Kabul – Afghan restaurant in Madison, Wis.

I’ve written before about how much I like the restaurant scene in Madison. The city just offers so much variety – ethnic styles, different price ranges, different ambiance. So when we hit the road in July for an overnight trip to Madison, I had to admit feeling a sense of frustration. Our reason for going was to join in a family celebration with some friends. But there wasn’t going to be time to break away from the celebration to try any new restaurants.

My dilemma was solved by the decision to drive straight through and get lunch in Madison, even though it would be a little later than we normally would have lunch. There were four of us on this road trip – me, my wife, her sister (Tammie), and her sister’s husband (Phil).

Tammie attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. So she had her own itinerary planned – basically a stroll down memory lane. My wife also had her own plans – visiting a young friend who’d recently had a baby. So Phil and I were on our own for lunch.

We parked near Capitol Square and began a leisurely stroll down State Street, checking out places to eat as we went along. It was a pretty hot day, but we wanted to eat outside, if possible. That meant that we decided not to eat at several places along the way because while they had sidewalk dining, there was no shade to provide relief from the heat.

We had gone several blocks and were nearing the beginning of the U-W campus when we found Kabul Afghanistan Restaurant. It wasn’t a totally random choice. Phil had eaten there recently when he brought his son, Eli, to Madison to tour the campus.

Phil eats primarily vegetarian and I like creative vegetarian dishes, too, especially for lunch. Kabul has a great selection of beef, chicken, and fish as well as vegetarian. But we both picked vegetarian lunches.

Phil had the vegetarian burani. It consisted of sautéed eggplant topped with vegetables and served with yogurt and fresh mint. I had a vegetarian couscous – a medley of carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, potatoes green peppers, and garbanzo beans served over couscous. Both lunches were very tasty and filling. They were served with a small salad and pita.

After lunch, we reconnected with our wives and got ready for the celebration we came to enjoy. It was a fun weekend, and I’m glad we had a chance to visit another of Madison’s fun, tasty, and unique eateries.