I first moved to Madison in the fall of 2003 to begin my time at the University of Wisconsin. Moving from the decidedly more insular confines of Green Bay and thrust immediately into the nonstop bacchanal that was Witte 9A, it took me quite a while to get used to my new surroundings. Then again, staying in Madison for a few years as a college student is quite a bit different than actually living in Madison as a real adult — something I didn’t learn until I graduated in 2007.

To be honest, I wasn’t planning to stay in Madison for very long after college, but life intervened and I soon found myself living in the much-much-different-from-downtown Atwood Avenue neighborhood. It was there that I learned about all of the wonderful things this city has to offer beyond State Street and the area immediately surrounding the campus.

In the years since, I moved back downtown, worked for three different companies and met the woman who is now my wife, all while continuing to learn about cool things to do in Madison. In July 2015, I relocated to Portland, Ore. Before I did, though, I made a list of 23 such Cool Madison Things, posting one on Facebook each day in June. Here is that list in completed form.

While I might have moved elsewhere, Madison will always have a large piece of my heart, and I hope you’ll enjoy some of the places and things that make the city so great.

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Cool Madison Thing #1: Paisan’s Restaurant happy hour – On a beautiful spring day, I can’t think of too many things I’d rather be doing than drinking economically priced alcohol on a patio. At Paisan’s happy hour (which goes from 11a-6p Sunday-Friday), rails are $1.50 and you can get a hand-mixed Long Island Iced Tea that’s basically just a gigantic mug of booze for like $4. Get drunk without going broke.

Cool Madison Thing #2: SoHo Gourmet Cuisines​ – I first visited Rocky at his SoHo food cart in the fall of 2012 because I was in the mood for some soup. It was, without a doubt, one of the best food-related decisions I’ve ever made. In the time since, I’ve bought food from the SoHo cart at least 100 times. Rocky’s already unique initial menu of dumplings, soup and salad was terrific enough, but he keeps adding new, delicious things (like rice boxes with BBQ pork) on what seems like a weekly basis. Like many food carts, SoHo leads a bit of a nomadic existence, so check out the website at uwsoho.com to see where Rocky and crew will be on any given day, and make the trip.

Cool Madison Thing #3: Lionel Martin – I first heard about kettlebells on a podcast, and thought they might be a neat thing to check out. I found Lionel’s website and noticed an endorsement from UW legend Jim Leonhard at the very top. That was pretty much all the convincing I needed. In the more than three years since, I’ve gotten into the best shape of my life and am stronger than I ever thought I could be. Lionel’s workouts (kettlebells, bodyweight, yoga) are taxing, but he never overdoes it and keeps our safety and physical well being in mind with whatever he teaches. Lionel has completely changed my life, and training with him is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ll miss a lot of things about Madison, but Lionel is near the top of the list.

Cool Madison Thing #4: The Plaza Tavern & Grill – This list would be incomplete if I didn’t show some love to my old college hangout. It was, due to a tradition kept among my fellow Daily Cardinal staffers, the first bar I ever went to in Madison. It’s also the place I went at midnight on my 21st birthday and the place I hung out the night before my wedding. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard “Pinky Ring” by the Wu-Tang Clan followed immediately by Trick Daddy’s “Take It to the House” while in various states of inebriation and holding a half-pitcher of Point Special. I’ll still make the walk down there from time to time for a CheesePlaza, but these days it’s mostly in the afternoons because I don’t want to hang out with 19-year-olds. (And they have pinball too!)

Cool Madison Thing #5: The Rigby Pub And Grill happy hour – I only started going to this bar with any regularity about six months before moving to Portland, and I actually regret passing this place over so many times before. They’re usually playing either rock/soul from the 1960s or 1990s alternative, they’ve got a great list of tap beer and their kitchen produces some of the best bar food in town. Their happy hour (4-7p, M-F) is one of the best in Madison, with $1 tapper glasses of PBR and 25-cent wings. A guy can go there any night after work and have his fill for around eight bucks. It’s a fantastic place to hang out, especially in the summertime!

Cool Madison Thing #6: Madison Pinball – I’ve liked pinball since my dad first showed it to me when I was like four years old, but it wasn’t until mid-2015 (and guidance from Milwaukee resident Casey Cuene) that I learned Madison actually has a pinball league. The folks running the show installed a bunch of pinball machines at Schwoegler’s Park Towne Lanes and Pooley’s Sports Bar and Event Center, where they have monthly tournaments (which are free to enter) and other special events throughout the year. One day in the summer, I spent about three hours at Schwoegler’s racking up high scores for the month-long June competition and I’ve now gone to the bank multiple times to withdraw inappropriate amounts of quarters.

Cool Madison Thing #7: Plaka Taverna – This is, without a doubt, my most frequently visited downtown breakfast spot, and with good reason. Plaka offers a simple menu of various combinations of eggs, meat and bread along with what is probably the best Bloody Mary in town. Their specials are always worth a try (I once got a braised bone-in lamb shank with my eggs over easy) and you can always find a spot at the bar if you happen to saunter in alone. They’ve also got a wonderful menu of more traditional Greek/Mediterranean cuisine during the dinner hours and, of course, their gyros are spectacular.

Cool Madison Thing #8: The Lake Monona parks of the northeast isthmus – For a short while last summer, I tried running. It didn’t take at all, but my experiment did lead to my discovering four great parks just east of downtown. I’d often start my journey on the bike path near the Monona Terrace, heading east toward Willy Street. Eventually, I’d hit B.B. Clarke Beach, where there are always a few people milling about. A few blocks further is Orton Park (which, for obvious reasons, I’ve taken to calling “Randy Orton Park”), which marked the one-mile point of my run and frequently served as my turnaround point. When I decided to stop and walk farther, I’d sometimes head down to Morrison Park, which is a tiny area with a small swingset and a short pier that juts out onto the lake. Even farther than that, and a place I rarely made it, is Yahara Place Park, which is a large expanse that seems perfect for throwing a frisbee. All four of these are great places to sit on a sunny day, and you can easily hit all four in a single round-trip walk.

Cool Madison Thing #9: I’m Board! Games & Family Fun – I dropped by this locally owned westside game shop a few years ago on the off chance it happened to stock my favorite board game, War on Terror (game). The only other times I’d played it were the result of friends placing internet orders, so my hopes were none too high. Sure enough, though, there it was – right in the front of the store. Pretty much every other visit I’ve ever made to I’m Board was the result of wanting a very specific game, rather than just to browse their wide selection, and I’ve never left without exactly what I was looking for. I know the store has a large gaming area in the back where folks are always participating in various card tournaments, and it seems to have attracted a really dedicated base of customers. If you’re looking for a game, this is the place to go.

Cool Madison Thing #10: The Paradise Lounge – To no one’s surprise, this is my favorite bar in Madison, but did you know the Paradise has some of downtown’s best lunch specials? I’ve recently made a Wednesday tradition of walking up there for the bar’s $7 meatloaf/mashed potatoes arrangement, and the (Guinness-battered) fish fries on Friday are just delicious. Beyond lunch, the bar serves food until 1:00 a.m. every day, offers respectable prices on drinks (which are never not strong) and affords its patrons the ability to drink in peace, even despite the din that might surround them. If you go to the Paradise after 10:00 p.m., you’re guaranteed to hear something off of Metallica’s “And Justice for All.”

Cool Madison Thing #11: Vic Pierce Liquor – Very soon after students first arrive at UW-Madison for their freshman years, they learn the one piece of crucial information that will come into play more frequently than anything they’ll learn in the classroom: Madison’s liquor stores close at 9:00 p.m. There is, however, one magical exception. Located in the technically separate Village of Maple Bluff, Vic Pierce Liquor allows Madison’s laziest or most hardcore drunks additional time to grab beers, leaving its doors open until at least 10:00 p.m. and perhaps as late as midnight. I’m somewhat proud to say that I haven’t had to go there after 9 too many times, but I’m not going to claim never to have made the late-night drive to the north side.

Cool Madison Thing #12: Corral Room – If you own a small, dark bar that plays good music, I’m going to give you my money. The Corral Room fits that description perfectly, and if I can get a table there I’ll spend a handful of dollars. Open after 9:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays only, the Corral Room provides its patrons with a steady stream of ’50s and ’60s soul to accompany their Brandy Old Fashioneds. As a bonus, the Corral Room also serves what I believe to be the best burger in Madison – the Muenster cheeseburger available after 10:00 p.m. If you’re looking for a great place to take your lady or man for a nice evening out, this is it.

Cool Madison Things #13, 14 & 15: Heavy Looks, Oh My Love and The Earthlings – Of the Madison-based bands I’ve seen in the last few years, these are my three favorite. Heavy Looks makes the sort of energetic power pop that will have you dancing for their entire set. The Earthlings’ varied presentation offers everything from ambient jams (jambients?) to more straightforward stuff that at times reminds me of They Might Be Giants. Oh My Love’s music can really captivate you, with their multi-layered production and intoxicating keyboards accompanying their lead singer’s gorgeous voice. Look for upcoming shows from each of these three marvelous Madison bands, friends, and enjoy their art for yourselves.

Cool Madison Thing #16: Twisted Fitness Gym – One is never quite sure what to expect when walking into an elite martial arts gym, but owner/head jiu-jitsu coach Mark Plavcan has cultivated a welcoming environment for people of all demographic combinations to learn and to train. While the vast majority of my time was spent under the watchful eye of Muay Thai instructor Theresa Taggart, Twisted Fitness also has one of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teams in the region – one that is consistently putting its members on the medal stands in the Midwest’s most important tournaments. I met a lot of great people from whom I learned so much during my time at Twisted Fitness, and I couldn’t possibly recommend it more highly for those looking for something different fitness-wise.

Cool Madison Thing #17: La Mestiza – While this terrific restaurant’s only remaining location is by the second-run theatre on Odana, there was a time not so long ago when Jessica and I spent many, many Sunday afternoons at La Mestiza’s former second shop on East Main Street (now occupied by Francisco’s). I have it on good authority that La Mestiza hand-mixes all of their margaritas (which are among the best I’ve had) and the restaurant offers a great variety of traditional and gringo-friendly Mexican cuisine. (Get the enchiladas verdes.)

Cool Madison Thing #18: Wisconsin Film Festival – My dad’s family owned two movie theatres in Algoma, Wis. when he was growing up, so suffice it to say he’s a pretty big film fanatic, and definitely passed the love of movies to me during the thousands of hours we’d spend together enjoying the work of everyone from Steve Martin to Steve McQueen. Every year since about 2009, we’ve gone to the Wisconsin Film Festival together, and one of my very favorite days of the year is when the festival guide is published and I can spend a couple hours crafting a schedule for us. All of the movies I’ve gone to have been pretty random selections, but many have been some of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Of course, The Institute remains the high-scorer, but documentaries like “Special When Lit,” “Last Day at Lambeau” and (from this last year) “Clarence” and “Push It To 11: Bits of Baco” are movies I’ll remember fondly for the rest of my life. I was pleased to learn that Portland has its own film festival later this year, and it’s my experience at the WFF that will drive me to go to as many of its movies as I can.

Cool Madison Thing #19: Parkway Family Restaurant – I’ve always been a big fan of medium-sized family-owned restaurants that serve breakfast all day long. While there are many terrific breakfast options in Madison, if you just want to go back to the basics, this is the place. They serve pretty much every combination of eggs, meat, bread or veggies that you can think of at a very reasonable price and with a speed of service that continues to wow me even years after I first visited. Check out their all-you-can-eat fish fry on Friday, and a similar arrangement for beef ribs and BBQ chicken on Saturdays. Graze it ain’t, and that’s part of why I like it.

Cool Madison Thing #20: Pizza Di Roma – While Ian’s and Salvatore’s (rightfully) get most of the pizza press in town, when I want a couple of cheese slices, this is my pick. Their garlic knots serve as a delicious side-dish, and their BBQ chicken and bacon slice was a go-to each year after the Mifflin Street Block Party. Not much else to say … just good pizza.

Cool Madison Thing #21: The Caribou Tavern – In Oct. 2009, I spent ten straight days on the road for work doing various technical trainings in Dallas, Houston, and Norfolk, Va. On the very last night, I decided to buy myself a nice dinner with a couple good glasses of wine at the (Don) Shula’s Steak House at the Norfolk Marriott. I ordered a steak, side of mashed red potatoes and a couple glasses of nice wine. The total for my one-man meal (and, again, we’re talking about hotel restaurant prices) was about $70. The next day I flew back to Madison, where I was greeted by my then-roommate, Clare, and two other friends. We walked a few blocks to the Caribou and proceeded to order multiple cheeseburgers, french fries, fried mushrooms, and enough cocktails to have all four of us feeling good. The total? $34. That, right there, is pretty much all you need to know about the Caribou.

Cool Madison Thing #22: Art Fair on the Square – I have a ton of admiration for people who can do things that I cannot, and boy, do I suck at drawing, painting and sculpting. For this reason, it’s always a blast to walk around Art Fair on the Square every summer to check out the astounding work of so many of the country’s great artists. This year’s edition takes place July 11 and 12, and I strongly recommend making it a part of your weekend if you’re in town.

Cool Madison Thing #23: Harvest Restaurant-Madison – Any remaining claim that I had to not being a total yuppie went right out the window when Jessica and I attended Harvest’s six-course prix fixe pinot noir dinner a few months ago. Their menu offers a variety of French-inspired cuisine that is complex without being challenging. It’s the only restaurant I’ve been to thus far that serves an amuse-bouche, but every time I’ve been there I’ve seen as many people dressed in sweatshirts and jeans as I have people dressed in suits. While Harvest’s special events might be the main draw (for me, anyway), it’s always a great place to eat with people that you like.