My daffodils and hyacinth are covered in glistening chunks of ice. There’s almost nothing good about winter weather in spring, except for the fact that it gives me an excuse to make just a few more hearty meals before turning to lighter, springtime fare. And nothing says hearty like beer and cheese. As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a stipend from New Belgium Brewery to purchase their beer and create a recipe with it. Since I can’t drink beer these days (I’m 28 weeks pregnant), the next best thing is to cook with it. Most of the alcohol cooks…
-
Need a Prom Do-Over? Go Vintage
Ever wish you could have a re-do for your high school prom? Did you choose the wrong date, the wrong dress, or get too drunk off Dr. McGillicuddy’s? Maybe, like me, you had not yet learned the importance of proper eyebrow maintenance. Or maybe you still cruise past the juniors’ section in your local department store every spring, secretly wishing you had an excuse to wear polyester satin and sequins again. Well, there is still hope for you. Vintage Madison, a group of “like-minded ladies who collect, sell and adore vintage clothing” is hosting their first annual Vintage Prom at the East Side Club on May 7. And if you…
-
Trendy and Transient
By Guest Blogger Dorothy Munholland College students spend a lot of time in transition. Between various moves from apartment to apartment or from school to my hometown during the summer, not to mention going abroad, I’ll have averaged 1.75 moves a year during my 4-year college career. This has made accumulating and storing anything other than wardrobe essentials fairly impossible. I love everything Jeffery Campbell, but it just doesn’t make sense to take up my already limited space with a massive pair of shoes I will never be wearing to class. I’m also not sure how my dad would feel about helping me lift boxes filled with wooden platforms every…
-
Ooh La La
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and the last thing on my mind is lingerie. Nothing says sexy like elastic-waist maternity pants, right? Suddenly, my clothes don’t fit like they used to… especially the bras. For those like me, who could use a little help in the world of, ahem, undergarments, Katherine Bice, owner of La Lingerie boutique in Madison, has a lot to say on the topic: Lingerie is the hardest piece of clothing to fit. ”I am 34 what?” “This C cup doesn’t fit like the other bra. What do I do now?” According to Tracy M. Pfeifer, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City,…
-
A New Project… and an Announcement
I’m back over at Wisconsin Public Television’s website, blogging about sustainable and local food for the next 5 weeks. My posts will go up every Tuesday. Come on over and check out this week’s post about How to Eat Locally Without Lifting a Finger. I love to cook, and when I agreed to do a food-specific blogging series for WPT, I had grand visions of trolling the aisles of natural foods co-ops and the winter farmers’ markets to come up with new ways to eat squash and kale. And then came a little “bump” in the road. Literally. I’m 15 weeks pregnant and, though very excited, I’m finding it hard…
-
A Winter Pick-Me-Up
When I opened my February 2011 copy of Food & Wine magazine, an unusual picture caught my eye. A band of adults and kids, all of them clad in bright parkas and clutching broomsticks, were captured mid-sprint in a game of broomball on an ice-covered lake. The scene looked like a modern Norman Rockwell painting. It also looked vaguely familiar. As I turned to the article that went along with the photo, I realized it looked familiar because it was familiar. The article featured Madison’s own chef Tory Miller, of L’Etoile and Graze restaurants, and the photo was taken on Lake Mendota. As pointed out in the article, which was…
-
Commitment to Creativity
Last Friday, I attended an opening reception at Absolutely Art for the mixed media work of Madison artist Juliette Crane. Juliette is one of those people who radiate creativity. I first met her at the Wisconsin Book Festival a few years ago, when she was taking a break from art. Well, she’s since gotten back into it, in a big way. In less than two years, she’s created a vibrant and prolific portfolio of works in her unique, whimsical style. She’s happy to share her process, too. She teaches and often writes about the ideas and techniques behind her artwork on her blog. Do you ever have one of those…
-
Cheese and Holiday Cheer
One of my favorite things about blogging is that is provides me with a good excuse to do all of the nerdy, quirky things that I’ve secretly always wanted to do, but was too embarrassed to admit to anyone else. For example, I’ve always wanted to stop at one of the many souvenir stores that dot Wisconsin’s roadsides, selling things like cheese and moccasins. So, on my my way to visit a friend in Green Bay on Monday, I stopped on a whim at Schutlz’s Cheese Haus off of Highway 151. Schultz’s is everything you’d ever want in a roadside cheese store. It looks like a little house you’d find…
a blog on fiction, fashion, food + family