Rio
Rio, WI · Local Life
ibmadison.com
Caracas Empanadas confirmed as Madison Public Market vendor
The Madison Public Market announced on its Instagram page that Caracas Empanadas Y Más has officially joined its merchant list. The business, which began in 2010 as a food truck, offers empanadas and arepas, among other dishes. “We can confirm that Caracas Empanadas Y Más will be a part...
ibmadison.com
Ahan owners open Ba Lao across Willy Street
The co-owners of Ahan opened an Asian market-inspired bar called Ba Lao on Feb. 14 across the road on Williamson Street, according to Madison Magazine. Jamie and Chuckie Brown-Soukaseume, who began pursuing a restaurant concept in 2020, took Ahan from food truck to take-out spot to 100-seat restaurant in three years. They said Ba Lao will act as an overflow spot for those waiting on an Ahan table.
GazetteXtra
Beer on! Homebrew competition kicks off Flannelfest week
JANESVILLE — Days before Flannelfest, Janesville’s downtown winter festival, the beer was already flowing Monday. Nine judges and a handful of organizers gathered on Monday at The Looking Glass, 18 N. Main St., in Janesville, to taste, rank and provide feedback on 54 homebrews entered in Flannelfest’s homebrew competition. An additional 25 homebrews are expected to be shared at Flannelfest on Saturday, as part of the festival’s beer tasting event, for a total of 79 homebrews for attendees to taste. The seventh-annual Flannelfest is Saturday, Feb. 28, from noon to 5 p.m., at Town Square, 65 S. River St., in downtown Janesville, and the JP Cullen Memorial Pavilion. Craft breweries will also be bringing beers to taste at Flannelfest on Saturday. Courtney Perakis is the homebrewer coordinator for Flannelfest, and the former event coordinator for Downtown Janesville Inc., the nonprofit that organizes Flannelfest. She created Flannelfest 8 years ago as a way to draw visitors to downtown Janesville in deep winter. This year’s homebrew competition is sponsored by The Looking Glass and Rooster Roofing, and presented by Blain's Farm and Fleet with True Bru Homebrew Supplies and Spike Brewing donating prizes. Perakis said beers entered into the homebrew competition are
captimes.com
Where to find the best pancakes near the UW-Madison campus
During the hustle and bustle of a busy morning, a full breakfast might seem like a rare treat. Still, it’s pretty easy to find a good stack of pancakes near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. For a meal of such great importance, we sent our A-team out to find the definitive top four pancakes near UW.
ibmadison.com
New owners to bring back Ohio Tavern’s tacos, karaoke with March opening
Ahead of its planned opening in mid- to late March, east side Madison’s Ohio Tavern is getting a revamp, according to the Cap Times. Since August 1933, the building at 224 Ohio Ave. has housed a tavern. In 2016, a team from downtown cocktail spot Genna’s Lounge took over the bar, adding street tacos, nachos and karaoke nights to the Ohio Tavern’s offerings.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Mumford & Sons to play at Kohl Center in Madison
Mumford & Sons will play at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Kohl Center in September, UW officials announced . The folk-rock group's Kohl Center performance on Sept. 23 is among North American tour stops for its new album, "Prizefighter," which was released Feb. 20. The album was co-produced and co-written by Aaron Dessner of The National and features collaborations with Chris Stapleton, Hozier, Gracie Abrams and Gigi Perez. Tickets will be available for presale at 10 a.m. Feb. 24, with general on-sale beginning 10 a.m. Feb. 27. They can be purchased by visiting uwbadgers.evenue.net/events/154488m56544s2341 . Mumford & Sons visited Wisconsin just last October on its "Rushmere" tour with a sold-out show at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. There, frontman Marcus Mumford celebrated with the crowd as the Milwaukee Brewers knocked the Chicago Cubs out of the playoffs. More: Big Brewers win makes Mumford & Sons' Milwaukee concert all the sweeter at Fiserv Forum This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mumford & Sons to play at Kohl Center in Madison
captimes.com
Madison bar The Ohio Tavern gets a revamp from new owners
As The Ohio Tavern prepares to reopen on Madison’s near east side next month, the team behind it wants what most new owners want: to keep the regulars and bring in — or bring back — new guests. “We want people that love the Ohio to continue...
captimes.com
Polish food, a new Asian market and apocalyptic fiction
Editor's note: Below is the Thursday, Feb. 19 edition of the Food & Culture newsletter. Our $20 Dining series and mini-restaurant reviews, Table for Two, are exclusive to the newsletter. If you want to receive it in your email inbox every Thursday (it's free!), subscribe at captimes.com/newsletters. In a gray...
Channel3000com News 3 Now
The Baked Lab storefront to open on Feb. 21
On Feb. 21, a 100-year-old building that's stood dormant for more than 10 years will find new life as The Baked Lab . At 2044 Atwood Ave., a new storefront for Shawn Bolduc’s bakery concept will serve a rotating array of pastries, savory bites, coffee, beer and wine.
Channel3000com News 3 Now
Finding a new rhythm in New Glarus
For spouses and business partners Sam Kincaid and Jon Nodler, Canter Inn began with settling into a different pace. In 2021, the chef pair returned to the Madison area after launching five restaurants in New York and Philadelphia, including their own: Cadence, “a 38-seat BYOB in an up-and-coming neighborhood.”
Madison365
‘A Dream Come True’: Local actor & singer set to make Broadway debut in The Outsiders
Growing up just south of Madison in Oregon and going to school in Verona, Caleb Mathura found his people among the theater kids. “Theater was always the place where I could go and feel embraced by the people there, socially, artistically,” he said in an interview for the 365 Amplified podcast. “I feel like it always gave me a sense of purpose.”
everafterinthewoods.com
Wisconsin’s Quiet BBQ Standby That Never Needed A Makeover
Good things don’t need a makeover. At least not when we’re talking about barbecue. In the heart of Wisconsin, I stumbled upon a little BBQ standby that’s been quietly perfecting its craft for years. The ribs were smoky without trying too hard, the sauce hit that sweet-savory...
dailydodge.com
Country Icon Phil Vassar Brings Hits and Heart to Dodge County Fair
(BEAVER DAM) The Dodge County Fair announced that multi-award-winning country artist Phil Vassar will perform live on the Moraine Park Main Stage on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, at 8 p.m. This highly anticipated outdoor concert is free to all fairgoers with paid gate admission, offering fans an opportunity to hear a Nashville legend in Wisconsin.
Local Business Spotlight
Opened last year, this Cottage Grove spot combines Mexican flavors with a classic sports bar
In Cottage Grove, where Friday nights revolve around football games and neighbors know each other by name, a new kind of gathering place opened its doors in April 2025. Mr. Queso Sports Bar was created with a simple but heartfelt vision: blend the energy of sports with the bold, comforting flavors of Mexican cuisine—and do it in a way that feels welcoming to everyone.
veronapress.com
Verona native Caleb Mathura cast in Broadway’s ‘The Outsiders’
Verona native and Jerry alum Caleb Mathura has been cast as Johnny Cade in “The Outsiders” on Broadway, according to a news release from the Overture Centre for the Arts. Mathura is currently in the Broadway tour of “The Notebook” and will be taking on this new role starting March 17.