If you’ve ever been to Madison and searched “best breakfast / brunch / lunch restaurants”, you’ve probably heard of Marigold Kitchen. We’ve stopped in for a bite at this Capitol square gem four times now and, every time, it’s like being reborn.

That’s probably a bit dramatic, but… it’s just SO good, you guys.

When you walk in, be ready to order. Well, we guess that’s a little overzealous. When you walk in, be ready to stand in line and look at the menu so that, when you finally get to the front of the line, you’re ready to order. Trust us: you’re going to have to stand in line. If you decide to visit during the weekend rush hours, you’ll probably even be standing in line outside. But don’t worry; if you’re intense foodies like us, you won’t regret it. 🙂

The atmosphere took some getting used to for us. Marigold is a fairly small space for a place so popular. There is comfy wall seating towards the back of the restaurant and inviting window seating at the front (perfect natural light photo-taking opps, as you’ll see in the pictures featured in this post); but, if you’re sitting anywhere in the middle, be ready to brush some elbows and mumble some “Ope, sorry”s. And the order-before-you-sit concept was pretty off-putting for two hungry giraffe people (tall joke) from a small city. Clearly, though, that hasn’t scared us away.

Marigold is a fun, quirky, urban restaurant a few steps southeast from the heart of downtown Madison (aka, the Capitol building). It’s locally-owned, with a friendly and positive vibe. The ingredients are locally-sourced and arrive fresh every day, fresh baked goods are prepared every day, and the soup is made from scratch — you guessed it — every day!

A: Peep my go-to meal above: the ham and Gruyere omelet with a side of field mix and wheat toast. Literally, I’ve ordered this every time we’ve gone to Marigold because I’m in love and I’m also powerless against my will. I never thought I’d be happy to hear someone say “salad for breakfast”, much less just some leaves coated in a mystery sauce, but, lo and behold, here we are. I actually CRAVE this salad; crazy, I know! And the omelet — talk about the beauty in simplicity. It seems illegal to put any more ingredients in this omelet. The ham pieces, fresh, stringy Gruyere cheese, and crunchy scallions make my insides melt. Delightful. Also, a jar of jam is readily available at each table and jam is my jam.

M: Unlike Alex, I tend to hop around the menu. From pancakes to soups and sandwiches, Marigold spans the breakfast-lunch category, leaving me satisfied with any choice I make. On this particular trip, I met Alex for a brunch date. Knowing that I’d be on my feet for a good part of the day, I was craving something light, but still had hunger to subdue. The Tuna Melt was the perfect rebuttal to my stomach’s groaning without bogging me down later. Crunchy Rosemary bread meets warm tuna, Swiss and cheddar cheese, accented with house-made pickles and tomatoes. The sandwich itself is quite the showpiece, but Marigold does’t stop there — they also knocked the side dish out of the park. This time I chose the red cabbage slaw, an excellent compliment to the pickles on the sandwich. Nearly stealing the limelight, this slaw really impressed me, leaving a lingering satisfaction through my afternoon. I will be sure to never underestimate the mighty red cabbage again, and to keep it in mind for next time.

Is your mouth watering yet? Just look at the browning on that sourdough; the brightness of those greens! Even the food looks happy. While Marigold isn’t necessarily a “hidden treasure” in Madison, that’s because it’s too good not to talk about. So far, we agree that it’s one of the best places you can eat in Madison, which is why we chose to feature it for our second post. We like to consider this a public service. So, if you’re hanging around the Isthmus, looking for delicious eats, then look no further than 118 S Pinckney Street. (Rhyme game on point.)

A&M

Hungry? >>> http://marigoldkitchen.com/