Bassett Street Brunch Club opened in the fall of 2013 and is located on the first floor of the Hampton Inn, right on the corner of Bassett and Johnson Streets in downtown Madison. The neighborhood has had so much new development happening, it’s hard to remember what it looked like a few years ago. (Seriously–take a walk in any direction and count the number of new, multi-story buildings that are under construction. You’ll feel like a brand new city is being built up around you.) The neighborhood has certainly been getting a new polish, and the very polished Bassett Street Brunch Club fits in nicely.
One of the most noticeable things about the space is its wealth of fun seating options. There are booths decked out in brightly colored stripes, tall seats at the bar across from an impressive wall of liquor, and a very mod, U-shaped counter surrounded by white-topped swivel stools. But what you’ll start to notice after you’ve had a chance to sit down are the robots. There are robots on the walls, robots on the menu, robots everywhere else you look.
After you’ve gotten used to the perplexing (yet pleasant) robots, you’ll likely notice the donuts. They are also everywhere you look: in a rotating bakery cases, under glass on cake stands, even on the walls (where giant sprinkled versions menace the poor, defenseless robots). The donuts are freshly made in the restaurant every morning, and they are delicious. According to the Bassett Street Brunch Club’s website, there is even a Donut Drive-Up (for those who love fresh donuts but also harbor a secret fear of robots, we assume).
The rest of the Bassett Street Brunch Club brunch menu (okay, let’s start calling it BSBC to avoid phrases like that) is somewhat less traditional than donuts. It’s what BSBC calls “familiar Mod-American cuisine revved up with a little style and sophistication.” There is something called Avocado Toast, a breakfast burrito made with roti rather than tortillas, and your choice of “Chicken and a Biscuit” or “Chicken and a Donut.” And if “linner” is your preferred meal mashup, you can order from the dinner menu starting at 11 a.m.
At BSBC, you can get your donut-and-robot fix anytime the mood strikes: it’s open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. or midnight every night. And although it’s open late for the bar crowd and located right next to all the downtown condo, campus, and Bassett Street dwellers, it’s also very family-friendly. Every kid who enters gets a mini Etch a Sketch to play with (although if you’re an adult and would like one, we’re sure they would oblige).
Visitors won’t be surprised to know that BSBC is a Food Fight property, and not just because the powerhouse group seems to be constantly opening new restaurants downtown. BSBC has a similar feel to Monty’s Blue Plate and Hubbard Avenue Diners, but classed up a bit for the upscale location. Even BSBC’s executive chef, Matt Pace, was previously executive chef at Monty’s.
A great downtown spot run by an astoundingly successful local restaurant group? Our guess is that means Bassett Street Brunch Club will be around for a while.
