Generational Restaurant Staples
As everybody knows, comfort food is one of the things that makes a place feel like home. For me, Madison has always been a place that feels like home because it was once my parents and grandparents' college town. Restaurants come and go, but a few staples have stayed and have become a comfort food that has been passed down to me. Mickies Dairy Bar and Himal Chuli have been two go-to restaurants for my parents since they were college students here 30 years ago. As time went on and we were old enough, my parents would take my brothers and I up to visit Madison. Every time, without a doubt, we had to make a stop at either Mickies or Himal Chuli. Now being a student here, I continue to go to the same two restaurants with the reminder that I am in the exact same place as my parents once were.
Himal Chuli is a small Nepalese restaurant on State Street that is great for a quick dinner or lunch. We ate it on the first night in my apartment this year and for lunch the day they dropped me off at school last year. It is now one of me and one of my best friends’ favorite places to go to catch up and enjoy a comforting meal
Mickies Dairy Bar has diner/breakfast food and is located near Camp Randall. My dad will still wait on Sunday mornings or weekends he visits outside just to ensure that he can have his favorite egg scramble covered in gravy. The place has now been ingrained into my life with my own memories, as it was the first place I ever met my roommate last year. We decided to make it our tradition and met up there with our families again this year, the morning before we moved in.
Both places continue to thrive here in Madison and it makes me so happy that a piece of my parents' college experience can be passed down to me. The two are both worth a try and if you do, go in with the reminder that these comfort culinary experiences have been shared by college students here for years and hopefully more years to come.
My go-to dishes:
Himal Chuli:
Appetizer: Chicken Momos
Main: Dal, Takari, and Rice
Mickies Dairy Bar:
Appetizer: Pancakes for the table
Main: Omelet with spinach and broccoli