Wisc’d Away, February 3rd

I had the great fortune of participating in a fabulous IWIRC event recently. The chosen venue for the all professional women’s retreat was Sundara– a spa hotel nestled deep in the Wisconsin Dells. I had never been to such a fantastical place! Upon check in you’re given a robe and slippers and encouraged to lounge around in this uniform for the duration of your stay. They offer plunge pools, relaxation rooms, a purifying bath ritual, and a wide variety of spa services. Fireplaces grace each room and the picturesque snow out each window is winter wonderland pretty.

So after two magical days of cheese curds (YUM!), fun, frolicking, cocktails, programming, and a ton of fabulous networking, it was of course time for all of us to depart– except I could not! A massive Nor’easter was hitting my hometown and my flight to NYC was cancelled. (So much for zipping in and zipping out of Wisconsin.)

Forced to stay another night and knowing that our corporate policy would certainly not cover a Sundara extension no matter how drastic the circumstances, I booked a low-key Marriott property in downtown Madison to wait it out. The hour-long drive took no time at all and I was thrilled with my view overlooking the State Capital Building. Even though the temps hovered in the low 20s, the skies were brighter than the blizzarding conditions back home. So I embraced the opportunity to do a little exploring.

I had a fun look see around the Hilldale outdoor shopping arcade just to get some steps in and even picked up a pair of fun socks at the local Twigs store. After a power nap, I ventured a block or two to check out the offerings on State Street. And then, as luck would have it, both my niece and nephew, students at UW Madison, were free for lunch! So we three hightailed it over to Cafe Hollander for some brunch favorites.

Post meal I dropped them back near campus and relaxed in my room with a little cable TV– a true treat since I cancelled my home subscription. Law & Order: SVU, The Travel Channel, and the Food Network– all in one place? Woohoo! This was livin’. By the time dinner rolled around I was pretty tired from my outdoor adventures and didn’t want to brave the cold. So I hopped in the express elevator to the 10th floor and grabbed a stool at the bar of Eno Vino, the rooftop restaurant in my cute little hotel. I had no idea this was considered a Madison hot spot– the place was completely packed.

I ordered the Seared Scallops with Chipotle Creamed Corn, Chistorra, and Cipollini. I didn’t bother to inquire as to the origin of the Chistorra and when my gorgeous plate of food arrived, I dug in. The Scallops were perfectly plump with a firm texture and melty, buttered bite. Dreamy! And the charred Cipollini onions were mild and sweet.

When I looked to the center of the plate I assumed roasted baby carrots sat atop the pile of niblet corn madness. But one bite in, I couldn’t quite understand the saltiness to those orange chews. Well, duh! Those weren’t carrots at all– they were a type of chorizo sausage!!! (It was way too dark at the bar to immediatley see the difference.) I’m usually a bacon only kind of girl so I pushed those bad boys to the side and polished off the rest of the spectacular dish.

Of course I left room for dessert. I eased right into the Warm Cinnamon Chocolate Fondue with pound cake squares, mini marshmallows, fresh berries, and banana slices. I didn’t finish the gigantic thing, but I loved the dippable cake and cut up fruit.

My morning flight back to LGA was delayed again! And then cancelled… but they automatically rebooked me on a later flight for Sunday. Having the whole day again to roam, I contacted a local gal pal from the Sundara conference and she met me with her plus one at The Coopers Tavern where we shared a great lunch of Grilled Cheese– Wisconsin Cheddar, Whipped Goat Cheese, and Fresh Basil on Grilled Sourdough with a side of Tomato Soup, and Amy’s Salad– Spinach, Brandied Cranberries, Candied Walnuts, Apple-Pear Slaw, Crumbled Goat Cheese, and House-made Balsamic Vinaigrette. We even had a cool private room in which to chat! Then we took an awesome tour of her funky law office nearby. It was a great way to end my trip. And yes, I was finally able to make it home just before midnight Sunday.