oh! the weary traveler!
well, it's been awhile since we've written up a creative date night in madison. this happens to be for a number of reasons ...
1. jon had a birthday which we celebrated for a few days at different venues but, it being his birthday, those nights trumped what would have been considered "date night."
2. we are lazy.
3. we've been out of town and enjoying a few of my favorite spots in chicago (oh, how i miss the number of tapas restaurants and the freedom from chain spots!!)
4. my date nights have been pathetic and left jon with very little to write up. it's true. he's been kind not to post how really ridiculous i get when it's my turn to take him out. somehow, we believe that i subconsciously feel unloved because i'm not being wooed with dates created for me. i am a very selfish person and am still learning how to be confident that jon loves me even when he's not planning something for me.
5. we are lazy.
so since there's been nothing new for a month, i'd like to write up a bit on my new favorite restaurant in madison - the weary traveler.
now, granted, this was a birthday dinner, so it can't be technically classified under "date night," but to appease our audience of nearly no one, i'll write about it anyhow...
so, imagine this. it's a saturday night in november. folks are recovering from a snowstorm the night before. it's chilly chilly chilly outside, but we're midwesterners so we adjust quickly to the 30 degree drop in temperature from only days before.
jon's birthday had been celebrated with a few friends at the wine cellar at porta bella the night before (great in nearly all respects minus the manic music choices - i.e. frank sinatra and big band music for 15 minutes, then one bad 80s techno-rock-pop piece, repeat cycle). so saturday night was my time to take him out. of course, i hadn't thought of it in advance, so when we showed up at sardine, i wasn't surprised that without reservations my wait would be an hour plus.
jon and i had been wanting to check out sardine since it opened so i was looking forward to it, but the wait started me out on the wrong foot (i know, i know, it was my responsibility to make reservations, but i still begrudged them that).
"you can grab a table anywhere in bar area as they open up if you don't want to wait for the dining room spots," our hostess offered.
sure, we'd do that. of course, the bar area leaves something to be desired. it looks like a big deli, bright white lights in an open room that echos nearly every conversation (could it have been built with the rathskellar in mind? i wondered if we'd hear someone's conversations across the room if we positioned ourselves correctly). but we waited. and watched. we noticed a lot of people leaving the dining room and not so many going in, but figured our hostess would alert us if a table opened up in the dining room. perhaps there is a secret entrance for people with reservations ...
anyhow, when we at long last saw a table of four stand up, we moseyed over towards the table until a waitress blocked our path. "i'm sorry," she said. "these tables are part of the dining room."
"oh no, I'M sorry," i replied sarcastically. "they didn't mention that they saved four unmarked tables to tease waiting patrons into believing they may actually be seated soon."
ok, ok, i didn't actually say that. but i thought it. i think the conversation actually went something like this: "Oh, okay. Thanks."
details, details. the point is that that was enough to send us out of there. i'd like to try the food someday, but i'm not in any rush now. i'll wait till the thrill of it among madisonians wears off.
we hopped in the car and drove down willy street to the weary traveler. now THIS is a hot spot.
i love the dark wood, i love the service, i love the bartenders, and oh, how i love the carne asada. it sets the perfect mood. it's probably a little trendy for willy street's hippie population, but it's unique. and, in my world, unique equals fascinating. and when fascinating is good, it becomes trendy. (i haven't really thought all that, so don't hold it to me).
there are games on the back wall (oh, the days of guthries in chicago!) which says, "stay awhile. no rush. enjoy your friends. enjoy, o weary traveler." there is so little pretention. it's good. it is good as restaurants should be. in my opinion, it sets the standard for madison restaurants.
i'll add links later, but now i'm getting hungry. and it's lunchtime. later.
1. jon had a birthday which we celebrated for a few days at different venues but, it being his birthday, those nights trumped what would have been considered "date night."
2. we are lazy.
3. we've been out of town and enjoying a few of my favorite spots in chicago (oh, how i miss the number of tapas restaurants and the freedom from chain spots!!)
4. my date nights have been pathetic and left jon with very little to write up. it's true. he's been kind not to post how really ridiculous i get when it's my turn to take him out. somehow, we believe that i subconsciously feel unloved because i'm not being wooed with dates created for me. i am a very selfish person and am still learning how to be confident that jon loves me even when he's not planning something for me.
5. we are lazy.
so since there's been nothing new for a month, i'd like to write up a bit on my new favorite restaurant in madison - the weary traveler.
now, granted, this was a birthday dinner, so it can't be technically classified under "date night," but to appease our audience of nearly no one, i'll write about it anyhow...
so, imagine this. it's a saturday night in november. folks are recovering from a snowstorm the night before. it's chilly chilly chilly outside, but we're midwesterners so we adjust quickly to the 30 degree drop in temperature from only days before.
jon's birthday had been celebrated with a few friends at the wine cellar at porta bella the night before (great in nearly all respects minus the manic music choices - i.e. frank sinatra and big band music for 15 minutes, then one bad 80s techno-rock-pop piece, repeat cycle). so saturday night was my time to take him out. of course, i hadn't thought of it in advance, so when we showed up at sardine, i wasn't surprised that without reservations my wait would be an hour plus.
jon and i had been wanting to check out sardine since it opened so i was looking forward to it, but the wait started me out on the wrong foot (i know, i know, it was my responsibility to make reservations, but i still begrudged them that).
"you can grab a table anywhere in bar area as they open up if you don't want to wait for the dining room spots," our hostess offered.
sure, we'd do that. of course, the bar area leaves something to be desired. it looks like a big deli, bright white lights in an open room that echos nearly every conversation (could it have been built with the rathskellar in mind? i wondered if we'd hear someone's conversations across the room if we positioned ourselves correctly). but we waited. and watched. we noticed a lot of people leaving the dining room and not so many going in, but figured our hostess would alert us if a table opened up in the dining room. perhaps there is a secret entrance for people with reservations ...
anyhow, when we at long last saw a table of four stand up, we moseyed over towards the table until a waitress blocked our path. "i'm sorry," she said. "these tables are part of the dining room."
"oh no, I'M sorry," i replied sarcastically. "they didn't mention that they saved four unmarked tables to tease waiting patrons into believing they may actually be seated soon."
ok, ok, i didn't actually say that. but i thought it. i think the conversation actually went something like this: "Oh, okay. Thanks."
details, details. the point is that that was enough to send us out of there. i'd like to try the food someday, but i'm not in any rush now. i'll wait till the thrill of it among madisonians wears off.
we hopped in the car and drove down willy street to the weary traveler. now THIS is a hot spot.
i love the dark wood, i love the service, i love the bartenders, and oh, how i love the carne asada. it sets the perfect mood. it's probably a little trendy for willy street's hippie population, but it's unique. and, in my world, unique equals fascinating. and when fascinating is good, it becomes trendy. (i haven't really thought all that, so don't hold it to me).
there are games on the back wall (oh, the days of guthries in chicago!) which says, "stay awhile. no rush. enjoy your friends. enjoy, o weary traveler." there is so little pretention. it's good. it is good as restaurants should be. in my opinion, it sets the standard for madison restaurants.
i'll add links later, but now i'm getting hungry. and it's lunchtime. later.
posted by Mary at 11:50 AM
2 Comments:
Hey, I love what you're doing, but I can't figure out how to get in touch with you!
Can you drop me an email at jesse.russell (at) gmail (dot) com?
The Weary Traveler is one of my favorite places! I love it! And it's a great place to take friends who are form out of town!
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