The Mr. and I ate at a new restaurant today for lunch. It's been in Madison for a few years but we've never made it over due to the limited day time hours. To be perfectly honest I was only familiar with it in passing but was very glad he suggested it.
Mermaid Cafe is funky little cafe/coffee shop located on Winnebago St. They have a full coffee and espresso bar, serve breakfast all day and have a nice selection of sandwiches, soups and salads. Be sure to check out their daily specials as well.
The Mr. had the Bahn Mi sandwich - "This french influenced Vietnamese style sandwich has our own daikon radish and carrot slaw, cilantro, cucumber, roast beef, mayo and a dash of soy sauce on a French roll."
I had the O.M.I. - "Scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, avocado and tomato with coconut curry aoli on focaccia bread."
I also had a bowl of the seasonal vegetarian soup - "Winter squash with a balsamic reduction served with a toasted focaccia."
Prices are very reasonable and the serving sizes were great. I ended up taking most of the soup home because I was so full from the sandwich. The service was good and personalized with the sandwiches made to order and brought directly to your table. The food was delicious and we plan on going back again in the future.
Don't forget to try a coffee or espresso drink. The Mr. had his usual double espresso and I had a hot cocoa with whipped cream. I've become a fiend for hot cocoa now that fall is leading into winter (or at least it should be). With the baby on board I've switched to whole milk - it does make a difference in the taste.
