The Old Fashioned: Meat Raffle











 

23 N. Pinckney St.
Madison, WI 53703
tel. 608.310.4545

 

About Us

Remember eating at grandma's? We do. What about your first fish fry? We think of ours often. Imagine sitting around a northwoods campfire roasting marshmallows with friends. We completely understand.

When we founded The Old Fashioned in 2005, these were exactly the types of things we had in mind—every unique experience that makes Wisconsin so . . . Wisconsin. Maybe we're overstating the case, but we don’t think so. When you live here, these things become a part of you.

That's why we chose to highlight meats, cheeses, produce, and local specialties from small Wisconsin producers. It's why we drive over 100 miles to Seymour to pick up a shipment of their world-famous soda (and of course, take back our empties). It's why we don't mind a jaunt to Sheboygan for brats and hard rolls. And it's why it's commonplace to find Willi Lehner from Bleu Mont Dairy sitting down with a cheese plate featuring a selection of his craft. These things are all as much a part of the Wisconsin culinary tradition as an ice-cold PBR paired with a spicy pickled egg, or Reuf's Meat Market landjaeger sausages.

We all make our homes here, and we grew up on the traditions of Friday fish fry, Saturday prime rib, and Sunday wood-fired chicken. We invite you to stop into our home-away-from-home and sample our selection of Wisconsin beers, wines, spirits, and specialty drinks. And of course to try our namesake: the classic, hand-muddled Old Fashioned.
Tami Lax began her professional cooking career as L'Etoile's Chef de Cuisine and Forager, and remained there until co-founding Harvest in 1999. Lax has also founded the Madison chapter of Slow Food, and serves on Slow Food's U.S.A. APC Committee. Among other duties, Tami serves as The Old Fashioned's cheese monger.

Marcia Castro culinary experience includes managing Milwaukee's renowned Beans & Barley, and working with one of Wisconsin's premier caterers, Chef Scott Shully. After six years of working side-by-side, Marcia and Patrick married and moved to Madison to pursue a restaurant of their own. Under their ownership since 2000, Lombardino's Restaurant and Bar has become one of Madison's finest Italian treasures and a true neighborhood favorite. Marcia and Patrick are also the founders of Madison Originals, and the local chapter of the Council of Independent Restaurants of America.


Robert Miller's 15 years of culinary adventures have included cooking positions at L'Etoile, Rialto in Boston, and Laundhaus Baur in Germany. In Germany he used much of his free time to sample the region's finest offerings of beers and sausages. He has returned to Madison to further pursue his love of restaurants and all things Wisconsin.

»Meet the Owners