Fall Foodie Favorites
Every season has its own flavors and fall in Middleton is not without its charms. Check out these fall flavor favorites.
As the seasons change, so do the food and drink offerings served around town, and fall brings some of the best flavors. Whether looking for something pumpkin-spiced, filled with apples, or sweetened with maple syrup, Middleton has a delicious taste of it all.
Fall brews (from morning to night)
Pumpkin spice lattes, chai tea, apple cider and more await at one of Middleton’s many coffee shops. Check out Grace Coffee Co. downtown and its seasonal pastries (pumpkin bread/muffins/whoopie pies, pumpkin spice parfait, cookie butter overnight oats) and drinks (maple chai latte, brown butter toffee sweet cream cold brew), as well as Barriques — the hot apple cider and creamy maple ginger cold brew are a must and both pair perfectly with a soft pumpkin scone.
Middleton's newest coffee shop, Virtuvius, is starting off right by joining in with its own pumpkin spice latte as well as unique flavors like cranberry matcha, cardamom latte, chaider, maple sea salt latte, and a brown sugar apricot latte.
When on the northeast side of town, stop into Prairie Café & Bakery to order a seasonal hot drink, as well as a warm breakfast featuring everything from cinnamon rolls to seasonal quiche. If you need another sugar (or caffeine) rush, fuel up with one of Candy Cloud's monthly drink specials, such as their brown butter cookie frappe, or try a plant-based caffeine with the caramel apple revibe.
For an award-winning fall flavor, head to Capital Brewery for a pint of their Oktoberfest. The brewery’s version of Oktoberfest has a deep amber hue with rich malty overtones that pair perfectly with the season. If looking for a fruitier fall beer, Capital Brewery also offers Autumnal Fire, a dark fruit-flavored beer with a rich caramel and toffee finish. Enjoy these beers and others on tap in the brewery’s Bier Garten on lovely fall days. All are welcome to bring in carryout from one of Middleton’s 80 restaurants and cafés.
While local spot Hidden Cave Cidery offers Wisconsin-made hard ciders year-round, they seem to hit the spot even more on a cool fall day. This cidery was first opened in 2021 by a University of Wisconsin-Madison alum who is passionate about local agriculture, including, of course, apples! Hidden Cave Cidery updates its tap list weekly with new and unique flavors, and the facility is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays.
Everywhere you look, boozy fall mixed drinks are popping up around the city and there's no wrong choice. Try the pumpkin spice, apple cider, or scotcharoo martini at Johnny's Italian Steakhouse, a spiced apple margarita at Ancho & Agave (only available in October), a harvest Old Fashioned or N/A loose moose cocktails at The Kickback Bar, made with fresh apple cider from Warm Belly Farms.
Craftsman Table & Tap(opens in new tab) is offering a special "fall for whisky" with rotating featured pours, three curated flights, and an exclusive seasonal barrel-aged Manhattan.
Seasonal desserts
Middleton is home to multiple places offering irresistible fall sweet treats. Step into Clasen’s European Bakery and immerse yourself in its self-proclaimed "Apple Time," featuring an array of apple-inspired goodies such as apple cider donuts (watch how they're made), apple pecan bread, and caramel apple crisp cheesecake, to name just a few. Miggy’s Bakes, on the northeast side of town, offers seasonal treats (like its graveyard double chocolate cookies or mummy brownies) that are nearly too cute to eat — Miggy’s serves bars, cookies, and stuffed brownies at their bakery, as well as scary good made-to-order cakes. Just one street over, satisfy a caramel apple sweet tooth with Metro Market.
When downtown, stop at Hubbard Avenue Diner to choose from various seasonal treats in their dessert case, including caramel apple pie, pumpkin pie, pumpkin walnut cookies and giant fall-themed sugar cookies. While you can't go wrong with any of Hubbard's sweet treats, the diner is famous for its wide variety of pies year-round, with rotating monthly specials. October pie features include pumpkin and caramel apple pie and November switches it up with pecan and a vegan apple cranberry.
It's never the wrong time of year to grab an ice-cold sweet treat, and in Middleton, you have plenty of places to do so. Order a scoop of Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream's seasonal flavors, including caramel apple pie, cinnamon stick and snap-o-lantern® - a pumpkin ice cream filled with gingerbread pieces. If you're at Greenway Station looking for a sweet treat, pop into Cold Stone Creamery's seasonal Treat or Treat™ Creation™, featuring a jet-black Boo Batter™ ice cream and all your favorite Halloween candy as toppings, or you can also try it in an ice cream taco.
Longtable Beer Cafe(opens in new tab) offers delightful sweet treats to end any meal. Try the flaky apple tart or the double chocolate mousse cake, both made primarily with locally sourced ingredients.
Sweet & savory in a jar
Take home a souvenir unlike any other with one of the National Mustard Museum’s(opens in new tab) fall favorites: Bayfield apple mustard, Dr. Pete’s praline mustard glaze, Löwensenf mustards (for Oktoberfest fun), Dillman Farm pumpkin butter and Stonewall Kitchen apple cranberry chutney. It's never too early to think about the perfect glaze, dip, or spread to complement a Thanksgiving feast. A fall display greets you the moment you walk in the door and there are even recipe cards on how to use some of these mustards.
Comfort fall favorites
Bite into a savory aged steak at Ruth’s Chris Steak House or a rich and nurturing Italian homestyle dish at Villa Dolce. Enjoy a famous Wisconsin fish fry at The Village Green, Mid Town Pub, or 1847 at Stamm House. Hubbard Avenue Diner serves classic home-cooked favorites such as fried chicken, meatloaf and pot roast. Now through October 7, The Free House Pub is celebrating Harvest Festival, with food specials like an apple cider pork chop.
Since Longtable Beer Cafe focuses on local ingredients, it's no surprise the restaurant continues to produce standout fall exclusives. Menu options include deliciously seasonal items like the apple butter and Gouda burger, Oktoberfest board, fall harvest salad, Scotch eggs, and so much more (full menu here). And all taste best alongside one of the restaurant's dozens of fall drink options.
Cozy up
Fall can bring some cool-weather days, but that’s nothing a steaming hot bowl of soup can’t fix. Warm up with a bowl of ramen, customized to your liking, from Trio Ramen, or step into a cozy café or restaurant to order a bowl of the daily soup from Prairie Café & Bakery, Taza Mediterranean Kitchen, or Café Zupa’s or Hubbard Avenue Diner. And while in the cheese and beer state, try out a bowl of beer cheese soup from Longtable Beer Cafe. For more mouth-watering details, check out the Soups for Every Season blog.
There is much to be enjoyed in Middleton — get into the season!
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