The Corner Table: Top Chef Wisconsin

"Top Chef" executive producer/showrunner Doneen Arquines joined the “Top Chef” team during its very first season, working as a production assistant. She was promoted to showrunner during the season 12 finale in Mexico and has been leading the show ever since.  I (host Lindsay Christians) met Doneen a few times while "Top Chef Wisconsin" filmed in the state, and I was thrilled to have her on as my final guest. We talk about what challenges surprised her, how the show has evolved, and why she thinks viewers should cut the chefs from previous seasons a little slack.  There are no spoilers on this episode, so if you don’t yet know who won, that’s OK — we will not spoil it! The entire Season 21 of "Top Chef" should now be available to stream on Peacock.

Kyle Knall, chef/owner of Birch in Milwaukee, joined the judges' table during a recent "Top Chef" episode filmed at Harbor House. Kyle reflects on his own decision to move from a major market back to the state, and shares insight on how this season's competitors have grown.  Then we hear from "Top Chef" lead culinary producer Jamie Lauren, a former competitor herself (Season 5). Jamie's job is now to head up the team that makes sure the competing chefs have every ingredient and every tool they need for every challenge. We get into some good stories -- the fish boil at Grant Park Beach, she said, was "the scariest moment in all the seasons that I've worked the show." 

Stephanie Bedford, a local book critic, food freelancer and fiction writer, reserved the URL TopSteph.com about 30 seconds after learning the show was coming to Wisconsin. A minute after that, I hired her on to do recaps for the Cap Times.  This week on the podcast, we talk about how Steph came to be the ideal Top Chef recapper, what challenges she has loved and who she's rooting for now.  Then I'm talking with Olivia Stowell, who as a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan has made a serious study of reality TV. Did you know that Top Chef is a "game documentary?" This episode contains spoilers for the "Lay It All On the Table" Elimination Challenge on Episode 11 of "Top Chef" Season 21. 

This week we hear from Wisconsin's first "Top Chef" contestant, James Beard-nominated Milwaukee chef Dan Jacobs.  Jacobs talks about how team challenges remind him of youth sports, what his favorite challenge has been so far this season, and what it was really like to boil fish on Grant Park Beach in a "smoke tunnel." ("My notebook from 'Top Chef' still smells like a campfire," he said.) Also on this week's show, host Lindsay Christians talks with Fortune Favors CEO Sam McDaniel about how the Madison company product-placed their candied pecans, and the power television can have on sales for a growing food business.  This episode contains spoilers for the fish boil Elimination Challenge on Episode 10 of "Top Chef" Season 21. 

Amber Bristow is a fifth generation cranberry grower, but even she had never seen cranberry soup before the cranberry challenge on "Top Chef." "I was blown away by their creativity," said Bristow, who grows cranberries on her family's farm in Warrens, Wisconsin.  Following Amber on the podcast this week is Elena Terry, a Ho-Chunk chef, educator and nonprofit leader whose organization, Wild Bearies, strives to preserve ancestral foods. Chef Elena was one of the guest judges for the indigenous foods challenge, and she and the chef at Owamni, Sean Sherman, prepared a meal for the cheftestants. Elena has complicated feelings about the idea of Native restaurants but was inspired and encouraged by how the chefs approached indigenous ingredients.  There are no major spoilers on this week's episode. We do take some side tangents into why there are no chickens allowed on Amber's cranberry farm, how one chef used the milkweed Elena harvested and how Elena's nieces responded when they saw her on TV. 

Restaurant Wars is an iconic "Top Chef" challenge. Chefs must create a whole restaurant with a coherent concept, smooth service and good food in 24 hours, all on TV.  Everyone on the episode this week, including me, dined at Restaurant Wars during "Top Chef Wisconsin." Up top, we've got guest judges Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, the chefs and co-owners of Fairchild restaurant on Monroe Street. The pair won a James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest in 2023.  Chelsea Mamerow, art director for Milwaukee Magazine, dined at Channel, the seafood-themed restaurant, and took note of the decor as well as the flavors. I dined at Dos by Deul, which attempted a Latin/Korean fusion concept.  Spoilers follow for Episode 8 of "Top Chef Wisconsin," the Restaurant Wars episode. 

This week on the podcast, we're talking ballpark food.  Loren B. Rue grew up loving baseball, and now has his dream job — executive chef at American Family Field, home of the Milwaukee Brewers. Rue manages everything from the concession stands to the on-site brewery, J. Leinenkugel's Barrel Yard, and a new market hall serving arepas, smoked brisket nachos, tortas and sushi.  Then I'm talking with Kyle Nabilcy, my friend and fellow food writer. Kyle writes restaurant reviews for Isthmus and freelances for Eater Chicago, and he's been posting video "Top Chef" recaps on TikTok (@kylenabilcy) and YouTube.  Spoilers ahead for Episode 7 (the flambe/sausage fest episode) of "Top Chef Wisconsin," and Last Chance Kitchen. 

Chef Paul Bartolotta, the Milwaukee restaurateur and two-time James Beard winner, was bemused by a recent challenge on "Top Chef Wisconsin."  "When I heard 'chaos cuisine' I was like, what the hell does that mean?" Bartolotta said on this week's podcast. Bartolotta spent years working to bring "Top Chef" to Wisconsin. Here, he shares judging perspective and reflects on how the show has evolved.  To open the episode, I (food editor Lindsay Christians) talk with Milwaukee-based food writer Nicole Haase, who has a degree in pastry and a background as an artisan baker. The dairy desserts Quickfire baffled her, namely how little dairy the chefs used in it.  Spoilers ahead for Episode 6 (the dairy desserts/ "chaos cuisine" episode) of "Top Chef," Season 21, with side notes about finding the "yum" and what was going on with Manny's soggy churro. 

No drone shot of Madison would be complete without a view of the Memorial Union Terrace and its iconic sunburst chairs. That, in fact, is where "Top Chef" producers first got the idea for a challenge featuring historic Black chef and TV host Carson Gulley, whose cookbook inspired a saucy farmers market Quickfire on Episode 5 of "Top Chef Wisconsin."  This week on the podcast we're talking with a "Top Chef" fan from UW-Madison, Pete Buscaino, who was delighted to see a chef grab Stella's spicy cheese bread at the market. Then we have an extended interview with Tory Miller, chef/owner of L'Etoile and Graze, who takes us into the judges' conversations about Creole sauce, undercooked beef and that very tight budget for the supper club challenge.  Spoilers ahead for Episode 5 (the farmers' market/ Harvey House supper club episode) of "Top Chef" Season 21. With side chats about tartar sauce, why two-plate dishes are a bad choice and what happens when Tom Colicchio puts his foot down. 

This week on our "Top Chef Wisconsin" companion podcast, we have a full Madison episode! First, host Lindsay Christians takes a deeper dive into the Taliesin challenge with food and arts writer Gwen Rice, who was also a docent for two seasons in Spring Green. Turns out Frank Lloyd Wright excelled under pressure, but was a terrible collaborator.  Then Harvey House owner Shaina Robbins Papach talks about what it was like to host "Top Chef" crews at her restaurant, as well as her experience at the judges' table during a Wisconsin supper club challenge.  Also this week: the story behind the design of Falling Water, the worst cheese to draw for a cheese challenge, and thoughts about Kristen Kish as the new host.  

The architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright inspired the challenges this week, on episode 4 of Top Chef Wisconsin. Host Lindsay Christians talks with Taliesin executive director Carrie Rodamaker, who hosted film crews at Frank Lloyd Wright's historic school in Spring Green.  Then chef Lauren Montelbano, the Madison caterer and meal kit maker behind The Vibrant Veg, shares what it was like to serve judge Gail Simmons with a team of friends at Taliesin. Did her hands shake? Did she get to try any of the food? With tangents about what's next at the Riverview Cafe, the challenges of pouring wine with your non-dominant hand, and the view from the Top Chef dishpit. 

Theater artist and educator Erica Halverson has seen every episode of "Top Chef" from Season 1 to now. This week, the UW-Madison professor and host of the podcast Arts Educators Save the World shares thoughts on the Miller Caves beer snacks challenge, why she considers chefs to be artists, and which "Top Chef" challenge is her favorite. (It involves a blindfold.)Then I'm talking with Andy Hatch, maker of Pleasant Ridge Reserve at Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville. Andy was a featured guest at the Top Chef Cheese Festival, highlighted on this week's "Top Chef" episode (Ep. 3). We talk about what makes a cheese challenging to cook with and how it felt to represent Wisconsin dairy. For the spoiler-averse, we don't share any names of winners and losers (yet).  With side quests about pretzel cake with mustard icing, where "Manitowoc Minute" host Charlie Berens is really from, and the difference between reality TV and playing in a band. 

We walked the red carpet in Milwaukee, and all the stars were there.  This week, Destination Madison's Sarah Warner and I, Cap Times food editor Lindsay Christians, got gussied up for our first Wisconsin television premiere, held at Discovery World in Milwaukee. We met the judges, we drank the wine, and we're perfecting our Wisconsin culinary elevator pitches. Then I talk with James Beard Award-winning chef Adam Siegel of Lupi & Iris, host to the first "Top Chef" challenge of Season 21. Chef Adam describes the difference between working a line and on-camera cooking, plus what it was like to watch 80-some people make a television show inside his Milwaukee restaurant.  With side notes about relish trays and camera angles. Cheers! 

This week, Corner Table co-host Chris Lay joins to talk about the first episode (mild spoilers, with ample warning!) and reflect on whether one chef has gotten the "villain edit."  Then we hear from Travel Wisconsin's communications director Craig Trost about taking 'Top Chef' crews around Wisconsin, why the series matters to all Wisconsinities and who he's rooting for in Season 21.  With tangents about culinary astrological signs, Mr. Milwaukee and Tom Colicchio's hat game. 

Lindsay Christians, food editor at the Cap Times, resurrects The Corner Table podcast for a special, limited series all about Top Chef Wisconsin. It took 21 seasons, but the reality cooking show Top Chef has finally come to Wisconsin. On March 20, Bravo and Magical Elves drop the first episode of a fast-paced 14-week showcase of the state’s best chefs and brightest culinary lights. The winner takes home $250,000, while viewers get to see chefs make magic under extraordinary pressure.  Starting March 21, each week will feature a brief recap of the show as well as interviews with chefs, restaurateurs, cheesemakers and more. We'll go behind the scenes, dish on the winners and share insight into challenges.  Pack your knives, and join us.

Farm-to-table is a cliché, but its roots among the farmers and chefs of south-central Wisconsin are deep, vibrant and resilient. From brats and burgers to bibimbap, Madison’s food scene looks substantially different than it did just a decade ago.  Cap Times food editor Lindsay Christians reported her new book, "Madison Chefs: Stories of Food, Farms and People" starting in fall 2017. It was published by UW Press on Dec. 21. Lindsay and Corner Table co-host Chris Lay celebrated the release at Leopold's Books Bar Caffé with a short discussion. This week, we have audio from that chat. Relevant links: University of Wisconsin Press: https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/5768.htm Cap Times cover story: ‘Madison Chefs’ tells stories of culinary change in Wisconsin's capital" Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madisonchefsbook/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madisonchefsbook The Corner Table is a podcast about food and drink in Madison, produced by the Capital Times.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the final episode of Reopening Sardine, a limited series from The Corner Table podcast. This week, hosts Lindsay Christians and Chris Lay expand their scope to restaurants around Madison.  Some, like Bar Corallini on Atwood Avenue (shown here), reopened for dine-in service more than a year ago. Others, like Ha Long Bay, have been seating diners inside for a few weeks. At Mint Mark, staff has noticed new regulars who joined for takeout during the pandemic. Chris spoke with Jennifer DeBolt at The Old Fashioned. Lindsay caught up with the new owners of Marigold Kitchen. And of course we went back to Gates & Brovi, Sardine’s sister restaurant, to hear how things have changed there.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few things have changed since we last checked in with the folks at Sardine on opening day, May 19. For one, Dane County mask mandates have changed. Staffers are navigating a variety of diner comfort levels with regard to COVID-19 safety, and how many people feels like too many. Brunch is back, and Mondays and Tuesdays are busier than they have ever been.  Now a month in, we're catching up with co-owners Phillip Hurley and John Gadau about what it's been like to be back in the restaurant nearly every single day. We chat with general manager Susan Schueller too, about what she's noticed. Everyone is reading every customer comment, and they're already thinking about what 100% capacity could look like, somewhere down the line.  Reopening Sardine is a five-episode series of The Corner Table, a podcast about food and drink in Madison. The Corner Table is produced and hosted by Cap Times food editor Lindsay Christians and Chris Lay.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, friends, we’re finally here. After more than a year of uncertainty, fear and frustration, on May 19, Sardine was ready to open its doors to the public again. We start this episode a few days before that, as the behind the scenes crew gets ready.  We hear from pastry chef Jeff Doyle-Horney, and chefs de cuisine Jason Taylor and Tim Smith. Lindsay talks with maitre’d McKayla Kratowicz and Kelsey Burkett right before the doors opened.  And as the doors reopen, Chris chats up the very first diners through the door -- Sardine superfans, so happy to be back. Welcome to opening day!Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sardine, a French-inspired restaurant in downtown Madison, had 70 employees when it closed in 2020. As staff prepared to reopen in mid-May at half capacity, they were a tight team of 38.  Reopening Sardine is a five-episode series of The Corner Table, a podcast about food and drink in Madison. Produced and hosted by Cap Times food editor Lindsay Christians and Chris Lay, this five-part series goes behind the scenes at the reopening of one of Madison's most beloved restaurants.  This week we're talking with staff as they adjust to changes in tipping processes, new menu items, fresh cocktails and different ways of working with diners. The staff is fully vaccinated, but the ways of service have changed.  We'll hear from general manager Susan Schueller as well as bartenders and servers about their pandemic year, and what it takes to reopen a restaurant as ambitious and beloved as this one.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When quarantine kicked in last spring, we refocused The Corner Table to examine and document effects the pandemic was having across so many facets of food service, cocktails, grocery stores, and local farmers markets. Now as we emerge, we’re getting ready to close the book on that dismal chapter.  We decided to take a deep dive into what it means to reopen a restaurant that’s been closed for over a year, and to illustrate that process we decided to focus on one of our shared favorite places in town: Sardine. For this first episode, we interviewed Sardine's co-owners John Gadau and Phillip Hurley about what it was like to shut down for over a year, their discussions with employees and the factors they weighed during the summer and fall. How were they feeling? What was the financial impact? Where are they now? In future episodes we’ll sit in on staff meetings and check in with kitchen staff and servers to find out what their COVID year was like. We’ll take you to Sardine on opening day, and we’ll be looking forward to what dining could look like as we emerge, slowly and as safely as we can, from this dining drought. We are extremely excited about this, so make sure you’re subscribed for all the future installments that will be coming out over the next several weeks.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This bonus episode is adapted from a live (virtual) conversation and cooking demonstration Lindsay hosted on Tuesday, featuring Cortney Burns — a chef, award-winning cookbook author and UW-Madison grad. As Burns prepared root vegetable fritters, sauerkraut and a sauce made of farmer's cheese, she explained why she's such a fan of fermentation and why she believes home cooks should customize recipes to fit their palates and pantries. The conversation was broadcast live for Cap Times members. For more information about membership including contributions, visit membership.captimes.com. To find the recipes Burns demonstrates in this podcast, click here. If you want to get a copy of Nourish Me Home by Cortney Burns, place an order at Arcadia Books, a wonderful little bookstore in Spring Green, and they will take 15% off when you enter CT15CB at check out. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we reach the end of 2020 and COVID-19 continues to stomp on our dreams, it’s pretty clear not all the restaurants we love are gonna make it through the winter. When a restaurant like Manna Cafe, Sunroom, Captain Bill’s or Charlie’s on Main closes, what does it leave behind? What do we remember, and where do those stories live? This week on the podcast, Chris and Lindsay talk with JonMichael Rasmus and Nichole Fromm, founders of the blog Eating in Madison A to Z and authors of the 2015 book Madison Food: A History of Capital Cuisine, about the menus and memories left behind when restaurants go away, and what their research taught them about Madison's changing restaurant scene. Also, a note to our listeners: As podcast editor Natalie Yahr moves to a new role in the Cap Times newsroom, The Corner Table will be going on hiatus. Chris and Lindsay have already begun talking about opportunities for future short-run series and events, and we will let you know when those come about. For now, stay safe and happy new year.  Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chef Molly Maciejewski has made hundreds of gingerbread houses. As the executive chef and general manager at Madison Sourdough on Madison's east side, Maciejewski hosted yearly workshops, all about making a beautiful, (technically) edible gingerbread home. This week on The Corner Table, Lindsay and Chris chat with Maciejewski about how the gingerbread you build with is different than the gingerbread you eat. We talk candy selection, how to make your icing like spackle, and reflect on why people love making edible constructions like this. And, as a bonus at the end of the episode, we also hear from some of Cap Times' very own in-house gingerbread constructors. (Thanks Quincy and Sawyer! You're champs.) Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of our favorite things about the holiday season is all the snacks. Between the traditional meals, it's more than acceptable to absentmindedly nibble on candy, cheese, fruit and nuts. Nutkrack, candied, lightly salted pecans created by chef Eric Rupert, are made for exactly these moments. Rupert is also the executive chef at Epic Systems and has been making candied pecans for friends for over a decade. Now they're available to anyone, toasted and packaged at his little shop on Atwood Avenue. This week on podcast, Lindsay and Chris talk with Rupert about how the pandemic has affected his business, where those petite pecans come from and why they're so compulsively snackable. Give a listen! Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pandemic has put an undeniable damper on the Wisconsin way of life, and probably cut down on the number or quality of old fashioneds we're drinking. But while it may be a while any of us are sidling up to the bar at the local watering hole or enjoying ice cream cocktails at our favorite supper club, it's never a bad time to talk about Wisconsin's signature drinks. This week, food editor Lindsay Christians and co-host Chris Lay talk with "Wisconsin Cocktails" author Jeanette Hurt. Jeanette explains why our state loves boozy milkshakes and brandy over whiskey, and she offers us some hope for how we can bounce back once we can return to our neighborhood dives.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've spent time around the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus in the last year, you've probably spotted the adorable white robots rolling along the sidewalks or waiting to cross a busy street, carrying lunch to a hungry student or professor. Last year, UW-Madison became the fourth and largest university to try out Starship food delivery robots, and they captured the attention of students and faculty, who'd rescue them from snowbanks or stop them mid-delivery for a selfie. Lindsay and Chris had a lot of questions about this fleet of delivery automatons, so they asked Peter Testory, chief robot wrangler and director of dining and culinary services for campus housing, to explain just how they work.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you think about going paleo? Did you do a Whole30 January? Ever been served up an ad on Instagram for a DNA diet — whatever that means? This week, as part of the Wisconsin Science Festival, we’re digging into our most pressing diet questions with UW-Madison nutritionist Beth Olson, who spends her time helping families make healthy food choices. On the show, we discuss fad diets, what's new in the soon-to-be-released 2020 USDA nutritional guidelines, and how to take a healthy approach to eating for the long haul.   We are delighted to be among the many cool components of this week's Wisconsin Science Festival, which runs Oct. 15 to 18. Check out the offerings at wisconsinsicencefest.orgSupport the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of our favorite things to do lately is check Instagram to see what “Heavy Kevy” is making for dinner. Kevy is not a chef. He’s not a brand ambassador or social media influencer or an ad rep for anything. He’s just a dude who likes to cook and decided to start making videos about it, and they're pretty great. But we wanted to know more of his story: Why does he say to salt meat like an icy sidewalk? How did he get so good at cooking outdoors? Where the heck is his accent from? This week on the podcast, we get the answers.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks to summer vacations, we're repurposing an entertaining and educational episode from the archives that doubles as a kitchen safety public service announcement for you, our dear listeners. On this episode, which first ran in March, Rockhound Brewing Company kitchen manager Adam Haen shares some great stories about how not to handle your knives, and offers some very pointed reasons to keep them sharp. Maybe now’s the time to sharpen your knives and in the process take out that pent-up quarantine-related frustration on the edge of a blade.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kids are going back to school this week. Well ... sort of. Some of them are going to school in buildings, while others are learning fractions over Zoom. Regardless of where they are, though, all of them need lunch. This week on the Corner Table, food editor Lindsay Christians and co-host Chris Lay talk with Irene Pawlisch, lead cook for Madison Metropolitan School District's food services, who's been figuring out how to get food to kids who need it, even when they're learning virtually at home. Everything about school seems stressful these days, but Irene's been trying to lighten things up with funny costumes and vegetable jokes.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After finding success with their canned mojitos and brandy old fashioneds, Tom Dufek and his Plain Spoke Cocktail Co. business partners set out to give their drinks a brick and mortar home. Today, thirsty locals can find mixed drinks with funny names on tap at their tasting room on King Street, just upstairs from their microbrewery Young Blood Beer Co. This week on the podcast, Tom explains what he learned about pandemic-style hospitality, how their beer accidentally found its way onto liquor store shelves, and why he prefers not to take his drinks too seriously. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in February, Jamie Hoang and Chuckie Brown were cooking for cocktail-sipping crowds at their Robin Room pop-up, doling out mini veggie egg rolls at Femmestival and prepping to roll out a food cart for the summer. The pandemic changed their plans. This past weekend they opened Ahan at The Bur Oak at 2262 Winnebago St., serving takeout noodles, curry and riffs on crab rangoon. Today on the podcast, Hoang and Brown talk about the unexpected advantages to opening at this stage in the pandemic. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even for minor sports fans, a typical Madison summer might involve a random Brewers game with friends or a trip or two out to the Duck Blind for a Mallards game. This year, obviously, that's all been benched, with most ballparks and stadiums closed to fans for the foreseeable future. For Cap Times city editor Jason Joyce, it's a major loss. A former sports columnist for Isthmus and the announcer for the Madison Radicals ultimate Frisbee team, he’s really missing baseball. This week on the podcast, as the baseball season opens with no fans in the stands, he joins us to wax nostalgic about steamed hot dogs, neon-orange pump cheese, "the ice cream of the future" and the nectar of the baseball gods Miller Lite. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wisconsin State Fair has joined a long list of events across the country canceled in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but there's one thing Cap Times opinion editor Jessie Opoien won't be missing among the lost festivities: cream puffs. This week on the Corner Table, we take a trip down memory lane to a simpler time, just a few months back, when Jessie found herself in hot water for publicly divulging her less-than-positive opinion of the signature Wisconsin State Fair dessert ﹘ prompting Gov. Tony Evers himself to come to their sweet-and-messy defense.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Green started Mentoring Positives almost 16 years ago to help teens in the Darbo-Worthington neighborhood on Madison's east side learn some of the tools they need to be successful and, as he said, “basically be a good person.” Participants in the program get paid to help make and market Off the Block salsa and pizzas, which are sold around town. This week on the podcast, Will talks with Lindsay and Chris about his pizza struggles, the inspiration he draws from his late mom, and his vision for the Darbo neighborhood as an "ethnic oasis" and a campus of opportunity.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With so many activities off limits due to the coronavirus, this summer practically demands that we get outdoors as often as possible in order to maintain our sanity ﹘ just so long as you've got your mask on and you're away from other people, of course. For those looking to step up their outdoor game, Andy Gricevich wants to help you learn to forage your own food. He runs What Got Gathered, where he sells foraged foods and leads walks where he teaches people to recognize the edible plants around them. This week on the Corner Table, Lindsay and Chris talk with the local forager extraordinaire about mushrooms that won’t kill you, a unique dish he calls “lawn-sagna,” and what he’s most excited about finding to eat in the parkways and backyards around his new house.  Also: Why Andy thinks foraging isn't dangerous, as long as you don't eat something just because an app told you to. Ready to learn more about foraging? Here are a few links Andy recommended to get you started. Wild Food Wisconsin Facebook group Midwest Wild & Edible Foragers Society Facebook group Forager's Harvest, the website of foraging authority Samuel ThayerSupport the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before the pandemic hit, bartender Karlin Langley was working at Sardine, mixing Sazeracs and French 75s behind their pewter bar. Lately he’s been turning that energy toward home projects. He’s making mixers and even entirely new drinks, trying stuff out where there aren’t customers to please. Lindsay and Chris wanted to know what he could come up with using only ingredients that they had lying around at home, so they put his skills to the test on this week's show. Find the recipes for the cocktails Karlin devised for each of them at www.captimes.com.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple months ago, COVID closed restaurants everywhere. Dane County is now in the first phase of its reopening plan, but with masks and distancing, dining out is going to be weird for a while. To find out what restaurants are thinking as they decide how and when to reopen their dining rooms to the public, food editor Lindsay Christians and co-host Chris Lay called up Caitlin Suemnicht, the chief operating officer at Food Fight restaurant group.  Also on the show: Why you should order your fish fry on a Tuesday, and how Ohio's got Wisconsin beat when it comes to margaritas to-go.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just before the pandemic hit, Mel Zastrow was preparing to teach her middle school students to cook the old-fashioned way, piled into a kitchen together. But the show, and the pound cake, must go on, so Mel, a teacher at Monona's MG21 charter school, took her cooking lessons online, producing and starring in "Mel Cooks," a Youtube show in which she demonstrates how to make her students' favorite dishes. On this week's podcast, she talks with Lindsay and Chris about learning to edit video and how she picks the perfect accordion tune for each baking session.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What might make your quarantine mornings less painful and more delicious? Breakfast sandwiches. This week on The Corner Table, find some inspiration as we revisit our December 2019 interview with local "breakfast sandwich influencer" Patrick Logterman, who chronicles his breakfast adventures at 52sandwiches.blogspot.com. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Restaurant people are helpers, the kind you go to when you need to feed volunteers or get a sponsor for your Little League team. So what happens when they need help? This week on the show, we hear from Teresa Pullara-Ouabel of Bunky’s catering and Kelly Hopkins of Kessenich's, whose "SOS" (Save Our Staff) GoFundMe campaign has raised over $40,000 to help furloughed restaurant workers pay their bills.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just 12 days after the opening of D’Vino, a new wine and ciccheti bar in downtown Madison, the coronavirus pandemic forced it to close its doors. On this week's show, Lindsay and Chris talk with owner and chef Dino Maniaci about how he quickly shifted to selling comfort foods like meatball grinders and take-and-bake pastas, and why he's determined to keep going. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given all of us a new appreciation for the workers who bag our groceries and keep the shelves stocked. On this week's show, Lindsay and Chris talk with two local grocery workers about how they're faring on these new frontlines and what shoppers can do to keep them safe.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For those pining for March Madness or just a good way to pass yet another evening at home, Kyle Nabilcy has a suggestion: Make your beer, or anything else, into a bracket. A longtime freelancer covering beer and food for the recently darkened Isthmus, Kyle talked with Lindsay and Chris about his epic beer collection and his "Cellar Sixteen" bracket.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During any other year, farmers and vendors would pour onto the Capitol Square this Saturday for the first outdoor market of the Dane County Farmers Market season. But in light of the coronavirus, the state government has revoked permits for all uses of the square, so the market season is indefinitely postponed. On today's show, Lindsay and Chris get an update from market manager Sarah Elliot on the changes they're making and how people can support local farms until the market makes its triumphant return.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the podcast, Lindsay and Chris talk with Brandon Brieske, who started the Madison Area Service Industry Support Facebook group to bring his fellow restaurant and bar workers together as they weather the COVID-19 pandemic.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp knife. Never put knives in the dishwasher. And if the garbage disposal is rattling, definitely turn it off before you stick your face over the drain. Those are just a few of the knife-keeping lessons Lindsay and Chris learned from chef and knife nerd Adam Haen, who joined them in the podcast studio last week to show them how it's done.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show, Lindsay and Chris sit down with master cheesemaker Steve Stettler of Decatur Dairy to find out what’s changed since his grandfather’s cheesemaking days, how he became the first master cheesemaker with a certification in cheese curds, and how he picks which chunk of cheese to enter in a world competition.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Serious farm-to-table cooking can be tough: You might be drowning in strawberries one minute and stuck with just rutabaga for an entire month the next. This week on the Corner Table, L'Etoile alums Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger explain why they're taking on that challenge at a restaurant of their own. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.