Showing posts with label Edgewater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edgewater. Show all posts

Friday, October 7, 2016

A New Edgewater Resort and Delicious Dines in Madison

My friend Roberta and I woke up in our beautiful room at The Edgewater Resort & Spa in Madison, Wisconsin.

I had been there on a “combo” trip – covering a college tennis tournament and checking out the city. It was our final day.

The first thing on the agenda was tour of the hotel with Jessica Arendas, Marketing and Public Relations Manager of The Edgewater.

I had actually been to this hotel before. It was 2010 and I was there for the Celebration of American Distilling.

Since that time, The Edgewater had gone through a dramatic renovation. I didn’t recognize the place – except it’s lakefront location – and I was looking forward to checking out more of it.

We met Jessica in the lobby and I remarked immediately how much I loved the spiral staircase and lighting fixtures.

It only got better from there.

The resort had taken on an understated elegance, enough so that you felt like you were staying someplace special, but not too much that you didn’t feel comfortable.

We were having a strange winter. It had been warm a few days prior and now a chill was in the air.

We walked outside and saw the ice skating rink and the Ice House, where you could get food, hot chocolate, and rent skates.

From there we went to check out the fitness center, salon, and spa. It was one of the latest to be re-done and it was quite impressive, offering every service imaginable.

We left Jessica and went to breakfast downtown at Marigold Kitchen. It had been recommended to me and we certainly weren’t disappointed.

The food was delicious. We loved our omelets, mine veggie and Roberta’s meat filled, with the Marigold potatoes. We also had their famous macaroons, which were fantastic.

I headed to the University of Wisconsin for a few hours to finish covering the tennis tournament while Roberta did some shopping.

We were running late for lunch at Sujeo and they were about to close, but they graciously told us they would stay open as we were led to the noodle bar.

With the open kitchen, I was able to keep an eye on my food.

It’s a big thing for me since I have a severe seafood allergy and rarely eat in Asian restaurants.

Sujeo is a Pan-Asian restaurant created by Chef Tory Miller, who has three other restaurants in Madison and a James Beard Award for “Best Chef, Midwest.”

They took good care of both of us as we sipped tea.

First, the Korean Fried Chicken came out and it was sweet and spicy at the same time. The rice kept the spice in check.

Then, we each got our noodle bowls.
I chose the Miso Chicken Ramen and it was filled with tender chicken, flavorful broth, and perfectly cooked noodles.

Roberta had something different. The Khao Soi also had chicken and noodles, but was in a spicy red coconut curry.

We arrived back at The Edgewater Resort with lots of leftovers and a forecast of snow for the next day.

Jessica Arendas arranged for us to stay an extra day at the resort.

She also put together spa treatments for us.

The Edgewater Spa turned out to be even better than it looked and we left Madison relaxed and rejuvenated.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Hand Pies, Chocolate and More in Madison

It was day three in Madison, Wisconsin, and my friend Roberta and I were getting ready to leave The Graduate Madison and heading to our next hotel, The Edgewater Resort.

I had chosen to split the stay between the two accommodations because they are totally different.
We certainly had enjoyed the college town atmosphere of The Graduate Madison.

Before we left, we had breakfast in the lobby café, Portage Pi.

Hand pies are the specialty here, and very popular with college students.
Lots of locals show up just to eat here and get coffee and smoothies, while taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi and power hookups.

I went for sweet, while Roberta preferred the savory. Both were good with our smoothies and coffees.
It was one time I wasn’t anxious to turn in my keys as I loved the idea that Graduate Madison had made them look like student IDs, but it was time to head out.
While in Madison, I was also covering a tennis tournament at the university. Roberta dropped me off and did some shopping while I was there. 


She picked me up and we headed to a place I knew I had to visit the minute I saw the sign -- Chocolaterian Café.

The selection here of chocolate goodies did not disappoint and it took a while before either of us could make a decision.

We saw a selection of cookies, including Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Cherry Chocolate, Molasses, and Spicy Chocolate.

There was also something called, Kouiagn Amann, which was a cross between a croissant and a cupcake, layers of butter and sugar, and a crunchy exterior.

We decided to get two things to share: the Ugly Cookie, a chocolate chip cookie with pistachios, cocoa nibs, oats, and, toffee, and a Manona Bar, with gooey caramel, peanut butter, Rice Krispies, and milk chocolate.

With it we completed the cocoa overload with Parisian drinking chocolate. It was a heavenly experience.

Roberta and I left the café and took a scenic ride along Lake Mendota. It looked especially beautiful as the sun was beginning to set.

We checked into The Edgewater Resort & Spa. Our suite overlooked the lake and had a balcony so we could really take in the view.

It had been a few years since I had been to this resort and it had since been totally remodeled, making it the only AAA 4 Diamond in Madison and Dane Counties.



We got settled in and freshened up for dinner in The Statehouse, one of six dining options at The Edgewater (including room service).

I started with a Winter Kiss cocktail and we shared a mushroom flatbread for an appetizer.


It was the first in a selection of delicious food that arrived at our table, including steak, a tender pork chop, and scrumptious macaroni and cheese.

For dessert, the skillet apple crumb pie with ice cream was a perfect choice.


Roberta and I relaxed in The Statehouse bar for a bit before heading to our suite at The Edgewater .
It was supposed to be our one and only night there.