Brownies and Zucchini

Madison is a city known for its arts and culture.  Many events occur every year to celebrate the great people that live in this great city.  Most of the celebrations join food, music, visual arts, dance and other creative arts into one.

Every Labor Day weekend, the focus is on the celebration of local food.  The Taste of Madison is a huge food centered event that takes place around the capitol square.  With over 75 different local food vendors, 20 beverage stands and 3 music stages, Taste of Madison has something for everyone.

I did look at the restaurant listing and offerings ahead of time, just to make sure that there would be something for my picky self. 🙂

My first stop was at Bahn Thai. This was the first Thai restaurant that I went to friends convinced me to go to a few years ago.  I remember it being the best Pad Thai that I have ever had.  Even though it did ignite my love for Pad Thai, nothing else could quite live up to it.

I haven’t eaten there in years.  After living on campus and eating at other Thai restaurants, the convenience of the others always out weighed how good I remember that one being.   When I saw it on the list for the Taste, I knew it was somewhere I needed to try again.

I got Pad Thai with Chicken.

I’m sad to say that it did not live up to my expectations.  It was a lot sweeter than I remember.  Or maybe the Pad Thai that I am used to eating now is just so different that this doesn’t taste the same to me.  It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t quite as awesome as I remember.

I realize this also could be becuase it has most likely been sitting on some kind of heater all day and I’m sure it did not taste the same as it would have freshly made.  It would also have been better if they had the normal crushed peanuts and bean sprouts to top it – I’m not sure if they just didn’t hassle with bringing those, or if they were out by the time we got there.

The second place that was on my list to go to was Bluephies.

Bluephies is a good restaurant with a fun atmosphere.  I don’t go there often, but when I do it is always a treat.  One of the reasons why I love Taste of Madison so much, is that you can go to a restaurant and just get dessert with no worries.  That is what  I did at Bluephies.

If you have ever been to Bluephies, I’m sure you have seen this item on the dessert menu.  At first you might think it is a strange combination, but if you have ever tried it, you know that it is nothing short of delicious.

This is the elusive Cookie Dough Egg Roll.

The photo doesn’t really do it justice.  I took some photos with the cookie dough oozing out, but those didn’t look very appetizing.  Just trust me, it is delicious.

One thing that I think Bluephies changed this year at the Taste, was that the egg rolls were smaller.  Normally, making something smaller while keeping it the same price is never a good thing.  But in this case, I was actually glad they made it smaller.  These are so rich, that a full size egg roll is more than enough for two people, but the smaller version that I had was the perfect amount for me!  It also was skinnier, so it was easier to eat without the cookie dough oozing out everywhere. Definitely an A+ in my book!

There were , of course, many other vendors at the Taste that I’m sure would have been equally as delicious.  If you are ever in Madison during this event, I highly recommend you fight the crowds and go!  There is definitely something for everyone.  Pizza, Corn on the Cob, Cheese Curds, Beer, Indian food, Asian food, Burgers, and more!  If I can find things that I like there, you can too! 🙂

Does your city have a food festival?
Madison friends: What is your favorite Thai restaurant in Madison?

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Filed under: Words Tagged: | Bahn Thai, Bluephies, Taste of Madison