Morning Update

Celebrating the Lunar New Year

The last Roman Candle Pizza is closing next month.

In this newsletter

Goooood morning, Madison!

This weekend marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year. (It's the year of the rabbit or the cat, depending on where you live.)

The holiday is one of the most important celebrations of the year among many East and Southeast Asian cultures.

Locally, Pasture and Plenty is hosting a virtual Lunar New Year Dumpling Kit and Cooking Class with Monique Lu tomorrow. The event is part celebration and part fundraiser to fight against anti-Asian hate, with proceeds benefiting Freedom Inc.

Attendees will learn proper dumpling crimping and filling from Lu while she shares stories and food memories from celebrating the Lunar New Year growing up in Taiwan. Participants will pick up dumpling kits in advance to follow along at home.

Happy (almost) new year!

— Hayley

🍕 Lights out for Roman Candle Pizza.

After almost two decades in the Madison restaurant scene, the final Roman Candle Pizza location will close Feb. 4.
In a Facebook post, the pizza shop announced the impending closure of their Middleton location and noted the hardships many local restaurants are facing. "Restaurant work is not easy – it takes a load of determination, an extra dose of thick skin and a raging sense of humor," they wrote. "Please keep supporting your local restaurants and businesses – they need your patronage now more than ever."
If you'll recall: The original location on Willy Street closed in May 2022. Roman Candle restaurants on Monroe Street and in Fitchburg closed in late 2019.

This is what too much salt looks like. Don't be like this. Images via City of Madison.

❄️ Snow is in the forecast. Are you salting correctly?

The National Weather Service says Madison could see up to three inches of snow tonight. Precipitation is expected to alternate between rain and snow starting late in the evening.
If you plan on salting your driveway or sidewalk, remember the city enacted an ordinance last year that requires residents to remove excess salt and chemical melting agents following ice or snow melting. Failure to do so could result in a fine.
Related: Should I use sand and salt? (Madison Minutes)

🌶️ Looking to spice things up?

The former co-owner and chef of Lombardino’s is cooking up something new — and now you can join in. The Deliciouser just opened as a combination spice shop and demonstration kitchen on East Main Street.
While the current class schedule is a bit sporadic, Cap Times writes The Deliciouser hopes to start hosting events to coincide with goings-on at neighboring Old Sugar Distillery and Giant Jones Brewery. Sounds like some tasty synergy.

😋 Add these winter events to your calendar ASAP.

Saturday marks the return of Beer & Cheese Fest to the Alliant Energy Center. What else do we have to say?
Madison's winter Restaurant Week starts Sunday and runs through Jan. 27. This semi-annual event brings together local restaurants to offer a three-course prix-fixe menu starting at $30. (Hot tip: Some restaurants offer even cheaper lunch deals.)
Also on the horizon: Winter Festival of Poetry (Jan. 22 - March 12), Frozen Assets (Feb. 4-5), Winter Carnival (Feb. 6-11), Madison Makers Winter Market & Pub-Crawl (Feb. 18), World Premier Wisconsin (March - June).
Related: Surviving and thriving in a Madison winter — the fun edition (Madison Minutes)

🏳️‍🌈 Your lunchtime read: Madison is 'perfect' for LGBTQ folks, if you’re cis, white, and well-off.

Via Tone Madison: "Another year, another misleading Madison headline. This most recent entry comes courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and their annual Municipal Equality Index. Local news headlines in December took the 100/100 rating and immediately crowed that our city earned a ‘perfect’ score.

The real story is, as usual, far more complex. And by promoting the results of the scorecard almost entirely uncritically, media outlets are helping Madison continue to whitewash its reputation and erase the lived experiences of a large segment of its LGBTQ population."

📬

Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here.