City Cast Madison

If it feels like there’s a bunch of new restaurants in Madison lately, you’re not alone. Our pal Lindsay Christians of the Cap Times clocked more than 30 new places that have either just opened or are coming soon. And she’s here to tell us what’s good. Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.Also on the show:Taste of Madison is September 2 - 3Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Do you have family or friends visiting for Labor Day weekend? Where do you take them to show off Madison? Or maybe you’re hoping to squeeze in a quick getaway this weekend and you’re looking for some ideas? We got you.We thought we’d wager a friendly bet with our friends at City Cast Chicago. We asked our friend, host Jacoby Cochran, to plan a perfect day in our fair city. And then, OF COURSE, we had to offer our ideas for an ideal day trip to Chicago. What do you think? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram.Also on the show:🚨 Slate’s Political Gabfest is coming to Madison!!📽️ See recently discovered footage of Thelonious Monk at MMOCA’s Rooftop CinemaWant more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Elephants are everywhere in Baraboo: painted on the highway overpass, displayed as public art in the park, depicted on murals.But one place they’re not anymore: at Circus World. Circus World was the original home to the Ringling Brothers Circus. For more than a hundred years, they’ve included elephants as part of their circus performances. Today, you can still see circus acts there; they’re now owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society.But as of August 27th, there’s one mammoth change: no more performing circus elephants. Circus World’s last remaining elephants have retired and will now live at a sanctuary in Oklahoma. So what it’s REALLY like working with elephants? We spoke with professional circus clown Karen DeSanto. Karen worked for both Ringling Bros. and Circus World. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The Wisco Birder — aka Dexter Patterson — is back to explain how the roseate spoonbill, native to the gulf coast, found its way to Green Bay this summer. We also learn about what birds to look for heading into fall and some upcoming birding events. Mentioned on the show: 🪶 Swift Night Out Social💧Charlies Berens and Dan Egan Panel on Phosphorus in Aquatic Ecosystems🌳 Meet the Library NaturalistWanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

City Cast Madison’s Bianca Martin and Dylan Brogan roundup the news this week, including Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway defending Madison ahead of the GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee; A Republican bill that would ban “high-risk” research at UW-Madison; And how to send 103 year-old Wisconsin WWII Veteran Harry Baker a birthday card. Mentioned on the show:📰 Bill would ban high-risk research in Wisconsin aimed at preparing for new pathogens (Wisconsin State Journal) 📚Lab-created bird flu virus accident shows lax oversight of risky 'gain of function' research (USA Today)🥳 How to send a birthday card to Wisconsin Veteran Harry Baker🎧 Things We Wish Someone Told Us About Living in Madison podcast (City Cast Madison) 🍦 Cast a vote for Madison’s Best Ice Cream (Madison Minutes)Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

If you’ve ever been to Osteria Papavero in downtown Madison, you know you’re in for quality handmade Italian dishes, with beloved classics and a constantly changing menu of seasonal local fare. Lasagna Alla Bolognese. Barese-style Focaccia. Budino di Caramello. Are you hungry yet?Now you can learn to make them for yourself with Chef Francesco Mangano’s new cookbook, The Osteria Papavero Cookbook: Recipes from the Italian Shack and Beyond. Written with Lindsay Christians, it’s chock full of stories from Francesco’s childhood, family recipes and gorgeous photos.We sat down with Francesco to learn what’s inside.Also on the show:🫠 Dane County Cooling Centers (free A/C)🍦 Name Yer Own Ice Cream FlavorWanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

If you’re new to Madison, welcome! We don’t have a cup of sugar for ya, but we do have some advice for living in Madtown that we’ve gleaned over the years. Some hot tips and general life hacks we think you’ll appreciate.Some of us grew up here and some of us moved here, but there’s always those things about a city that you just find out the hard way. Some things take time to discover. We’re here to cut right to the chase and help you live better and more enjoyable lives in our fair city. We brought the entire City Cast Madison team in for this one: host Bianca Martin, producers Molly Stentz and Dylan Brogan, and Madison Minutes editor Hayley Sperling.Do you agree with us? Or do you wanna fight us? Did we hold back? We can take it. Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. You can also find us on Instagram.Also mentioned on the show: 🫠 Dane County Cooling Centers (free A/C)🗞️ Inside Waupun Correctional Institution’s ‘nightmare’ lockdown [Wisconsin Watch/New York Times]Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The Mariel Boatlift exodus has been called one of the U.S.’s most complex waves of immigration.It was named for the Cuban Port of Mariel, where more than 125,000 people emigrated from in 1980. You’ve likely heard about the large Cuban community that flourished in Miami. But did you know that nearly 15,000 Cuban refugees were sent to Fort McCoy, the U.S. Army base between Tomah and Sparta in southwest Wisconsin? Many settled in Madison. And many didn’t talk about their experience, until now. Maureen McCollum and Omar Granados tell their stories – and more – in an eight-part podcast. It’s called WPR Reports: Uprooted. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts (NPR link). All eight episodes are also on YouTube. Also mentioned on the show:Madison Film Festival is August 26Sponsored Interview: Scrum Day is Sept 14Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Blake Alvarenga calls himself a Madison liberal. He also owns many guns and he knows how to use them. That sets him apart from many others who he’s met in Madison. He regularly staffs a booth at the Dane County Farmers’ Market, where he talks to neighbors who bought guns for self-defense, and were surprised to learn that nothing comes next. No instructions, no training. So he stepped in to help. He’s the president of the Wisconsin chapter of the Liberal Gun Club and he offers community classes on how to use guns. 📚 To learn more about Blake’s work, check out Joe Tarr’s story in Isthmus: Time to get a gun.📧 To reach Blake, email him at wisconsinchapter@theliberalgunclub.com.Also mentioned on the show:📱 If someone you know is thinking about suicide, call 988 anytime🩸 There’s a community blood drive on Tuesday, August 22📰 Suicides rise in Wisconsin, led by more than 500 gun deaths in 2022 [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz remember Ada Deer, a Wisconsin trailblazer who died on August 15th, just days after celebrating her 88th birthday. We also discuss the comings and goings of Madison concert venues and debate our new friend, the 353 area code. Mentioned on the show:🎧 Listen to Chali Pittman’s full interview with Ada Deer [WORT FM]📖 Read a brief history of the Menominee [Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin]🎶 Tell us about YOUR favorite spot to catch a show in Madison [Madison Minutes]Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.