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| - One of the best brunches in Madison can be had at Marigold Kitchen.
For you Chicagoans, this place is remarkably similar to Birchwood Kitchen--from the setup (placing your order at the register and then having staff deliver your food), to the menu, which features classics as well as eclectic items. And everything is homemade, right down to the mayonnaise used in their sandwiches.
Marigold is a busy place, serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch, but they manage to keep everything moving smoothly. It seems to be a very well-oiled machine.
We went for brunch, and the menu had so many great choices that I kept changing my mind; should it be the artichoke, oven-roasted tomato and asiago cheese omelette, the duck confit hash, the French toast with berry puree, or the "scrambler"? Man, I tell you, everything sounded mouthwatering. And what's this? $5 breakfast cocktails made with fresh-squeezed juices? Now I had to decide between a mimosa, greyhound, screwdriver, or bloody mary. Life is hard.
I went with the "scrambler," an egg dish mixed with sautéed cremini mushrooms, oven-roasted tomatoes, and pesto cream cheese. It was fanfreakingtastic on its own, but then it comes with Marigold potatoes and French rosemary toast. I did think the potatoes were a tad greasy, but overall they were delicious. But what's up with places that are too scared to toast bread so that it has some actual color? I want toast, not hard bread that makes me feel like I'm eating something stale instead of toasted. Don't be afraid to get some brown on that bitch!
My trusty dining companion enjoyed an omelette with zucchini, roasted red peppers, goat cheese, and parmesan. I was able to sneak a bite and can report that it too, was a solid choice.
We sat on the patio as we drank our perfectly spicy bloody marys and iced lattes and watched the people and pups stroll by. What a great place. I'm jealous of people that live in Madison.
I am so coming back here. After all, I haven't even tackled the lunch menu. I spied a turkey and artichoke grilled cheese, warm spiced squash salad and a chutney chicken salad sandwich. And that was just the first page of the menu.
Let the indecision begin....
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