First dates. Anniversary dinners. Birthday celebrations. Even tea parties. These events in our lives are often intertwined with our favorite restaurants. So when these special places close, we may feel like we lost a little of our own history, too.
We asked State Journal readers to share their memories of now-shuttered restaurants, as part of a nostalgic online series featuring more than 240 local eateries. You did not disappoint. Here’s a sampling of those memories. You can read the full series at go.madison.com/closed.
Josie's Spaghetti House
THE HISTORY: One of the restaurants singled out by several readers was Josie’s Spaghetti House, which used to be located at the corner of Park and Regent streets in an area called “Spaghetti Corners.” It outlasted other Italian restaurants in the old Greenbush neighborhood — opening in 1964 and operating until fire closed it in 2004. Sicilian immigrant Josephine “Josie” Magnasco Schuepbach, who moved with her family to Madison in 1911, opened the restaurant and eventually passed it on to her daughter, Joanne Jensen. An ad in the State Journal in 1964 promoted $1 plates of spaghetti every Monday.
THE MEMORY: It was 1989, and I was pregnant with my first child and attending a pregnancy exercise class at what was then Madison General (Hospital). Between the hormones and the exercise and hearing my son’s fetal heartbeat at the in-class checks, I was in a great mood when meeting my husband across the street at Josie’s every week for their Tuesday all-you-can-eat dinner. We used to say that my son was mostly made of Josie’s chicken and dumplings.
—Andrea Straus, Madison
THE MEMORY: I loved seeing your picture of Josie’s Italian Restaurant! I miss that place so much. I knew it was Josie’s in the picture even before I saw the name on the sign. It was always my choice for my birthday dinner as a child and, when I got my wisdom teeth removed (from the clinic across the street), I remember making my mom stop to pick me up spaghetti and meatballs to go for me to take home to have when I could eat again. Such a great childhood memory!
—Nicole Schreck, Madison
THE MEMORY: It was in the mid 1980s. We had driven our diesel VW over from Brown Deer for a weekend meeting. Temps plummeted to sub-zero overnight, and our little VW just would not start. We had it towed to the garage on Park Street across from Josie’s. To await the unfreezing of our fuel, we decided on dinner at Josie’s. It was a very comfortable and accommodating place. We lingered unhindered over an excellent meal. When we finally left and walked across the street, the car was able to be started. We do not remember what we had, but it was great enough for us to return often when we moved to Stoughton.
—Dave Sharpe, Stoughton
THE MEMORY: The (restaurant) I miss most of all is Josie’s! As friends of the family, we spent many a football Saturday working outside at the Italian sausage (don’t say ‘brat!’) and beer stand, which was a lot of work but also a lot of fun. To this day, whenever I’m in that area, I get rather verklempt if I have to stop at the Park and Regent lights and look at the spot “where Josie’s used to be.”
—Laurie Ostrander, Oregon
THE MEMORY: I would love to go on Mondays because there was a special price on all-you-can-eat spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread and french bread. You could even have a salad with the meal! All the meatballs, sausage, spaghetti sauce and other food items were homemade.
--Julie Martinelli, Madison
Red & White Hamburgers
THE HISTORY: Red & White Hamburgers, 309 N. Henry St., was a legendary lunch spot for decades Downtown, opening in 1926. It's shown here in 1976.
THE MEMORY: Red & White Hamburgers, on North Henry Street where the Globe is now, had counter service only, and mostly just burgers when I worked on State Street in the early ‘80s. I went in there once and ordered a burger and decided to read the paper while I waited. Next thing I know, the owner (Red) throws a pencil at me: “Can’t you read the sign? NO READING ALLOWED!” Oops. Apparently, readers tended to linger, and since there were only about eight stools available, that activity was banned. Somehow, I missed that sign, and from then on I always got my burger to go, which always pleased Red.
—Ralph Cross, Madison
Bellini Italian Restaurant
THE HISTORY: Bellini Italian Restaurant, located at 401 E. Washington Ave., closed in November 2016 after a 17-year run.
THE MEMORY: Bellini was a special restaurant near the Capitol, with genuine Italian food, wonderful classy drinks and a welcoming atmosphere. My husband and I went there about two years before it closed for an anniversary dinner and had a delicious meal including calamari, pasta and, of course, tiramisu for dessert. The owner stopped by our table to ask how we were enjoying the meal, and we got a chance to talk with him and share how much it meant to us to eat at such a wonderful local restaurant and that we were on our anniversary dinner. He was very gracious and welcoming, and obviously very proud of his restaurant. It was sad when Bellini closed.
—Chris Swoboda, Verona
American Lunch
THE HISTORY: American Lunch, 1033 S. Park St., operated for more than 60 years in a tiny restaurant that sat 16. The site later housed Val’s Southern Cuisine and now, Taqueria Guadalajara. It's pictured here in 1989.
THE MEMORY: A friend and I biked from the Olbrich Park area to American Lunch (across from the old Bancroft Dairy) for breakfast. They had omelettes as big as dinner plates, filled with ingredients. The place was small and always busy; we luckily got a seat. We noticed a woman, Ellen, was working alone (because other) workers didn’t show up. We pitched in. Ellen cooked while my friend and I took orders, filled coffee cups and washed dishes. What a fun day, and we got a free breakfast. American Lunch was a one-of-a-kind diner — iconic in its own way.
—Andrea Seemann, Madison
Coney Island Restaurant
THE HISTORY: The Coney Island Restaurant, 316 State St., served hot dogs for a nickel when it opened in 1921. Peter Notes and his family first opened the restaurant at 320 State St., but then moved a few doors down, at 316 State St., in the 1930s, with an expanded menu. The Coney Island endured until the 1960s.
THE MEMORY: I was born in Madison in 1939. As a teenager, Coney Island restaurant was our favorite place. To this day, I have never had a better hot dog.
—Angelina Martin, Madison
Heritage House
THE HISTORY: Heritage House Smorgasbord, 3855 E. Washington Ave., closed in November 1997.
THE MEMORY: The Heritage House Restaurant on East Washington Avenue was a family favorite in the early 1970s. I am from a family of five children. We didn’t go out often. When we did, this was such a treat. My family could really fill themselves up. The fried chicken and the dessert bar stand out in my mind. The chicken was a favorite of my grandma’s. “Granny,” to my mom’s embarrassment, would wrap chicken pieces in a napkin and stash it in her purse, along with a few sugar packets. ... If we children had a special occasion, one of the giant lollipops would make it out the door with us.
—Sandra Hosig, Pardeeville
Gargano's Pizzeria
THE HISTORY: Biagio Gargano ran Gargano's Pizzeria at 437 State St. for many years.
THE MEMORY: I was elated to get a waitressing job at Gargano’s Pizzeria on State Street in the mid-1970s. I would arrive for the late shift at 9 p.m. and serve a steady stream of customers the best pan pizza in the world (secret ingredient: anchovy oil). I also delivered plates of steaming spaghetti and meatballs, and I got my best tip ever ($5) when I accidentally spilled a plate of Biagio Gargano’s famous lasagna on a customer in a suit – “proving” that everyone really did love that lasagna, no matter how it was delivered. I worked with Biagio’s mother-in-law and learned how to make her “margarita salad” at the vegetable bar, brimming with fresh greens, artichokes and a special blend of blue cheese, French and Italian dressings. To this day, I continue to make “margarita salads,” and my husband always adds the “secret ingredient" to his rolled-out pizza dough. Not only was it a great restaurant and a perfect part-time job during college, but the food served there impacted my palate and food prep for a lifetime.
--Eleni Otto, Corrales, New Mexico (Madison native)
Wong's Garden
THE HISTORY: Wong's Garden, 2044 Atwood Ave., closed in January 2014 after 13 years in business.
THE MEMORY: I have yet to find anywhere in Madison more tender beef and pork prepared for Chinese cooking than that offered at Wong’s. I watched many times how someone would come in to place an order and Lian offered a cup of tea while they waited for the food. After having come to know the owners, the act of giving a cup of tea was more than just being a good businessperson, it was a genuine act of demonstrating who they were as people. The friendly face of Gha Wong always appeared in a doorway with a wide smile. I often joked that his wife needed a pay raise, and Wong would reach into his pocket and tell me he had no money. Lian would lean on the counter and smile as she had heard this routine many times. Many nice memories at Wong's.
—Gregory Humphrey, Madison
Paco's Restaurant
THE HISTORY: Paco's Restaurant, 107 State St., served Mexican food from 1967 until the early 1980s.
THE MEMORY: In the 1970s, there was a small, dark Mexican restaurant called Paco’s, which had doors onto both State and West Mifflin streets, just off the Square. Our family has many memories of this little place with the best breaded mushrooms and enchiladas anywhere. ... Many intimate lunches were had there, but the best was the day my husband adopted my daughter and we celebrated with lunch in one of the high-back booths lit by old-fashioned red, globe-shaped candles, where he fastened a heart necklace around her neck. For many reasons, but especially that memory, Paco’s will live in our hearts.
--Patricia S. Rogeberg, Madison
Bridgeman's Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant
THE HISTORY: Bridgeman's Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant operated two locations in the 1970s: 2802 Fish Hatchery Road and at Cottage Grove Road and Atlas Avenue. It later added a third location at 7202 Mineral Point Road. (The ad here is from Nov. 2, 1975.)
THE MEMORY: As a young teenager, when my dad was out of town working and my mom didn’t feel like cooking, she would take my sister and I to Bridgeman’s (located on Atlas Avenue) for supper, and we would share a La La Palooza, as it had eight scoops of ice cream, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, chocolate syrup, a ton of whipped cream and cherry on top.
—Bridget Hennessy, Madison
Jimmie's Spaghetti House
THE HISTORY: Jimmie's "Ace of Places" Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, at 906 Regent St., was also known as Jimmie's Spaghetti House. It later became Josie's Spaghetti House.
THE MEMORY: On my way home from a date at Jimmie’s, my date asked me to wear his fraternity pin — a sign of our “going steady.” Of course, I accepted! Ended up becoming engaged a year and a half later, married to him two years later, and the marriage lasted for 71 years.
—Sallie Vergeront, Madison
Cellar Subs
THE HISTORY: Located at 543 State St., it operated from 1981 to 1999. This review is from Sept. 13, 1997.
THE MEMORY: Every Saturday morning in the early '80s, I would shop for punk records at every used record shop on State Street and then meet up with the ballers at noon at the wall (now known as the Kohl Center) for the best pickup basketball games in the city. We would adjourn after a number of spirited sessions, and I would grab a Dagwood at Cellar Subs on State before rounding the corner to join my friends at Burger King for the bottomless soda. After a couple of hours of this, we'd head back for another session of night ball under the lights.
--Ron Witt, Madison
Ovens of Brittany
THE HISTORY: The original Ovens of Brittany restaurant opened at State and Johnson streets in 1971, and other locations opened around town in the years that followed. The landmark restaurants were known for bringing continental cuisine to Madison. The last one shuttered in 2000. This picture from Ovens dates to 1974.
THE MEMORY: Instead of having pretend tea parties when we were kids, my sister, neighborhood friends and I would have real tea parties at the Ovens of Brittany on Monroe Street. We would order English Breakfast tea and whatever pastries or desserts we felt like having. I would always have either a croissant or one of the chocolate-oat bars. We'd inevitably make a big mess during our long 'tea' and leave a couple of handfuls of coins and crumpled dollar bills as payment when we got our bill. You can imagine how thrilled the waitresses were about serving us.
--Sarah Miley, Middleton
Poole's Cuba Club
THE HISTORY: Poole's Cuba Club was a revered Madison supper club on University Avenue that closed on Dec. 1, 1988. It was started by Lyle Poole in 1946 and was known for its steamed shrimp specials, fish fries and steak. The restaurant building is shown here in 1989.
THE MEMORY: Back in the 1960s, we lived on a tight budget near newly constructed Hilldale Mall. We couldn’t afford most nice restaurant meals, but the Cuba Club on University Avenue had a very popular Friday fish fry for $1.25. They didn’t take reservations, and the wait in the noisy bar was usually at least 45 minutes to an hour. Nearly every Friday, we would stop on our way home from the university, put our name in, go home and change clothes and have a cocktail and return to listen for our name. Only once did they say they had previously called us, and we could legitimately say we hadn’t heard them!
--Kay and Steve Babcock, Madison
THE MEMORY: As a UW student during the late 60s, I lived upstairs in a private home on Breese Terrace for four years, along with six housemates. Like most college kids of that era, we had huge appetites but very few dollars to appease them. When we learned that the Cuba Club featured an 'all-you-can-eat' Friday night fish fry, we made dining there a weekly tradition. Beginning about Wednesday, we all significantly slowed down our eating so as to be absolutely famished and ready for the Friday fish feast. Visions of the heaping platters of golden crusted perch and crispy fries have stayed with me for a lifetime and never been duplicated. Oh, how I miss the Cuba Club!
--Gary D. Clark, Des Plaines, Illinois
THE MEMORY: My most favorite memory is of the Cuba Club on University Avenue -- every Friday night for fish fry. My brother and I were little, but I remember how dark it was, the waiting area, the kiddie cocktails. It was our ‘night out’ with the family. I still say when I go to certain restaurants, this fish or this coleslaw reminds me of the Cuba Club some 50 years later.
--Ann Ginsberg, Madison
Red Rooster
THE HISTORY: The restaurant, located at East Washington Avenue and Highway 51, went by Red Rooster and Golden Rooster in the 1960s.
THE MEMORY: I grew up on a farm between Dane and Lodi in the '50s and '60s. Eating out was something we didn't do, not only because money was in short supply but, in the evening, after the cows were milked, there wasn't time. One evening, Mom and Dad decided we three would all go out to dinner, or rather supper, as we called it. I was probably about 6 or 7 years old. I am guessing Grandpa must have finished the evening chores. We got all dressed up and headed to the Red Rooster at the corner of East Washington Avenue and Highway 51. ... Mom had fried shrimp. That sounded pretty exotic, so I had the same. I doubt I had ever had shrimp before, but it was good and I felt that I was really grown up. It was the first restaurant meal I can recall and one of the few, especially as our family grew bigger.
--Duane Kirking, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Shish Cafe
THE HISTORY: Shish Cafe, 5510 University Ave., closed in July 2012. It's pictured here in 2009. From 1999 to 2012, the restaurant was run by Rabeh Bnyat, a chef who died in January 2016 from cancer.
THE MEMORY: I miss the Shish Cafe on University Avenue in Middleton. My husband was living in Geneva, Illinois, when we first started dating over 17 years ago. We went there every Sunday evening before he would head back and got to know the owner and the wait staff really well. They were a part of the early years of our marriage and the birth of our son (who is now 14) because we went there almost every week. I miss not only the food but the people; I miss sharing our lives with them.
--Liz Yun, Middleton
Shakey's Pizza
THE HISTORY: Shakey's Pizza had locations on the East and West Sides. This newspaper ad is from 1967.
THE MEMORY: Forty-eight years ago (1971), the rehearsal dinner for our wedding was held at Shakey's Pizza West. We requested "Bicycle Built for Two," and we all sang along.
--Glen & Wendy Hellwig, Brooklyn
Namio's Dinner Club
THE HISTORY: Namio's Dinner Club on Park Street opened in the late 1960s and closed in 1992. It's shown here in November 1982.
THE MEMORY: Sometime around 1987, my wife and I were living in the Burr Oaks Neighborhood, and we had my parents over on a Saturday night. We decided we would go to Namio's for bone-in prime rib. We ordered medium, and my dad ordered his medium well. The prime rib came out a little more rare than my Dad liked. He called the waitress over and said he would like his prime rib a little more done. She looked at him, then proceeded to reach down and grab the end of the bone, flipped the prime rib over and said "there you go honey, a perfect medium well, anything else?" You should have seen his face; I almost died laughing. On the way out, he said something to Joe Namio about how surly the waitress was, and all Joe said was that there was nothing he could do because she was such a great waitress and he couldn't afford to lose her.
--Doug Schulte, Marshall
THE MEMORY: My late husband managed Home Juice Co off of the Beltline. We lived in Ridgeway. We would head into Madison on various nights of the week to eat there. Joe Namio and my husband, Joe Wood, knew each other, as my Joe was originally an East-Sider. Joe Namio would always stop by our table to check on us and visit. One time when he stopped by our table, he noticed our baked potatoes were smaller than usual. He immediately put them on a plate, went back to the kitchen and came out with 2 huge potatoes for us. Namio's was always our favorite place to eat and, of course, have a few drinks.
--Candice (Candy) Wood, Dodgeville
THE MEMORY: When we stopped at Namio’s, Frank would be bartending, and what a wonderful bartender he was. Joe would come up from the basement. Who knows what went on down there. Loved seeing and catching up with the family of Daughters waiting tables.
--Jennie Lynn Larson, Madison
Radical Rye
THE HISTORY: The Radical Rye restaurant operated at 231 State St. from 1990 to approximately 2004.
THE MEMORY: Every Friday in the fall and spring, my college roommates and I would walk over to Radical Rye and have dinner. It was the first time I ever had alfalfa sprouts, and I loved them.
--Bobbi Gillitzer, La Crosse
Feiler's Supper Club
THE HISTORY: Located at 4506 Verona Road, near Home Depot, Feiler's closed Jan. 9, 2016, after 50 years.
THE MEMORY: Feilers has a very special place in my heart. As a single person, a coworker invited me to come join her at Feilers. She described the place like the TV show "Cheers" where everyone knows everyone. I met several people, including Mitch Feiler and his family. Mitch and I have been together ever since. I and so many others miss the laughs and the great food and drinks, as was evident when they were closing. People came from near and far to enjoy Feilers one more time.
--Ravina Horner, Fitchburg
New Pines Steak House
THE HISTORY: A landmark for more than 30 years, the Pines Supper Club, also known as New Pines Steak House, 2413 Parmenter St., was eventually redeveloped into office. It's pictured here in 1979.
THE MEMORY: On the 26th of March 1966, my wife and I went out to eat at the Pines supper club in Middleton for prime rib. Eight hours later, my first son was born in Methodist Hospital. ... My wife was two weeks late.
--Al Martin, Arkdale
Taqueria Gila Monster
THE HISTORY: Taqueria Gila Monster, 106 King St., closed in 1999 after serving gourmet Mexican food for four years.
THE MEMORY: I lived in Downtown Madison in 1997-99 and used to love to walk up to Taqueria Gila Monster off King Street. It was a small Mexican place that was always crowded, but I still seemed to find a seat. You could get chips and spicy salsa while waiting for your inexpensive burrito and be full by the time you got served. I remember the music they played was always hip, and the the walls had a bunch of writing on them. Some of the staff were far out and would find a way to make a burrito out of anything you asked for -- I think I got a peanut butter and cheese one time. My girlfriend at the time was in college, and I was a poor kid, so it was nice a couple of bucks would get you a meal there. Now, we are married, and any time we go to the Majestic, we are like, "let's go to ... awww."
--Donnie Votruba, Mazomanie
Leske's and Namio's
THE HISTORY: Leske's Supper Club closed in September of 2001 after being a fixture at the corner of Monona Drive and Broadway since the mid-1950s.
THE MEMORY: I moved to Madison in 1967, and I was from Richland Center, the only dry town in Wisconsin at that time. I loved going to Namio's and Leske's Supper Club. This was in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They both were friendly places and had very good food. It is sad to drive by those places now and see they are gone.
--Jane Morrissey, DeForest
Capitol Hill Supper Club
THE HISTORY: The restaurant operated for about 10 years at 5164 Verona Road, in the location formerly occupied by Guido's Restaurant and later occupied by the Dry Bean. It was managed by Joe Troia, who was associated with many fine-dining restaurants in Madison. (The ad here is from March 4, 1981.)
THE MEMORY: My husband, Allan, and I decided we were destined to meet. We met at a mutual friend’s birthday party in August 1977. My roommate’s boyfriend and Allan played flag football together. We both attended Badger football games and hung out at Jingles Bar after the games. After getting to know each other through mutual friends and football games, our first date was Dec. 18, 1977, at the Capitol Hill restaurant. One year later to the day, Allan proposed over a romantic dinner at the Capitol Hill. The restaurant closed, but we are married for 40 years this month, and we still have Badger football season tickets.
--Mary Ver Voort, Mount Horeb
Left Guard restaurant
THE HISTORY: Former Packers players Max McGee and Fuzzy Thurston ran Left Guard steak houses in several cities, including Madison, where it was located on East Washington Avenue.
THE MEMORY: Fuzzy Thurston's Left Guard was a fabulous place for great steak and cheap drinks, on East Washington Avenue, across from Visions; it probably closed in late 1980s or early 1990s. Another interesting establishment was Bombay Bicycle Club just off Fish Hatchery Road. Met a blind date there, and we went on to several more dates after sharing an initial drink in 1995.
--Steve Arkin, Columbus
Hamilton Lunch
THE HISTORY: The Hamilton Lunch, 120 S. Hamilton, operated in the 1940s and was run by Lily Clements. It closed in August 1945. The ad pictured here is from July 24, 1943.
THE MEMORY: In the 1940s, my mother had a restaurant at 120 S. Hamilton, The Hamilton Lunch. Many from the state Capitol ate there. There was a picture of my mother published in the Wisconsin State Journal in her kitchen, after she had bought a $25 savings bond at Harry S. Manchester's with her tips. She had won a $2,000 bond in a drawing. After closing, my dad had hung the sign off the front of the building, I can still remember it. Dinners: 25 cents and up.
Irish Waters
THE HISTORY: Irish Waters Restaurant and Pub, 702 N. Whitney Way, closed in 2007 after almost 30 years in business. It had a dark oak and mahogany bar, stained glass, brass and hardwood floors.
THE MEMORY: I miss Irish Waters. Their restaurant was comfy. It had plenty of space to relax. They had great burgers and wonderful nachos. I can remember meeting up with my sister after our work days to have nachos and something to drink, when we lived in Madison.
--Daniel Fauth, Beloit
Yee's and other Downtown restaurants
THE HISTORY: Yee's was located at 119 S. Webster St., off the Capitol Square. Nom Yee started the restaurant in 1945 and operated it for many years at different locations and under different names.
THE MEMORY: Growing up in Madison in the 1950s, almost all the restaurants were Downtown and very accessible by bus. My high school friends and I loved the Badger Candy Kitchen for cherry pie a la mode after shopping at Norris Lea, Baron's, Manchester’s and Yost’s. ... Or if we were just thirsty, we went to Rennebohm’s (Renny’s) for a cherry phosphate. If we wanted a special lunch or dinner after a movie at the Strand, we went to Yee’s Chinese restaurant. (Of course, we went to Lombardino’s and Paisan’s, which are thankfully still there. They were high school prom night favorites.) For a special lunch with my mother and/or aunt, we would go to the Simon House, but only for a special occasion. My mother and I would go to the fall style show and tea at Manchester’s. I remember winning a wool sweater set in a drawing there. Life was good.
—Colleen McCabe, Madison
Chi-Chi's
THE HISTORY: Chi-Chi's restaurant, 414 Grand Canyon Drive, closed in 2004. It's pictured here in 1981.
THE MEMORY: Coming from a smaller town, we didn't have many restaurants that weren't "home cooked." Don't get me wrong, they had amazing food. But my friends and I used any excuse to go to Madison to eat at Chi Chi's. Even after we started families of our own and several had moved away, we'd meet there to catch up. The food was great, atmosphere fun and of course, the margaritas were awesome!! Still miss it.
--Deanna Biefer, Montfort (formerly Richland Center)
THE MEMORY: In 1983, when I was 20 years old, I was a dishwasher at Chi-Chi's. The food wasn't that great, but there were very few Mexican restaurants in Madison at that time. They were so busy (and big), they had four dishwashers on weeknights and seven on the weekends, with wait times for a table up to an hour, even on weeknights. I think they survived on their multiple flavors of margaritas. The coming of better quality Mexican establishments and a food-borne illness outbreak sealed their doom.
--Pete Zenz, Middleton
Lum's Restaurant
THE HISTORY: Lum's Restaurant, 6501 Bridge Road in Monona, closed in 2003. There was a second location at 3825 E. Washington Ave. Pictured here is part of a dining guide in the State Journal on Oct. 2, 1983.
THE MEMORY: I used to work at Lum's restaurant in Monona in the mid- to late 1990s when it was run by Bob and Jean Schenk, and they were wonderful people to work for. I made many friends during my four years at Lum's, some of whom are like family, even after 25 years. Many of the customers became like family, as well. I was also a huge fan of their homestyle cooking and have never found beer battered cod to match theirs!
--Michele Cunningham, Oregon
Second Story Restaurant
THE HISTORY: The Second Story Restaurant, 508 State St., operated in the 1980s. Chef Saboor Zafari, who owned the restaurant, is featured in a State Journal story Oct. 2, 1991.
THE MEMORY: In the early 1980s, my manager and I met a contingent of salesmen for a business lunch (at the Edgewater). The waiter came over after we were seated to review the menu and take our order. My manager asked about the scallop offering. The waiter stated quite unequivocally that he could not recommend them. He said he had just been to the Second Story restaurant and enjoyed the best scallop meal he ever tasted. Needless to say, none of us ordered the scallops. When my manager and I returned to our office, the first thing we did was grab the Yellow Pages and look up the address and phone number of the Second Story. We went on to have many enjoyable business luncheons at this State Street restaurant. ... As I recall, my manager and I never did return to the Edgewater for a business lunch.
-- John Teppo McFarland
Irishman's Bay Pub
THE HISTORY: Irishman's Bay Pub operated in the 1990s at 7436 Mineral Point Road, in the location that now houses Martin O'Grady's Irish Pub. (Manager John Mueller is pictured here in 1997.)
THE MEMORY: In the mid 1990s, my wife took a new job, and we relocated to the West Towne area of Madison, from Wausau. There was a restaurant, near our apartment, which we came to like as a great place for Friday fish fry. It was then called Irishman’s Bay. My wife started her new job, and I began searching for a job. When I had a free afternoon, I would fill the idle time watching mindless television. One Friday afternoon, I came across the 1965 episode of “The Munsters” featuring Wisconsin legend Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch. In the episode, Elroy is on the street discussing the Los Angeles Rams' need for a new punter, when he is hit in the face by a football, kicked from several hundred yards away, by the show’s main character, Herman Munster. I chuckled at the slapstick and remember thinking it was great to see “Crazylegs” back in the day.
Later that day, my wife and I decided to walk down to “Irishman’s Bay” for its fish fry. Walking in the front door of the place, we come face to face with none other than “Crazylegs,” his wife, and another couple waiting for a table. (We would see him there often on subsequent occasions.) Dumbfounded, I sputtered, “Crazylegs, I just saw you on TV. You were on 'The Munsters.' You got hit in the face with a football!” He replied something about being hit many times with a football, and that his TV days were a long time ago.
It was a great memory of the local legend, and of “Irishman’s Bay.” I think of it every time I drive by that location today.
--David Marcou, Fitchburg
Chicken Delight
THE HISTORY: Chicken Delight operated at 316 State St. in the 1960s.
THE MEMORY: I attended UW-Madison from 1966-70. I lived in a dorm on Langdon, and then in my fraternity house, also on Langdon. As a freshman, we used to gather each Sunday night in the dorm floor TV room to eat and watch a show called "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea." There would be 20 or more of us, and we ordered chicken from a place named "Chicken Delight." Personally, of all such places to this day, this was the best of them all. When our show was over, the room looked like a chicken graveyard!
--Gary Sack
Kessenich's Tea Room
THE HISTORY: Kessenich's Tea Room, at 405 W. Gilman St., was one of several tea rooms that operated in the 1930s. By 1941, Kessenich's had declared bankruptcy, as seen in this State Journal story from Feb. 25, 1941.
THE MEMORY: Kessenich's Tea Room was a pretty little English-looking country house. My mother and her friends (when married women and mothers stayed home) would "go out" there to meet their lady friends for tea.
--Sallie Vergeront, Madison
Minnick's Top Hat
THE HISTORY: Minnick's Top Hat restaurant operated for 35 years on University Avenue at Branch Street in Middleton. Bill and Alice Minnick closed the place in 1988.
THE MEMORY: Our favorite restaurant was Minnick's Top Hat in Middleton. There was no other place like it. It was the only place that served cold strawberry soup, and it had the best food in town. My husband was paraplegic, confined to a wheelchair. Years ago, not only were buildings not accessible, but assistance was needed. No problem at Minnick's. We were treated with the greatest respect and friendliness. Mrs. Minnick made it a special point to stop at our table and visit with my husband, our two daughters and myself and then go to the kitchen to invite Mr. Minnick to join us for a few minutes. What a wonderful experience for all of us. Not only the best food in town, but the most gracious owners.
--Audrey Lukes, Sun Prairie
In this Series
Throwback series: Beloved Madison-area restaurants you'll never eat at again
Teryl Franklin | Wisconsin State Journal
Senior editor for audience development
Teryl Franklin is the senior editor for audience development for the Wisconsin State Journal. She has worked at the paper since 1996 in a variety of roles, including business editor, city editor and managing editor.
