Artisan Cheese Board from Graze Restaurant
I love blogging.
And this past weekend, courtesy of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, I loved it even more. You see I got to be among a group of bloggers that toured cheese producers and ate wonderful food. You wouldn’t want food bloggers passing out from hunger now, would you?
The cheese tours were delightful and educational and I will give you more information over the next week as time permits a proper writeup. But the food was so beautiful it practically speaks for itself. See if you can hear!
Friday Dinner, Madison Club, Madison, WI
After a busy day of cheese tours, we headed to dinner at the Madison Cub, a private club near the Capital Building. Dinner was elegant and delicious and I had to wonder if a group of rag tag food bloggers might somehow get together for a business membership.
Continuing our cheese education over drinks and appetizers (how did I forget to photograph the appetizers?) were two prominent cheese producers, Sid Cook of Carr Valley Cheese and Bob Wills of Cedar Grove Cheese as well as cheese promoter Jeanne Carpenter of Wisconsin Cheese Originals and the Cheese Underground Blog. They provided additional insights into cheese production and continued some of the themes from earlier in the day like the importance of quality and the loss of many of the small producers that used to grace our state.
More on this later, but now for the food…
Madison Club Cheese Tour Dinner Menu
The most expansive place setting I’ve ever seen. And the many glasses do mean wine matched to each course.
Dinner Preparations
Still Working
The Amuse Bouche. Per Wikipdedia: “a single, bite-sized hors d’œuvre. Amuse-bouches are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons, but, when served, are done so according to the chef’s selection alone… both to prepare the guest for the meal and to offer a glimpse into the chef’s approach to cooking.” (And yes, that’s caviar on top.)
First official course. (Delicious) trout–not tuna or salmon–which one might have expected… if one weren’t a locavore. And isn’t it nice to see beets getting some serious play?
Pork, Two Ways. The pumpernickel breaded pork rib was most unique and one of the bloggers tweeted, “It’s toooootally normal to want to marry a guy for what he can do to a pork rib, right?”
A Couple of Lamb Ribs–a perennial favorite. Crusted with Gouda, accompanied by edible flowers and an amazing sauce.
Yes, there was room for dessert, including a cheese from Sid Cook’s (seriously) award-winning Carr Valley Cheese Company. And more wine.
After this, I rolled into bed, secure in the knowledge that more good food awaited me the next day!
Saturday Brunch, Graze, Madison, WI
Graze is the “comfort food” counterpart to Chef Tory Miller’s elegant L’Etoille Restaurant. The name comes from the concept of grass-fed, rotational grazed meats–a perfect part of a locally focused menu. Adjacent to the Madison Farmer’s Market, it is prime brunch gathering point for hungry locavores. Hmmm, with two kids considering school in Madison next year, I could get into this!
Below I have included some shots from a delicious and memorable brunch. As you can see at Graze, comfort truly meets class.
A Bloody Mary, garnished a la Wisconsin, and an artisan cheese plate. Is there a more perfect way to usher in a new day?!
Beignets–Appetizer number one!
I could not believe how good fried cheese curds could be! Definitely not my Aunt Vesta’s fried cheese curds (sorry Aunt Vesta)
Homemade bread with fruit compote–mmmm.
The Warm Beet Salad was my entree choice. Beets are magical when properly incorporated into salads and this was no exception.
Thanks again to the Milk Marketing Board for sponsoring this, to Lori & Paul of Burp! for their coordination efforts, to the cheesemakers and restauranteurs, and to my fellow bloggers for their delightful company. And I hope this whets everyone’s appetite for more cheese news coming up!
Love it, rag tag bloggers
I would definitely like to get together for a membership!
Ah yes, I could definitely eat any of that food again!
Ah. Just seeing those pictures makes me hungry for more. Such a good time with GREAT people.
It was a great time! My husband complained that the pictures made him hungry too!
oh my goodness what a wonderful weekend – dinner and brunch looked exceptional. And poor aunty vesta
The event was wonderful. And Aunt Vesta will always have a place in my heart–even if her fried cheese curds have been supplanted
Looks like such an awesome trip!
Yes–it was a great time!
What a great idea. I think I am going to organize something locally.
What a good idea!
Dinner at the Madison Club was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Truly memorable!
I keep re-looking at the pictures to relive it!
Those meals look absolutely wonderful! Sounds like you ate well and had a great time.
Yes, it was a lot of fun. And stay tuned for the cheese post which will be coming up!
Fine dining indeed! Everything looks so classy and delicious my friend
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
And it was as much fun as it looks!