It's Madison Week at OnMilwaukee.com. We sent our editorial staff to check out bars, restaurants, retail outlets and cultural venues in order to uncover some of the best of Wisconsin's second-largest city.
MADISON-- It's a challenge to find anyone living in Madison who hasn't heard of The Great Dane.
It's the place to grab a beer, shoot a game of pool or watch the Badgers. From late morning lunches to late night drinking, The Great Dane is always packed and rest assured it's a place your friends, family and co-workers will love.
Beginning with just a single capitol square location, 15 years later The Great Dane Pub has infiltrated Madison's dining repertoire with locations in Fitchburg, Hilldale, and Downtown. Each serving the same house craft beers and bar style menu, The Great Dane has become a Madison staple much the way Alterra Coffee is synonymous with Milwaukee cafe.
"As much as it's the beer, it's really the locations and the individuality of the locations that set The Great Dane apart in Madison," Downtown Manager Noell Luce explains.
The Great Dane's menu is far from your usual burger and fries. Every sauce, dressing and side is homemade from scratch. Packed with over 50 choices, the menu's variety ranges from classic burgers or chicken pot pie to garlic, spinach and artichoke pizza and seared tuna tataki.
Knowing their Madison clientele, the menu adequately covers the vegetarian diet; a veggie burrito, Portobello mushroom sandwich and falafel sandwich counter other meat heavy options.
Following the tradition of Capital Brewery in Middleton, The Great Dane began brewing beer on site when they opened in 1994. Since, they've helped pave the way for several other small scale breweries in the Madison area.
"We absolutely feel that Madison is very welcoming to small breweries. We want to see that small breweries, like us, can be successful," Luce says.
Eleven house beers are regularly on tap Downtown including the American Pale Ale, Black Earth Porter and Crop Circle Wheat.
Large windows in the main bar expose mash tanks and fermentation processing; giving diners a view of Brewers at work as they sit along the long, mahogany bar or dine in the dining room.
"Each restaurant has its own brewery and brews on the premises," Luce continues. "The beers are really up to the discretion of the brewer while remaining true to certain brewing styles and true to a craft brewery."
In addition to filling the taps in their restaurants, The Great Dane brews more than enough to let you take some home. You can pick up a "growler" or gallon-size jug filled and sealed with your favorite in-house brew.
"We do a lot of wholesale distribution as well. So, while our beer isn't available in grocery or liqour stores, you can find it on tap all over Wisconsin in bars and restaurants," Luce says.
The Great Dane's reputation may be dominated by the brewery's success and recognition but the food doesn't fall far behind.
The large soft pretzels were full and thick; served with both brown mustard and cranberry mustard dipping sauces. Nachos were piled high with the usual cheese, olives, jalapenos, salsa and sour cream but diners have the additional option of adding chicken or Portobello mushrooms. Calamari is battered in buttermilk and fried crispy with banana peppers.
"The distinction in our menu really comes from within. The executive chef didn't want to do just burgers and sandwiches; the ideas and inspiration come from experience and staff seeing things elsewhere and bringing the concept back," Luce explains.
Lunch entrees like the Webster Street salad, falafel sandwich, Mayan chicken wrap and famous fish fry were strong and steady. Classic entrees lived up to expectations and new creations gave us reason to take note.
The downtown Great Dane building, originally known as The Fess Hotel, was remodeled in 1994. Owners Rob LoBreglio and Eliot Butler retained the original brickwork in the main dining room, stone walls in the basement Ratskellar and a large central courtyard.
"I really believe our restaurant and concept of service is a blend between old and new. We like tradition but we like evolution too," Luce explains.
The Great Dane plans to evolve throughout early 2009. An expansion at their Hilldale location includes the addition of a large pool hall and plans are set for a new Great Dane to open in Wausau in March 2009.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Maureen Post grew up in Wauwatosa. A lover of international and urban culture, Maureen received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
After living on the east side of Madison for several years, Maureen returned to Milwaukee in 2006.
After a brief stint of travel, Maureen joined OnMilwaukee.com as the city’s oldest intern and has been hooked ever since. Combining her three key infatuations, Milwaukee’s great music, incredible food and inspiring art (and yes, in that order), Maureen’s job just about fits her perfectly.
Residing in Bay View, Maureen vehemently believes the city can become fresh and new with a simple move across town.
