BRAVA November December 2023

Local Gifts

Small Town Holidays

Family-Owned Restaurants

Honoring Native American Women +

BRINGING Our COMMUNITY TO LIFE

YOUR LOCAL FAVORITES, POWERED BY A COMMUNITY BANK.

Park Bank is proud to support your favorite local restaurants, the beauty salons where you treat yourself, and the nonprofits you rally behind that are near and dear to you.

Community banks, like Park Bank, are the backbone of local economies, offering crucial financial services and credit access to individuals and small businesses. It’s what drives us.

Let’s get you, your business, and your local Dane County favorites to next.

Scan here to learn more!

www.parkbank.com

Infinity Salon - Cross Plains, WI

Marihia and Malinda (Owners)

107 STATE

1847 AT THE STAMM HOUSE A PIG IN A FUR COAT

BANZO

BONFYRE AMERICAN GRILLE

BUCK & HONEY'S - MT. HOREB

CIRC

CREMA CAFE

DAISY CAFE & CUPCAKERY

DOTTY DUMPLING'S DOWRY

DRIFTLESS SOCIAL

ESSEN HAUS

GRAPE WATER WINE BAR

IMPERIAL GARDEN WEST

LOMBARDINO'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT

LONGTABLE BEER CAFE

MARINER'S WATERFRONT RESTUARANT

OLD FEED MILL

OLLIE'S

PARTHENON GYROS

PORTA BELLA RESTAURANT

QUIVEY'S GROVE

SHORT STACK EATERY

TORNADO STEAK HOUSE

YOLA'S CAFE

Say hello to peace of mind

△ Starting a business or nonprofit

△ Creating and reviewing contracts

△ Hiring employees or contractors

△ Advising on protecting and growing your business value

△ Designing an exit plan to get the most value out of your business

△ Registering and renewing trademarks and copyrights

Virtual In-House Counsel for Small Businesses and Nonprofits

△ Developing terms of service and privacy policies

△ Providing a legacy for your family through estat

Ready to work with an attorney who understands your business? Schedule a free consultation. your estate planning

608-293-4574 | info@athenalegalsolutionsllc.com

Symphony Gems

music

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K. 385 “Haffner”

Robert Schumann, Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54

William Levi Dawson, Negro Folk Symphony

november

december

“Particularly notable was the imaginative breadth of Biss’s sonic palette, his way of deploying color not merely as a decorative effect but as a narrative and expressive device within the work’s classical frame.”

–THE B OSTON GLOBE

November brings two great staples of the symphonic repertoire, Mozart’s “Haffner” Symphony in our first performances in over twenty years, and another all-time favorite of mine, Schumann’s Piano Concerto . I am so looking forward to welcoming back the brilliant pianist Jonathan Biss who has a special affinity for this concerto. It is also with great excitement that we will perform William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony for the first time. This work, which was greeted with great acclaim when it was premiered under the baton of Leopold Stokowski in 1934, was all but forgotten until recently, and has been heralded as a masterpiece. Using Negro folk melodies and spirituals as its thematic source, the work is colorfully orchestrated and an absolute delight to listen to. I wanted to perform this work with the orchestra the minute I first heard it and so look forward to sharing it with you. – John DeMain, Music Director

PRESENTING SPONSOR: Myrna Larson, in memory of James F. Crow

MAJOR SPONSORS: Madison Gas & Electric Foundation, Inc., David and Kato Perlman

ADDITIONAL SPONSORS: Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., Ronald J. and Janet E. Johnson, Prairie Trust, Sharon Stark, in memory of Peter Livingston , Wisconsin Arts Board

JOHN DEMAIN, Conductor EVELYN SAAVEDRA, Soprano LIMMIE PULLIAM, Tenor MADISON SYMPHONY CHORUS, Beverly Taylor, Director

MOUNT ZION GOSPEL CHOIR, Tamera and Leotha Stanley, Directors

MADISON YOUTH CHOIRS, Michael Ross, Artistic Director

Our traditional and beloved Christmas concert returns in all of its aural and visual splendor, with our own Madison Symphony Chorus, The Madison Youth Choirs, and the Mt. Zion Gospel Choir. Joining us will be soprano Evelyn Saavedra, who recently starred in our Voices of Spring organ gala, bringing to us a voice of great beauty and a charming personality as well. Those of you who attended Madison Opera’s 2022 Opera in the Park will remember Limmie Pulliam’s show stopping performance of Puccini’s Nessun dorma . This remarkable tenor will join us as well, for a perfect way to start the holiday season.

– John DeMain, Music Director

JOHN DEMAIN, Conductor JONATHAN BISS, Piano

SPONSORS: American Printing, Fiore Companies, Inc., Richard and Pamela Reese, in memory of Maurice and

59 Native Voices

Six Native American women share how their culture, traditions and elders have influenced who they are today.

Arvina Martin and Kyla Beard

MONEY SMARTS

BY KIM SPONEM

I read that women are more likely to face poverty in retirement. What can I do to avoid that for myself and my family?

Unfortunately, what you read is correct. Women do face unique challenges on their path to financial security. On average, women save less and earn less over their lifetimes, and live longer. This adds up over time. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women ages 65+ are 43% more likely than men to live on an income below the poverty level.* While equal pay for equal work has come a long way, women are still facing low representation in higher paying positions and fields, difficulty returning to work in similar paid positions after time away for caregiving, and higher prices for products marketed to women, just to name a few.

Understanding the contributors to women earning and saving less over their lifetime can help us address them.

1.Make the most of all tax-advantaged savings options. When it comes to building your retirement, investment over time is important. You might consider opening an IRA (Individual Retirement Account) at your financial institution. You do not need a lot of money to open an IRA; you just need to be employed. Make sure you’re taking advantage of any 401k match offered by your employer — you don’t want to give up free money. Set up automatic contributions to your IRA and 401k. Pretend these savings vehicles are like your monthly bills, except they are paying future YOU, plus interest. Leave retirement savings alone until retirement so they grow, and you avoid tax penalties.

2. Find ways to position yourself for greater income. How can you bring greater value to your current employer to warrant a raise, either in your

current position or through moving up in the organization? Maybe you need to retool for a higher position or for a higher paying field. Certification programs are often covered by employers, and there are a lot of them offered online. There is also the option to go back to school, and tuition help may be available. Let your manager know your career goals and interests. Discussing how you can move up is important too. If you joined an organization lower in your pay range and have now been at the company for a couple of years, asking to be brought higher in the range may be appropriate.

3. Avoid the “pink tax.” A recent study by The Balance Money found that products marketed to women, including basic necessities like razors, deodorant and shampoo, cost 13% more than those marketed to men. Look for less expensive options that will do the trick for you.

4. Borrow (wisely). Purchasing a home can be impactful. Having a home paid off to live in during retirement offers great peace of mind. And the equity you build as you pay down your mortgage adds up. It can provide substantial profit when you sell the home, and that money could be used to help pay for your next phase of living. Starting or investing in a business may make sense for you. Women, in fact, are opening more businesses than ever before. Summit is the number one Small Business Administration lender among credit unions in the state** and can help you sort through options to open or grow your business.

5. When ready, meet with a financial advisor for recommendations on investing in mutual funds. Investing is important for long-term goals like retirement. A good financial advisor starts with you and your goals and helps you develop a plan of action as you learn along the way.

For more information, SummitCreditUnion.com offers many free resources on our Money Smarts page. Check out our Equity in Money™ page, too.

Insured by NCUA.

*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers Third Quarter 2023” collected as part of the Current Population Survey. **SBA Lender of the Year Award for Credit Unions as awarded by the Small Business Administration of Wisconsin in 2022.

Kim Sponem is CEO & President, since 2002, of Summit Credit Union, a $6.7 billion, member-owned financial cooperative with more than 251,000 members. Kim has a passion for empowering people to improve their financial well-being for a richer life.

Ask Kim your money questions at MoneySmarts@SummitCreditUnion.com.

A STORY BEHIND THE STORY

Recently I took my kids (left) to check out Federico Uribe’s “Metamorphosis” exhibition at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. I knew they would enjoy it because Uribe fashions animal sculptures out of everyday objects — a tiger is made from bullets, a bike is comprised of old crutches and an entire immersive, undersea scene is a riot of straws, vinyl gloves and plastic bottles. It made me think, there’s always a story behind the story. Why did Uribe choose to shape-shift everyday objects into beautiful art pieces? Was it to alert us about our ever-growing (literally) trash problem, or something else? (It turns out, it doesn’t have anything to do with trash, and you can go to mmoca.org to read about his inspiration for the exhibition.) We use the same critical lens when we decide what will go in each issue of BRAVA. Is there an awareness month or topic we should recognize, a Woman to Watch who’s doing something new or interesting, or simply a person or subject worthy of being examined further? In this issue, we chose a few areas to illuminate. Our “All in the Family” (P. 34) cover feature was influenced by the holidays and spending time with family, something that’s top of mind this time of year. We also love writing about food, because it’s perennially a favorite subject of our readers! Clasen’s European Bakery owner Michelle Clasen was game for the challenge of envisioning a wintry

cover shot with their cookies and baked goodies. She sent us home from the bakery with no less than six (!) boxes of items, and two gingerbread houses. Photographer Sunny Frantz expertly styled and captured the scene.

November is Native American Heritage Month, and in “Native Voices” (P. 59) we talked to six Madison women about how their Native heritage has influenced who they are today. This feature was a joy to work on. Kyla Beard and Arvina Martin, two of the women we talked to, were photographed at San Damiano, a park on Lake Monona’s shoreline. The green space is also located on land that was once inhabited by ancestors of the Ho-Chunk Nation. Beard, who is Ho-Chunk, is on the park’s project steering committee, which is studying how to best redevelop and enhance the spot for public use and also respect its ancestral heritage.

“It’s a really unique space. It’s very serene. … [And] the community has spoken, and they say they want to know the history of [this land]. We want to make sure everyone has a voice,” says Beard. There’s much more to explore in this issue, so please enjoy, and let us know what you think.

Happy holidays,

Shayna Mace Editorial Director @shaynamace

A GENEROUS GALA

Congratulations to 2023 Woman to Watch Megan Sollenberger for a successful Bottoms Up Ball in September!

The founder and CEO of The Village Diaper Bank raised $164K at the event to help families in need purchase diapers and wipes.

LOCAL LOVE

Our “Local Talent” shoot (P. 13) was fun to put together. We worked with Tammy Schreiter of Hatch Art House and Naomi Richardson of Glitter Workshop to scout out fun gifts you can pick up this holiday season.

BIG THINGS COMING

The Madison Reading Project is on a roll. In October, the Junior League of Madison generously gifted the nonprofit $250K. The money will be used toward a second Big Red Reading Bus, a $50K challenge grant and a $100K visionary gift.

BUSINESS

PUBLISHER

Barbara Krause bak@ntmediagroup.com

VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLICATIONS

Becky Peck bpeck@ntmediagroup.com

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Shayna Mace shayna@bravamagazine.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Melissa Moody mmoody@ntmediagroup.com

FACT - CHECKER

Mason Braasch

DIGITAL

DIGITAL DIRECTOR

Kristen Rouse krouse@ntmediagroup.com

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Cici Rindy cici@ntmediagroup.com

SALES

SALES MANAGER

Dena Frisch dena@ntmediagroup.com

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

Amy Jacobs ads@ntmediagroup.com

ACCOUNTING accounting@ntmediagroup.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Julie Barber, Laura Anne Bird, Shelby Deering, Sunny Frantz, Nikki Kallio, Maura Keller, Melanie Radzicki McManus, Kevin Revolinski, Hillary Schave, Jessica Steinhoff, Katie Vaughn, Candice Wagener, Amanda N. Wegner, Shanna Wolf

BRAVA Magazine is a publication of Nei-Turner Media Group, Inc. Gary E. Nei, Chairman, William Turner, President.

This issue or any part thereof may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. ©2023

951 Kimball Lane, Suite 122, Verona, WI. (608) 848-6700

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Subscription information: (262) 729-4471 or bpeck@ntmediagroup.com.

BRAVA (ISSN 1934-4317) NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2023, Volume 24, Number 06, is published bimonthly (six times a year) by NeiTurner Media Group, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at 3902 Milwaukee St., Madison WI 53714 and additional offices. Postmaster send address changes to: BRAVA Magazine, 951 Kimball Ln., Ste. 122, Verona WI 53593-1786.

BOUTIQUES

LOCAL TALENT

Pick up one of these items crafted by a Madison-area female maker or artist.

AND PHOTO STYLING BY

1 Glitter Workshop owner Naomi Richardson (@glitterworkshop) makes these soy-based candles in a variety of reusable glass jars. $25. 2 Rachel Johnson of RayJon Design ( @rayjondesign) uses wood scraps from her family’s flooring company to make her jewelry. $48, Hatch Art House. 3 Dana Borremans’ ( @dlbjewelry ) colorful resin pieces will invoke smiles from your giftee. $20 & $35 , Glitter Workshop. 4 Tammy Schreiter (@hatcharthouse) sells her own giclée 5x7 prints at her shop, Hatch Art House, among wares by other Wisconsin artists. $12. 5 Jenny Blasen Pottery’s ( @jennyblasen) ceramic dish is perfect for stowing rings in. $16, Hatch Art House. 6 Linda Winther of Sift and Winnow (@siftandwinnowmounthoreb) just opened her own Mount Horeb shop, and you can also find her wood and resin earrings at Glitter Workshop. $20 & $34.

SHOP LOCAL

BUCKY BADGER MASCOT SNOW GLOBE

Decorate this winter with University of WisconsinMadison pride! This super glittery, 6.5-inch globe features a resin Bucky Badger inside with “Wisconsin” around the base. Shop local with the University Book Store –a UW-Madison partner. On Wisconsin!

UNIVERSITY BOOK STORE

711 State St., Madison 53703

608.257.3784

Hilldale Shopping Center, Madison 53705

608.238.8455

uwbookstore.com

BRANDY OLD FASHIONED GIFT BOX

Includes a bottle of locally-made brandy, homemade Door County cocktail cherries, Angostura bitters and a cocktail book for $50.

Many more gift sets are available, as well as bottled cocktails for your holiday gatherings. Open Thursday through Saturday.

UNEXPECTED HOLIDAY DECOR & GIFTS

The Linen & Clove Holiday Collection launch is November 8th. Shop the most exquisite winter greenery, unique bells and elevated holiday decor. Stop back on November 24th for the Gift Collection launch. You won’t want to miss it! Visit us online or social for decor ideas, tips, upcoming events, and sales.

LINEN & CLOVE

606 W Verona Ave. Verona, WI 53593 linenandclove.com

BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY NAILS FOR LIFE!

Imagine coming to a nail salon that smells clean, looks clean, uses clean tools and offers high-performance (and non-toxic) products! That is PURE NAILS. We’d love to meet you! Spin the wheel on our website to win a free gift to use at your first visit.

OLD SUGAR DISTILLERY

931 E. Main St., Suite 8 Madison, WI 53703

608.260.0812

oldsugardistillery.com

PURE NAILS

556 Junction Rd. Madison, WI 53717 purenailsmadison.com

SHOP LOCAL

DECK THE HALLS

As the holiday season approaches, shop with Rubin’s for all of your furniture and accessory needs. Each location showcases a wide range of modern furniture, unique lighting and other custom pieces for your home. Shop locally with Rubin’s and don’t forget to ask about our complimentary design services!

RUBIN’S FURNITURE

2300 Badger Ln., Madison 53713

608.255.8998

670 S. Whitney Way, Madison 53705

608.274.5575

rubinsfurniture.com

SHOP D É COR!

Celebrate the holidays at Décor! Join us for exciting events and sales, like Black Friday in November and The Holiday Tour in December! For more details visit our website and join our mailing list!

DÉCOR FOR THE WELL-DRESSED HOME

3000 Cahill Main, Suite 215 Fitchburg, WI 53711

608.444.0571

decormadison.com

GORGEOUS GARDEN GIFTS & MORE

Pick up the perfect piece to show your Wisconsin pride at Olbrich’s Gift Shop! Browse a wide selection of unique, socially responsible gifts and many locally made products. Open daily!

OLBRICH BOTANICAL GARDENS

3330 Atwood Ave. Madison, WI 53704

608.246.4550 olbrich.org

THE SCENT OF THE SEASON

Thymes Frasier Fir is the perfect scent for holidays! It says “warmth and comfort” with its familiar fragrance and beautiful containers.

McFee On Main is your holiday headquarters to find that perfect candle for your home or a hostess gift for the holidays.

Wishing you and yours the best holiday season!

MCFEE ON MAIN

400 E. Main St. Mount Horeb, WI 53572

mcfeeonmain.com

A VERY WISCO HOLIDAY

Give the gift of Wisco this holiday season and give the gift of joy! Wisco Home Good’s natural soy candles are vegan and contain no toxic chemicals that could harsh your holiday vibes. Hand-poured in small batches on Madison’s East Side, Wisco Home Goods’ gifts are sure to be a delight.

WISCO HOME GOODS

4664 Cottage Grove Rd. Madison, WI 53716

608.219.1216

wiscohomegoods.com

EXPERIENCE A CRAFTY CHRISTMAS!

Weather you’re looking to book a workshop or private party, shopping for local art or a fun gift, The Glitter Workshop has it all! Conveniently located in Garver Feed Mill. Locally owned since 2005.

THE GLITTER WORKSHOP

3241 Garver Green Madison WI 53704

608.413.2599 glitterworkshop.com

ELEVATING THE EVERYDAY

BY SHAYNA MACE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNA WOLF

Life’s little moments at home can be elevated with a beautiful table setting, serveware or candle. Pageberry Mercantile caters to those special times.

Owner Paige Densmore, a veteran of Duluth Trading Co., had always known she wanted to open her own store. When a space became available in downtown Waunakee, she and her mom, Cyndy, leaped at the chance to open their own boutique.

On a recent Friday afternoon, the light-filled space buzzed with customers checking out the elegant housewares, kitchen goods, gourmet food products and kids’ items.

“A lot of the items [here] are by brands that my mom and I have loved over the years, and knew we had to [carry],” she explains. American Spoon’s specialty food items and Rifle Paper Co.’s products were two must-haves.

The shop also hosts workshops, and upcoming offerings include a winter garland offering and watercolor greeting card class.

“I love talking to the people that come in here,” says Densmore. “It’s fun helping people [pick out] gifts or assisting them with a small need they may have.” 203 E. Main St., Waunakee, pageberryshop.com

Add a spoonful of this chai spice and a dash of milk to your black

SHOP THE LOOK

This cheery charcuterie board is perfect for winter celebrations. $70

Send holiday cheer to loved ones with Rifle Paper Co.’s card set. $40

Surprise — this adorable ceramic house stores butter in it! $27

tea. $9

The shop has a selection of different scents of this stovetop potpourri. $15

This tea light set makes a beautiful dining table centerpiece. $40

BACK TO BASICS

Protecting your back health.

BY NIKKI KALLIO

Youknow that moment: You’re overloaded with your computer bag, your gym bag and some groceries so you don’t have to make two trips to the car. But then you feel that tell-tale tweak in your back, and now you’re perpetually sore on top of being perpetually busy. Or maybe you’ve felt low-grade soreness in your back for a while and pushed through the pain because you thought it would go away on its own — until it doesn’t.

“A lot of times we wait until something becomes a problem, or we wait until there’s an actual symptom for something to be corrected,” says Dr. Alexandria Quick of ADIO Chiropractic in Middleton. “And at that point, that problem has probably been lingering for a lot longer.”

Keeping your back in top shape should start long before you feel the need to visit the chiropractor’s office. Here’s what you can do to ensure your back stays healthy and happy.

THINK ABOUT YOUR INSIDES

“When talking about [back] wellness, it all begins with your lifestyle,” says Dr. Kaili Richey, chiropractic neurologist and founder of Arc of Life Medical Center. Inflammation can change your body’s chemistry in a negative way, stimulating pain receptors, affecting your joints, blood sugar levels and your organ function.

“Are you eating inflammatory foods? Are you consuming enough clean water? All of that leads into your overall health, your spinal health and your muscles,” says Dr. Richey.

USE PROPER FORM

Chiropractors tend to see women injure their backs by trying to carry too much at once, Dr. Quick says. Since muscles connect everything in the body, “when muscles are tight, they have to work harder to keep your body upright ... this compensation can create pull, or tension, elsewhere. Over time, this compensation can create a ripple effect throughout your body. [If] one area is out of balance, then other areas have to compensate. This can lead to chronic pain, stiffness and dysfunction.”

Be sure to lift with your legs and don’t bend from the waist to lift something heavy. If you’re turning your body while carrying heavy things, Dr. Richey says to make sure you rotate with your feet first. She also recommends carrying heavy items close to you versus out in front of you, as you’re less likely to strain your muscles and cause injury.

However, lifting heavy things isn’t always a recipe for back pain. Weightlifting is crucial in maintaining back health. Doing weight training and engaging as many different muscle connections as you can helps strengthen your bones and also promotes healing by increasing blood flow, Dr. Richey says.

DON’T FORGET YOUR PELVIS

The pelvic floor and lumbar spine work together to stabilize the body during activities such as standing, walking and running, Dr. Quick says. When the pelvic floor muscles are weak, the lumbar spine will try to compensate for the lack of stability by

overworking. This can lead to muscle imbalances, which can affect a person's ability to lift even a small amount.

“Strengthening your core and pelvic floor enhances the optimal functioning of your spine, ensuring the smooth coordination of the nervous system and spine,” she adds.

Additionally, by promoting healthy alignment and mobility of the pelvis, a chiropractor can help alleviate menstrual pain by ensuring proper circulation and nerve function, leading to less pain and discomfort during menstruation.

“The pubic synthesis, which is the front bone of your pelvis — a lot of people forget that’s a joint,” Dr. Richey says. “If that is off, women tend to have increased back pain and cramping during their menstrual cycles.” Chiropractic adjustments should include both the posterior and front areas of the pelvis, she says.

MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR EMOTIONS

“Stress management and your mental and emotional health all contribute to your overall health, especially your back and your spine,” Dr. Richey says. “If you’re sad or having a bad day, it’s going to change your posture. You’re going to be more slumped forward, your shoulders are going to curve in, [and] you’re going to get what we call ‘forward head posture’ — and that puts a lot of strain on your neck, upper back and lower back.”

Try to take mini breaks throughout the day to reset.

“Taking a deep breath, squeezing your shoulders back, looking up at the sky and actually taking a deep breath and letting it out and smile is a huge thing,” Dr. Richey says. “It just helps you emotionally and physically — it makes you feel better.”

Nikki Kallio is a Wisconsin-based writer and author of the short story collection “Finding the Bones.” THRIVE WELLBEING

Build Balanced Holiday Meals

A UnityPoint Health – Meriter dietitian gives tips on how to eat healthfully amidst all of those parties and special treats.

The holidays are quickly approaching, and that means planning and attending more gatherings with friends and family. Often, these celebrations will include special meals, snacks and treats — and all of that celebrating can interrupt your daily routine. So, how can you enjoy your favorite holiday meals and treats while continuing to be mindful about healthy eating?

The following tips from Stephani Hoch, MS, RD, CD, clinical dietitian, at UnityPoint Health – Meriter, can help you navigate this time of year.

• Don ’ t skip meals to “save up” for a large meal, as this may make you more likely to overeat. Aim to eat close to your regular mealtimes if possible.

• Remember MyPlate guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA):

• Try to incorporate items from various food groups.

• Bring a dish from a food group you think may not be offered.

• If there is more than one plate size to choose from, consider using the smaller plate, as this can help manage serving sizes.

• Try substituting ingredients in your favorite recipes. Some examples include:

• Use applesauce in place of oil in baked goods.

• Use low-fat cheese in place of full-fat cheese.

• Be mindful about beverages. Stay hydrated before a gathering, as sometimes hunger can be confused with thirst. Many holiday beverages are high in calories, so consider choosing lower-calorie options, such as sparkling water, diet soda, a low-calorie mocktail or punch.

If you are drinking alcohol, remember that moderate drinking is defined as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. If you plan to drink alcohol, make sure you have a designated driver.

• Include your favorite snacks and dishes — you deserve to enjoy your favorite holiday treats! Generally, no food should be off limits. Be mindful, slow down and savor what you’re eating. Pass on the foods that do not interest you.

• Remember that it can take approximately 20 minutes after you start eating for your brain to realize you’re full. Take your time and listen to your body.

• If you feel like you overate at a gath ering, don’t feel too guilty. Just return back to your normal, healthy eating habits at your next meal.

• Incorporate physical activity at a get-together. Go for a walk with a friend or play a friendly touch football game with family. Moving around can help offset food overindulgence and reduce stress.

Remember that the holidays are a small portion of the year, so be sure to have fun and connect with the important people in your life!

Will Your Legacy Make a Positive Impact?

It is tempting to spend too much energy thinking about the practical and logistical tasks associated with estate planning and not enough on how to build your legacy.

Listen to our new podcast, featuring host Kelly Mould, SVP Wealth Fiduciary Advisor, JD, CTFA, CWS®, CDFA® and Joe Maier, SVP Director of Wealth Strategy, JD, CPA to learn more about how you can plan for what’s important.

With over 50 years serving individuals and families, our experienced team is here to help you.

10 E Doty St | 608.250.7200 5201 E Terrace Dr #100 | 608.249.7800 525 Junction Rd #2000 | 608.203.3900

UNLOCKING FINANCIAL POWER

How interest rates affect your budget and finances.

BY AMANDA N. WEGNER

Whether you’re planning for retirement, considering a major purchase or growing your savings, interest rates play a pivotal role in your financial life.

“You work hard for your money. Everyone should have a basic understanding of interest to make sure their money is working for them,” says Sarah Brenden, first vice president of private banking for Park Bank.

In the past two years, interest rates have been a moving target. Here’s a primer on the last two years and actionable insight for navigating changing rates.

A STEADY RISE

Since the beginning of 2022, the federal funds rate, or interest rate, has increased 11 times by varying amounts. And our pocketbooks have felt it.

“A group of individuals within the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) raise the federal funds rate when they want to slow economic activity and moderate inflationary pressures,” explains Annette Hellmer, SVP, wealth regional manager of Johnson Financial Group.

For savers, adds Hellmer, fund rate changes are quickly reflected in the yields earned in short-term savings. Financial products and vehicles, such as fixed-rate mortgages, aren’t directly impacted.

“People believe that the government has more direct control over interest rates than it actually does,” says Hellmer. “While the Fed can control overnight lending rates, longer-term interest rates are determined by financial markets. There are many factors that influence interest rates, but two of the more significant ones are inflation expectations and the current state and strength of the economy.”

While the Fed held the interest rates steady at its

September meeting, citing a drop in inflation, there’s a possibility of one more increase by year’s end based on current trends, notes Hellmer.

“We are hearing that we can anticipate another rate increase this year, then hold in the first and second quarters in 2024, followed by a slow, incremental decrease in summer and fall,” says Brenden. “It’s anybody’s guess.”

With interest rates expected to remain elevated for the foreseeable future, here are some suggestions.

MANAGE YOUR DEBT

Know the interest rates on your debts, including loans and credit cards. If you can, says Hellmer, prioritize and accelerate payments on loans or credit cards with the highest interest rates.

“ You work hard for your

money. Everyone should have a basic understanding of interest to make sure their money is working for them.”

— Sarah Brenden

“Many people don’t fully appreciate that subtle differences in interest rates, even 0.25%, when compounded over long periods of time, can significantly impact the total dollar value of interest payments,” says Hellmer.

Getting your debt in check helps shore up your creditworthiness, as riskier borrowers often pay higher interest rates to borrow funds.

SAVE BIG

With interest rates high, savers benefit by earning a higher yield on deposit and money market accounts. But, Hellmer cautions, go “rate shopping” or compare different alternatives — both products and institutions — to ensure you’re earning a competitive rate.

Another option is a CD or certificate of deposit, says Brenden, as rates have shot up. The caveat with a CD is that your money is locked up for the term of the CD; withdrawing the money early may result in a penalty.

Now is also the perfect time to shore up an emergency fund if you don’t have one already.

“Keep three to six months of reserve in savings if you can,” says Brenden. “Having a few months of living expenses liquid will help you in an emergency.”

DON’T SHY AWAY FROM REAL ESTATE

If you can tolerate a higher interest rate for a while, Brenden says real estate remains a good investment.

“It holds value, generally even in uncertain economic times, and often will appreciate in value over time,” she says. “And when interest rates come back down, you can refinance.”

KEEP BUILDING WEALTH

The market’s response to interest rate hikes can positively and negatively impact your retirement portfolio. Now is the perfect time to connect with a trusted financial advisor to ensure you have a diversified portfolio and identify additional opportunities to build wealth. And, importantly, stay the course. With compound interest, time in the market is more important than timing the market.

Amanda N. Wegner is a local freelance writer, and communications and marketing professional.

SET THE SCENE

Winter celebrations call for extra-special table settings.

AND

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO STYLING BY SUNNY FRANTZ PRODUCT SELECTION BY SHAYNA MACE

Clockwise from top left: Faux fur runner, $59, Waunakee Furniture ETC ; wood serving utensil set, $39.96 , Décor ; Saro snowflake runner, $49 , Waunakee Furniture ETC ; brass vase, $10 , McFee on Main ; marble bowl with spoon, $12 , Pageberry Mercantile ; Creative Co-Op wood dish, $12 , McFee on Main ; and wood bird, $12.99 , Waunakee Furniture ETC

Top to bottom: Creative Co-Op stoneware plate, $14 , McFee on Main ; mini cocktail shaker, $35 , Barebones enamel dinner plate and enamel salad plate, $12 & $10, and stainless steel server, $9 , all from Pageberry Mercantile ; plaid scarf (used as table runner), $23.99 , Waunakee Furniture ETC ; BTI abstract tree, $15 , McFee on Main ; and Cyan Design coasters, $73.99 , Décor

FESTIVE SPIRIT

Top to bottom: Tag cardinal bowl, $9 , KNK red star ornament, $8 , KNK mercury glass Christmas tree, $9 , Park Designs winter garden runner, $39 , Primitives by Kathy square snowflake plate, $19 , and salad plate, $9 , Creative Co-Op small oval plate, $5 , and Creative Co-Op tea light holder, $5 , all from McFee on Main

MODERN MOOD

WOMEN’S NATURAL EDGE: WHY EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE PAVES YOUR PATH TO SUCCESS IN FINANCIAL SERVICES

By Sandy Botcher

As Managing Partner of Northwestern Mutual Southern Wisconsin, I have a strong belief that women are inherently equipped with the tools crucial for success in financial planning. Emotional Intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient, or EQ) stands at the forefront of those tools. Research shows that women naturally tend to be stronger in several critical EQ skills; they tend to be more self-aware, empathetic, vulnerable and collaborative in how they work.

EQ isn’t just about understanding feelings, it’s about channeling that awareness into meaningful client relationships. At Northwestern Mutual, we recognize this potent blend of EQ and the innate skills many women possess. And it’s why I believe, more than ever, that women have a unique, natural edge in this industry.

In my journey, I’ve seen how strong EQ translates into the ability to quickly build trust. And a strong sense of selfawareness makes it easier to meet all types of individuals where they are at. For me personally, I think it is natural empathy and vulnerability that really stand out. All these things are key to helping people really unpack their very personal hopes, goals and dreams during the financial planning process.

There is so much data showing the female investor market is vastly underserved in the financial planning space. And we know that women want to work with female advisors because these qualities are important to them. While women bring a unique, EQ-rich dynamic to the table, their full potential in financial planning roles remains untapped. This is a huge opportunity. Our mission at Northwestern Mutual is clear: amplify

the role of women in finance and harness the power of EQ to its fullest. With this ethos, we don’t just offer a job, but a chance to be trailblazers.

Let me be clear. While the data shows that women are more naturally skilled in EQ, we believe that this is important for all our advisors. We work on this through EQ training, mentorship and coaching. We are preparing representatives to genuinely connect with clients and build lasting relationships. Having more women in our firm, particularly as leaders, helps us raise the game for everyone as we work to grow these skills. And to the women reading this: your natural strengths in understanding, empathy, and communication are not just welcomed but deeply needed. Your inherent EQ prowess gives you a distinctive edge in the world of finance.

By joining our ranks, women can champion financial well-being across diverse demographics. This isn’t a mere career step — it’s a calling. With our commitment, you’re positioned not just to participate, but to pioneer. I wholeheartedly invite you to this transformative journey. Together, let’s shape the future of finance, leveraging our unique strengths.

Disclosure:

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI and its subsidiaries. Sandy Botcher is associated with the local office at the above address and is not a licensed insurance agent, registered representative of a broker-dealer, investment adviser representative of a registered investment adviser, or representative of a federal savings bank. While links to other websites are provided for convenience and information, please be advised that except for information related to Northwestern Mutual (NM), the inclusion of, or linking to, other websites does not imply NM endorsement of, nor responsibility for, those websites.

Sandy Botcher

BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP

Looking to refresh your abode or start anew? Be sure to use these contractor vetting tips.

BY MAURA KELLER

When you build or remodel your home, you start with collecting ideas — clippings from home and garden magazines, designs sketched on paper or dinner napkins, and screen shots collected from websites. A contractor can help you turn those ideas into reality. Finding the right contractor for your project takes diligence and patience to ensure the perfect fit.

Paul Simon, president of Michael F. Simon Builders in Waunakee, says the Madison Area Builders Association (MABA), has a list of builders who are members, which can help jump-start your search. If you’re looking to remodel, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Madison chapter is also a great place to begin.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Starting with references is key for any contractor you’re interested in working with.

“When you ask for [a contractor’s] references, be specific and ask for the last five new homes that they’ve completed, and also for one that is currently under construction,” Simon says. “This way [a builder] can’t cherry-pick the ones that went well and exclude the ones that didn’t.”

Simon also recommends asking them in a face-to-face conversation if they have ever been to court, mediation or arbitration. You can also look this up to verify what they told you (wicourts.gov/casesearch.htm) . Be sure to look up the company name as well as the owner’s name. This is your opportunity to do your due diligence.

When looking for a builder, evaluate the following:

• Experience-proven results. It’s important to find contractors with a proven track record with the type of project you’re looking to execute.

• Stability . A contractor or builder needs to have financial and professional stability. A contractor should also have a loyal crew and suppliers, subcontractors and inspectors who speak highly of him or her.

• Organization . Quality workmanship is in the details of home construction and renovation, but a disorganized process can hamper it. Have potential contractors describe their building process to you to see if it’s done in an organized fashion.

LOOK FOR A STREAMLINED PROCESS

When meeting with a contractor, a homeowner should come with ideas and pictures of the style of home or renovations they’d like done, and a target budget.

Linda Sweeney, vice president and architectural designer at Sweeney Construction in Madison, says a contractor’s process should include scope and client budget alignment discussions, design development, subcontractor walkthrough, contract development and construction.

“The subcontractor walk-through meeting should be on-site with the design documents,” Sweeney says. “Products, selections and specifications should be identified so that the subcontractors, vendors and contractor have all the information to provide an accurate cost to

complete the project with the understanding of site conditions.”

When communicating with a contractor, email is often preferred because it provides a paper trail to refer back to.

“Communication is key, and I truly believe it sets the tone for the project,” Simon says. “I’ve heard too many people say things like, ‘We almost got a divorce over building [or remodeling],’ which I believe is completely the builder’s fault. If a builder is asking the client for their paint colors the day before they are going to paint, that client is probably pulling their hair out! If the builder is asking for those paint colors earlier on, it’s a much more manageable request.”

INQUIRE ABOUT BILLING

The payment structure can differ between contractors and builders quite a bit, and depends on the type of project you’ve hired a contractor for. Some custom builders require an initial down payment when the project signs, followed by monthly draws for work completed each month. Other contractors require four payments throughout the project.

Sweeney adds that within the contract the details must be spelled out regarding the start date, completion date, payment terms, emergency plan, project scope, plans, specifications, change order process and more.

Of course, problems and issues can arise during a home construction or renovation project.

“Every project differs, but the recourse usually results in legal costs [small claims or court] and frustration with clients hiring another contractor to finish the project,” Sweeney says. “If the homeowner selects a reputable contractor who follows a proven process, they will have an excellent outcome.”

Maura Keller is a

SHOP MONROE STREET

GIVE THE GIFT OF A HOBBY

Homebrewing and winemaking starter kits make perfect gifts. With free expert advice from the Wine and Hop Shop, brewing beer and making wine is easy, fun, and tasty. Starter kits for any budget. Be a holiday hero and visit the Wine and Hop Shop today!

WINE AND HOP SHOP

1919 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711

608.257.0099

wineandhop.com

ONE

&

ONLY IS NOW OPEN ON MONROE STREET!

We are a neighborhood bistro and bar with great cocktails, 22 draft lines and a seasonally-inspired menu. Stop in while you’re doing your shopping for a bite to eat or a winter warm-up. Reserve a table for your friendsgiving, holiday gathering or a night out with the visiting family. Let’s enjoy the season together!

ONE & ONLY

1923 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711

608.285.5529

oneandonlywi.com

GIFTS THAT FEEL GOOD TO GIVE

We’re a local home and lifestyle shop featuring mindfullymade goods from makers, artists and indie brands. Pop by to shop homewares, apparel, apothecary, pantry goods, jewelry, accessories, baby and kiddo wares, books, prints and more. We love curating your individual or group gifts for clients, friends and loved ones, too!

Good Day Shop

1925 Monroe St. #120 Madison, WI 53711

608.720.1116

gooddayshop.net

PARTY WITH POKE BOWLS FOR EVERYONE!

Include everyone this holiday season with our build-yourown Poke Bar! Customize your spread of fresh, vibrant ingredients: seafood, steak, chicken, tofu and vegan options, with rice, veggies, fruits and sauces. Our menu is gluten- and dairy-free to accommodate and delight everyone.

MIKO POKE

2701 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711

608.416.5241

mikopoke.com

SHOP MONROE STREET

THERE’S A FRAME FOR THAT

RECONNECT

WE’VE BOILED IT DOWN TO THREE SIMPLE WORDS: UNPLUG • INTERACT •

The Madison area’s premier source for board games, card games, puzzles and other non-electronic social entertainment. Our philosophy is simple. Sometimes, you just need to turn off the electronics, gather around the table with the family or some good friends, and have some together time.

I’M BOARD! GAMES & FAMILY FUN

1839 Monroe St. Madison, WI 57311

608.467.6950

Also in Sun Prairie & Middleton imboardgames.com

ARTSY FARTSY IS YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP FOR JOY!

Art, gifts, decor and fun — sure to bring a smile to your face! Items are made by local makers, independent artists and small businesses from around the world. It's the perfect place to find a unique gift this holiday season for yourself or your loved one!

ARTSY FARTSY

1717 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711

608.284.9692

artsyfartsymadison.com

Our experienced designers can help you develop a memorable presentation for just about anything — prints, paintings, heirlooms, jerseys, collectibles — you name it. Browse thousands of options in our shop, or let our staff handcraft a frame unique to your specifications for a truly customized look.

MONROE STREET FRAMING

1901 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711

608.255.7330 monroestreetframing.com

METALSMITHING AND JEWELRY MAKING CLASSES FOR ALL LEVELS AND ABILITIES

Metalsmithing is the process of creating jewelry through the manipulation of various metals. Adult classes can be adapted to any skill level, so go ahead and dive in!

TORN EDGE ARTS METALSMITH STUDIO LLC

1639 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711

608.698.7644

tornedgearts.com

SHOP MONROE STREET

FESTIVE GIFT GIVING

Orange Tree Imports will brighten your holidays with our exciting array of gifts and decor! From kitchenware to local and international foods, toys to soaps, and our special Wisconsin items, we have something for everyone on your list.

ORANGE TREE IMPORTS

1721 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711 orangetreeimports.com

YOUR LOCAL SOURCE

FOR GREAT

GIFTS

We are your locally-owned outdoor lifestyle boutique, conveniently located on the near west side, just across from Trader Joe’s on Monroe Street.

We offer a curated selection of men’s and women’s apparel, jewelry, gifts and footwear from Patagonia, Toad&Co, prAna, Smartwool, Vuori, Birkenstock, Blundstone and many more.

HIVE OF MADISON

1904 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711

608.467.2410 hiveofmadison.com

SHOP LOCAL FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

We love making book recommendations from our selection of new releases, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, science fiction and fantasy, horror, rom-com, children’s and of course, mystery books. And if we don’t have it, we can order it for you! We also have a selection of puzzles and other bookish items that make perfect gifts for the book lover in your life.

MYSTERY TO ME BOOKS

1863 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711 mysterytomebooks.com

MADISON-MADE GIFTS

Make a lasting impression with locally-made treats from Infusion Chocolates. Whether you have one or 1,000 gifts to send, we make it easy. Visit our Monroe Street shop or order online at infusionchocolates.com! Corporate discounts available! We ship anywhere in the U.S.

INFUSION CHOCOLATES

2503 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711

608.233.1600 infusionchocolates.com

All In the FAMILY

Madison’s multigenerational family foodie teams serve up cuisine from all over the world — opening our Midwestern eyes (and stomachs) to delicious dishes.

BY KEVIN REVOLINSKI

Often a large element of family tradition involves food. Grandma’s special pasta sauce, your mother’s meatloaf recipe or your dad’s secret method for grilling chicken. But for some families those coveted recipes serve many more people than just family — their kitchens welcome the public, at area restaurants. Here are a few.

Clasen’s European Bakery

In 1958, Ralf Clasen left his home in Germany and followed his brother, Ernst, to Madison, taking a job in a bakery. The brothers soon started selling their own breads out of their apartment, and in 1960, when a bakery went up for sale in Middleton, they bought it and Clasen’s European Bakery was born.

Ralf’s daughter, Michelle, started baking at a young age with recipes “off the back of cereal boxes.” Her father frequently brought her to the bakery on weekends, where Michelle notes she would play around.

In a nod to her heritage, Michelle went to Germany in 1986 to obtain a pastry degree, and she took over the business six years later. Like her father, she also brought her kids to the bakery often, and two of them ended up studying at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.

Clasen’s produces European breads, pastries, chocolates and quiches, with an emphasis on German recipes. The bakery still uses several of the Clasen brothers’ original German recipes, and both Michelle and her son, Tony, who will be the bakery’s third-generation owner, have added recipes of their own.

During the holidays watch for gingerbread, cookies, and German stollen. They’re also well known for their whimsical gingerbread house displays. Clasen’s quiches are also big around the holidays, notes Michelle.

On display at the bakery are baking tools her father and uncle brought with them from Germany to the U.S.

“My dad is still alive… [he was] an inspiration for me personally during COVID to keep it going,” says Michelle.

Ralf, Michelle and Tony Clasen

The Del-Bar

In 1943, Jim and Alice Wimmer bought a humble roadside cabin-restaurant with six tables. The DelBar, so named by its original owners because one was from Wisconsin Dells and the other from Baraboo, grew to become a distinguished supper club set in a Prairie-style building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright protégé, James Dresser. Today, photos in the restaurant’s lobby commemorate the family’s hospitality history.

In the late 1970s, the couple’s son, Jeff Wimmer, started taking over for his father. Along with his wife, Jane, the couple managed the restaurant until his daughter, Amy, purchased the business in 2018. His other daughter, Anne Stoken, joined a year later. Both had left tech careers in Colorado to return home.

“We really couldn’t see another family owning this restaurant,” says Anne.

The menu focuses on Prime-grade steaks, which Anne notes is the highest-quality cut of meat, with the most marbling and flavor. Also find seafood, and the schnitzel and walleye date back to the original menu. The recipes for their popular French onion soup and the hot bacon dressing are originally from their grandmother, Alice.

Tradition extends beyond the menu.

“The food is going to be great, but we have to make sure our service and hospitality are on par with our food,” says Amy.

Anne agrees: “That’s something our grandmother was diligent about.”

“We really couldn’t see another family owning this restaurant."

– Anne Stoken

Top: The Del-Bar is well-known for their seafood offerings in addition to their Primegrade steaks. Middle: Sisters Anne Stoken (left) and Amy Wimmer are third-generation owners of The Del-Bar.

Lao Laan-Xang

When Christine Inthachith and her mother, Bounyong, arrived in the U.S. as refugees from Laos in 1980, they sought a way to connect and share their Laotian roots with their new home. Opening Lao Laan-Xang in 1989 was “a way for us to share our Lao culture and identity, values, traditions, and even our future,” says Christine. “My mom is a good cook — she knew how to make the traditional Lao dishes, and she taught us.”

The restaurant’s original location was on Odana Road, but in 1997, they moved to Williamson Street. A second Lao LaanXang location soon followed on Atwood Avenue in 2005.

Menu items include the Lao national specialty larp, which is a cold meat salad with fresh herbs, chilis, ground toasted rice and fish sauce. Fun fact: Christine says serving and eating larp is the traditional way to start the New Year — she notes it signifies prosperity and good fortune. Interestingly, each family puts their own spin on the dish.

“I learned [how] to make [larp] from my mother. Every family’s larp may be a little different,” says Christine.

The same goes for the green papaya salad.

“If you go to Laos, you can find papaya salad at each corner and each will be different — that’s the fun of it!” Sticky or glutinous rice, eaten with one’s fingers, is central to many of the entrées. The restaurant’s squash curry has become an iconic Madison dish.

Christine and her mom closed their Williamson Street location in 2022, but the Atwood Avenue restaurant is still kicking. Christine isn’t sure if her kids, Jahn and Emily, or her brother Sone’s children, Mani and Quin, will take over running the restaurant in the future.

“The kids all know how to cook; we will see what happens,” she says.

Top: Christine and Bounyong Inthachith have owned Lao Laan-Xang since 1989. Middle: The Khua Mee has shrimp, stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, tamarind, bean sprouts, scallions and broccoli, and is topped with ground peanuts. Bottom: Squash curry is the restaurant’s signature dish.

Experience that feeling…

Stylish selections don’t have to come with upsetting costs. Low prices don’t need to mean boring options. At Nonn’s we have both—big-box prices boutique selections.

KITCHEN. BATH. FLOORING. DELIGHT.

House of Flavas

Jodie Jefferson moved to Madison in 2017 from her hometown of Chicago for a paid job relocation with Payless Shoes. But soon after she arrived, the company suddenly shut down. She found other work, but Jefferson, who had an extensive background in catering, returned to cooking food. Initially, she did so out of her home.

“That led to too many people being on my block,” she laughs.

In August 2021, she opened House of Flavas, a fast-food restaurant inside a Capitol Petro Mart on the East Side. The menu offers “everyday Chicago food” — gyros, chicken, burgers with fresh-cut fries, and some outstanding catfish. On weekends she hosts soul-food gatherings just like her grandma used to.

“When I was a little girl, my grandma [also] owned a restaurant and everyone in the family helped out,” says Jefferson. “If anything was going on, they always called on my mom or grandmother to cook.”

The same rings true for House of Flavas: one of Jefferson’s daughters, Jakala Ware, works there full-time, and her mother, Mary McKinley, comes up on occasion from Chicago to assist.

“[It’s] generations of women cooking in the kitchen,” she notes.

The restaurant gets a lot of traffic, but she’s still catering as well. Every year before the holidays, Jefferson plans a special to-go catering menu for those who don’t want to cook. All of the recipes she uses are from her mother and grandmother, but Jefferson puts her own spin on them.

“When we’re cooking in the kitchen together, [my mom] goes, ‘That doesn’t go in there!’ I just tell her that I took her recipes and added my twist to them and gave them a little more flavor.” And each generation adds something different, she adds. “I’m sure my daughter will go and tweak things her way too.”

“When I was a little girl, my grandma [also] owned a restaurant and everyone in the family helped out.”

– Jodie Jefferson

cornmeal-dusted catfish and fries.

Sofra Family Bistro

Albanian transplants and husband and wife Gjyner and Zamira Lumani — along with Gjyner’s brother, Faton Lumani and his wife Luda — have co-owned Sofra Family Bistro since 1991 and Villa Dolce since 2006.

Zamira already had hospitality experience. As a young girl, her father brought their family to the U.S., and they owned restaurants in Illinois before moving to Madison and owning Coppertop Family Restaurant in the 1980s.

Gjyner and Zamira, who met at a wedding back in Europe, manage Sofra, which means “family table” in Albanian. Originally, the restaurant was named Bavaria Family Restaurant, but the family changed the name to speak to their heritage.

“It is crucial that our kids know where they came from,” says Zamira. “My parents instilled that into me.” To that point, photos from family trips to Macedonia and Croatia adorn the walls at Sofra.

The menu features made-from-scratch dishes (even down to the soup stocks) and lists many familiar lunch and breakfast items. But, elements of Albanian culture are also woven into the offerings. The crepes are a family recipe. The lamb-beef blend Albanian sausage (served with certain menu items) is paired with kajmak, a creamy cheese and garlic sauce. The homemade sausages are also available to-go.

Top: Jodie Jefferson (left) with her daughter, Jakala Ware. Bottom: House of Flavas’ “everyday Chicago food” includes fried shrimp,

“My children are the backbone of our place. For me, it’s our heart and soul. This is where we raised our family.”

– Zamira Lumani

“My

Gjyner, Zamira, Luda and Faton Lumani

Taqueria Guadalajara

The story begins with homemade tamales being sold to neighbors and church members in Madison in 2001.

Josefa Trejo and her husband, Francisco Vasquez, had just moved from Mexico the year before — and their tamale business really took off. In 2006, they opened Taqueria Guadalajara.

Trejo, who was born in Querétaro, Mexico, learned to cook from her mother, and the tamales and mole recipes at the taqueria are her mom’s creations. All of the restaurant’s other recipes are also authentic and passed down from her family.

“The tamales here are special. You won’t find them anywhere else,” says Trejo.

The secret ingredient? “Todo mi amor” — all her love.

A mural in the front of the restaurant celebrates the cornfields and orange trees of their Mexican homeland. Each one of the couple’s four children has worked here, and daughter Imelda still does.

“We all learned how to cook all the dishes, even if we worked in the front,” explains Imelda.

Both Trejo and Vasquez are passionate about cooking, a shared interest she says makes the taqueria’s success possible. Come holiday time, champurrado, a hot drink made with milk, cornstarch, chocolate and cinnamon, is popular. And serving those famous tamales is a Christmas Eve tradition in Mexico. In fact, it’s all hands on deck when the family prepares 1,200 tamales to sell for that day alone — so other families can count on a bit of Trejo’s secret ingredient for the holiday.

Kevin Revolinski writes about food and travel, and often travels for food.

Top: Josefa Trejo serves up her family’s recipes that were passed down to her at Taqueria Guadalajara.

Middle: Customers can choose from chicken, grilled steak, marinated pork, beef tongue, pork stomach and beef intestines for their tacos. (Vegetarian tacos are available too.) They’re topped with onions and cilantro.

BE FAST — Learn the Signs of Stroke

A Stoughton Health nurse and clinical quality specialist discusses the signs of stroke and how to act quickly if you suspect you or a loved one is having a stroke.

What is a Stroke?

Rhonda Tesmer, a nurse at Stoughton Health and a clinical quality specialist, explains that we should think about stroke by comparing it to a heart attack.

“Most people understand what a heart attack is, and I think it may be informative if we think of stroke as a brain attack,” says Tesmer.

Types of Stroke

An ischemic stroke occurs when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts.

In both cases, parts of the brain can become damaged or die. A stroke can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability or even death. According to Tesmer, about 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes where the blood flow is blocked.

While it’s important to stress that the risk for having a stroke increases as we get older, you can have a stroke at any age.

BE FAST

It’s critical to know the signs of stroke.

Time equals brain lost, because brain cells can die without the flow of oxygenated blood. The acronym BE FAST can be helpful in remembering stroke signs and symptoms.

The B stands for balance, a sudden onset of dizziness or loss of balance or coordination.

E stands for eyes, trouble seeing out of one or both eyes.

F stands for face, facial weakness with a droop or an uneven smile.

A is for arm, being unable to raise both arms evenly.

S is for speech, if the speech is impaired, slurred or there is difficulty repeating a simple phrase.

T is for a sudden onset of a terrible headache.

T also stands for “time to call an ambulance now.”

Call 911

If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately and tell the

operator this is a possible stroke. Calling 911 helps ensure that you receive the quickest treatment and diagnosis.

In the ER, medical professionals will do a very quick assessment and perform a CT scan on the patient as rapidly as possible. The CT scan will help determine the type of stroke and the best course of treatment.

If there is no evidence of a hemorrhagic stroke or a brain bleed, the patient may be treated with the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator, or TPA.

Reduce Your Risk

Everyone can work to reduce stroke risk.

Tesmer suggests, “working with your primary care provider and identifying your risks, staying compliant with your medication if you have high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol, and be active. There’s so much that you can do to reduce your stroke risk.”

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

THE

We see it every day. The more women open up about their money, the more confident they become. Because when you stop second guessing and start getting real about your financial goals, the knowledge you earn can really pay off. So, do you want to buy a new home? Make your side hustle full-time? Retire early? Let’s talk! Then let’s make it happen. Plus, when you save and borrow with Summit, you’re choosing a credit union that helps women and our entire community build financial security.

Artful

Beginnings

New performance venues forecast a bright future for Madison

arts.

BY JESSICA STEINHOFF

Five years ago, Madison saw an influx of new performance venues. The Sylvee, Frank Productions’ 2,500-person venue, hosted its first concert in September 2018. A year later, the Hamel Music Center debuted, giving UW–Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music a stateof-the-art concert hall. Around the same time, Arts + Literature Lab moved into a sprawling space on Livingston Street, increasing the scale of its music performances, film screenings and literary events. Then, a pandemic crashed the party.

Existing venues struggled as COVID-19 kept audiences home month after month. Plans for additional venues stalled, too. Momentum is building again, bringing new opportunities to the Madison arts scene.

Madison Youth Arts Center's (MYArts) Starlight Theater

Obstacles and Opportunities

For Toffer Christensen, head of the concert promotion company T Presents, 2020 was a time of anxiety and opportunity. He became co-owner of The Venue on Winnebago Street early that year, when it needed a new direction.

A prior remodel had already transformed the historic space with exposed bricks, vintage reclaimed wood and a stage inspired by Vienna’s art nouveau movement. It just needed a new name. In June 2020, it became the Bur Oak.

However, touring musicians were canceling shows left and right at the time, and the remaining concerts the 130-person venue could normally hold were tiny due to capacity restrictions. To help offset expenses, the owners rented the kitchen to Asian-fusion eatery Ahan.

“Their takeout business took off, and helped keep the Bur Oak open,” Christensen says.

Today the Bur Oak’s stage teems with musicians, comedians and drag and burlesque performers. Its summer 2023 concert lineup ranged from a farewell gig by L.A.-bound local Mackenzie Moore to a soldout show by Bay Area hip-hop group Souls of Mischief. The venue also hosts weddings, a revenue stream that indirectly supports local musicians.

“The amount of money coming in is limited when you can only sell 130 concert tickets, but weddings are different,” Christensen says. “I think we’ve solved the

puzzle of how to support local artists and keep a good staff.”

In August, Ahan’s owner Jamie Brown-Soukaseume announced they would be moving to the old Eldorado Grill space on Williamson Street, where the business can expand not only in square footage, but serve alcohol. Christensen says there are no plans to replace Ahan with another eatery at this time.

Christensen’s next goal is opening Atwood Music Hall. Built for the Madison Gospel Tabernacle in the early 1930s, it has a lamella roof and space for up to 700 concertgoers. It’s also a short walk from the Bur Oak and Barrymore Theatre.

“The idea is to create a ladder for bands to climb. If a band sells out the Bur Oak, we can put them in Atwood Music Hall, and if they sell out that room, they can move to an even larger independent venue, the Barrymore,” Christensen explains.

Growth is tough for

Bur Oak

local acts at the middle rung. Some entertainment industry behemoths — Live Nation, for instance — buy venues and use them to book, produce and promote shows by their own roster of touring acts.

Christensen, a former Live Nation employee, strives to create a more inclusive environment, one that promotes both local talent and racial equity. That’s why he’ll launch Students of Live at Atwood Music Hall, an introduction to concert booking, marketing and more for students.

“A lot of kids never have an opportunity to see how the live music industry works, and what kind of jobs are available,” Christensen says, adding, “we have the power to change that. Having the building as a learning tool is really crucial to the concept.”

“The idea is to create a ladder for bands to climb. If a band sells out the Bur Oak, we can put them in Atwood Music Hall, and if they sell out that room, they can move to an even larger, independent venue, the Barrymore Theatre.”

Toffer Christensen

Christensen says he is “hopeful” that Atwood Music Hall will open in 2024, after facing delays in 2023.

In Madison and beyond, economic challenges have delayed many construction projects, including venue builds and remodels. Supply chain issues continue to be a bottleneck, and the price of building materials has skyrocketed, partially due to inflation.

Susan Gardels, development and communication director for Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras (WYSO), says a few slow-to-arrive HVAC parts could shift the opening date of the brand-new WYSO Center for Music on East Washington Avenue. The building is located on the old site of the Avenue Club and the Bubble Up Bar.

WYSO Center for Music

WYSO Center for Music

“[The parts] were ordered a long time ago, but there’s something about the manufacturing of these particular parts that’s unusual,” she says. “In any case, we’re assuming the best, which means occupancy in December 2023.”

The 40,000-square-foot facility addresses Madison’s growing need for rehearsal space and boasts teaching studios, a music library and areas for meetings and recitals. Inspired by the shape of a cello, the building’s design features sweeping curves and wooden accents. Amazing acoustics are the icing on the cake.

“Creating a lifelong love of music is part of our vision, so we want this space to be used by people of all ages,” Gardels adds, noting possibilities such as conventions, dance performances and music therapy. “We want it filled all the time, not just when the WYSO kids are here.”

A Youth Arts Corridor

The WYSO Center for Music is about four blocks from Arts + Literature Lab, which offers numerous classes for kids, and a block from Madison Youth Arts Center (MYArts), which has housed Children’s Theater of Madison and Madison Youth Choirs since opening in June 2021. MYArts has also partnered with more than 60 organizations, such as Madison Ballet and Black Star Drum Line, to provide youth arts experiences.

MYArts’ 70,000 square feet includes a 290-seat theater, an adaptable 100-seat performance space, costume and production shops, and the ability to display visual art. Its 14 classrooms and studios can accommodate music, theater, dance and visual art, and one features a sensory-friendly design.

According to Jess Courtier, MYArts’ director of community partnerships, the facility offers stability, safety and community.

“Many of our programming partners were operating out of spaces that weren’t designed for the arts,” she says. “For instance, Black Star Drum Line was practicing outside and storing their drums in a truck.”

Staff from the three youth arts facilities align their visions and collaborate at Washington East Business Corridor meetings organized by entrepreneurship hub StartingBlock. Dane Arts, Madison Public Market and other stakeholders often attend, too.

“There’s lots of energy and excitement surrounding this youth

arts corridor on East Washington, and a chance to decide what it means to be an arts district,” says MYArts facilities director Courtney Byelich.

What’s Next

More new performance spaces are on the horizon. Some are in The Center for Black Excellence and Culture, a building that will celebrate the Black experience and provide a safe, welcoming place for people of color to gather. It’s expected to open in 2025, says Dana Pellebon, director of theatrical programming.

“For Madison to stand up and say, ‘We are investing in Black art’ is miraculous,” Pellebon explains. “Many Black artists have been working in spaces where we don’t feel comfortable, and [Center founder] Alex Gee did something about it.”

“There’s lots of energy and excitement surrounding this youth arts corridor on East Washington, and a chance to decide what it means to be an arts district.”

Courtney Byelich

Pellebon compares the facility’s 250-seat performance hall and 100-seat black-box theater to Overture Center — they’ll host a range of art forms and bring touring acts to Madison. The difference will be the focus on Black artists. Plus, The Center’s West Badger Road location is near the homes of many Black families.

About a mile south, on Fitchburg’s Index Road, Community Organizations Promoting the Arts (COPA) plans to replace its current space with a 70,000-square-foot arts education campus on the site of its current building by 2025. Like The Center for Black Excellence and Culture, COPA aims to help underserved populations reap the arts’ many benefits.

“Community art groups really need to be supported so they can increase participation in the arts, especially by those who have found them elusive or unaffordable,” says Mike Leckrone,

The Center for Black Excellence and Culture

“For Madison to stand up and say, ‘We are investing in Black art’ is miraculous. Many Black artists have been working in spaces where we don’t feel comfortable ...”

Dana Pellebon

who became a COPA board member and community ambassador following his 50-year career as UW Marching Band director.

COPA’s ambassador roster also features Tony-winning singer, dancer and actor André De Shields, musician and record producer Butch Vig and other big-name artists who got their start in Madison.

Campus highlights include a multi-use event center, a 400-seat proscenium-style theater with an orchestra pit, a workshop, and rehearsal and teaching spaces for artists of all ages and skill levels. The current COPA building hosts Madison Jazz Society events and more.

Both COPA and The Center are raising construction funds while searching for artists to use their new facilities. After all, building the audience is just as important as building the building.

MYArts Sunrise Theater

The Center for Black Excellence and Culture

Cont. from P. 49 New Hangouts for Live Music Lovers

Check out these music-centered bars and clubs, both of which premiered during the pandemic.

Red Rooster

Knuckle Down Saloon didn’t survive the pandemic, but its memory lives on at Red Rooster (above). Launched in 2022 by three local musicians, it has infused the blues club’s old space with rock, funk, folk country and more.

“It’s not a bar with a stage, but a high-end stage with a bar,” says Dave Leucinger, Red Rooster’s entertainment booker.

This fall, the 100-person room welcomed Rockford R&B saxophonist Amanee Avery, La Crosse sunshine-pop outfit Charlieboy, Minneapolis singer-songwriter Joyann Parker and many local acts. The Rooster’s New Year’s Eve is set to feature Milwaukee blues crew Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys and Madison harmonica phenom Westside Andy.

Main Street Music

Big-time talent meets small-town charm at this Brooklyn, Wis., spot owned by future Nashville resident Andy “Mason” Meyer.

“It’s a piece of Nashville in Wisconsin,” says manager Megan Powell. “We have lots of country and rock tours come through, but we don’t limit ourselves. We did a metal festival last month, we had a reggae performer last week, and we have DJs and events like drag queen Bingo.”

The 150-person venue opened in early 2020, as a sort of gift to the community.

“Mason started playing music after he lost his son to a drug overdose, and it was a big part of his healing journey,” Powell says. “When he realized how much music helped him, he decided to share it with the rest of Brooklyn.”

Jessica Steinhoff is a Madison-area mom, musician and mental health professional.

A Vibrant, Senior-Focused Community

Not long ago, when a senior citizen could no longer live independently, they often had few alternatives but to enter a nursing home. Today, things are changing. For one thing, people are simply living longer due to advances in medicine and preventive health. It’s more common today, as opposed to 50 years ago, to see people live into their 90s. In addition, there are many more alternative living arrangements for seniors today.

Enter Renaissance Senior Living of Hilldale. This development is a residential care apartment complex (RCAC) assisted living community located in the heart of the Hilldale area.

“The Hilldale community can really feel like its own small town, and that sense of community is what sets us apart,” says Jamison Toepel, executive director of Renaissance Senior Living of Hilldale.

“Residents walk over to the Hilldale Farmers’ Market and attend concerts in the park [using] a walking trail near us. There is a family feeling all around us, and it can’t help but flow over into our community.”

The philosophy of assisted living is to provide supervision, assistance and health care services to senior citizens and individuals with disabilities when needed. The goal is to provide maximum independence in a home-like setting, with individualized care and assistance.

Renaissance Senior Living of Hilldale prides itself on truly being a partner with seniors and their families, helping them plan special events and develop individualized service plans, while offering families a renewed peace of mind.

“Whatever your loved one’s daily needs may be, our attentive, compassionate team is dedicated to each resident’s security and comfort, coupled with honor and respect,” Toepel says.

At Renaissance Senior Living the staff promotes an active lifestyle for residents with a wide variety of clubs, activities and events. By getting to know each of the residents’ histories and working with their families, the Renaissance team can bring in new activities that pique the interests of residents.

“Our Tuesday travel club can bring back memories of family trips. Our book club lets residents discuss some of their favorite

books while learning about new books from other residents,” Toepel says. “So, in a way, the residents are helping each other learn new things and remain active.”

Activities aside, the core facet of Renaissance Senior Living at Hilldale is the residents and the discreet care in the privacy of their own apartment.

“Our goal is to serve the greatest generation with honor, respect, faith and integrity. We treat each resident as if they are family members because they really become that,” Toepel says. “To me, that’s what makes a good assisted living. For the residents, it means freedom to pursue whatever they love, in a supportive, funloving community.”

Planning Ahead for Peace of Mind

If you’re caring for an elderly loved one, seeking guidance on care and estate planning for your family member are something that’s vital for peace of mind for your family. Although it’s best to have documentation and plans in place before a health crisis arises, it’s especially crucial if your family member’s health is declining, or they have a newly-diagnosed illness.

“It is extremely important to start having conversations with your loved ones before an event happens that triggers the need for long-term care. Making sure your wishes are known is the first step. The second step is making sure you have the necessary estate planning documents in place so that your wishes can be accomplished by those you’ve entrusted to make such decisions and arrangements,” explains Stephanie Thompson, owner and attorney at Krueger, Hernandez & Thompson SC.

There are many factors to consider when helping a loved one get their affairs in order. First, consider if you and other family members are struggling to meet

an elderly loved one’s needs. Issues such as the following may mean you need legal expertise to guide you:

• There are long-term care cost concerns

• They are a veteran with health care issues

• The person has a chronic ailment or health decline

• Family members are confused or overwhelmed on how to make care decisions

• Your loved one has a spouse’s financial or health care needs to consider

• Your family member has experienced a catastrophic health event

• A caregiver is struggling with burnout

• The elderly person has been hospitalized

• There are care coordination concerns with multiple providers

• The family member is incapacitated

Thompson is the only attorney at the firm that focuses on long-term care planning, so concerns such as the above are ones that she guides family members through. These care concerns dovetail with the need for an estate plan, which

spells out your loved one’s wishes for their care and their assets. Thompson encourages everyone to start these conversations now.

“Estate planning is for everyone ... ask if an estate plan exists [and] when was it last looked at by an attorney who specializes in this area. It is important to know if your loved ones have longterm care insurance, which helps ease the financial burden of long-term care costs. Asking about finances can be delicate, but … transparency always makes things easier.”

Left to Right: Renee Nehring, Stephanie Thompson, Sadie Minobe

What is Palliative and Hospice Care?

You’ve likely heard of hospice and palliative care, but may not know the difference between the two. This type of care is often misunderstood, says Dr. Tim Jessick, chief medical officer, SSM Health At Home

“This is about a type of care delivery,” says Dr. Jessick. “You’re providing the right care for the patient at the right time.”

Dr. Jessick explains that palliative care “is an interdisciplinary team approach to caring for patients and their families that have chronic, serious or life-limiting illnesses. So, we care for folks that may have several years to live and are still receiving curative treatment, but we help manage symptoms [such as] pain, nausea, vomiting and those types of things.”

Hospice care is appropriate for those who have six months or less to live, and “whose focus is comfort and spending as much time at home as possible,” he explains.

Dr. Jessick stresses that besides each patient’s medical status, their wishes and goals are the most important area that SSM’s care team talks through with a patient and their family. If a loved one ends up needing palliative or hospice care, Dr. Jessick encourages patients and families to connect with their care team and ask questions.

“Asking your doctor and [care] team questions to know what’s possible, what’s not possible and then to feel empowered to say, ‘Well, I’m going to make decisions that best serve me and my family.’”

• Home health

• Hospice care

• Home medical equipment and supplies

From home care after an injury or surgery, to medical equipment deliveries, and hospice care, the SSM Health at Home team is dedicated to helping people live life to the fullest wherever they call home.

To learn more about our compassionate care, visit ssmhealth.com/AtHome or call 800-924-2273

Need a Helping Hand With a Loved One?

Many of us are part of the sandwich generation, caring for our own children as well as providing support for our parents. But life gets busy, and if you need a bit more help with an older loved one, Visiting Angels Home Care is there to lend a hand.

Visiting Angels is a nationwide network of non-medical, in-home care providers. They specialize in offering personalized, oneon-one assistance to seniors and individuals with disabilities, helping them maintain their independence and age gracefully in

the comfort of their own homes. Staff can assist with personal care (bathing, toileting, dressing, etc.), medication reminders, meal prep and cooking, light housekeeping, transportation to appointments, respite care and more.

When meeting with Visiting Angels’ staff, they’re happy to answer questions about the services you’re seeking for your loved one, such as: their caregiving matching process, scheduling concerns, emergency protocols, what duties a caregiver will fulfill and more.

This customized approach ensures that the services Visiting Angels will provide are exactly what you’re looking, leading to a higher quality of for your loved one — right at home.

The Holiday Hustle Staying Focused on Your Fitness

This Festive Season!

November and December are a whirlwind for many. Don’t let the holiday hustle and bustle knock you off your wellness game. Let’s tackle the top holiday obstacles with a dash of practical advice and a sprinkle of fun to stay focused on your fitness this season.

Obstacle 1: Merry Mayhem Solution: Embrace Time Management like a Pro!

• Schedule your workouts on your calendar. Treat them as nonnegotiable appointments and show up with bells on!

• Don’t want to create a workout plan? Join group fitness classes or get a personal trainer — just show up for the sweat-fueled party.

• Even on the busiest days, carve out ten minutes for a brisk walk or bodyweight exercises like pushups, planks and squats.

Obstacle 2: Traveler’s Woes Solution: Make Fitness Your Trusty Travel Companion!

• Jump into a virtual Les Mills fitness class, FREE for Princeton

Club members! Work out at your convenience anywhere your holiday adventures take you.

• Pack resistance bands — they’re lightweight, fit in your luggage and ensure you keep building muscle even on the go.

• Make your road trip pit stops at grocery stores for healthy snacks, and pack nutritious eats for your flights to steer clear from processed junk food during your travels.

Obstacle 3: Calendar Chaos

Solution: Steady Your Routine with Consistency!

• Begin your day with a protein-packed breakfast.

• Keep your wake-up and bedtime as steady as the North Star. Your body loves predictability (and sleep!), even during the festive chaos.

• Safeguard your workouts by literally scheduling them in your calendar. You can even pair cardio workouts with all those new holiday movies!

Obstacle 4: A Treat Wonderland Solution: Create a Balancing Act — Prioritization and Moderation!

• Start with nutrient-rich meals with whole foods before venturing into treat territory.

• Yes, treat yourself! Decide on the ideal serving size before indulging to prevent the all-too-easy grazing of the dessert table.

• Create healthier versions of your favorite dishes for gatherings. Savor your favorite foods at every event without compromising your health with simple ingredient swaps in recipes.

Obstacle 5: FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) Solution: Overcome FOMO by inviting family and friends INTO your workout!

• Reimagine your workouts as a chance to include your loved ones. Invite them to share the joy of weightlifting, group fitness classes or leisurely walks with you. The more the merrier!

• Strengthen bonds while you strengthen your body. Take on fitness challenges together and create lifelong changes together.

Let your wellness be a gift to yourself, intentionally crafted and wrapped with care. Identify the obstacles you may face, set a game plan and get ready to sleigh your way through the holidays.

#ForABetterTomorrow

Eight locations throughout the Madison area princetonclub.net

Native

Voices

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, six Native women share how their culture, traditions and elders have influenced who they are today.

BY SHAYNA MACE, JESSICA STEINHOFF, KATIE VAUGHN AND CANDICE WAGENER

Arvina Martin and Kyla Beard

Arvina Martin

Politically Minded and Forward Thinking

Nowhere but Madison feels like home to Arvina Martin. She logged a year in Arizona, spent part of middle school in Washington, D.C. and attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, but they couldn’t compete.

“I’m Ho-Chunk, so Madison has been my ancestors’ home for time immemorial,” says the mom, roller-derby champ and executive director of Emerge Wisconsin, an organization that helps Democratic women run for public office. “It’s where I’m supposed to be.”

Martin didn’t always feel such an intense connection to Madison, even when she became the city council’s first Native alder in 2017. The turning point arrived two summers ago, during an outing with Ho-Chunk youth. The group built a dugout canoe from a cottonwood tree and paddled across four local lakes. When they stopped where their ancestors’ canoes had been found, she realized she was in tears.

“Something about generations of them having been right there, within walking distance of my house, overwhelmed me with emotion,” Martin recalls. “We keep coming back, no matter how many times others try to remove us from this place.”

These deep ties also motivated Martin to become an elected official. Like many Madison residents, she was shocked by the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. While others froze, she sprang to action, using what she’d learned in Emerge Wisconsin’s candidate training program to win a city council seat. Today she oversees this program, plus the organization’s strategy and operations.

During her five years representing the 11th district, Martin fought to make Madison a safe home for all, especially marginalized groups and future residents. This work included launching Community Alternative Response Emergency Services (CARES), which sends a paramedic and a crisis counselor to behavioral health emergencies that don’t require law enforcement, and demanding new infrastructure to divert stormwater from roads after the catastrophic floods of August 2018.

“Helping convince the governor to declare Madison a disaster area was important during the floods, but getting city engineering to manage stormwater differently was a really big deal because it will prevent people from losing their homes and cars in the future,” she says.

Forward-thinking policy is Martin’s hallmark, and a commitment to justice has fueled her career, from a voter protection fellowship at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin to Native outreach roles in campaigns for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. She credits her Ho-Chunk and Stockbridge-Munsee upbringing: “Native people often talk about our duty to the seventh generation — people who’ll be born far in the future. We can’t just do what’s best for us now; we have to consider what others will need later.”

– Jessica Steinhoff

“Roller derby helps me feel empowered. The first time I fell, everyone clapped. Falling means you pushed yourself to try something you didn’t think you could do.”

Kyla Beard A

Full-Circle Connection

Family has always kept Kyla Beard grounded and connected to her Native American roots. Her dad is 100% Ho-Chunk and her mom is a descendant of the Puerto Rican Taíno, an Indigenous tribe that was scattered throughout the Caribbean. (The Taíno people were who Christopher Columbus encountered when he reached the New World in 1492.)

Her family originally settled in the tiny town of Cornell, Wis., (pop. 1,467) about 30 miles northeast of Chippewa Falls. When she was a sophomore in high school, the family moved to Portage.

“Coming to Portage was a bit of a culture shock, as my [high school class there] was about 200 people. I want to say I was definitely the only Indigenous youth [there]. We had a couple of other kids of color, but primarily Caucasian kids and teachers. But that’s kind of how it’s always been my whole life,” explains Beard.

Growing up, she spent a lot of time in Wisconsin Dells with her dad’s relatives. She recounts summers spent with aunts, uncles and cousins during “prime powwow season, with everyone coming together.” The family also attended religious ceremonies and feasts, where she learned a bit about her heritage.

Although she was immersed in Ho-Chunk culture sporadically and is an enrolled member, Beard admits the connection was tenuous at times. Her dad was adopted by a white family when he was young, and because of that, he didn’t have a strong relationship with his background for a long time. As he got older, he looked to strengthen that association for himself and his family.

“[Our culture] is always growing, and ever-evolving … there can be ways of taking elements of tradition, and bringing those forward.”

“You can be surrounded by something and not feel a connection to it — or have a full understanding of it. And I think that’s kind of where I was growing up,” says Beard.

But it’s slowly come full circle for her. Currently, she works for her own tribe as the cage manager for Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison, where she oversees a staff of 30 people.

“Basically, the cage is the bank of the casino. Any money that comes into or leaves the casino will flow through that cage. So, I oversee the frontline cashiers who interact with our customers as well as our back-end vault staff who control all of the cash inventory.”

In addition to her full-time gig, Beard loves learning and talking about Native American food sovereignty, which promotes growing, cultivating and enjoying Native foods, such as milkweed, berries and even beaver. She’s assisted Elena Terry of Wild Bearies with events and talks about the topic.

“Food is so central … to our culture,” says Beard. “[Learning about food sovereignty] did eventually reconnect me to my family and my [heritage] … so, it is really cool.”

– Shayna Mace

~Dozens of local makers and artists~ at r

20% of sales support food security and housing stability programs at WayForward Resources (formerly Middleton Outreach Ministry).

December 2: 10 am to 5 pm

December 3: 10 am to 3 pm

Food Concepts Inc. 2551 Parmenter St. Middleton

wayforwardesources.org/holidays

Carla Vigue

A Bridge-Builder Between Generations

Carla Vigue attended a very memorable birthday party last summer. It was for 88-year-old Ada Deer, who led the Bureau of Indian Affairs from 1993 to 1997. (Deer has since passed, in August 2023.)

“It’s your turn to lead,” said the Menominee scholar and activist, grabbing Vigue’s hand and looking her in the eye.

Vigue does just that as UW-Madison’s director of tribal relations, a role she assumed in January 2023. She has been leading for years — at the National Council of Urban Indian Health, the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs and more — but a Native elder had passed her the baton. She was floored.

“I’m inspired by my elders and hope to make them proud,” she says.

An enrolled member of the Oneida Nation, Vigue grew up on the reservation near Green Bay. She describes it as tight-knit community where everyone looks out for each other.

“I would not be who I am today without the support of so many people there,” she says.

Oneida friends and family encouraged Vigue’s educational pursuits, and tribal leaders helped her secure her first job after graduate school, at a government relations firm in Washington, D.C. Plus, they showed her how to organize cultural events that educate people of other backgrounds.

“The traditional longhouse singers came to Illinois Wesleyan, where I went to college, and put on a social dance,” she recalls. “It wasn’t just to make me feel at home, it was to teach others what it means to be Oneida.”

Telling Native people’s stories is one of Vigue’s specialties, whether she’s forging partnerships between institutions or promoting policies that benefit Wisconsin tribes. As communications director for Gov. Jim Doyle, she gained a reputation as a savvy spokesperson and bridgebuilder. These qualities serve her well at UW–Madison, where her top priorities include creating support systems for Native students and strengthening the university’s relationships with Wisconsin tribes.

Learning from other Native people is a big part of Vigue’s current role. She and Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin have been consulting tribal

“To learn from our history, we must remember and share it. This is my job, and each of our responsibilities, to move us forward.”

leaders while developing ways to improve university access for Native students.

Vigue has also been integral to art initiatives that help Native people feel welcome on campus. These include unveiling Observatory Drive’s new Ho-Chunk Clan Circle, a sculpture series by Ken Lewis, and dedicating “Effigy: Bird Form,” a sculpture by Truman Lowe, the late Ho-Chunk artist, UW art professor and curator for the National Museum of the American Indian. “Effigy” debuted at the White House in 1997 and moved to the UW’s Observatory Hill in 2023.

“We have an opportunity to make UW-Madison a place that lives up to my elders’ expectations and lifts up generations to come,” Vigue says.

– Jessica Steinhoff

Samantha Skenandore

Leveraging the Law

Samantha Skenandore loved her first job out of college. Based in Black River Falls, she was a tribal archivist for the Ho-Chunk Nation, which she’s enrolled in as a citizen. Skenandore digitized tribal records; interviewed elders about sacred sites, traditions and customs; recorded oral histories; and collected donations of artifacts. It was a fascinating job, she says.

“I got paid to learn about my tribe full time, and go to the historical society and thumb through all kinds of maps and records … I got to understand genealogy and how we were treated by the government. And for years, I had the privilege to sit with the elders and ask a handful of questions.”

Skenandore had never thought about going to law school, but after she helped the tribe with a complicated situation involving a corporation entering Wisconsin and attempting to acquire Ho-Chunk ancestral lands for their natural resource extraction operations, it piqued her interest in law.

“[After that], I signed up for the LSAT and thought, ‘If I could do this full time, I could do a better job protecting this land if I had a law license and I could negotiate for preservation,’” she says.

Skenandore searched for a law school with a focus on federal Indian law and tribal law professors, and landed on the University of Denver. She practices law in Arizona, Wisconsin and several tribal jurisdictions, and is presently an attorney/of counsel at the firm of Quarles & Brady LLP. Her specialty area can be complicated, she admits. She practices tribal law, as governed by tribal governments and upheld by tribal courts. She also works in federal Indian law, which can be difficult to navigate due to jurisdictional questions.

“[Federal Indian law] is a complex area of the law because it involves how you study jurisdiction on land, who has authority, who has rights and who doesn’t. It’s really … multi-jurisdictional analysis, [with] tribal authorities versus the state authorities versus the federal government.”

Skenandore, who is half Ho-Chunk and of Oneida descent, also squeezes in pro bono work when she can for domestic violence survivors in and outside of Indian country, including representing tribal member victims in state court.

“With my practice, most of my clients are diverse. What I love is that we have people [at Quarles] that may have never touched a tribal matter, but they’re top-notch in a particular legal area. I handle the Indian law portion … and together we’re delivering great results for our clients.”

– Shayna Mace

“It’s amazing to have a superpower [in the law] …

Sometimes I can solve years of problems with a five-minute phone call.”

Kristie GoForth

Pedaling Forward for the Greater Good

Transportation equity is always on Kristie GoForth’s mind. As executive director of Free Bikes 4Kidz Madison (FB4K) and a member of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, GoForth is committed to providing access to the bicycling community for everyone.

Since taking the helm in April 2020, GoForth has transitioned FB4K into a year-round operation to amp up its visibility and worked to increase the sustainability of the organization.

Their Slow Roll event in August was a highlight. Hosted on Madison’s south side, the goal was to educate the community on the bike paths in their area and help them feel supported in navigating that space. They had 250 participants, mostly people of color.

“Many of our recipients are still first-generation [bike] owners which, in 2023, is very hard for some people to fathom — but it’s also very telling of the industry,” says GoForth. “Underserved communities often don’t have bike infrastructure [like] bike lanes [or] bike racks … we’re really working to address that.”

GoForth’s passion for biking grew as she faced her own personal traumas. As a biracial person, she never felt like she fit into either group. She looks white, yet carries the traumas of Native heritage instead of white privilege, and she is not brown enough to be accepted by Native people. When she came to UW–Madison, she needed her bike more than ever.

“My time at UW was probably one of the lonelier times of my life. It’s amazing that I was able to stick it out. And you know how I did? Living on my bicycle. I would spend hours and hours just riding my bicycle through the countryside of Wisconsin,

“I can feel my ancestors and their warrior spirits working through me, supporting me and guiding me towards the greater good.”

because I didn’t have a community, and I never really fit in … [but biking] felt very comfortable.”

On a visit this past summer to the Lac du Flambeau reservation, GoForth was inspired to expand FB4K’s outreach.

“I only saw one person on a bicycle [on the reservation], whereas in Minocqua and Boulder Junction, I saw a ton of bikes. The inequity was very glaring and shouting out at me [to do something],” says GoForth.

She worked quickly to plan a bike donation drive in partnership with Minocqua Brewing Company and she hopes to host a bike giveaway in the near future on the reservation. Eventually, she endeavors to reach the entire state and all 12 of its reservations.

“I’m not the type of leader who waits for opportunity,” says GoForth. “I seize any opportunity I can find, because our work is important.”

– Candice Wagener

Dakota Mace

Expanding Understanding Through Art

For Dakota Mace, art is inherently connected to history, to family and to the land where she was raised.

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mace is a Diné (also called Navajo) artist whose work is based in photography and also features media inspired by family members who excelled in weaving, beading and silversmithing.

In her work, Mace employs a variety of alternative photography techniques, particularly cyanotypes and chemigrams — both of which utilize natural light to create an image.

“It’s very expressive and intuitive,” she says. “I love experimentation.”

Mace moved to Madison in 2014 to study with Ho-Chunk photographer and UW–Madison art professor Tom Jones. She earned MA and MFA degrees in photography and textile design, and now works as a photographer and research specialist for the university’s Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, in addition to creating her own art.

New York City’s Bruce Silverstein Gallery represents Mace, and her work was recently exhibited at the Armory Show, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. And this summer, she won the Foundation for Contemporary Artists’ prestigious Ellsworth Kelly Award, which she will use to prepare for a solo exhibition at SITE Santa Fe in 2025.

Mace often creates work in layers, series and multiples, to represent both individual and collective stories of Diné heritage and culture. She’s

interested in questions of identity and tradition and pushes for broader explorations of both.

“There’s no separation of my identity and my work.”

“A lot of Indigenous artists are sort of stuck with this question of, ‘What is tradition?’” she says. “I want to open up more opportunities to see change shifting and the beauty of ingenuity. That’s part of our history. We’ve never been static.”

It’s crucial, Mace says, that Indigenous artists be the ones to tell their own stories, and for her, it means finding a balance between past, present and future. “I want to collapse all three and ask, ‘What does it mean to be Diné?”

And when she asks that question, a line of connection emerges.

“I look at how we have different variations of who we are, but that eventually we all go back to the land and become part of the land,” she says. “The land is our storyteller.”

– Katie Vaughn

WAY! ON YOUR WELL

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SMALL TOWN HOLIDAYS

The state’s small towns offer the best and brightest holiday experiences.

BY MAURA KELLER

Festive Fox Cities

Wisconsin’s Fox Cities area is home to 19 unique communities that offer some of the most memorable holiday experiences in the area. On Nov. 21, downtown Appleton will host the Downtown Appleton Christmas Parade, the largest nighttime parade in the Midwest. This year’s theme, “The Music and Magic of Christmas,” will boast over 100 decorated floats, marching bands, vehicles and groups.

For history buffs, a classic holiday experience conjures images of oldtime Victorian Christmas décor. Luckily, the Fox Cities is home to Hearthstone, a stunningly historic Queen Anne-style Victorian home that inspires and delights at every turn. Each year, Hearthstone is painstakingly decorated in Christmas splendor after about nine months of planning, designing and decorating this majestic home. Public tours are available for those eager to experience Christmas of generations past.

Of course, no holiday visit to the Fox Cities region would be complete without embarking on A Very Neenah Christmas, an annual event held in historic downtown Neenah. Visitors will experience live, holiday-themed shop displays, scavenger hunts, live performances, outdoor movies and a wonderful array of activities celebrating the season.

SHOP ’TIL YOU DROP

With 19 communities from which to choose, the holiday shopping experience throughout the Fox Cities entices visitors from across Wisconsin and beyond. From locally-owned boutiques to small artisan shops to charming antique havens, shoppers who are looking for unique gift options have a plethora of retailers to explore. Whether you’re looking for vintage home décor, upcycled items or pet picks, find it at the boutiques dotting the Fox Cities. If homemade presents are more your style, venture on over to the Eclectic Candle Company or The Fire in Appleton , where you can make your own candles, pottery, mosaics or fused glass pieces.

Get active and don a pair of skates and head over to the Plaza at Gateway Park in Neenah, where visitors will find a beautiful iceskating rink modeled after the famous Rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Roast your own s’mores or enjoy hot chocolate flights for the whole group.

EXCELLENT EATS

The Fox Cities region is home to some of the best eateries in the state, and each holiday season, these dining gems get creative and offer visitors memorable experiences. An iconic venue in the Fox Cities, Cleo’s Brown Beam Tavern in downtown Appleton is a year-round Christmas-themed bar. After spending the day shopping and visiting Appleton’s many holiday-themed events, stop by and enjoy Cleo’s most popular drink, The Dirty Snowball. When the snow starts flying and the temperatures drop, most people head inside to dine. Not so at Fratellos Riverfront Restaurant in Appleton! The eatery has river domes (igloos) on their outdoor, riverside patio for patrons who are eager to enjoy a unique outdoor winter dining and drinking experience.

Jingle All the Way in Janesville

All season long , there are fun opportunities to shop and dine in Janesville. One of the biggest events this holiday season is Janesville’s Jolly Jingle , taking place from Dec. 1 to 3, and includes more than 40 events. From a lighted parade to a holiday tree show to an ugly sweater 5K run, Jolly Jingle offers something for everyone and most events are free or low cost.

Saunter through the J ingle Bell Holiday Market and enjoy perusing gift ideas from local retailers as well as regional artists and craftspeople. A holiday fireworks show will dazzle spectators with bursts of holiday-themed red, green and gold that will illuminate Janesville’s Rock River. Visitors to the city’s downtown will also enjoy the historic charm of the many buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places.

While enjoying the holiday activities, stop by one of Janesville’s eateries, many of which have holiday specials and events throughout the season. Looking to cap off a memorable night out? Stop by The Green Door , Janesville’s brand-new speakeasy, serving only mocktails. Delicious and creative sips are in abundance here with a nod to the Roaring Twenties, complete with secret passwords, Art Deco décor and a secret entrance.

FARM FRESH

Who says farmers’ markets are only for summertime? On the first and third Saturdays in November and December, as well as the first Saturdays every month from January to April, Janesville features its much-celebrated Winter Farmers’ Market indoors at Uptown Janesville (formerly Janesville Mall). Here, shoppers can find an array of baked goods, preserves, eggs, beef, honey and a variety of artisan treasures. The warm and welcoming experience celebrates the winter season and allows visitors to stock up on all of their favorite goodies.

LIGHT THE NIGHT

There is nothing quite like walking under a clear, starry winter sky on paths lit up by luminaries. Janesville’s Luminary Walk , held on Dec. 1, is part of the city’s Jolly Jingle and invites visitors to stroll down downtown streets illuminated with luminaries on their way to find festive holiday fun. Along the way, visitors can stop at nearly two dozen local boutiques and retailers (like 808 Cheesecake, below) as well as the Holiday Makers’ Market to find that perfect gift to put under the tree. You can also enjoy the luminaries while taking a ride on the charming downtown trolley, which will be offering free rides from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Fort Atkinson’s Favorites

There’s something special about celebrating the holidays away from the hustle and bustle of big cities and embracing the small-town charm of destinations that are small in size, but big in experiences. That’s exactly what you will find in Fort Atkinson.

On Dec. 3, Fort Atkinson’s lighted holiday parade coincides with their Holiday Market , which features handmade crafts, fresh produce, jams, soaps, honey and a wealth of art vendors at multiple indoor market locations. Visitors to the Holiday Market will also enjoy strolling carolers, trolley rides and horse-drawn carriage rides — experiences that will leave an indelible mark on your holiday merry making.

A visit to Fort Atkinson’s famed Fireside Dinner Theatre is also a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays. “Scrooge the Musical” is a joyful retelling of the world’s most beloved Christmas story, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Catch it through Dec. 23.

Spirit on Wheels

Looking to bring some holiday smiles and cheer to others this holiday season? Join friends and family and participate in Fort Atkinson’s Santa Bike Ride . On Dec. 2, don your favorite Santa costume, elf gear, reindeer ears or other favorite holiday garb and grab your bike and ride through town, bringing a bit of Christmas spirit to others.

Holiday Happenings in Beloit

When you visit Beloit , the spirit of the season permeates the community and its businesses. Starting the first Saturday in November and occurring each Saturday through April, the Winter Crafter and Farmers’ Market offers handmade items and fresh foods. Officially kick off the holidays with the Grand Lighted Holiday Parade on Nov. 24, featuring floats, Mrs. and Mr. Claus, and free hot chocolate. The following weekend (Dec. 1) Holidazzle takes over the downtown area. View festive window displays, listen to live carolers and take a trolley ride. During your visit, dine at one of the many locally-owned restaurants in Beloit, such as a Wisconsin supper club. Cap off a wonderful stay by checking into the Home2 Suites by Hilton or the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott and enjoy the indoor pool and free breakfast.

NOV. 8th - DEC. 8th

Small-Town Charm in Stoughton

Stoughton is delightful any time of year, but during the holidays, it’s a special place to be. Starting on Nov. 24 at dusk, experience the Rotary Park holiday lights display (which runs through Jan. 1). The weekend of Nov. 24-26 is also Shop Small Weekend, so be sure to visit Stoughton’s independently-owned shops to find all of your holiday gifts.

The town’s trademark Victorian Holiday Weekend (Dec. 1-3) features Stoughton Opera House shows, “Miracle on 34th Street” performances (Dec. 1 & 2), the Victorian Craft Fair (Dec. 2) the Fire Truck Parade (Dec. 2) and more.

Stoughton Opera House is host to several more holiday shows throughout December, including Jake Shimabukuro’s “Christmas in Hawai’i” (Dec. 6), Stoughton Festival Choir and Band (Dec. 10) and the Squirrel Nut Zipper’s “Christmas Caravan” (Dec. 15).

Plan your visit at visitstoughton.com

NOW THAT’S ITALIAN!

Madison is home to an impressive assortment of Italian restaurants, from casual pizzerias to fine dining and everywhere in between.

BY KEVIN REVOLINSKI

BAR CORALLINI

Chef Giovanni Novella hails from the foot of Mount Vesuvius near Naples, Italy, and brings handcrafted pastas and pizzas to this light and breezy space in the Schenk’s Corners neighborhood. Check out the paccheri with house-made ’nduja (a spicy, spreadable pork sausage), ricotta gnocchi or bucatini carbonara. An antipasti board, appetizers and several pizza options grace the menu as well. Vegetarians have good choices, including a meatless muffuletta. (They also have a separate vegan menu.) Service is cheery, portions are generous, and the bar is on point. barcorallini.com

LOMBARDINO’S

A Madison institution since the 1950s, the restaurant has passed through a few Italian-American families and is a standard-bearer for special nights out. (The current owner, the restaurant’s fifth, is Michael Banas.)

The menu offers a wide range of antipasti, classic brick-oven pizzas, and pastas including Bolognese, tagliatelle primavera and the familiar Italian-American spaghetti with red sauce. Among the entrée options are the “chicken under a brick” served on Anson Mills creamy polenta with rosemary-chicken sauce and the pan-seared scallops. Ingredients are locally sourced whenever possible,

Bar Corallini

Lombardino’s

including the fabulous sausage from Fraboni’s Italian Specialties & Delicatessen. lombardinos.com

AMARA

A sleek, modern space serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, this new spot serves several pasta dishes and entrees that include porchetta, which is spiral-wound roasted pork belly. Check out their list of shareable spuntini (snacks), daily aperitivo happy hour and a nice assortment of amari (see sidebar). In season, the patio seating and open-air dining room are the best. amaramadison.com

CENTO

Suitable for a nice night out or casual drinks and appetizers at the tall tables near the bar (Roman-fried artichokes and fried olives anyone?), Cento is ideal before a show at Overture. In fact, they even have a dedicated, prixfixe, three-course Theater Menu.

Dinner offers a short pizza menu and classic entrees such as seafood risotto, carbonara, chicken parmesan and lobster scampi. Or, opt for a steak, scallops or roasted duck. Daily happy hours offer deals on spritzes, Peroni beer and the recently re-popularized Negroni Sbagliato. centomadison.com

NAPLES 15

A native of Ischia off the coast of Naples, chef Salvatore Di Scala runs one of only four Wisconsin restaurants serving the strictly-regulated Verace Pizza Napoletana (true Neapolitan pizza). This traditional pie has specifications for the type of tomatoes and cheese that must be used, and the dough recipe follows specific ingredients, ratios and preparation.

Meanwhile, Naples 15’s pasta is imported from Campania’s Gragnano, considered home to the best pasta in the world. More than half of the wines on their wine list are similarly regional. Check out the puttanesca or any dish with the traditional slowcooked Naples ragu sauce, as well as numerous seafood dishes, especially with lobster, inspired by Di Scala’s island home. naples15.com

VILLA DOLCE

Nothing says Italy like friends and family gathering at a casual pizzeria or eating gelato on an evening passeggiata (stroll). The focus here is artisanal pizzas ranging from traditional margherita and veggie pesto Genovese to fusion Thai chicken and pear and gorgonzola. The menu also offers pasta dishes that include cacio e pepe and a grass-fed beef Bolognese, entrées such as roasted lamb and

AMAZING AMARO

Amaro (amari is the plural term) is Italian for “bitter,” but it’s also a type of digestive commonly sipped after a big meal. Originally a medicinal tonic, the liqueur is made by macerating up to 30-plus botanicals in a spirit or wine base with a varying touch of sugar to make the “medicine” go down. Some are bracingly bitter; others well balanced with sweetness. Some are citrusy or more herbal in character. Local liquor stores carry increasing varieties, and of course, Italian restaurants serve them. Downtown cocktail lounge Oz by Oz notably stocks 15 to 20 amari.

Popular varieties include Montenegro, Meletti, Ramazzotti, artichoke-based Cynar, sherrycask-aged Amaro Nonino and Fernet-Branca. Drink them neat, on the rocks or even in a cocktail, such as the Black Manhattan, made with Averna amaro swapped in for the vermouth.

Cento

Amara

grilled seafood, and an assortment of salads and appetizers. The housemade gelato makes a great finish — or even a standalone reason to stop by for an evening stroll through downtown Middleton. villadolcecafe.com

OSTERIA PAPAVERO

Chef and owner Francesco Mangano is from Bologna, in the heart of Italy’s Food Valley, and his dual commitment to tradition and local sourcing for this rustic fare earned him a nomination for a James Beard Award

in 2023. Their specials menu changes frequently, and whether you’re here for a fine dinner, casual plate sharing or even dessert, you’re in good hands. Standouts include the wild boar ragout and the gramigna pasta with asparagus and fresh ricotta. The butterscotch pudding is a must. osteriapapavero.com

Osteria Papavero

Bar Corallini

Cento

A TASTE OF HOME

A group of Ukrainian war refugees find a new purpose in sharing their beloved cuisine with Midwesteners.

BY KEVIN REVOLINSKI PHOTOGRAPHY BY HILLARY SCHAVE

“It’s what we do best, it’s what we eat at home, and what we know, what we love, and what we would like to share with Americans,” says Katya Temchenko of the menu at Touch of Ukraine, which opened in July 2023. The restaurant took over the former Union Corners Brewery space.

Temchenko is the manager, and you’ll find her behind the bar or hustling in the kitchen, part of a team mostly made up of war refugees from Zaporizhzhia. The Ukrainian city of nearly 750,000 people straddles the Dnieper River, and has

been repeatedly under attack from the Russian military. Temchenko and ten others came to Madison thanks to the sponsorship of Gary Gorman, whose development group is behind the Union Corners project. One of Gorman’s employees is married to a Ukrainian native, and he was assisting in bringing her parents to the U.S. He extended his efforts to several other friends of the family fleeing Zaporizhzhia. An open restaurant space provided an opportunity for all of them.

Katya Temchenko

“…Here, we could find a place for every one of us,” says Temchenko. “We could be together. We understood that none of us can work the same job we had in Ukraine. We are lawyers, HR specialists, managers … here, we can create our home atmosphere and share it with people.”

The group developed the menu together, but chef Tatiania Yermolova is the only one of them with professional food experience. “She’s a very old-school woman. You don’t want to mess with her,” Temchenko laughs.

All dishes are made from scratch, from the chicken Kyiv to the varenyky (potato dumplings) and smaller pelmeni, filled with pork and beef ground on-site and served with fried onion and sour cream. The mlyntsi are crepes filled with ground beef or cottage cheese.

The cottage cheese they serve (with a higher fat content) comes from Pennsylvania and has a different texture and flavor, according to Temchenko, and they are still looking for a source for traditional salo, salt-cured bacon fat. Even if you’re not a beet fan, the borsch — “the cornerstone of all Ukraine cuisine,” says Temchenko — is delicately balanced. There’s also a soup of the day. Specials such as cabbage rolls or stuffed peppers may come and go with the seasons. A few American items such as a chicken salad sandwich and a fried chicken sandwich round out the menu. In the full bar, Khor Vodka from Ukraine is a featured brand. Ukrainians traditionally drink it as a shot — but it’s in the Kyiv Mule and the Upside Down Ukrainian Flag, both mixed with Blue Curacao.

FIVE FUN CLASSES TO TRY

Forgo the long winter’s nap and take a captivating class instead. BY

SHELBY DEERING

Come chilly temperatures, we all seek out new ways to have fun, fresh experiences — indoors. Luckily, this time of year, you can find several intriguing classes that aren’t run-ofthe-mill to try. Want to learn about worldly cuisines, mix up your workout routine or explore your artistic side? They’re all here.

CREATE THE PERFECT COCKTAIL

Even if you have a tried-and-true potion that you enjoy sipping during happy hour, it never hurts to liven things up with something new. The Cocktail Mixology Class (Dec. 7) at the Wisconsin Union through its Wheelhouse Studios is taught by the Union’s catering team. The class will

teach the “art and science of crafting a great beverage,” as Tony Wise, Wheelhouse Studios operations director, puts it. union.wisc.edu

CULTURAL FOOD CONNECTIONS

You can treat winter as a time to discover cuisines and warm your

belly, and the Pakistani Tea Time –Samosas class (Nov. 15) is a way to do just that. The course is taught by White Jasmine’s Huma SiddiquiSeitz at Marshall Community Library. Participants will learn how to whip up Pakistani delicacies and learn about traditional tea time in Pakistan, in

Wheelhouse Studios

White Jasmine

which hot tea is served with homemade snacks, like samosas, a fried pastry, along with mint and cilantro chutney dipping sauces.

“Attendees will walk away with a sense of the rich and hospitable Pakistani culture and some great food tasting,” Siddiqui-Seitz says. marlib.org

HIGH - FLYING FUN

If you’re tired of the treadmill, why not try the trapeze?

Instructor Hildy Feen teaches the Adult Movement Workshop: Intro to Low-Flying Trapeze (Nov. 15) at the Madison Circus Space, and explains that single-point

low-flying trapeze, which was developed by modern dancers in the 1970s, treats a trapeze bar as a “dance partner.” She says that by the end of the class, participants experience what it feels like to “float” above the floor, using the bar as their lifter. You’ll also take part in conditioning exercises to strengthen your back, core and legs. madisoncircusspace.com

Women to Watch Issue!

SHARING STORIES

The four-class Personal Timelines series (Nov. 13-Dec. 4) offers participants the chance to tell their own stories using poetry and visual art that’s a unique take on a memoir. At the Arts + Literature Laboratory, class-goers will learn “poetic forms and collage techniques,” which is how poet, interdisciplinary artist and educator Michelle Seaman describes it. “I want to demonstrate how to capture important moments or periods in our lives through art,” explains Seaman. “Essentially, I want to encourage people to play and create in a supportive environment and share their lives through words and images.” artlitlab.org

DECORATIVE DESIGNS

With the holidays around the corner and winter officially set in, you might be craving some interaction with the natural world. At Olbrich Botanical Gardens, most of the plants outside might be dormant, but inside, they’re alive and well — at least in the form of dried materials for making ornaments during the Natural Material Ornament Workshop (Dec. 7).

Katy Nodolf, the Olbrich’s public relations and marketing manager, says that materials will include such things as pinecones, dried flowers and other matter sourced right from the gardens. olbrich.org

Shelby Deering is a freelance lifestyle writer living in Madison.

Madsion Circus Space

Olbrich Botanical Gardens

GRIPPING, MIDWEST - BASED READS

Three authors who call our literary city home have launched new novels, and they’re all worth adding to your TBR (“to-be-read”) pile.

BY LAURA ANNE BIRD

“THERE’S NO COMING BACK FROM THIS”

by Ann Garvin

Good for: If Hollywood makes you swoon.

Garvin’s humorous, delightful and tear-jerking fifth novel centers on the inimitable Poppy Lively, a single mom from Madison who’s just lost her life savings, thanks to a crooked tax accountant. Bankrupt and coffeestained, Poppy takes off in her minivan for Los Angeles, where an old flame finds her a lucrative job on a film set.

Poppy is positive that her can-do Midwestern attitude will carry her through this glitzy new world, but her earnestness is not universally adored. Readers will cheer as Poppy grapples with stereotypes, dashed dreams, awkward romance and back-lot intrigue.

“I see Wisconsin as the epitome of Midwestern loveliness,” Garvin says of Poppy’s background. “In my view, we are genuine people who want to do right by others. It’s the perfect juxtaposition with Hollywood, where there are big players trying to get what they want. To me, watching these two bubbles meet is very funny.”

“I KNOW WHAT YOU DID”

by Cayce Osborne

Good for: If psychological suspense is your jam.

Carve out a few hours to read Osborne’s gripping debut, because you won’t be able to put it down.

Petal Woznewski is a reclusive New Yorker whose indulgent, carefully constructed life shields her from sorrow and traumatic memories. When she discovers she’s the main character of a bestselling new novel, she knows her past has finally caught up with her. Petal flees to her hometown of Madison to solve the mystery of who wrote the story and why.

A graduate of West High School and UW-Madison, Osborne weaves local landmarks into her book.

“Although the tone is ominous, I don’t see Madison as an ominous place,” she says. “My son called aspens ‘skeleton trees’ when he was little. ‘The skeleton trees have holes, and the holes are eyes,’ he told me once. That creepy phrase stuck in my brain, and years later found its way into this novel.”

“WINE PEOPLE”

by Michelle Wildgen

Good for: If you love good food and a glass of bubbly.

Rich with sumptuous detail, Wildgen’s fourth novel introduces readers to Wren and Thessaly, two highly competitive young women who work for a wine distributor in New York City. They travel the world, honing their palates and relishing the good life, until their company begins to implode. Can they forge a new path as unlikely allies?

Inspired by Wildgen’s three years as a waiter and host at L’Etoile (“I still get nostalgic over the smell of a Sungold tomato because we served so many of them there,” she says), “Wine People” transports readers to Europe, California and even Madison, offering a moving story of friendship and ambition.

As for her favorite local haunts, Wildgen says, “I love Table Wine, Mint Mark and Ahan — and Greenbush and Salvatore’s for pizza. I love Lombardino’s for ... [their] specials and Osteria Papavero for their fettuccine con ‘nduja and budino di caramello.”

Laura Anne Bird is a local writer and author.

A HEARTY HELPING OF ARTS AND CULTURE EVENTS

BY JESSICA STEINHOFF

HOLIDAY TREATS

“A MADISON SYMPHONY CHRISTMAS”

Dec. 1-3, Overture Center

The symphony teams up with hundreds of heavenly voices — its chorus, plus the Madison Youth Choirs, the Mt. Zion Gospel Choir, soprano Evelyn Saavedra and tenor Limmie Pulliam — for its annual holiday extravaganza. Feeling extra festive? Join a seasonal sing-along in Overture Center’s lobby 55 minutes before showtime. madisonsymphony.org

“ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914”

Dec. 7-10, 14-17, Overture Center

A Christmas miracle happened in 1914: thousands of World War I soldiers set aside their weapons and celebrated the holiday with their enemies on the Western Front. In “All Is Calm,” a musical by UW-Madison alum Peter Rothstein, the catalyst is a German

soldier stepping between the trenches and singing “Silent Night.” A cappella vocals like these are the soul of this Four Seasons Theatre production, which will move you to tears. fourseasonstheatre.com

“MESSIAH”

Dec. 8, Bethel Lutheran Church

If you’ve never experienced Handel’s triumphant “Hallelujah Chorus” in a concert hall, now’s the time to do it. The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Festival Choir of Madison present this masterwork in all its glory, for one night only. wcoconcerts.org

“A CHRISTMAS CAROL”

Dec. 9-10, 15-17, 22-23, Overture Center

La Shawn Banks of American Players Theatre fame portrays Ebenezer Scrooge in this Children’s Theater of Madison production. If all goes according to plan, the crotchety miser will become a generous gentleman, just in time for Christmas. ctmtheater.org

“THE NUTCRACKER”

Friday, Dec. 15-17, 20-24, Overture Center

Young Clara is whisked away to the Land of Sweets in Madison Ballet’s staging of the yuletide classic, choreographed by Sara Stewart Schumann. Toy soldiers will march, snowflakes will waltz and you’ll be enchanted. madisonballet.org

“ All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914”

MUSIC, THEATER AND COMEDY

“CLYDE’S”

Through Nov. 19, Overture Center

Sandwich artistry is the road to redemption for the formerly incarcerated staff of a truck-stop cafe where this comedy is set. Forward Theater is mounting the Tony-nominated play’s Wisconsin premiere, so you’ll be one of the first cheeseheads to savor it. forwardtheater.com

DESSA

Nov. 19, Majestic Theatre

In addition to being the queen of Minneapolis’ indie hip-hop scene, Dessa has published a memoir and two literary collections and hosts the BBC’s “Deeply Human” podcast. Whether she’s singing lyrics, slinging rhymes or simply talking, expect a spellbinding story. majesticmadison.com

PHOEBE ROBINSON

Dec. 1, Barrymore Theatre

The comedian, writer and co-star of HBO’s “2 Dope Queens” brings her “Messy AF” tour to town. For a sampling of her stand-up, watch “Sorry, Harriet Tubman,” available on (HBO) Max. barrymorelive.com

ANDREW MCMAHON IN THE WILDERNESS

Dec. 6, The Sylvee

This act’s namesake received a leukemia diagnosis the day his previous band, Jack’s Mannequin, finished recording their first album. McMahon has turned that trauma into something beautiful time and time again, founding a charity for cancer patients and crafting piano-driven pop such as “Stars,” his 2022 single about second chances in love and life. thesylvee.com

VISUAL ART AND LITERARY EVENTS

SIGRID NUNEZ

Nov. 17, Madison Public Library Central Library

The Guggenheim fellow and National Book Award winner reads from her brand-new novel, “The Vulnerables,” at a Wisconsin Book Festival event. The story unfolds during New York City’s COVID-19 lockdowns, where a woman gets to know a troubled college student, a parrot and herself. wisconsinbookfestival.org

“BURNING AT BOTH ENDS”

Through Dec. 3, Overture Center

Humankind’s quest to find comfort and escape discomfort is ripe for examination in these “works in dialogue” by Jennifer Bastian and Heather Rasmussen. Find fragments of your own image reflected in Rasmussen’s untitled installation featuring tiny pieces of mirror and large quantities of breastmilk. overture.org

“INSISTENT PRESENCE: CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN ART FROM THE CHAZEN COLLECTION”

Through Dec. 23, Chazen Museum of Art

Lived experiences, political concerns and raw emotions coalesce in this exhibition of sculptures, paintings, prints and photos by two dozen African artists. Each section of the show uses the human body to ask challenging questions about power and identity. chazen.wisc.edu

Jessica Steinhoff is a Madison-area mom, writer and mental health professional.

OUTSTANDING OUTTAKES | Top : The staff at Touch of Ukraine strike a pose. The Ukranian restaurant opened in July 2023 and serves traditional favorites, including chicken Kyiv, varenyky (potato dumplings) and pelmeni. Left middle: Kyla Beard and Arvina Martin share a laugh. Both women revealed how their Native American heritage has influenced who they are today in “ Native Voices ” (P. 59). Right middle: Josefa Trejo owns Taqueria Guadalajara with her husband, Francisco Vasquez. Each of the couple ’s four children have also worked at the restaurant. Bottom: The Madison Youth Arts Center partners with more than 60 organizations, such as Madison Ballet and Black Star Drum Line, to provide youth arts experiences.