We made the mistake of going to Trader Joe's on a Sunday, and it was absolutely packed. The parking…read moregarage was full, so we had to park on the street--which should've been our first clue to turn around, but we didn't. Inside, it was shoulder-to-shoulder with shoppers. That said, we managed to grab a few items we wanted, and the checkout line moved surprisingly fast. We picked up the Pad See Ew, Paneer Masala with Rice, and a couple of ice creams. Everything we tried was tasty, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good the frozen Pad See Ew was. The portion size is on the smaller side, but at $4-5, it's a solid value. Note to self: avoid Trader Joe's on weekends; weekday trips are much better.

Trader Joe's is a national grocery chain that still manages to feel like a neighborhood store. Most…read moreproducts are their own private label, and you'll find a strong selection of organic produce, vegan options, and even fresh flowers and succulents right at the entrance. The back of the store has a nice beer and wine section--think Whole Foods-style offerings but at lower prices. For example, a six-pack of beer for just $4.99 isn't the best tasting, but at that price, it's hard to complain. Here's my biggest tip: avoid this store on weekends. I made the mistake of visiting on a Sunday around noon, and it was chaos. The underground parking garage holds maybe 20 cars, and the line to get in stretched onto the street. I ended up parking on the street in the neighborhood two blocks away, which wasn't terrible, but once inside, it was a different story. Every register line had 20-30 people, stretching all the way to the back of the store. Overall, Trader Joe's offers great prices and unique finds, but unless you enjoy battling crowds, I'd recommend going on a weekday.

Took a weekend trip to check out the farmer's market, which did not disappoint at all! They had so…read moremany vendors (flowers, lots of delicious bakery items, produce, etc)! One thing I really liked about the farmer's market is that it opens super early! It's also located near lots of coffee shops and breakfast places, so if you're needing a pick me up, there's lots of places to choose from! All of the vendors were super friendly and most offered different forms of payment (cash, card, venmo). There were some vendors who only accepted cash, however, there's several ATM's across the street!

Easily the best and most scenic Farmers Market I have been to! I've heard rumors that Madison held…read morequite the market on Tuesdays and Saturdays but didn't believe it till I visited. The market is fully around the four sides of the capitol building as well as another off branch down a street for artisan goods. It was nice to see so many local vendors from all throughout Wisconsin. The variety of products being sold was impressive; from baked goods, breads, flowers, produce, honey, sauces, meats, popcorn, sweet treats, and no shortage of cheeses! It took us about 75 minutes to fully walk and enjoy the market. I could not recommend this market more to anyone visiting Madison! Items Purchased: -Yummee, Chocolate Chip & S'mores Cookies -Dickson Artisan Fudge, Stumbling Cowboy Flavor -Stella's Bakery, Hot & Spicy Cheese Bread -Honey Strawberry Lemonade -Sweet Grass Bread, Parm Garlic Knots

I stopped at Dane County holiday market at the Monona Terrace. I got to pick up a copy of the new…read moreDane County Farmers' Market cookbook and a few other treats from some of the vendors. Loved the apple pie from Stella's bakery and the Brussels sprout stalk from Olden Organics. I am looking forward to trying out some of these recipes for my family Christmas party. I recommend this cookbook to anyone who loves cooking or food. The holiday market is only there for a short timeframe so check it out if you can!

Better than I expected in Madison Wisconsin. Great selection of Asian foods. They had everything I…read morewanted. Only negatives are somewhat of an off putting odor and cashier did not speak much English,

Great selection at a great price! I like that they do have your "normal" grocery items as well,…read moremakes a shopping trip a little easier if you only want to make one stop. You will definitely find anything specific you're looking for, for a recipe. May need to adjust your eyeballs though to find it, there is a lot of product so can be overwhelming.

The is a much easier to get around farmers market than the one downtown. The vendor selection for…read morethe size of it is great. Bloom bake shop is a constant fixture for some pastries, some being vegan&gluten free. There are few options for vegetables. I love getting fresh tomatoes here. Cher's garden has beautiful options for bouquets and very friendly! Finding vegan and gluten-free macarons was an awesome surprise. Something for everyone.

A small but very lovely farmers market. All the vendors were so welcoming and invited you to camp…read moreout in their tents during a summer rain. We loved the vendor who gave us a "rain" discount on his truly unique photography. Would go again, even in the rain :)

While popping between nearby Colectivo and the adjacent park, we popped into Alimentari out of…read morecuriosity, and somehow left with a pre-made frozen dinner for the evening and a Spicy Soppressata sammy to enjoy alongside the lake mere feet away! While they seem to be known for their sandwiches, and for good reason, they have a lot of great artisanal items rooted in Italian cooking. This includes oils, wines, sauces, spices, treats and more. The "more" also includes fresh-made pasta, hand cut meats and cheeses, gelato and a few other absolutely delish items! Back to that sandwich...we were not hungry, but could not pass up a good sandwich, especially one freshly made on locally sourced and baked bread! The bread was the absolutely star of each bite, I mean...sheesh! The sandwich in full was great, and definitely worth the stop in on its own. The store itself is small, but mighty, and well laid out, stocked with all the goods, flows well, clean and in great condition. Service was stellar as well. We were greeted upon entry, checked on while browsing and chatted up while being rang out. Overall, solid spot for a ready-made meal, a special ingredient, a tasty sandwich, fresh pasta, charcuterie or just to wander around in!

Holy smokes... I am going to have dreams about this sandwich. It is definitely top 3 sandwiches of…read moremy life and maybe the best ever. I had the prosciutto sandwich and my SO had the pastrami and both had nothing but good things to say as we ate. The prosciutto sandwich had balsamic that had just started to soak into the otherwise crunchy bread, with these big chunks of mozzarella and the freshest tomatoes and greens. Alimentari itself is this awesome little deli/grocer with both bagged pastas AND FRESH PASTA/antipasti available to buy, as well as all sorts of goods, breads, coffees, chocolates, beverages and a whole wine selection. Beware that there is no seating inside but definitely do not let this dissuade you from visiting.

Top quality, hard-to-find Japanese ingredients available here. Excellent, friendly service, very…read morehelpful with suggestions for best brands and how to cook with them.

Madison is loaded with Asian markets, but Oriental Shop caters to the Japanese market. The couple…read morethere are quite kind, and they are honest and truly care about you and making sure their goods are top quality. I trust them so much I only buy my seafood for sushi and sashimi from them. Here I made a chirashi bowl with just some of the seafood they had to offer. I even bought a ramen style bowl from them. She buys fish larger, to cut down on costs. She then cuts them in smaller sections and those savings are in sure given to you. If you want something special, you can ask her to order it for you sometimes. Every time I go I am surprised by something new they will have, and know she will know about the products they sell. This is really my most favorite shop in Madison. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

I look forward to visiting this booth every Saturday morning at the Farmers Market in Madison, WI…read more With all the interesting flavors of cookies and not to mention fun designs. Any place I can get a bag of homemade cookies by the pound of interesting flavors and mini replicas of dinosaurs, spiders, cows, Holy Cows (cows with wings) I support!

While taking my dog to UW Vet Oncology, we made a lot of frequent stops here- considering it was…read morejust a couple minutes away. Meat was reasonably priced and very delicious!! They have a lot of frozen food options and they also have fresh meat as well.

The predecessor of this store is "Bucky's Butchery." This…read morestore opened in 2020, which is located on the first floor of Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery building. There is a fee-based parking structure next door. It also offers curbside pickup and takes online orders. The store staff can provide more details. The store carries lamb, beef, chicken, and pork products, raised at the UW-Madison's own farms. It also carries cheese products but unsure if they are all made by the UW-Madison. The store is clean and well organized but seems to be a bit low on some stocks due to its popularity. The prices is average. This is a unique concept because the shop is student-run with education and innovation focus instead of just "selling meat." This store provides an additional option to support the UW-Madison and a way to obtain good quality meat. In the lobby next to the store, it has a timeline and exhibitions showcasing meat cutting history and technology. While the staff there wasn't able to fully answer my inquiries but still provides helpful info as a first-time visitor. What's unusual is that it also sells Asian products like dumplings, which doesn't seem to be something one would expect from a specialty meat shop. Unsure if it's one-time only, seasonal, or long term. An interesting shop, worth a visit at least once.

Wide range of cheese and very attentive staff. Tried several new cheeses and bought several real…read moregems.

You enter and it smells like vomit and excrement combined; that's how you know you're in a cheese…read morestore! I gagged, begged to leave but alas I was forced to stay and eat cheese. Wow it is GOOD! Wren helped us and has a real passion for the cheese. She introduced us to sheep cheese that was oh so good that we got some! Find some crackers with jam and it'll be a party in your mouth!