Black Restaurant Week kicks off tomorrow with 36 different Madison Black Chamber of Commerce partnering businesses. With all the restaurants, food trucks and catering vendors, it can be difficult to try everything, but here’s a comprehensive list to help you narrow down your choices.
Restaurants
Artemis Regulations
213 E. Main St., Mt Horeb. Open: Sunday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Artemis Provisions is a farm-to-table, …
Artemis Provisions also sells its high-quality meats and cheeses in-store for take-out, offering a unique experience where Artemis Provisions will help you create the perfect charcuterie board for your guests.
Ben’s Stoughton
210 S. Water Street, Stoughton. Open: Monday 4-9:30 p.m., Wednesday 3-9 p.m., Thursday 2-10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Closed Tuesday.
Ben’s offers a mix of Mediterranean, Indian and African cuisine. The restaurant offers Tanzanian delicacies from the famous coffee to staples such as ugali – a maize porridge served with meat, vegetables or soups.
The specialty dish, the World Class Golden Gyros Masala, is refined with spices from Zanzibar to enhance the taste and create a unique experience.
Buraka
1210 Williamson St. Open Monday, Wednesday through Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.
Ethiopian food on Madison’s East Side. Buraka brings the taste of East Africa and Ethiopian recipes with spicy, flavorful dishes. The location has been changing since 1992, but its reputation in Madison led to it finding a more permanent location in 2016.
Buraka offers a wide variety of food to give a taste of the African region. Staples include dorowot, a stew of chicken, carrots and a blend of spices, slowly cooked in a thick red sauce and served with berbere, a traditional Ethiopian sourdough pastry made from teff.
Cliff’s Willy Street Eats
1146 William St. Open daily from 12 noon to 12 noon.
Food inspired by owner Cliff Simmons’ grandmother. Simmons ventured to open his own restaurant after a series of odd jobs and a brief stint in prison, recalling the joy he felt cooking with his grandmother as a child and his dream of opening his own family restaurant.
Cliff’s offers childhood comfort food with BBQ, jerk chicken and a wide selection of seafood.
Falbo Bros. Pizzeria
Multiple locations in Wisconsin and Iowa. Hours vary by location.
In 1992, two students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison wanted to create a better tasting pizza for the region. Falbo Bros. created a unique “Madison” style pizza inspired by Chicago and New York.
The chain had success with the creation of its own Madison-style pizza and now has six locations, three in Wisconsin and three in Iowa.
Holisac Taste of Africa
815 W. Main St., Sun Prairie. Open: Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Holisac Taste of Africa brings authentic Ghanaian cuisine with cultural elements to the greater Madison area. The restaurant prides itself on the very traditional style and preparation of its food and drinks.
Try Ghana’s national dish, fufu, a doughy, mashed potato-like side dish made from pounded cassava and unripe plantains.
House of Flavas
4905 Commercial Ave. Open: Tuesday 1pm-7pm, Wednesday 2pm-7pm, Thursday, Saturday-Sunday 1pm-9pm and Friday 1pm-8pm. Closed Monday.
Soul food and BBQ with a touch of Jodie Jefferson’s native Chicago. House of Flavas has been a family business for three years when Jefferson decided to quit her job, pursue her passion for cooking and bring the flavors of Chicago to Madison.
Jefferson has received a lot of support over the years and will be opening a new location soon after Black Restaurant Week.
JD’s Taste of Chicago
2570 Rimrock Rd., Fitchburg. Open Monday-Saturday 11am-11pm and Sunday 11am-9pm
The taste of Chicago without the three-hour drive. JD’s Taste of Chicago features the city’s classics like hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches.
Only Veggiez
540 State St. Open: Tuesday-Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday 11am-10pm and Saturday 12pm-10pm. Closed Sunday-Monday.
Just Veggiez was created by James Bloodsaw to make a positive impact on his health. He saw his father’s health deteriorating and knew he had to do something for his own health.
Just Veggiez offers vegan alternatives for all your favorite foods. Enjoy healthier versions of the dishes you know and love, from cheese curds to spring rolls to plant-based Reuben sandwiches.
Kingdom African Restaurant
1865 Northport Dr. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Kingdom African Restaurant offers African, Mediterranean and American cuisine throughout the day, with choices ranging from gyros to country fried steak to Gambian domada – meat stew in a mild peanut sauce served on a bed of rice.
The delicacies of Awa
2045 Atwood Ave. Open Wednesday and Thursday 11am-3:30pm and 4:30pm-8pm, Friday 11am-3:30pm and 4:30pm-9pm, Saturday 12pm-9pm and Sunday 11am-6pm Closed Monday-Tuesday
New to Black Restaurant Week is Les dèlices de Awa, offering a culinary adventure through the rich and vibrant flavors of West Africa. Chef Awa, founder of the restaurant, wanted to bring a curated taste of her West African heritage to Madison through taste.
The dishes are designed to tell a story of West Africa, with options including palm nut stew, theibou guinar, djollof and chicken, as well as chicken kedjenou, a popular spicy stew from the Ivory Coast.
Marie’s Soul Food
1637 Monroe St. Open: Wednesday through Saturday from 12pm to 7pm and Sunday from 1pm to 6pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Marie’s Soul Food has all the staples from catfish to chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, sweet potatoes and more.
Mentoring-Positive
2844 E. Washington Ave. Open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Friday through Sunday.
Mentoring Positives aims to empower Madison’s youth through mentoring, entrepreneurship, sports and the arts – but it also makes pizza. A new location recently opened on Madison’s east side, where pizza is made as part of the program.
Food trucks and mobile snack bars
All food trucks and mobile food vendors can be found in the Madison area and will all be present at the Food Jamboree on August 18th.
Cool mode — You may have seen this ice cream truck around the greater Madison area, attracting customers of all ages. Cool Mode is the classic ice cream truck from your childhood, with all the trimmings.
Cafe Costa Rica — Enjoy Costa Rican street food like patacones, fried green plantains with beans, or a Pura Vida quesadilla with Mango Man’s secret sauce.
Finger-licking good — Chicken so good you can lick your fingers. Check out this food truck and their unique tasting chicken at the Food Jamboree.
Mattie’s Nachos — A selection of dishes from tacos to quesadillas to the eponymous nachos.
M&J Jamaican Kitch’N — Winner of Taste of Madison 2022 Best Latin/Mexican Food award for Jerk Pork and Rice and Beans.
Propa Jerk & BBQ — This food truck makes the rounds all over Madison and at pop-up markets. Popa Jerk is coming to Black Restaurant Week with its jerk chicken, dirty rice, and a ton of other classic Jamaican dishes.
Sistas Chicken and Fish — From land to sea, Sista’s offers chicken and fish with a wide selection of seafood as well as gumbo with rice and hush puppies.
Keur Fatou Catering — A fusion of Senegalese and Gambian cuisine, enjoy West African staples from fataya to jollof rice.
Melly Mell’s Soul Food — Melly Mell’s features family recipes spanning generations, from sweet potatoes to cornbread.
Taco Sunrise — This food truck offers American-style tacos inspired by its owner’s childhood. Gaylene Norfleet remembers her days in Chicago eating dollar tacos and comfort food and wanted to bring that taste to Madison.
The Smiling Coast — The Smiling Coast offers West African food from meat pies to lamb benachin.
Woo’s Food for the Soul — New to Black Restaurant Week: Woo’s Food for the Soul offers specialties from chicken and waffles to lo mien.
Suppliers of specialties and drinks
All vendors can be found at the Food Jamboree on August 18th.
Bartender 608 — China Moons Bartender 608 offers full service bartending to numerous events in Madison.
Ernie’s African Kick Sauce — Ernie’s Kick Sauce is a hot sauce from Gabon, available in local grocery stores, and named after Ernestine, the mother of founder Sandra Morris.
South Madison Farmers Market — For everything else, the South Madison Farmers Market offers a selection of goods from local Wisconsin farms.
Sweet treats
All vendors will be present at the Food Jamboree on August 18th.
Dolce Desserts by Dominique — Unique homemade desserts include chocolate dipped fruits, toffees, tarts, puddings and cakes.
Mo’ Betta Butter Cookies — Cookies that melt in your mouth. Mo’ Betta Butter Cookies have been seen at events across Madison, but are making their first appearance at Black Restaurant Week.
Sensational sweets — Sensational Sweetz specializes in offering all your favorite desserts in gluten-free versions. Founder Linda Smith was inspired to find alternative recipes by her son’s gluten intolerance and began experimenting in the kitchen for years.
