Silver's Top Madison Places

Top-notch accommodations include kitchenette equipped with stove, microwave, and refrigerator. Laundry room provided to those staying at the hotel, with no extra charges. Great free breakfast provided. They have an indoor pool (!) and exercise room. Very, very clean facility.

One of the surviving indie bookstores, Avol’s is well worth a visit! This is a book collector’s dream, since they carry lots of collectible books along with popular stuff and new releases — all in excellent condition. And, unlike some of the traditional old indie book shops found in the US, Avol’s is wonderfully clean and well-kept.

Really great food in an unremarkable atmosphere. Ask them to make pineapple red curry with tofu – it’s AMAZING! Hard to find good vegetarian food in Madison, but this is one place well worth trying. Great Asian food, whether you’re vegetarian or not.

Huge menu and high quality “American” Chinese food. Excellent experience! Try the sizzling rice soup — best version of this traditional dish of anywhere I’ve been in America.

Fantastic location for donuts! Unlike the southern states, Madison seems to have fewer donut shops. The Greenbush is one of the few places where you can satisfy your donut cravings with many different kinds. Yum!

This is a pretty cheap B&B, though it’s also moderately do-it-yourself. Excellent vintage building with modern appointments in the rooms. Includes phones, refrigerator, and fast WiFi access. Excellently located within walking distance of many restaurants downtown, and on Williamson St.

A fantastic curiosity shop containing lots of vintage maps, some rare and OP books, and lots of other unusual antiques. Want strangely carven trick walking-canes? How about a shrunken head? This is one of the mythical old curiosity shops that fantasy writers have described for decades – entertaining place to visit.
 
Note: you might try to contact them in advance to ensure they’ll be open and allow you inside when you’re aiming to visit them. They’re a bit exclusive, and the shop can be claustrophobically cluttered so that only a few people can fit inside at any moment. Not a place to take kids, nor a place for people who have trouble walking/standing — could even be dangerous for people who have balance problems because if you fell you’d likely land upon swords or somesuch. Still, it’s a very, very cool shop!