Madison WI experts - ??'s regarding area

[Bunchkin]

Do you live in the Madison area or have you visited the area and can answer a few questions for me??

I will be going to Madison at the end of the month to see Bon Jovi in concert.....just like my countdown clock states .

What is seating like at the Kohl Center?? We have what I guess would be called second level seating center stage.

Are there any worthwhile outlet malls in or near by the area??

Has anyone stayed at the Hilton Menoma Terrace?? What is the hotel like and the rooms??

Are there any really good 'shouldn't miss' restaurants in the area of the Hilton & Kohl Center we shouldn't miss???


Thanks to anyone who can help!!

 

[robinb]

Originally posted by Bunchkin
What is seating like at the Kohl Center?? We have what I guess would be called second level seating center stage.

The Kohl Center is your normal kind of sports venue. Here's a picture: http://www.uwbadgers.com/facilities/kohl_center/bballseating/index.aspx . The stage will probably be at one end. We saw Elton John there a few years ago and that's how it was. By your description it sounds like you will not be on the floor, but in the second set of regular seats

Are there any worthwhile outlet malls in or near by the area??

Not really. There is a mall about 45 minutes East of Madison called Johnston Creek. It's OK, but not anything really great or interesting , IMO.

Has anyone stayed at the Hilton Menoma Terrace?? What is the hotel like and the rooms??

The hotel is pretty new, only a couple of years old. It has a nice location for being downtown. You'll probably have to drive or cab to the Kohl Center as it's a couple of miles away.

Are there any really good 'shouldn't miss' restaurants in the area of the Hilton & Kohl Center we shouldn't miss???

Hmmm. This is a hard one. What kind of food do you like? Are you interested in good food or a good time?

We have some good "fancy" restaurants. L'Etoile is my favorite, but really hard to get into and very pricey ($125+ per couple). The head chef, Odessa Piper was the Midwest winner of the James Beard award last year. She cooks "seasonally and locally". There are other less expensive restaurants as well as some just plain fun restaurants. The Essen Haus is one of those. It serves so-so German food, but great beer with free live entertainment on the weekends. Best of all, it's only a couple blocks from your hotel. Let me know what your price range is and what kind of food you're looking for and maybe I can suggest some other places.