Wedding advice

The best of Wisconsin cuisine is served at the Fountain

18.05.12

There is something refreshingly soulful about the Fountain, especially as the chain-ification of State Street continues apace. (And why not an actually decent chain, like maybe a Maoz Vegetarian or Le Pain Quotidien or, if we have to swallow one more cupcake, at least a Sprinkles, which doesn't pile its cakes with mounds of lard-like frosting?)

The oddly under-the-radar place, which looks like a Hopper painting, evokes the beauty of desolation. There is a vintage circa 1910 oak and mahogany bar parked on one side of the room, facing a big mirror framed by orange and yellow neon bands, like a jukebox. The mirror throws back the reflection of a manic mural of everything Wisconsin (the Union Terrace to state pioneers, including a Native chief) that takes over the facing wall, and running down the sides of room are chunky wooden tables. Ignore the two flat-screen televisions mounted on either side of the bar and you get a whiff of old-school heartland tavern authenticity.

The authenticity, thankfully, infuses the menu as well. The Fountain, a casual comfort-food diner, could get by with standard-issue sandwiches and burgers. But it thinks a lot bigger than that, and its culinary patriotism is proudly announced on the busy menu, which reads like a map of Wisconsin. The kitchen's local suppliers include everyone from Harmony Valley, Renaissance, Alsum and Flute Family Farms to the Alcam Creamery, Roth Käse cheese and Black Earth Meats. Plus 30 Wisconsin beers. And all that elevates a restaurant that deserves more attention.

Source: Isthmus