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The Harvey House offers dining on two levels in what was once the baggage claim building in the Madison Train Depot .
The Harvey House made “The Restaurant List” out Monday from The New York Times, and is one of “50 places in America we’re most excited about right now,” the paper wrote in its headline.
The honor — “the 50 restaurants we love most in 2022” — comes three weeks after the Madison restaurant was the subject of a 7-minute “CBS Saturday Morning” segment called “The Dish.”
The intro to the NYT list reads, “We traveled widely and ate avidly as we built the annual list of our favorite restaurants in America. From Oklahoma City to Juncos, Puerto Rico, to Orcas Island off the coast of Washington State, our food reporters, editors and critics found revelatory Ethiopian barbecue, innovative Haitian cooking and possibly the most delicious fried pork sandwich in the United States.”
It continues, “While we love to see a dynamic new dining room open its doors, we’re equally impressed by kitchens that are doing their best work years in. So while some of our picks debuted just this summer, others have been around for decades. The one thing they do have in common: The food is amazing.”
The Harvey House joins Abacá in San Francisco; Anajak Thai in Los Angeles; Bacanora in Phoenix; Bonnie’s in New York City; Brennan’s in New Orleans; Canje in Austin, Texas; Daru in Washington, D.C.; and Dear Margaret in Chicago.
“We are completely humbled and thrilled to be included in The New York Times Restaurant List 2022. Wow,” said Shaina Robbins Papach. “We truly have the best team, guests and partners in this industry. Unbelievably grateful to do what we do.”
Robbins Papach opened the restaurant last summer on West Washington Avenue, with her husband, chef Joe Papach.
After the CBS story aired she said she heard from lots of people. “It’s been really, really nice.”
In the piece, the couple talked about what they bill as a modern-day supper club and how they renovated part of a historic train depot to create it.
Don Woods opened Stadium Takeout in early October, next to his barber shop, Faded Club, on Monroe Street, where Lorraine's, and before that, New Orleans Take-Out, were.
Joe Papach and Shaina Robbins Papach opened this modern-day supper club in July, tucked into the Madison Train Depot, behind Motorless Motion Bicycles on West Washington Avenue.
Ting Cai Zhou opened this State Street counter-service restaurant where Lotsa Stone Fired Pizza was.
Brian and Alicia Hamilton opened this intimate, full-service 30-seat restaurant on Monroe Street in August across from Trader Joe's where Joon, Burgrito and Double S BBQ were.
Patricia Sánchez and Adrian Serrato opened this restaurant and store in the former Farm Tavern, south of the Beltline. In November, they opened a second one in Lakewood Plaza Shopping Center at Sherman and Commercial avenues.
Henry Aschauer opened a fourth of his healthy fast-food restaurants in November on Old Sauk Road in a former Cousins Subs shop.
Madison's second Portillo's hot dog restaurant with a three-lane drive-thru opened at West Towne Mall where a Sears Auto Center was.
Carlos Falcon opened his fifth and sixth coffee shops, one on Park Street in the Peloton Residences apartments, the other in Verona, next to the new high school.
Juan Montiel and his father, Euler Montiel, bought this second-floor, State Street favorite last summer and added some of their native Venezuelan specialties.
This Louisiana-based chain, focused on chicken strips, opened in June next to Colectivo Coffee on State Street.
The cafe opened in February in Maple Bluff where Manna Café was. It joins Tori Gerding's King Street Ancora and her Ancora on University Avenue.
Mallory Orr, who briefly worked at the 20-year-old Cool Beans, near East Towne Mall, opened her new shop in its place in December.
Evelyn Jian opened her small Middleton counter-service restaurant in early May.
Mike Hottinger opened this counter-service shop in mid-September on State Street in what had been Frutta Bowls.
Brent Mann and Michelle Duvall opened their indoor golf club, bar and restaurant in June on Fair Oaks Avenue on the ground level of the mixed-use Garver Point Apartments.
Walter Heinrich and Jennie Corey-Heinrich took over the popular bar Marcine's in Mount Vernon and renamed it. They promised to keep almost everything the same.
Tyrone Austin and Ondray Sellers, with help from Mary Bridges, opened the takeout restaurant in February in the back of a Citgo gas station on Northport Drive.
Jeannie Ni opened this sushi spot in April on Cottage Grove Road where Good Food Low Carb Café was.
Jeannie Ni opened her conveyor-belt sushi restaurant in August on Whitney Way where, for 14 years, she co-owned Takara Japanese Restaurant.
James Montgomery opened the cafe mid-May in his three-year-old hotel on South Baldwin Street off Williamson Street.
Madhuri Ranade opened her food cart in June on Library Mall, and sells four items.
Andy Haker, who owns Madison's on King Street, turned the restaurant-bar's party room into an artisan ice cream and coffee shop.
Sam Parker, Ryan Huber and Brian Bartels, who also own neighboring Settle Down Tavern, opened the bar in October on King Street.
Sam Brown opened a combination bookstore, bar and café in July next to the Regent Street Rocky's, where Greenbush Bakery was.
David Rodriguez opened Taco Local in April on Williamson Street where Underground Butcher was.
Ryan Ramig and Josh Wacker opened a bar on Cottage Grove Road where JoBeck's Bar was.
Michael Parks opened this eclectic restaurant in the former Forequarter space on East Johnson Street.
This Ohio-based chain opened its first Wisconsin location in March at the corner of Gammon and Mineral Point roads.
Sinarack "Be" Macvilay opened a third Rising Sons Laotian-Thai restaurant on West Verona Avenue, where Jordandal Cookhouse was.
Patrick Riha, who owns Beef Butter BBQ restaurant on the North Side, opened this seasonal outdoor spot in the town of Westport.
The restaurant, in the former Boston's Pizza Restaurant & Sports Bar, had a soft opening in December 2020, but is being counted as a 2021 opening.
Nathan Mergen, who owns the restaurant/bar 107 State at that address, expanded next door last spring into the former Shoo store, for a private dining room and "urban art gallery."
Patrick DePula of Salvatore's Tomato Pies on East Washington Avenue took over the space next door that used to be Star Bar for an art gallery, bar, and performance art and music venue.
Jacknife will be a fast-casual restaurant on East Washington Avenue from the owners of the sushi favorite RED.
Chasers Bar & Grille was chased out of its West Gorham Street home because of redevelopment, but Chasers 2.0 is opening in the old Nomad spot a block away.
East Johnson Family Restaurant, an upscale diner from the couple behind Johnson Public House.
Driftless Social in Mount Horeb, a supper club in the old Schubert's diner and bakery from Matt and Tim Schmock, two grandsons of the founders of Smoky's Club in Madison.
Mio Fratello, a pizza place on the North Side from Alessandro Monachello and Chris Guglielmo. The partners have tweaked their business model to do catering and pop-up events. They've been selling their wood-fired pizza at the North Side Farmers' Market and at festivals and private events.
Red Rooster in the former Knuckle Down Saloon from Jesse Steinberg, Paul Schwoerer, Tim Payne and Dan Resnick, members of Madtown Mannish Boys, a local blues band.
Read more restaurant news at: go.madison.com/restaurants
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Wisconsin State Journal feature writer Samara Kalk Derby writes about the arts and brings you the latest news on the Madison area's eclectic restaurant scene. She can be reached at skalk@madison.com or 608-252-6439.
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It takes its name from the ease of the transition, and offers both casual and upscale menus.
Normally the groundbreaking for a new Culver's restaurant doesn't generate this kind of attention, but about 150 people turned out Wednesday for this one.
"It's pretty sad," the co-owner said. "It's been there for almost 20 years and we had a good clientele. There was big support from the Monona community."
"It got to the point where we were unable to staff the restaurant and deliver a quality experience," said Doc's founder Brent Brashier.
A manager said the company closed the store because it was in an older building with tenants above it, and there were often problems with the pipes.
"We've had some visitors from other markets that have come to dine, which has been lovely," said Shaina Robbins Papach, who opened the restaurant last summer on West Washington Avenue, with her husband, chef Joe Papach.
"Customer service is just particularly difficult to be in right now," the head of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association said.
One-and-a-half years after a sign for BigSur Cantina went up on Madison's Far West Side, the restaurant is set to open Monday.
Michael Cerv, 30, and Roger Barts, 35, who both live in the neighborhood, say Hot Lunch is meant to elicit the childhood nostalgia of the 1990s.
The Harvey House offers dining on two levels in what was once the baggage claim building in the Madison Train Depot .
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