Where We’ve Been Eating: January 2025

So many restaurants, so little time! In the January 2025 edition of Where We’ve Been Eating, our Madison food tour guides explore some warm and cozy food options that are relatively new to the Madison area. Come back to our blog for more great restaurant recommendations, and book a food tour for a deeper dive on Madison’s exciting and diverse food scene.

Brix Cider

119 S. 2nd St., Mount Horeb

https://brixcider.com

“Farm-to-Table” might be the trendiest term used by Madison restaurants to boast their menu offerings. But if it came down to a competition on just how local their ingredients are, Brix Cider in Mount Horeb might top the podium.

Owners Marie and Matt Raboin source over two-thirds of their ingredients from local farmers, many of whom they call friends. Their menu rotates but it’s always full of delicious items: asparagus with a ginger-mustard dipping sauce, black bean chili, and ground pork tacos may not be there when you arrive, but some equally fresh and delicious menu items will be.

Beyond supporting local farmers, Brix supports local entertainers with open mic nights, live bands, and even “Crash the Kitchen” nights where they invite other local chefs into their kitchen. 

Oh yeah — we haven’t even mentioned the cider! It’s fresh, delicious, and unconventional in relation to more mainstream commercial ciders. New cider flavors come and go just like the farm-fresh food menu items.

Ben’s Stoughton

210 S Water St, Stoughton
https://www.facebook.com/BensStoughtonMia/ 

Ben’s in Stoughton specializes in MIA (or Mediterranean-Indian-African) food. A native of Tanzania, chef and owner Ombeni “Ben” Pallangyo, moved to the Madison area after meeting his now ex-wife (a DeForest native) in an Indian restaurant in Tanzania.

The freshly printed menus at Ben’s change weekly, if not daily — an indication of the fresh ideas coming to the menu. Peri peri chicken masala, kebabs, goat curry, beef curry fufu, and gyros are just a few dishes that may or may not be available when you make the trip to Stoughton. For dessert, a coffee and chocolate milkshake is the perfect end to your meal.

Located right off the main drag of Stoughton’s charming and quaint downtown, Ben’s is a solid food stop as part of a fun day trip away from the city.

Zen Ramen

4674 Cottage Grove Rd.

https://www.zenramenmadison.com

Opened in Late 2023, Zen Ramen is easy to miss from the road. However, this strip mall restaurant is a hidden gem offering handmade ramen noodles and locally sourced ingredients. A rich and complex broth drives the flavor of each and every bowl of ramen, and the authentic appetizers like takoyaki (squid balls) are the perfect sidekick to the main event.

Zen Ramen also offers a variety of salads, soups, and other Japanese dishes if ramen doesn’t fit the mood. But let’s face it: once you smell the spicy broth and the handmade noodles, you’re ordering a big bowl of happiness. Zen offers an authentic taste of Japan that should be higher on your restaurant to-do list.

Looking for more restaurant recommendations? Book a food tour

The Madison food tour guides at Madison Eats would love to show you the best of what Madison has to offer. Join us for a handful of food stops, a healthy dose of local history, and camaraderie with other local foodies. We’ve love to meet you — book your tour today!