As summer creeps unavoidably to a close'was it really 42 degrees the other night'?one of the great joys of the UW-Madison campus will again be put on hiatus for the winter: lunch on Library Mall. Where else can you stand in the sunshine, perusing the selections offered by the various food carts, deciding between a lunch of Jerk Pork or Green Chicken Curry? Nowhere but on Library Mall.
Given the sheer number of food carts there are, Library Mall is definitely not an easy place to stand out, which makes it so surprising that several do. Val's Cookout Express is one of them.
Located, usually, in front of St. Paul's Church, Val's white and red cart is almost a little difficult to locate amidst the other brightly colored options like Jamerica and Loose Juice. Even when you have located it, a sense of doubt might enter your mind as you peruse the somewhat confusing menu board (the board includes all the dishes Val's makes, with those available each day identified by the word \today"" handwritten beneath them) and the difficult to read and sometimes misspelled handwritten daily specials board.
Don't let that initial doubt stop you, though. Your patience with the menu will be rewarded by the culinary joys that owner Valery Brown produces inside this cart of carts.
Val's offerings have a home-cooked quality to them, and there is a definite southern influence to many of the dishes. Hearty stews abound, from Red Beans and Rice to Jambalaya. Catfish plays a big role on the menu, with the venerable Catfish Sandwich standing out among stand outs. Deep fried, with a nicely spiced breading, the fish is crisp without being greasy. Served on a fresh roll, and topped the lettuce, tomato and hot sauce, this sandwich is worth waiting in line for.
Another favorite is the Dirty Rice. A hearty combination of rice, herbs, onion, peppers and ground beef, this slow-simmered stew is the definition of comfort food. It is served with optional hot sauce (I recommend it) and slices of fresh tomato on top, which serve to balance the heat of stew. And as with almost all of Val's dishes, the Dirty Rice come with a large slab of their exceptional cornbread.
As with almost all the carts on Library Mall, the price is very affordable, especially given the size of the portions'$6 will be enough get you a lunch, complete with a drink, that will leave you sated and drowsy in the grass.
And really, is there any other way to be?
