CoffeeGuru: Madison: A Midwestern Oasis

I love Chicago. In my opinion it's one of the United States' great cities on par with New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco. There's the exciting arts scene, great architecture, fantastic and diverse food and really nice people with Mid-Western values. And yet like most major cities, Chicago can take a lot out of you.

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Lakefront, Madison[/caption]

The chance to spend July 4th in Madison, Wisconsin was a welcome respite. I was invited to stay at a house right on Lake Monona. My host owns a small boat and offered to take me on a tour of the canal and through the locks to Lake Mendota where we could watch the fireworks. The canal ride was one of the coolest experiences I've ever experienced. Madison had received a lot of rain and the water was high. We went under a number of bridges, ducking our heads under some. Bats flew around our heads, and baby swallows scrutinized us. The lock from one lake to the other was a wild ride. There's a six-foot difference between the two lakes and the lock itself is quite small, only four boats at a time can fit.

Madison is one of the most liberal cities in the United States. The vast majority of coffeehouses use Fair Trade beans. I was surprised to discover that there are only a few grinding Direct Trade. I was told that Bradbury's and Johnson Public House are the two standouts, with a decent guest roaster program and talented baristas.

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Bradbury's[/caption]

Bradbury's was my first stop. It's located on the ground floor of a residential building and takes up a corner. It's shaped like a triangle. When you walk in there's a counter where you order and the rest of the space is taken up by seating. There are windows on all three sides to sit and enjoy the view. The service was a bit spotty. There were two baristas who didn't seem all that happy to serve us which I chalked up to the fact that business was really slow due to the holiday. I was told the only selection offered that day was from Kickapoo coffee out of Viroqua, Wisconsin. I tried to discuss the selections but didn't get much information. When I asked about the bag of Anodyne (Milwaukee, WI) next to the brew bar, I was told it was a sample bag.... no further discussion or offer to sample. Maddeningly, after I ordered a $3.5 pour-over, they prepared it in the rear of the store (a function of the store's layout) and I couldn't watch the process. However on a positive note, the coffee was prepared well and I really enjoyed the roast.

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Pre-weighted selections at Johnson Public House[/caption]

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Selection board, Johnson Public House[/caption]

The next morning I woke up early and headed out to grab some coffee from Johnson Public House. I got there just as they were opening. I was immediately greeted by the two baristas setting up. The vibe is mellow and really comfortable. Behind the counter on the back wall were four sheets of metal and small magnetized jars containing that day's pre-weighted selections. Their house grind is Intelligentsia and, after perusing their selection board, I ordered a Kochere from Ceremony Coffee out of Annapolis, MD. While they prepared my brew, we had a nice discussion about the Ceremony's roasting program, especially their small lots made with wine and bourbon barrels. I can't wait to go back the next time I'm in town.

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Hanging out at Johnson Public House[/caption]

Just before heading home, I grabbed some breakfast at Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery, serving Johnson Brothers Coffee roasted right in Madison. A popular local destination, the food was hearty, the service friendly and the coffee quite enjoyable. It was the perfect ending to a great and relaxing visit.

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