Food in the City

Food is a bit of a rock star these days, loved and loathed just like celebrities.

In a recession, food—especially healthy food—is a luxury to a lot more people. Folks are having a hard time finding enough of it for their families. Thankfully, we have a strong food bank and distribution system in our community, so we find and feed as many hungry stomachs as possible.

How we grow and produce our food is another lively topic of conversation. I’m a big fan of anything Michael Pollan writes, outlining in excruciating detail how the failures of the modern agricultural system is one of the most important subjects on earth. The guy is brilliant (and coming to Madison later this year) and if he and others are successful in convincing the Obama family to plant a garden at the White House, the Sashas and Malias of the world might not grow up (like I did) wondering how hard they have to scrub to remove the chemicals on their apples and carrots.

Here in Madison, local and organic food conversations are lively and abundant. We have them in the magazine every month, thanks to senior food writer Nancy Christy and her hungry husband, Neil. Each time I edit their column, “Genuine Articles,” I’m smarter, and more interested than ever in the food chain. They bring us insightful and intelligent food for thought from all over the planet, including people and ideas in our own back yard.

Dan Curd’s blog is another great source of information and inspiration for me. He’s an encyclopedia of knowledge about local restaurants, the state’s culinary contributions, and more. Nancy Lynch’s recipe columns beautifully connect what’s cooking in the kitchen to the warmth of family and friends—she shows how food and nostalgia go hand in hand.

I’m excited to read Terese Allen’s latest book that updates the late Harva Hachten’s amazing Flavors of Wisconsin, a history of food and cooking in the state. It’s due out later this year. Meanwhile, there’s a really great book out right this minute called Hungry for Wisconsin: A Tasty Guide for Travelers (Itchy Cat Press, $25). It’s by Madison’s own Mary Bergin, a syndicated travel columnist whose byline has appeared in The Capital Times for many years. When I picked it up I flipped right to the Madison section eager to see what she’d chosen to feature. There were a few usual suspects—the Farmers' Market and L’Etoile, for example—because they are always worthy of mention. But I was surprised by the diversity of food Bergin finds and loved the way she presented it. So I asked her for an interview and she graciously accepted.

It’s interesting that you open your chapter on the Madison area with its exciting relationships with Chicago restaurants. What was your reasoning? We are not an island. Others notice our good work, good taste and find it attractive. The ever-growing connections between southwest Wisconsin farmers and Chicago restaurateurs add credibility to the product abundance and quality that we locals might otherwise take for granted.

The Madison businesses you chose to profile are a nice cross-section of the food community—from upscale to ethnic to heritage to taverns to, of course, the Farmers’ Market. And the mixture of storytelling and service stands out to me. How did you determine who and what to include? My aim, throughout the book, was to gather the most eclectic mix of food businesses and stories/situations that I could find. It was important to go beyond the obvious.

By the way, you stole my big idea for a picture of Keith Daniels of the Harmony Bar standing next to his bumper sticker door. I’ve been dying to get that shot in the magazine! Keith is a gem, and genuine. I very much like what he stands for. He seems to care about his neighborhood as much as he wants to operate a successful business that bucks stereotypes. “Bar food” can have a “gourmet flair.”

Anybody you regret leaving out? Yes! We had more material than we could accommodate, even though much is written pretty concisely.

I make a point of mentioning that “Hungry” is not a “best of” book. It’s a discriminating glimpse at our wealth of diversity and integrity, as it pertains to food. I continue to hear about enticing enterprises, be it Alpha Delights—a nifty European bakery in DePere, or a farm near Stockholm whose public “pizza nights” during the growing season involve all-local ingredients.

How long did the book take to research? To write? I began my syndicated “Roads Traveled” column in 2002, but my interest in food writing predates that. Some of what I wrote years ago was recycled for this book project. Other material was written just for it. I signed a book contract with Itchy Cat Press in October 2007 and had the project finished (that means even the index – ugh!) shortly before summer 2008 arrived.

What, if anything, was news to you? The depth of our culinary creativity and integrity in Wisconsin’s small towns is amazing. I knew a few of these players when my research began, but I keep hearing about more and more!

What kind of reaction are you getting? It’s been extremely positive, and I’m grateful.

What’s next? I continue to build a full-time freelance writing and photography business, seeking projects instead of traditional employment. Wisconsin people/places/topics are the core of my work, but I’m also traveling far away. Will be in Egypt, for example, in early February.