I want to travel more often to places where someone still cares enough to make a proper deviled egg.
Madison, Wisconsin, is one of those places.
This may sound like nostalgia, but it isn’t. It’s decency on a platter. Think about it: A good deviled egg isn’t expensive. It simply requires that someone thought another person was worth the effort. The egg boiled to perfection. A little paprika dusting atop the filling. It’s a small act of care—a kindness, even. And these days caring feels more rewarding than a caviar bump. You have to choose to care.
Madison reminds me that cities make choices, too.
Some places spend money performatively. They preen, like Miami. They air kiss like Cannes. They price themselves out of reach. Viva, Las Vegas. There are cities that never sleep like New York. And those that twinkle in a sort of dream state like Dubai.
We live in an era where the wealth is indecent, the politics are indecent and the price of everything is truly scandalous. Madison, in contrast, is fundamentally a decent place.
Those glittery destinations build monuments to exclusivity and make visitors feel they’re always just one credit card swipe away from belonging. Madison spends its efforts making you feel like you fit right in by making the little things better. It offers bike paths instead of bottle service. Supper clubs instead of private clubs. Produce markets instead of luxury retail.
Those are decent things. And I think, especially now, decency is worth a visit.
I realized this on a warm July night on a blanket on the grass at the State Capitol. Everywhere you looked knots of families and friends had gathered to hear the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, accompanied by Madison hip-hop artist Rob Dz. There was also room for some John Phillips Sousa, and the conductor asked the military veterans attending to stand. A lot of people got up and the applause was warm and sustained. These were sons and fathers, daughters, friends and neighbors. Not a vicious word, nor a coarse attack. Madison respects its citizens. And its visitors. The finale was the 1812 Overture. As the cannons fired, each roar felt like a revelation.
I’m increasingly impatient with travel’s focus on ostentation, exclusivity, and “luxury”—a descriptor as ubiquitous as it has become meaningless. No one is fooled yet everyone repeats the mantra.
Madison doesn’t speak that language. And Wisconsin’s capital is getting second looks these days because of it. It’s green and leafy with a terrific botanical garden, the Olbrich, that’s free to all. It’s got a lot of James Beard attention with restaurants like Fairchild (a winner) and Ahan (a runner up). It’s proud of hosting the country’s largest local farmers’ market. And the bars! Madison dearly loves to swill and socialize and saloons like Lola’s and Public Parking (James Beard saluted them, too) are the way bars in San Francisco used to be before the tech industry ruined them: approachable, sassy and inspired. Public Parking pours a cognac and armagnac cocktail called “Bonsoir Subaru.” And if you don’t like that try “Ceausescu, December 25th, 1989” which commemorates the date of the Romanian dictator’s execution with Aquavit, dry vermouth and borscht. Bottoms up.
Madison jujitsus pretension like Elvis on the corner of Hwy 51 and East Washington Avenue when he stopped his limo during a 1977 tour to get out and break up a brawl with a few deft karate moves. Madison put up a plaque to commemorate the battle. Madison would. It’s like that. It made the plastic pink flamingo the city bird.
“My biggest competition,” says Tyler Leeper, a businessman whose Madison Boats rents kayaks and paddle boards and conducts sunset pontoon cruises on the city’s twin lakes, Mendota and Monona, “isn’t another company. It’s all the other things people can do here on a Saturday night.”
One thing they do is order up some deviled eggs at the Harvey House, Madison’s high-end reimagined Wisconsin supper club. It’s a nice restaurant you want to dress up for but without the velvet ropes. The young staff have the infectious warmth that invites you in to their delicious world. Nobody here is performing hospitality. They’re just practicing it.
Towns reveal themselves not by what the flaunt but by what they care for. For Madison that tally includes:
Two hundred miles of bike paths.
Two lakes that belong to everyone.
Kevin the bartender at the Edgewater Hotel, who remembered my name, not my room number.
A golden-roofed Thai temple, one of only four outside Thailand. The artisans flew from Bangkok to build it on September 11, 2001—theirs was the last plane allowed to land in Chicago before American airspace closed. In those awful weeks that followed, they labored over every detail, reconstructing the Buddhist shrine in the Olbrich’s garden. Madison has cared for it ever since.
None of these things will make a list of the world's most luxurious experiences. But together they create something that's really rare out in the world: the feeling that you're welcome without first proving your worth.
That’s why towns like Madison matter. In an age of exclusivity it choses hospitality. And I’ll take that any day of the week. Along with the deviled eggs.
More towns worth their salt:
Field Notes
Stays
The Edgewater Madison’s landmark lakefront hotel offers 202 rooms overlooking Lake Mendota just steps from downtown and the University of Wisconsin. Rooms pair contemporary comfort with sweeping water or Capitol views, while the spa, restaurants and lakeside terraces make it a destination in its own right. It remains the city’s premier hotel. Address: 1001 Wisconsin Pl. Phone: (608) 535-8200 Rates from: approximately $119 (seasonal promotional rates)
Mansion Hill Inn Owned by Trek Bicycle, this elegant 10-room boutique inn occupies a restored Victorian mansion a short walk from the Capitol Square. Individually decorated rooms, generous breakfasts and gracious service make it feel more like a private home than a hotel. Borrow one of the complimentary bicycles to explore the city the Madison way. Address: 424 N. Pinckney St. Phone: (608) 255-0172
Rates from: approximately $280
Food and Drink
Fromagination A Madison institution, this independent cheese shop showcases Wisconsin’s extraordinary dairy culture with hundreds of artisan cheeses from across the state and beyond. Friendly staff happily offer samples and pairing advice, making it as much an education as a shopping stop. Don’t miss the aged cheddars and locally made accompaniments. Address: 12 S. Carroll St. Phone: (608) 255-2430
Fairchild James Beard Award-winning chef Itaru Nagano’s intimate neighborhood restaurant turns Midwestern ingredients into refined, seasonal plates without pretension. Expect an ever-changing menu, thoughtful wine list and warm, polished service. Reservations are essential. Address: 222 Fairchild St. Phone: (608) 294-1005
Ahan Chef Jamie Brown’s celebrated restaurant blends Southeast Asian flavors with Wisconsin ingredients in creative, deeply personal cooking. The menu draws inspiration from Laos, the Philippines and Thailand while remaining unmistakably local. James Beard recognition has made it one of Madison’s hardest reservations.Address: 744 Williamson St. Phone: (608) 416-5547
Harvey House This stylish reimagining of the classic Wisconsin supper club celebrates Midwestern hospitality with polished service and nostalgic favorites elevated by first-rate ingredients. Start with the deviled eggs before moving on to fish fry, prime rib or handmade pasta. The room feels celebratory without ever feeling exclusive. Address: 644 W. Washington Ave. Phone: (608) 416-5540
Public Parking A most inventive cocktail bar. Public Parking serves imaginative drinks with equally imaginative names in a relaxed neighborhood setting. The atmosphere is playful rather than precious, making it easy to linger over another round. Bartenders are as engaging as the cocktail menu.Address: 1857 E. Washington Ave. Phone: (608) 467-3134
Lola’s Hi/Lo Lounge Part neighborhood tavern, part retro cocktail lounge, Lola’s is known for creative drinks, an easygoing crowd and one of Madison’s best patios. It captures the city’s sociable spirit without trying too hard. Come for happy hour and stay well into the evening. Address: 2436 Pennsylvania Ave. Phone: (608) 286-9152
Other
Olbrich Botanical Gardens Madison’s 16-acre botanical garden is one of the city’s great civic gifts, with free outdoor gardens, a tropical conservatory and a serene Thai pavilion. The rose garden, perennial borders and seasonal displays reward lingering rather than rushing. Go early in the morning or near closing time for the quietest experience. Address: 3330 Atwood Ave. Phone: (608) 246-4550
State Capitol Tours Free guided tours of Wisconsin’s magnificent State Capitol reveal soaring marble rotundas, mosaics, murals and one of the country’s largest domes. Lasting about an hour, they also include access to the outdoor observation deck when it’s open, with sweeping views over Madison’s lakes and downtown. Self-guided visits are also welcome whenever the building is open to the public.
Address: 2 E. Main St. Phone: (608) 266-0382
Madison BCycle With hundreds of bikes and dozens of stations, Madison BCycle makes exploring the city’s lakes, parks and neighborhoods remarkably easy. Both classic and electric bikes are available through the app. It’s one of the best ways to experience Madison’s celebrated cycling culture. Rates: $20 a day with unlimited one hour rides.
Madison Boats Choose from kayaks, paddleboards, pedal boats and pontoon cruises to experience Madison from Lakes Mendota and Monona. Rentals are available from several lakefront locations throughout the warmer months. Sunset cruises are especially popular. Address: 1136 E. Johnson St. Phone: (608) 246-3138
Sardine - especially if you can get an outdoor table overlooking Lake Monona but it’s also fabulous ponying up to the bar
Crêpes (savory and sweet, all local) at Bradburys’s
And if one is willing to drive 30 minutes outside of Madison, our town of Stoughton boasts the best music venue in the Midwest: Stoughton Opera House where luminaries such as Lucinda Williams, Lyle Lovett, Wilco, and many others come to play. Then you can swing into our place, Wildwood Café, for breakfast and lunch and coffee, or stop by for one of our natural wine and pizza nights.