Fall Foodie 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)

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.

Hidden Cave Cidery is a local spot where Wisconsin-made hard ciders are on tap and for sale. 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’s tap list is updated weekly with new and unique flavors, and the facility is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays.

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 cream cheese muffing, pumpkin mousse parfait, cinnamon apple overnight oats) and drinks, 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. 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.

Boozy fall mixed drinks are popping up around the city. For those looking for alcohol to warm up with, you have options (and there’s no wrong choice). Try the pumpkin martini at Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse, a spiced apple margarita at Ancho & Agave (only available in October), or a tiramisu espresso martini from Craftsman Table & Tap.

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, apple pecan bread, and cinnamon 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. Plus, enjoy buy-one-get-one-free cookies when you visit the bakery on Halloween wearing a costume. 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, there are multiple 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. New this year, you can also try it in an ice cream taco.

Sweet & savory in a jar

Take home a souvenir unlike any other with one of the National Mustard Museum’s fall favorites: Butternut Mountain sweet maple mustard, Bayfield apple mustard, Dr. Pete’s praline mustard glaze, Dillman Farm pumpkin butter and Stonewall Kitchen fig & walnut butter. 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 Free House Pub, Mid Town Pub, or 1847 at Stamm House. Order a classic, delicious burger with gooey fried cheese curds from Craftsman Table & Tap (and don’t miss the fall butternut squash ravioli special), Longtable Beer Cafe, or The Village Green. Hubbard Avenue Diner serves classic home-cooked favorites such as fried chicken, meatloaf and pot roast.  

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 (that also has Sofra Family Bistro‘s daily soup specials, including Albanian wedding soup, are a must on a fall day. 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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