Tomorrow is National Pasta Day, so we’ve rounded up a few places where you can chow down on the best noodles in Madtown.
Lombardino’s, 2500 University Ave.
This Italian spot moved from State Street to University Avenue in the early 1950s. Today, Chef Patrick O’Halloran serves up authentic Italian cuisine with ingredients sourced from Wisconsin farms — the best of both worlds.
We’d order: Sausage orecchiette — “little ears” of pasta with Fraboni’s hot Italian sausage, rapini, roasted garlic cream, and a splash of brandy
Ruyi Hand Pulled Noodle, 334 State St.
One of City Editor Ally’s favorite State Street spots, this restaurant has an open kitchen where you can get a front row seat to the noodle pulling.
We’d order: Beef cold noodle — signature sauce, beef, and hand-pulled noodles
Fairchild, 2611 Monroe St.
Chefs Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger put Madison on the foodie map this year by winning the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest.
We’d order: Pappardelle — Sylvan meadows smoked lamb ragu, harissa, carrot
Bar Corallini, 2004 Atwood Ave.
Fun fact: The restaurant’s name is a nod to the owner’s hometown. Torre del Greco is a village in Naples, Italy where people have dived for coral, or corallini, for centuries.
We’d order: Eight finger cavatelli — shrimp, pink vodka sauce, cherry tomatoes, walnuts, Italian parsley
Morris Ramen, 106 King St.
Owners Matt Morris, Francesca Hong, and Shinji Muramoto have an impressive culmination of restaurant experience. Think: Working at Osteria Papavero, being the youngest female executive chef in Madison, and owning Restaurant Muramoto, respectively.
We’d order: Morris ramen — chashu pork belly, ajitama, menma
Tribe 9 Foods
This Madison-based food company was founded in 2017 and has products in grocery stores all over the country.
- RP’s Pasta Company | Thanks to the brand’s farm-to-fork mantra, you’ll find fresh Wisconsin cheeses and produce on the ingredient list of these pastas.
- Taste Republic | The gluten-free sister brand of RP’s
- Carla’s Pasta | Freezer-freindly pasta and jarred sauces inspired by the tastes of Northern Italy
