Books & Bites

LEOPOLD'S BOOKS BAR CAFFÈ

Where else can you read while drinking a cocktail at the bar or look for a book with a coffee in hand? Leopold's, located at 1301 Regent Street in Madison, is the place to do just that. Their menu features a rotating selection of Italian-inspired espresso drinks featuring JBC and Ruby Coffee, both Wisconsin-owned and national award-winning roasters as well as craft cocktails, wine and beer.

The bar isn’t the only place you can find a beverage to enjoy. Throughout their curated bookstore, you’ll find bottles of wine tucked in the shelves alongside cookbooks, fiction, history and travel organized by country of origin—sure to satisfy a traveler's itch.

Also located inside Leopold’s is a private space you can reserve for any event of up to 12 people. The Book Nook is perfect for book groups, club meetings, happy hour meet-ups and more. It’s cozy alright. And it gets cozier.

Every Tuesday, Leopold's hosts Madison Django Jazz Jam. Enjoy live acoustic jazz manouche music in the style of Django Reinhardt while sipping a cocktail and reading a book.

ARCADIA BOOKS

Ever wanted to join a silent book club? Once a month, a group gathers at Arcadia Books located at 102 East Jefferson Street in Spring Green. Bring your own book, grab a drink from their coffee bar and enjoy silent reading time for one hour with more visiting at the end.

“All of the fun, none of the anxiety,” they say. The bookstore, nestled in the Wisconsin River valley, offers a full-service coffee bar with a wide variety of espresso, tea, bursting boba and other cold drinks. Grab a freshly made monster cookie from their bakery case to go with a mocha for an afternoon treat. If you’re in town for a weekend getaway and looking for a quick lunch option, their grab-and-go cooler is filled with premade sandwiches as well as soup from local business Soups I Did It Again.

“At 3 p.m. on the weekdays, you’ll find our tables filled with elementary school kids here for their after-school snack. It’s a community space,” says Nancy Baenen, assistant manager and children’s book buyer at Arcadia.

Arcadia also hosts a virtual book club meeting once a month. Check out their website readinutopia.com and their YouTube channel for more info.

Make sure to put April 26 on your calendar as the perfect opportunity to check out Arcadia for the first time. They will join nearby bookstores to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day and will offer tours of their bookstore.

OBERTALVIN COFFEE HOUSE

Tucked away on Main Street in Blue Mounds is ObertAlvin Coffee House. The building’s exterior reads, “Opera House” but venture inside and you’ll find book-lined walls and cozy spots to plop down with a cup of coffee and a bite to eat in this beautifully restored 1868 opera house.

The shelves of books are from owner Christopher Berge’s personal library as well as donations from customers and community members. It operates as a “take a book, leave a book” library.

The beverage menu features Barriques espresso and drip coffee along with a curated selection of beer, wine and dry cider. The food menu is seasonally focused, sourcing local produce to make their soups, baked goods and smørrebrød, a traditional openface sandwich from Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Berge grew up just five miles down the road from the Blue Mound Opera House where ObertAlvin Coffee House now resides along with a versatile event space and cozy vacation rental. His great-aunt lived in the building in the 1940s, family members had graduation ceremonies there, and his great-uncle performed on its stage.

THE BOOK KITCHEN

Imagine indulging in a cozy culinary mystery with the author—and the brownies from page 32—within arm’s reach. The Book Kitchen is a space where this sensory magic fit for a foodie comes true.

The Book Kitchen is a teaching kitchen in the Republic of Letters bookstore on 151 High Street in Mineral Point. Nicole Bujewski, The Book Kitchen's owner, and Keith Burrows and Leslie Damaso, the owners of The Republic of Letters Bookstore, have crafted a space where the written word and the art of cooking come together for the community.

“We strive to make a positive contribution to our community by building self-confidence and broadening the learning experience through food,” they write.

From author visits and book signings to cooking classes for both adults and kids, “It’s really a discussion around food,” Bujewski says. “Why is it important and where does it come from? How did the recipe come to be?”

These questions and more are answered through a featured cookbook each month at The Book Kitchen. This spring, they’ll host a release party for The Wisconsin Whey: Cheesemaking in the Driftless with a book-signing, tasting and cheesemaker reception on March 1. In this new book, authors Nicole Bujewski, Keith Burrows, and Kristin Mitchell showcase 12 Driftless cheesemakers.

From Master Cheesemakers like Sid Cook of Carr Valley Cheese to Andy Hatch of Uplands Cheese, these artisans span generations and backgrounds.

Visit The Book Kitchen’s website to stay in the loop with upcoming classes and events.