In a word: For the agoraphobic U Square resident. The specs: #0509   Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at Isthmus , The Sconz , listing at EatDrinkMadison ; official web site . JM ate the ham and cheese wrap with a hot cider. Nichole ate the seven bean soup with a spice latte. W split a chocolate muffin. The bill was $17 plus tip. JM gave Coffee Bytes a C-; Nichole gave Coffee Bytes a C+. Coffee Bytes in University Square is a decent place to study. At five on a weeknight we could barely find a place to sit (although why students use four tops to hold two or fewer actual people seemed a little greedy). The food here is good enough to tide you over between classes, but not quite good enough for a special trip. And with all the great and even good coffee shops just two blocks over… the “bytes” part of the name seemed even the more appropriate. JM's ham and cheese wrap (#46) was ham, provolone, and green leaf lettuce in a veggie tortilla, with DIY condiments. Its flavor reminded one of nothing so much as 7-11 fare. The 7-bean soup, latte, and cider were all somewhat watery, and smelled more enticing than they tasted. The muffin, too, was dry, crumbly and weak on flavor, inspiring JM to quip “with four weaks, it's more like a month.” So. It may sound harsh, but we'll probably grab our eight bits somewhere else.

In a word: Waunakee's pizza yardstick. The specs: #0508   Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at ; listing at EatDrinkMadison ; official web site , Facebook page . Allen, JM, John, Liz and Nichole ate a spinach and mushroom, a pepperoni and mushroom, and a ham and cheese po'boy. The bill was about $40. We all gave Cimino's a B. We trucked to Cimino's on a Saturday night to find they'd apparently recently lost their dine-in license (no public bathroom), so it didn't look promising. The staff were gracious, though, and lopped a bit off our bill. The meal made it back to an appropriate dining locale none the worse for wear, so we unpacked, divvied up, and dived in. The ham and cheese po'boy (#45) seemed like Canadian bacon and a cheddar/provolone/mozzarella blend on a large hoagie roll. All melted under a broiler, it made for a very simple but hearty item, breaking our occasional rule of: “Don't order items not in the name of the restaurant.” The pizzas were graced with fresh sliced mushrooms rather than canned, which we've found is rare. The crust was crackery and the sauce sweet and garlicky. Each pie was loaded with a generous amount of cheese, but we did wish the toppings and cheese had been more evenly spread rather than clumped up in the middle. Cimino's seemed to be a jumping joint even in the middle of a rainy/slushy night.  People came in to grab take-out pizza most of the time we were loitering at their tables. Having not had comparative fare, we're happy to know that there's at least decent pizza in Waunakee.

In a word: Easy to like, hard to get to. The specs: #0499   Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at Isthmus , Yelp , listing at Eat Drink Madison . JM ate a chicken sandwich and a lemonade. Kyle ate the Reuben and two Hopaliciouses. Nichole ate the chili dog and a Winter Skal. We split some fries (thanks, Kyle!). The bill was about $34 plus tip. JM and Kyle gave Pug Mahone's a B+; Nichole gave Pug Mahone's a B. Pug Mahone's is pretty much your standard Wisconsin corner bar. The swivel factor was significant but the bartender was nice. The atmosphere was kind of goofy, but the same as what Kyle experienced on a previous visit . Two pool tables occupied most of the main floor. We split some fries, which might have had some kind of fennel or caraway seed on them, but we weren't sure. Otherwise they were unimpressive, and would have been better slathered in cheese or chili or both. Kyle tried the Reuben, which also lays claim to the “best Rueben in town” title. (We wondered what bar doesn't.) If only the cheese had been even a little better example of Swiss it would have earned an A, and was in fact the best Reuben he'd had in his admittedly brief Reuben-eating career. The marble rye held up all right to what was a very gooey sandwich. The beef was good quality and the meat-to-kraut-to-dressing ratio was only slightly tilted to the dressing end. The chili part of the dog was very beefy, with chunks of non-ground meat, maybe something brisket-y, in a mild tomato sauce. Chili is available every day, and on single-digit nights we bet it moves. The hot dog itself was huge. It's the kind of sandwich you don't set down once you've picked it up. JM's chicken sandwich was warm and tasty, and beyond that he's afraid he doesn't remember much about it. The combination of good conversation and hyper-local web-hybrid interactive-style TV ads that did everything but invite us by name to enjoy Pug Mahone's signature drink was a wee bit distracting. Pug Mahone's is little and has a lot of attitude — not unlike a pug.

In a word: Better and more fun than you'd think. The specs: #0498   Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at Yelp , , kudzu , The Madison Packard ; listing at EatDrinkMadison ; official web site . JM and Nichole ate the filet mignon “split-a-steak.” John ate the top sirloin. We split a piece of pie and had a soft drink. The bill was $52 plus tip. JM, John and Nichole gave Prime Quarter a B+. Prime Quarter is a mini-chain of grill-it-yourself steak joints with locations in Wisconsin and Illinois. The exterior pastel color scheme screams ” 80's Miami Beach ” (thanks for helping us pinpoint the feel, Kyle !) and inside whispers “70's Catholic funeral home,” but is decently kept up. John had been to one before, and Nichole was especially skeptical of the whole idea, but we ended up having a decently good time. Dinners are fixed price: $20 for a steak or piece of fish, baked potato, Texas toast, and salad bar. There's also a “split-a-steak” option for basically $26, a pretty good deal in which two diners get one steak to share and the same unlimited extras as a regular meal. The steaks get bigger as the cuts get cheaper, so each diner can find their own point on the value/quality spectrum. The potatoes and salad bar are slightly less creative than the average supper club, with whipped butter and sour cream for topping the one, and spring greens mix plus a dozen toppings for the other.  Don't expect anything other than the most obvious choices here. We were huge suckers for the Texas toast, though. Man. Grilled white bread with drawn butter and garlic powder is hard to resist. However, why the bread wasn't Gardner's, which is just down the block, made us Wonder. But diners aren't here for the frills. Bottom line, the steaks are OK and it's a plus if you like the DIY aspect. We saw one couple taking great care to find a good cut, while most people just grabbed something from the cooler and slapped it down over the coals. It was also quite pleasant to toast our faces when we knew it was 12 degrees outside – had it been July, we'd likely have been grousing about how it would have been easier to grill at home.  JM and Nichole split a filet mignon, which was kind of high-maintenance on the grill and probably wasn't big enough for the two of us. John's sirloin was more satisfying. We tried the peanut butter cup pie and got deja vu all over again. The pie was as good as it was when we had it at Green Acres (below left). We thought dressing up the mass-produced dessert with an extra squirt of whipped cream was kind of silly, but at least the server hadn't lied about making the pie “from a mix.” For ravenous meat eaters or snowbound grill heads, Prime Quarter provides the winter Composite Half of the annual diet. And don't try to go on Father's Day. We bet it's packed.

In a word: Only so-so for those who tally Essen. The specs: #0497   Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at 77 Square , Isthmus , Yelp , , listing at EatDrinkMadison . JM ate the French toast with a grape juice. Jahboh ate the corned beef hash with a pomegranate cider. Nichole ate the oatmeal with a coffee and a milk. Tossy ate the American fries with a pomegranate cider. We split a chocolate chip scone. The bill was about $30 plus tip. JM and Nichole gave Prairie Cafe & Bakery a B. Prairie Cafe and Bakery is in a twisty-turny mixed-used neighborhood in Middleton, not far from Bean Sprouts . Above the coffee shop there are apartments. If we lived there, we'd probably frequent Prairie Cafe & Bakery gladly for the wifi, Alterra coffee, and pastry; when it comes to heartier breakfasts, we'd probably still make our own. The jury is out on sandwiches, though the cheddar BLT sounded good. We gave a lukewarm reception to breakfast only because it was so plain. Granted, we didn't order the quiche of the day, which boasted spinach, mushrooms, and cheese. And fresh pineapple and orange wedges on each plate were very nice, as was the pomegranate apple cider to which the pom added a not-unpleasant sour bite. Jahboh's corned beef hash was definitely homemade, but playing “find-the-meat” was harder than it should have been. Tossy's American fries were almost the same as the hash; an onion or bit of pepper would have added a lot to the dish.   Nichole's oatmeal was fine after augmentation with brown sugar, milk, walnuts, frozen berries and fresh strawberries (as well as a schlug of syrup poached from JM) but those extras brought the price above $6. Meanwhile, JM liked his French toast; it had an almost berry flavor itself, and looked like it was made from the same white Texas toast that rounded out Jahboh's breakfast. The syrup, we know not how, tasted burnt. The chocolate chip scone was crumbly and tasty — though better bakery can be found in Middleton. Like most coffee shop, this is a place to go if it is convenient for you to go. But diamonds in the rough that could make a little place like this shine were not delivered.

In a word: Darned tasty. The specs: #0496   Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at  Yelp and Yelp , , EatDrinkMadison ; official web site . JM ate the ham and cheese. Nichole ate the roast beef with mushrooms, onions, hot pepper relish, and tomato. We split a bag of chips and a chocolate shake. The bill was $13. JM and Nichole both gave Potbelly an A-. Not much entices us to go to a mall three days before Christmas. The season was the reason it was more trouble to find parking at WestTowne than it would have been on State Street. Having been to two of the three Madison Potbellys, Nichole can't say she prefers one over the other (but she would like to belatedly thank Katie and the Girl Scout troop who invited her to lunch last summer. Bet your Guide to Madison turned out great!). Hassle was quickly forgotten as we went through the assembly line. It was sorta fun, a la Octopus Car Wash, to see our sandwiches roll through the broiler before we requested our veggie toppings. The only hitch is that the counter is four feet high (going on eight) - absurdly lofty even for tall people. We saw and appreciated the shake-maker at work, using 2% milk and hand-dipped ice cream to blend a sippable, not-too-thick shake for us. That the size wasn't gluttonous was also a plus. Potbelly gets bonus points from Nichole for having Coke Zero. The sandwiches were hot and tasty. The bread was good and didn't cut your mouth to ribbons, and the topping options plentiful. Especially nice were the hot peppers, which were sweet-hot and juicy. Potbelly gives other sub chains a run for their money, particularly on a cold winter's night.

In a word: Like being two hours south on I-90, but just outside Monona. The specs: #0494   Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at Yelp , , listing at Eat Drink Madison ; official web site. JM ate the beef and brat combo. Nichole ate the Chicago-style dog. We split some mozzarella sticks. The bill was $13.80. JM gave Poppa Coronofoulos Gyros & Chicago-Style Deli an A-; Nichole gave Poppa Coronofoulos Gyros & Chicago-Style Deli an A. Our fellow diners at Poppa's this grey morning were mostly families and solos, talking about baseball and movies. We got a couple sandwiches but made a note of the homemade chili for a future visit. We admired the ginormous – 10 gallon? – coffee percolator (unused) as we waited and pondered whether Chicago-style authenticity must entail suffering in the form of too-hot peppers. JM's hot and dry beef and sausage sandwich was excellent. The roll was the tops: soft, yet firm; the quality of meat was good; and his only regret was ordering it hot instead of mild, though it was thermally perfect. The Chicago-style dog is ecclesiastically correct as far as Nichole could tell. She had no complaints, and at $2.62 the dog is priced right. The typical mozzarella sticks arrived already cool past the stretchy stage, served with a decent marinara dip (probably from a can). We liked the service: it wasn't fawning, but direct, and our order was correct. JM got a slightly too FIB-by vibe, a little too in-your-face feel from Poppa's. Nichole detected the same and found it refreshingly unMadison. If you need Chicago grub in these parts, this is as real as we've found.

Peppino's is closing in December 2009. In a word: One less old school restaurant. The specs: #0479  Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at Yelp , , 10best , BooRah , EatDrinkMadison , Our Next Thing ; memories at Liquid Bliss , J. LaMore ; official web site . JM ate the veal marsala with a salad and lemonade. Nichole ate the raviolini al mascarpone with soup and a limoncello. We split a slice of chocolate cake. The bill was $69 plus tip. JM gave Peppino's an A-; Nichole gave Peppino's a B. Peppino's has deep roots in Madison and a celebrated history* but our visit came after the announcement of Mr. Gargano's retirement. We were a bit too late to form an attachment, but many people we talked to have a special place in their hearts for Peppino's classic, classy approach. We were seated by a window (where the fading light is evident in our photos). JM got his usual lemonade, which was fresh-squeezed but alarmingly warm, as in almost hot. Nichole matched him with a limoncello best described as treacly yet a good wake-up call for dinner. A first course of chicken vegetable soup with fresh parsley and immaculately diced vegetables spoke equally to the chef's good taste and good knife skills. JM's salad of spinach, romaine, tomatoes, peppers, and onions was bright and freshly dressed with herb-infused oil and vinegar; it was crunchy and satisfying. The menu had a very old-school feeling, with plenty of veal and seafood and nary a farmer's name in sight. This emphasis on luxury was only reinforced by the orchid garnish; once de rigeur, perhaps, these days it's downright jarring to see an orange slice juxtaposed with asparagus when most Madtown menus in this bracket are so likely to flaunt local-and-seasonal pairings. Which is not to say it's not pretty or romantic, it's just a bit anachronistic. Nichole was served several big raviolini, delicious but a wee bit too soft and pillowy, with mascarpone that lacked oomph. She appreciated the abundance of spinach and stewed tomatoes, and finely sliced fresh garlic that lent body but not bite. We're not wont to splurge on veal, but since it seemed like a house specialty and a special occasion, JM went for it and had no regrets. It was perfectly tender, with a delicious mushroom sauce that provided a woody counterpoint to the succulent meat. There was some delta between JM's vegetable (the aforementioned asparagus) and what he would have liked, but he was very happy with how the thing came together. Peppino's is definitely worth celebrating once more if it's already in your heart (though a sad, dry chocolate cake tends to make us shy away from recommending it as a dessert/drinks place, lipsmacking limoncello notwithstanding). We're also looking forward to what the new guard will bring. *a history recently summed up by Doug Moe for Madison.com but since their links frequently break, you'll have to Google it .

In a word: Where can a young couple, who are having an evening out, not too much money, and they want to have a decent meal, you know, a decent kebab and a nice bit of donut, where can they go and get it? The specs: #0478   Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at Yelp  and . JM ate the lamb kabob. John ate the chicken wrap with shish taouk and a Jarritos. Nichole ate the tan tan chicken. We took a rapid dozen for the office (ahem). The bill was $17 for 2 meals and the donuts (thanks, Bucky Book!) JM and John gave People's Bakery & Lebanese Cuisine an A-; Nichole gave People's Bakery & Lebanese Cuisine an A. Tucked behind El Pescador , People's Bakery is one of the few places to get a real donut in Madison. They also make excellent Lebanese dinners and lunches. Check out this tan tan chicken: Half a bird, falling-off-the-bone tender. Homemade aioli with fresh garlic. Cool, sweet red onions. And lovely presentation with deep magenta and liberal dashes of subtle sumac. JM's lamb kabob also featured tender meat. Presumably roasted on a stick, here it was served tossed with tomatoes, roasted red peppers, onions, and a few beans. A side of cucumber yogurt and a bed of yellow rice topped it off. This food was that which you wouldn't mind eating again and again. This was the first asynchronous A to Z meal we've had, too. Bit of a scheduling snafu had us leaving before John arrived (sorry, John). He got a chicken wrap anyway, which he says was very good. He also got a piece of bakery which he enjoyed with relish. The bakery case holds up its half of the marquee with a huge selection of donuts even at 5pm. Madison's lack of donut options makes this a welcome experience even sans the great food before. We got a rapid dozen – we appreciated how easy it was to order and trust the assortment to the experts – and boy, was it an armload. Thirteen treats total, including 2 that easily passed for 4 servings each. These monsters were perhaps a letdown, the big cinnamon swirl being none too cinnamon-y. The big plain swirl was even less interesting. That said, the others, whether filled, fried, or cake, were all satisfying. As the sign says, it's a welcome time for donuts .

In a word: A Mexican't restaurant. The specs: #0477   Address, hours & details via Isthmus ; reviews at Yelp , , EatDrinkMadison ; official web site . JM ate the wet cheese burrito with a pink lemonade. John ate the seafood enchilada with an horchata. Nichole ate the taco/enchilada/tamale combo plate with a margarita. The bill was about $40 ($30 with coupon) plus tip (thanks, John!) John and JM gave Pedro's Mexican Restaurante a C+; Nichole gave Pedro's Mexican Restaurante a D. People's most common reaction to “We're going to Pedro's” was “Get a margarita. Don't bother with the food.” We have to agree. The food was pretty much school-lunch quality (and we mean before edible schoolyards were a twinkle in anyone's eye). The best bit was probably the complimentary, baked-on-a-press-before-your-very-eyes flatbread – gimmicky, but simple and hard to mess up. The tamale and sauteed squash on Nichole's combo plate were surprisingly not bad. John's seafood enchilada was amply sauced and had a good enough flavor. And we all indulged in the guilty pleasure of the corn “cake,” that scoop of mushy, sweet carbs.  JM's wet burrito was indeed wet and overall was tasty and firm, though his side of guacamole was an industrial accident served as a side dish. To him it tasted of nothing so much as solvents. Nichole didn't believe JM's alarm at first, but when she tasted the guac for herself, instinct trumped manners and that mouthful ended up in a napkin. The beverages didn't disappoint. John's horchata was a bit too watery but that problem was offset by whipped cream. The margarita (served with not-so-happy lime wedge) was tingly and did the trick of making dinner seem better. Our service was good and we appreciated having a coupon. That said it's doubtful you could drag us back to Pedro's.