Posts Tagged ‘Verona’

Gus’s Diner

Sunday, August 20th, 2017

20170819_120210Following its Sun Prairie location, Gus’s Diner opened a second restaurant this past May in Verona in a rapidly growing commercial section along East Verona Avenue.

In other reviews, I’ve negatively described some foods as diner-quality. That’s because many times diners sacrifice quality for speed and price. Fortunately, that’s not the case here. One example is the delightful crispy chicken wrap ($9.99). It’s stuffed with crispy, juicy chicken instead of filler ingredients, plus the wrap wasn’t soggy nor had it been sitting in a fridge all day.

Except for the waffles, breakfast is served all day. You’ll find classics such as steak (ribeye, country-fried, sirloin) and eggs, French toast, scramblers and skillets. I tried the waffle combo ($9.29), which comes with two eggs and either three strips of bacon or sausage links. The large waffle had a gentle touch of sweetness to it, and it was quite filling. By the way, 3 p.m. is the cut-off time to order waffles.

Two pages of the large menu are dedicated to sandwiches, burgers and wraps. A new item is the Wisconsin cheese curd burger ($10.49), which doesn’t need any explanation. On a future visit, I’ll probably get the Brooklyn ($11.99), a burger topped with corned beef, sauerkraut and swiss cheese inside grilled marble rye.

20170819_121637Our server said dinner entrees also are served all day, which was somewhat surprising, as I doubt many people want to eat salmon or chicken alfredo in the morning. I couldn’t resist ordering the chicken fried chicken ($10.99), and it didn’t disappoint. The breading had a tasty seasoning, the chicken was moist and the gravy was a perfect complement.

What’s a diner without sweets? The Oreo cookie shake ($4.49) was well-crafted; other flavors include mocha, butterscotch and root beer. Meanwhile, you’ll find an assortment of pies. The one that caught my eye was the M&M cream pie ($2.99), which was fluffy and decadent.

Gus’s Diner serves breakfast and lunch every day and dinner Tuesday-Sunday.

***

See more photos in our Gus’s Diner Flickr album.

Gus's Diner Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Verona Woods

Sunday, June 4th, 2017

20170507_121716The Verona Woods is a restaurant and bar situated in a growing business park that serves better-than-casual fare. Judging by a one-hour wait on a recent Friday night, it’s become a popular spot.

The menu is creative and long, starting with a half-page of appetizers that include two burgers for some reason.

  • Many of the appetizers appealed to me, and I settled on the Tequila Sunrise Tiger Shrimp ($12), which is perfectly cooked with a hint of grilled flavor, and it sits atop fresh guacamole contrasted with crispy wonton wrappers. It’s a very enjoyable way to start a meal.
  • I know it’s out of the ordinary to rave about chicken tenders, but Verona Woods’ Tater Chip Chicken Tenders ($6 half, $12 full) are breaded in potato chips. That, along with the juicy chicken, makes for a tasty combo.

20170507_123216Several of the entrees come in lunch and dinner portions. Friday features fish fry, and Saturday features baby back ribs.

  • The short rib in the braised red vino short rib pasta ($8 lunch, $15 dinner) was supremely tender, and the flavorful broth was a delight to eat with the pasta. This was definitely a highlight.
  • The chicken cordon bleu ($11) is a good sandwich because of the bacon and grilled bun, both of which helped mask the somewhat dry chicken.
  • Among the sides, the tomato bisque ($3 cup, $4 bowl) was very creamy and a little sweet. Other sides include bourbon brown sugar carrots ($4) and kale caesar side salad ($3).
  • The robust food selection also features burgers, seafood, steaks, salads and tacos. On a future visit, I’ll get either the shallot cream chicken ($15) or the lemon grass halibut ($24).

The bar features several specialty cocktails and a decent wine list. I tried the Verona Woods’ version of the Bloody Mary, which is made with Four Roses bourbon and more Worsteshire than normal. The garnish was the same pickle that comes with the sandwiches, plus two green olives and a slice of lemon.

The Verona Woods is open every day for lunch and dinner.

The Verona Woods Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Weekend Ahead in Madison June 1-4, 2017

Thursday, June 1st, 2017

I’ve always mentioned to people from outside of the state how tired we are once summer is done because we’ve packed so much into a very short span. This weekend in the Madison area is another example, and here is how you can take it all in:

verona-hometown-daysThursday, June 1

Friday, June 2

  • 8 a.m. – Get to the annual Attic Angel sale early for the best goods. Runs through Saturday at Keva.
  • 5 p.m. – Have a pasta dinner at Festa Italia, running through Sunday at McKee Farms Park.
  • 8 p.m. – Enjoy a performance by Second City at the Overture Center.

Saturday, June 3

Sunday, June 4

  • 9 a.m. – Cosplay and gaming intertwine at Ohana-Con at the Monona Terrace (also held Friday and Saturday).
  • 12:30 p.m. – Wash down some burgers with some microbrews at Burgers & Brew at Capital Brewery (also held Saturday).
    Urban Air TryaTaste

  • Blog Home

    You are currently browsing the EatDrinkMadison.com blog archives.

  • Archives

  • Categories