Madison? Meh.

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Madison is the home of the University of Wisconsin. Because I went to Michigan, and they are in the Big Ten, this makes us sort of like cousins. After my first visit, how do I feel about Madison? Meh.

On my first night there, I went out for dinner with my colleague and friend - Ahram. We went to a highly rated restaurant, The Old Fashioned. When we get in there, we found out it would be a 25 minute wait, so we put our names down and went for a nice stroll around the capitol.

When we returned half an hour later, I enquired about a table and was informed there was only one group ahead of us. In the front of the restaurant, I saw about 3 or 4 tables open. Over the next ten minutes or so, I see the hostess seat no less than 4 groups in front of us. One group had been at the bar, came strolling up to the hostess with drinks in hand and were immediately seated. Two couples had walked through the door and had also been seated.

At this moment I take a look around and realize that everyone is white. Save for one or two brown individuals tucked away here and there, there were almost no minorities. Suddenly, I felt like we stuck out like sore thumbs. I suppose it didn’t help that I had my camera and umbrella in very tourist-like fashion.

So I walk up to the hostess and say “Is there a table ready yet? It seems like you’ve seated several groups just now.” She cheerfully says yes and guides us to our table… in the back… of the restaurant… by the bathroom. That’s right, she gave us the shittiest table in the house.

As soon as I sat down I realized that there was no way we were going to eat at that table. I was deeply offended.

I went back to the hostess and said “Look, can you give us a better table? We have been waiting for a really long time.”

Without any protest she then points to one of the front tables. Yes, the one by the window. Yes, the one where everyone can see you. Yes, the one which is the image that the restaurant wishes to present.

I’m glad we got that table and enjoyed our beer and brats in peace… but the resolution only further confirmed my sneaking suspicions…

Madison needs more diversity!

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Photos

Train
Wandering around Madison on my first day, I found this train.

Origami
At the music hall, there was a wall covered with origami.

Cupola
After dinner, we wandered into some sort of art gallery/performance hall which featured this cupola,

Comments

[Jess]

Please think before you accuse
You're lack of knowledge of how a waiting list in a busy restaurant shows here. Please think things through before you accuse innocent people of rampant racism. Did you ever think that for example, the person who 'wandered up from the bar' had been there, patiently waiting on the waiting list, for the text message that the restaurant sends to notify them that their table was ready to claim? Or that once a table is cleaned and readied, it has to sit empty, YES, sit empty, until someone like you comes back from their walk to claim it. Leading other people WHO ARE ALSO WAITING to come and claim it. Just a few of the many things I read in your rant that make me wish to inform you that you need to ask if you wish to be seated in a certain area. Otherwise you will get the next one that pops open, in the order you came in. If you ever feel like you are being skipped over on a list, ask your hostess to see the list. You will see that there were people there ahead of you who are still waiting patiently for their turn. Please think these things over before you accuse people of being racist when it seems it was you who were being a difficult customer. And yet, they moved you to another table when you asked, and gave the table that was not good enough for you to the next person down the line.

[Waan-Ching Liao]

What an unpleasant experience you had in the restaurant! I am glad finally your complaint worked and you had enjoyed your dinner.

[ljb]

over sensitive
oh whatever, you just seem hyper sensitive. first they put you in the back and you resent it. then the front and you resent it. maybe stop looking so hard for reasons to be offended. you're not even very brown.