2020 Recap: Restaurants, Favorite Meals, and More!

As this year comes to a close, we took some time to reflect on some of our favorite eats of 2020. Here’s what some of our writers had to say:

What was your favorite Madison restaurant?

“The Globe (just off State Street). The atmosphere in the restaurant is so cozy, because it’s pretty small. The staff were all so nice and fun interacting with their customers, and the food was absolutely amazing!!”

“My favorite restaurant I tried this year was Tavernakaya. I love ramen, and Tavernakaya has some delicious miso ramen. The corn with the bok choy and homemade ramen makes for a delicious dinner on a cold night.”

“My favorite restaurant had to be Eno Vino–I know, everyone’s favorite. I had never been before, but heard it was a great place to celebrate your birthday, and so I wanted to give it a shot. IT. WAS. EVERYTHING. I’m very pro-sharing food, so I loved the tapas style menu. Everything was delicious and that view? Unbeatable! Seeing the city skyline light up at night was so pretty and gave me a taste for big city living that I have been missing.”

“Le C’s Patisserie & Tea House — they just opened this year and have really good bubble tea!”

“Paul’s Pelmeni, for obvious reasons…”

“MacTaggart’s Market!!! This place is everything. I live so much closer to it this year and it has so much stuff (even fresh produce). My favorite is their breakfast sandwiches. I could literally eat them every day.”

“Canteen!”

“The Blue Moon–a no-frills burger joint with the best Reuben sandwich I’ve ever had. Classic Americana.”

What was your favorite thing you made this year?

“A spinach, mushroom, and gruyere and Swiss quiche from the Magnolia Kitchen cookbook. I made it the first few times with my dad which became our tradition to cook dinner together when I was home and we both finished our virtual work this summer. Also the quiche itself is so rich and full of flavor – could not recommend it more highly, definitely an all-time favorite.”

“I made homemade soft pretzels for the first time. They reminded me of Auntie Anne’s, which I loved as a kid, but they were so much better fresh. Next time I make them, I’ll make a cheese dip to go with!”

“My favorite thing that I cooked this year (no surprise) is French Onion Soup. It’s certainly a weird thing for a 22 year old college student to whip up on the reg in her little apartment (sorry neighbors) but it is delicious! There is something so therapeutic about slow cooking the onions and taking a long time to cook everything just right. I think that’s what I love about French Cooking; it’s a true labor of love.”

“My favorite thing I cooked was black bean burgers. This was my first time making them and even though it was a long process from slow cooking the beans it was worth it in the end.”

“I baked a lot more this year, so probably homemade pretzels! I never knew they were so easy to make, so now I feel like I am open to baking more new things.”

“Browned butter toffee chocolate chip cookies with sea salt, they are the perfect elevated chocolate chip cookie”

“My favorite thing that I made this year were burria tacos. I saw them on Tik Tok and knew I had to try and make them. I ended up making them into fried burria quesadillas and they were insane. Look them up on Tik Tok you won’t regret it.”

“Early Grey Tea Cupcakes!”

“Sweet potato curry from Elavegan has been a staple in my kitchen this year–it’s easy, healthy, and super flavorful. I’ll never get tired of it!”

We wish you nothing but the best bakes in 2021. Happy New Year!