As finals near, you may be looking for something to spice up your usual food routine. Those brave enough have been enjoying the food carts in Library Mall for weeks now.
But some are skeptical of food carts and have not yet ventured out for a taste. These following three carts are the newest additions to the family in Library Mall. While some items are better than others, these carts offer inexpensive and tasty lunch options for any taste buds.
Mad Dog's Chicago Style Eatery
Craving gameday food between classes? No need to head over to a ballpark when you've got Mad Dog's Chicago Style Eatery just around the corner. Mad Dog's opened its State Street location Thursday, April 24, and will continue its business there until the fall.
Not only is the cart in a prime spot on Library Mall, manager April Stahl also appreciates the great energy on campus. After just a couple weeks, their food is already a hit among college students.
Mad Dog's offers a good selection of the basics. If you want to keep things simple, you can get a Naked Dog ($3.00), which is a Vienna hot dog with mustard on a poppyseed bun. The cart also providescondiments such as ketchup, mustard, onions, relish and sauerkraut if you want to dress your dog up a little bit more.
Those who are more adventurous might want to try the Wisconsin Brat ($3.25), which is a Johnsonville brat topped with sauerkraut, onion and dusseldorf mustard, or the Italian Sausage ($5.75) with your choice of peppers on a freshly baked french roll.
Of course, if you want something truly Chicago-style, try Mad Dog's Chicago Dog ($3.75). This consists of an authentic Vienna hot dog with tomato and onion, sport peppers, a pickle spear, green relish and mustard all in a poppyseed bun, with a little celery salt to top it off. The Chicago dog is a festive and delicious treat, standing out with its bright green relish complimented by the yellow mustard and red ketchup.
If you are hungry for Mad Dog's over the weekend, they also have a cart out on Saturdays on Capitol Square during the Farmer's Market. Or if you're looking for more choices, Mad Dog's has a restaurant at309 N. Henry St., which has even more menu items such as Italian beef sandwiches, meatball subs and various specialty dogs.
Mad Dog's Chicago Style Eatery's cart is a perfect place to stop by for a quick bite between classes.
- Eunice Abraham
Santa Fe Trailer
Even though the new southwest food cart in Library Mall may not have the most appealing name, the food is sure to please those looking for a quick, cheap bite to eat.
Santa Fe Trailer has a variety of items for such a small cart, including vegan and vegetarian options. There are two chilis, the black bean chili and green chili stew, both offered in a cup or bowl. The trailer also offers chips and queso, salsa and guacamole.
The Cobb Salad ($7) wasn't amazing, but it put a tasty southwestern twist on the average salad. It includes spiced, grilled chicken, jicama, eggs, bacon, tomatoes, red onions and feta cheese, but you can leave out any ingredient not to your liking. It comes with two tortillas on the side. This may sound pricey for a food cart, but the salad is huge, and it's a nice healthy alternative when ordering food to-go.
The Blue Corn Enchiladas ($5) are another way to get the most bang for your buck. These vegetarian enchiladas look questionable, but the taste is close to authentic. They pack a spicy punch, but the spice is far from overbearing.
Other menu items include Tequila Lime Pork Tenderloin Tacos ($3 each), Green Chile Burritos ($5), Veggie Fajita Tacos ($2.50 each or three for $6) and Flan ($4).
Santa Fe Trailer isn't quite high-quality, but it will satisfy your cravings and provide a fast, convenient lunch.
- Marly Schuman
Fine Italian Beef
FIB'S, a play on an endearing term associated with our sausage friends to the south, is the most recent addition to the familiar food carts at the mouth of State Street. This Chicago-style eatery serves up hot Italian beef and sausage.
The Chicago-native owners fell in love with Madison and left the Windy City but missed the Chicago food and soon, FIB'S was born. Wisconsinites cannot live on beer battered cheese curds and brats alone.
The cart offers variations of Chicago-imported Italian beef and sausage on a hunk of Italian bread topped with marinara, peppers, cheese or all of the above along with Vienna hotdogs that scream Chicago-style Italian cuisine. Keep a look out for Chicken Parmesan, which will make an appearance on the menu soon. In a sea of smoothies and fried rice, FIB'S fills a niche that Library Mall was missing.
The Sicilian Beef is a pile of thinly sliced Chicago-imported Italian beef in a bath of its own juices topped with melty mozzarella, green peppers and sweet tomato marinara. Overall, the Sicilian is a great sandwich.
The Italian beef was so incredibly juicy and delicious. The green peppers were mild yet flavorful and complemented the beef and marinara well. The only downside to the juiciness is that it made the bread soggy, which made for a messy sandwich. Maybe harder or toasted bread would stand up to the juices better. Also, the sandwich tastes best when it involves all of the components in each individual bite. Request a fork and knife just in case.
The cost of the a la carte sandwiches was a little higher than expected for vendor food. But one thing is for certain, if you go to another nearby underground sandwich shop, you won't be getting the same quality as FIB'S.
- Sara Barreau
