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It was love at first sip at Young Blood Beer Company with “Sir, This is a Wendy’s,” named for a line from the TV show “The Office.” It’s a long story.
Two weeks later, the sweet, fruity beer had been replaced by “Unsupervised at Target” ($7 for 12 ounces with 4.2% ABV, or alcohol by volume) with similar ingredients: fruit punch, sour, strawberry, passion fruit, orange and guava. It’s so sweet and rich, maybe split it with a friend.
Like a lot of craft brewers, Young Blood’s owners have fun coming up with clever names for their beers.
Tom Dufek, 38, co-founded Young Blood with Billy DuPlanty, 36, and head brewer Kyle Gregorash, 35, in May 2020 on King Street in the old Ancora coffee shop, across from the Majestic Theatre and the new Ancora Café.
Dufek said Gregorash began making fruit punch beers last spring, when, after a winter of pandemic, people were getting vaccinated, the weather was improving, and business started to explode.
They quickly ran out of beer, which prompted Gregorash to add punch to stretch out the sour. He was inspired by radlers, the German drink that combines a lager-type beer with lemon-lime soda. It’s been popular, so they’ve kept it.
Young Blood beer in cans and on tap can be found in about 250 restaurants, bars, liquor stores and markets.
My friend, a big IPA guy, preferred the Shasta Cola Rapper ($6 for 16 ounces with 5.5% APV), a hazy pale ale with three types of hops, to Take It Easy ($6 for 16 ounces with 5.5% APV) with summit and citra hops, but said they both had a nice finish.
Like a lot of craft brewers, Young Blood's owners have fun coming up with clever names for their beers.
The beer names have been Young Blood’s calling card, even though it wasn’t something they planned, Dufek said, adding that he and his partners have a 10-page Google doc with past, present and future names.
“Somebody will say something and we’ll be like, ‘That’s a beer name,’ and we just add it to the list.”
Dufek said with the food menu, they purposely bypassed burgers, cheese curds, chicken wings and other typical brewery fare and got more creative.
The "crunch rap supreme" is a gourmet riff on a $4.19 Taco Bell item.
A standout, the “crunch rap supreme” ($12), is a gourmet riff on a $4.19 Taco Bell item, with beef barbacoa, nacho cheese, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, crema, cotija cheese and hot sauce. It was grilled a beautiful golden brown and folded like the fast-food original. The combination of flavors made it irresistible.
Barbacoa nachos succeed on the strength of thick tortilla chips, deep-fried in-house.
Barbacoa nachos ($16) succeeded on the strength of thick tortilla chips, deep-fried in-house. There could have been more beef, and the cotija and nacho cheese, tomatoes, jalapenos and coriander-crema only made it onto about half the chips, as is often the case with nachos.
The Jenga tots are a cute Jenga-game-like stack of six rectangular potato patties.
The Jenga tots ($8) were a cute Jenga-game-like stack of six rectangular potato patties that couldn’t exactly be called tots. I appreciated their flavor, enhanced by smoked paprika, but they were too greasy and salty for me. My friend had no such issues. “Nothing could be better with beer,” he said.
Jordan Gross, the chef who invented them, and about half of the menu, came to Young Blood from the former Estrellón and now works on the line at L’Etoile, Dufek said. Nathan Grajeda, Young Blood’s original chef, came up with the other half of the menu and is in the real estate business now, he said.
The "tasty mofo veggies" are as delicious as promised.
The “tasty mofo veggies” ($12), as they’re described on the menu, were as delicious as promised. Sweet potatoes, mushrooms and green beans were coated in a thick tempura butter and drenched in an addictive lemongrass chili glaze and sprinkled with peanuts, ginger, scallion, cilantro and lime.
The "trashy but classy" smoky deviled eggs.
A lot of effort went into the “trashy but classy” smoky deviled eggs ($8), presented on top of an onion soubise, a French sauce made with puréed onions, butter and heavy cream. The three egg halves looked like small works of art with tall salt-and-vinegar fingerling chips sticking out of each one, and orange smoked trout roe on top.
The beignets are actually six powdered sugar doughnut holes.
The beignets ($5) were actually six powdered sugar doughnut holes. They were fine, but not must-haves.
The partners started planning their microbrewery in 2018, and by the time it opened, early in the pandemic, bars and restaurants were closed, so they shifted their focus to beer in cans.
The Young Blood name and logo can be found on a semitrailer with its product delivered through General Beer, its Madison distributor.
Now you can find Young Blood beer in cans and on tap in about 250 restaurants, bars, liquor stores and markets, some of it delivered in a semitrailer with the Young Blood name and logo through General Beer, its Madison distributor.
Young Blood had been brewing and canning its beers in other breweries, then last December began production in its newly remodeled industrial space on Stoughton Road.
Getting a seat at the King Street sidewalk café with its cheerful turquoise umbrellas isn't easy on a nice weekend evening.
Getting a seat at the King Street sidewalk café with its cheerful turquoise umbrellas isn’t easy on a nice weekend evening, and was mostly full when we arrived at 6:30 p.m. on a Tuesday. The crowd was young and dance music was coming from Woof’s next door.
Young Blood Beer Company is inviting with its exposed brick wall and mural with a woman’s red pouty lips by Madison artist Dylan Waddell.
The inside was equally inviting but with a better music play list, an exposed brick wall, a mural with a woman’s red pouty lips by Madison artist Dylan Waddell, sleek Scandinavian-style barstools, and hooks under the bar for purses and bags, which is a thoughtful touch.
On the other side is an entrance to Plain Spoke, a cocktail bar above Young Blood that Dufek owns with a group of investors. Plain Spoke started selling ready-to-drink canned cocktails in 2018 and opened the tasting room in June 2020. Its distillery is in Sun Prairie and its cocktails are sold in grocery and liquor stores around the state.
Before these projects, Dufek worked at nearby Merchant and Lucille for eight years, starting as a bartender and working up to director of operations.
With Young Blood and Plain Spoke he said he was looking for two spots, but his real estate broker found a location where he could run both tasting rooms more easily.
King Street is all the richer for it.
Restaurant: Young Blood Beer Company
Hours: Monday through Thursday 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. to midnight, Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Food served until 9 p.m.
Prices: Appetizers $3 to $16, sandwiches and hot dogs $6 to $13, dessert $5.
Outdoor dining: Yes
Drinks: Only beer, no wine or spirits
Gluten-free: One GF beer from ALT Brew; a couple of food items
Vegetarian offerings: Many options
Kids menu: No, but can accommodate
Parking: Street parking with nearby ramp
Bottom line: Thoughtful beers and food from a microbrewery that's gaining traction on King Street and beyond.
Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery, 2827 Atwood Ave., opened in 2009 by Daryl Sisson and Kathy Brooks, did well in the warmer months by turning its parking lot into an outdoor cafe. One reason to visit the restaurant for brunch is its otherworldly smoked salmon and pesto omelet with cream cheese, which is served at all times. Another reason is its generous fish fry featuring panko-crusted cod, garlic-Parmesan potatoes, oven-roasted vegetables, homemade coleslaw and housemade tartar sauce. It's also served any day, any time. Read the full review here.
Wonderstate Coffee, 27 W. Main St., which opened a year ago on the Capitol Square, not only has wonderful coffee, but offers an inspired menu with lots of healthy choices. The mushroom sandwich on a sweet-tasting, housemade brioche bun is a standout from a menu of standouts. Inside are sautéed oyster mushrooms, kale, baby Swiss, caramelized onions, an over-easy egg and miso aioli. Wonderstate also does well by its soups. Read the full review here.
The Hilltop, 4173 County Road P, Cross Plains, was founded in 1938, and has been a restaurant ever since, undergoing expansions along the way. Its 6-ounce, center-cut filet mignon with sautéed mushrooms and onions was the best steak my friend and I had ever had. As an appetizer, the dynamite shrimp are ridiculously addictive. I agreed with my friend who called her meal at The Hilltop "freakishly good." Read the full review here.
Takara Sushi Station, 696 S. Whitney Way, brings unlimited sushi and other items direct to booths with a conveyor belt system. Almost all of it was first-rate on a recent visit. Read the full review here.
The Harvey House, 644 W. Washington Ave., which opened in July, bills itself as a modern-day supper club, and its atmosphere, prices and service elevate it into the upper echelon of Madison dining. The restaurant even landed at No. 8 on Esquire magazine’s "Best New Restaurants in America, 2021." The highlight of a recent meal was the Superior walleye that had a crisp crust made with an ingenious thin layer of buttery rye bread. Read the full review here.
Oliva, 751 High Point Road, which opened in 2008 at High Point and Old Sauk roads, is as good as ever. Chef/owner Mehmet Dayi goes heavy on the tomato sauce with fantastic results, making it hard to choose between his Mediterranean and Italian fare. It just depends on what you're in the mood for. Service in the large dining room is excellent, even on busy nights when the staff is stretched thin. Read the full review here.
Villa Tap, 2302 Packers Ave., has such a popular fish fry that owner Chris "Chico" Warren shuts down his grill on Fridays, and adds an extra fryer for the Icelandic cod, walleye, lake perch, bluegill and jumbo shrimp. The cod dinner features three thick pieces of fish, hand-cut by Warren, that are lightly and flavorfully breaded, with no greasiness. Read the full review here.
Kettle Black Kitchen, 1835 Monroe St., is an intimate, charming restaurant that opened in August in a spot that formerly housed Joon, Burgrito and Double S BBQ. Don't miss chef/owner Brian Hamilton's French onion soup, shrimp and grits cakes with bacon, and sour orange pie. Read full review here.
Marigold Kitchen, 118 S. Pinckney St., reopened in July after it was closed for 16 months due to the pandemic. With its smart, cheery, urban feel and signature breakfast potatoes, the cafe has been a Madison favorite for 20 years, and its recent change in ownership has been seamless. New owners Kristy Blossom Heine and Clark Heine, who took over the business from John Gadau and Phillip Hurley, had lots of experience as Marigold employees. Read full review here.
The International Catering Collective bus, 709 Atlas Ave., is parked in front of Gaylord Catering, offering some of the best, thickest clam chowder on Fridays. It's loaded with potatoes, carrots and tender clams. While some clam chowders derive most of their flavor from cream, this one had much more going on. The Friday haddock is also first-rate. Read the full review here.
D'Vino, 116 King St., which means "of wine," is just the type of rustic Italian restaurant and wine bar King Street needed. Chef Dino Maniaci and Jason Hoke opened the restaurant in March of 2020. The tortellini con pesto with puffy cheese tortellini, an exceptional pesto cream sauce, and roasted tomatoes and asparagus cannot be beat. Read the full review here.
The Marquette Hotel Cafe, 414 S. Baldwin St., offers one of the most reasonably priced breakfasts in town with excellent coffee and amazing pastries, through a self-ordering system. The omelets, breakfast sandwiches and fruit cups prepared by former Manna Café kitchen manager, Chris Stephens, are all must-haves. Read the full review here.
Hone, 708 1/4 E. Johnson St., in the former Forequarter space, was the most interesting new restaurant I got takeout from during the pandemic. Mike Parks, Hone's owner, discovered many of the restaurant's eclectic offerings during his nearly eight years in the United States Air Force. Don't overlook the orange scallops, five perfectly seared specimens in a winning curry yogurt sauce. Read the full review here.
Ancora Cafe + Bakery, 611 Sherman Ave., which opened in February in Maple Bluff, makes the loss of Manna Cafe easier to accept. The sundried and tomato & goat cheese scones are worth a visit on their own. Also enticing is the cafe’s egg & cheese sandwich on a tender brioche roll with pesto aioli, and its breakfast burrito with scrambled egg, sausage, cheddar, pico de gallo and salsa roja. Read the full review here.
Louisianne's Etc., 7464 Hubbard Ave., Middleton, has loyal customers that kept it going through the pandemic by getting carryout every week. The restaurant has stayed consistent over its 29 years because it has had the same head chef, Kevin Ostrand. He does great things with catfish and jambalaya. Vegetarians will be happy to discover the fettuccine with sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and black olives sautéed with mushrooms in garlic butter and finished with sherry cream. Read the full review here.
Read restaurant news at go.madison.com/restaurantnews
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Wisconsin State Journal feature writer Samara Kalk Derby writes about the arts and brings you the latest news on the Madison area's eclectic restaurant scene. She can be reached at skalk@madison.com or 608-252-6439.
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Getting a seat at the King Street sidewalk café with its cheerful turquoise umbrellas isn't easy on a nice weekend evening.
Young Blood Beer Company is inviting with its exposed brick wall and mural with a woman’s red pouty lips by Madison artist Dylan Waddell.
The "crunch rap supreme" is a gourmet riff on a $4.19 Taco Bell item.
Barbacoa nachos succeed on the strength of thick tortilla chips, deep-fried in-house.
The Jenga tots are a cute Jenga-game-like stack of six rectangular potato patties.
Like a lot of craft brewers, Young Blood's owners have fun coming up with clever names for their beers.
The "tasty mofo veggies" are as delicious as promised.
The "trashy but classy" smoky deviled eggs.
Young Blood beer in cans and on tap can be found in about 250 restaurants, bars, liquor stores and markets.
The Young Blood name and logo can be found on a semitrailer with its product delivered through General Beer, its Madison distributor.
The beignets are actually six powdered sugar doughnut holes.
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