As a graduating senior, one must learn to say goodbye to many things near and dear to him come commencement time in mid-May.
One farewell couldn't wait until May, however, as this past week I was forced to say goodbye to the lovely Kohl's Food Emporium, located at 3650 University Ave.
Less than a year old, the grocery store was a thing of beauty. A marvel of ergonomics, the Kohl's on University boasted extra-wide aisles, bright (but not blinding) lighting and a product arrangement so logical, I could even figure it out during a few late-hour grocery binges.
Another selling point at Kohl's was the awesome service. Despite the fact that the store was a 10-minute drive from my apartment, it still felt like a neighborly place to get food.
I can only hope Kohls' replacement lives up to the high standards of its predecessor. But if it doesn't, it surely won't be a first in Madison.
During my eight or so years as a UW-Madison undergrad, I've seen plenty of great places go out of business, only to be taken over by a lesser, lamer version, or in some cases not even replaced at all.
Would you believe University Square used to have a rock club? It most definitely did, and the Mango Grill was a great place to see up-and-coming local and national acts.
Although it's great to see a movie theater caf?? as the Mango's replacement, no one will argue with the fact that Madison's music scene could use all the nightclubs it can get.
Besides, the food at the Cinema isn't even as good as the Mango Grill's cheap and tasty lunch specials.
I hate to keep beating this dead horse, but Dotty Dumpling's Dowry is also sorely missed. Even with its blaring music and cheap flea-market decorations, Dotty's was the best place to get a burger in the 608 area code.
Dotty's location on Fairchild Street was forcibly vacated to make room for the over-hyped Overture Center. Let's hope the Alcohol Liscence Review Committee is kind enough to Dotty's proprietor Jeff Stanley, to grant him the license he needs to get a new place started.
Although they didn't do much business in burgers, the Wilson Street Grill was a great place to eat. The ingredients were local and organic, the service was great and the food was made from scratch and delicious, but prices were still affordable enough for regular folks. Too bad owner Nancy Christie decided to go into catering instead of relocating. Maybe I'll hire her to do the food at my next house party.
I never ate a single gyro at Zorba's, and its replacement, Takara, 315 State St., is a fine place to get a meal. Still, Zorba's was good for the neighborhood. More specifically, the competition was good for Parthenon Gyros, located across the street. Since Zorba's passing, the food at Parthenon has turned disappointingly mediocre.
Zorba's isn't the only Greek place I miss on State Street. Cafeli, which is now Hawk's, 425 State St., certainly had its charms. Don't get me wrong, Hawk's probably has the best bar food on State Street. Still, Cafeli had a certain quirky funk that is very much missing from Hawk's. Where else in town but Cafeli could you eat Spanakopita, drink cheap Mexican beer by the can and groove to trashy Europop on the dance floor?
I better stop there. I'm starting to sound like my dad, who loves to talk about all the burger joints and bars he misses at his alma mater, UW-Oshkosh. Really, we've still got it pretty good here. Despite the sadly departed bars and restaurants, Madison is still a great place to eat and hang out.
Here's to eight more great years.
