An Culinary Journey

Mom, Kristin, and Dad on the Monona Terrace overlooking Lake Monona

Dinner at Taqueria Guadalajara

Chicken Sopa and la cerveza

Platillo Guadalajara--grilled beef, fried onions, cactus, pico de gallo sauce, a grilled chili, and refried beans with cheese

Torta with grilled steak, fried onions, avocado, and jalapeno peppers

Sucre Patisserie on the Capitol Square

White Chocolate Cloud=muroise cremeux, vanilla biscuit, and berry garnish

Lemon Tart= butter crust, lemon curd, and garnish

Noir de Chocolat=dark chocolate, chocolate cremeux, and ganache glaze

My parents came into Madison yesterday evening on their way back home from a week-long stay at our family’s cabin near Minoqua. They picked me up from work at 3ish, and we immediately headed to the Union Terrace where we enjoyed the warm weather, good conversation, refreshing pink lemonade, and a beautiful view of Lake Mendota.

At 5ish, we drove to Taqueria Guadalajara, a great little hole-in-the wall Mexican restaurant on Park Street. I blogged about it after my first visit last summer. It’s super cheap, and very authentic. I think my parents enjoyed it. Or at the very least, they thought it was an interesting experience.

From there, we drove back downtown and stopped at Sucre, which is a somewhat new addition to the capital square, a posh, European-style Patisserie, where we picked up fantastic little desserts to go. From hole-in-the-wall Mexican to a stuffy Patisserie, I’d say we truly hit both ends of the dining spectrum.

With our beautiful desserts in tote, we walked around the square to the Monona Terrace, where we were hoping to enjoy Mama Digdown’s Brass Band, a New Orleans jazz band that was scheduled to play as part of the Monona Terrace’s Concerts on the Rooftop series (Thursdays in June and July). Alas, big mama never made it onto stage, and I’m assuming the concert was cancelled due to the chance of inclement weather. Bummer. But still, despite the lack of music, we enjoyed our succulent desserts and the evening together.