🚧 More road closures from John Nolen construction

🚨 Independent Police Monitor Calls For Bodycams

• Madison’s interim independent police monitor, Aeiramique Glass, said the Madison Police Department should finally require officers to wear body-worn cameras. City officials have been debating the use of the cameras for over a decade, and while motorcycle officers and SWAT units use them, the force in general hasn’t been equipped with the technology outside of a brief pilot program in 2024.
• Glass also called for more money for the Independent Monitor’s office and said that increasing the office’s annual budget to $1.97 million would put it in line with other municipalities. Ironically, last fall three Madison City Council members made a failed attempt to zero out the monitor office’s $405,000 budget and use the proceeds for bodycams. [ 🔒WSJ, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🚧 Buckle Up, North Shore Drive Closings Are Coming Monday

• As part of the massive two-year John Nolen Drive reconstruction project, a portion of North Shore Drive will be closed starting on Monday.
• Westbound North Shore Drive between John Nolen Drive and Bedford Street will be closed, meaning there will be no turns allowed from John Nolen onto North Shore. The closure is expected to last until April 27. [City of Madison]

🥪 New Cheesesteak Spot Opens on Far West Side

• A new sandwich spot at 723 North High Point Blvd. will give Madison diners a taste of Philadelphia, as The Original Steak and Hoagies opens today.
• The chain has 24 locations nationwide (although none in Pennsylvania). The Madison restaurant will focus on take-out and delivery orders, offering chicken and cauliflower cheesesteak sandwiches in addition to traditional beef.
• Owners Jinal and RK Patel said the meat is hand-shaved in Philadelphia, and the rolls used in the sandwiches also come from the City of Brotherly Love. The first 100 people in the door for Thursday’s grand opening will get a free cheesesteak every month for a year.
• We wonder what our friends at City Cast Philly would think of this spot. [ 🔒 WSJ]

Baked Lab, the new bakery at 2044 Atwood Ave., is Shawn Bolduc’s dream made real. Once an arts administrator at the Wisconsin Union Theater, Bolduc changed careers to become a baker, making wedding cakes and teaching baking classes out of a food incubator space.

Now, Bolduc has his own physical location for Baked Lab. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks to Bolduc about his vision for his bakery, and how he’d decorate the ideal Madison wedding cake.

Here are some other locally-owned bakeries in and around Madison where people who don’t mind getting a little flour on their fingers are making their dreams come true.

The Rolling Pin Bake Shop

2935 S. Fish Hatchery Road, Fitchburg. Open Mondays through Fridays 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed Sundays.

Since 2002, this Fitchburg institution has expanded from an indie bakery specializing in Russian and European pastries to a full-service bakery with a cafe serving breakfast and lunch. You can also find them at area farmers’ markets in the summer.

Reverie Baking Co.

2021 Winnebago St. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Once a home bread bakery, this brick-and-mortar location opened in Schenk Corners in 2023. Still known for its bread, which ranges from traditional sourdough to adventurous varieties like miso sesame, the bakery also has a cafe and hosts events like “Half-Baked” improv shows.

Paleo Mama Bakery

961 S. Park St. Open Mondays through Fridays 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

No gluten, no problem at this Madison bakery that moved into a former Barriques on Park Street. They offer over 80 delicious gluten-free products as well as paleo-friendly offerings, from vegan pecan bars to keto mint oreo truffle bombs.

Miggy’s Bakes

6712 Frank Lloyd Wright Ave., Middleton. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

What started out of a UW-Madison student's apartment has become a full-service bakery, offering cakes, cookie cups, and brownies along with cake decorating classes for young and old.

Stella’s Bakery

1219 Regent St. Open daily 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

You don’t have to wait in line at the Dane County Farmers’ Market anymore for Stella’s signature Hot ‘n’ Spicy Cheese Bread. At their new cafe, not only do they sell large and mini loaves, but they have sandwiches for lunch, coffee, beer and wine, and a patio that will be open for Badger Saturdays.

One of the cool benefits of being a City Cast Madison Neighbor is that, if you see something you love in Madison, you get to share it with the entire CCM community! For Neighborhood Shoutouts, our members tell us about a business, a non-profit, an event, or some other great thing that makes the city a little better, and we tell everybody about it in the newsletter and on the podcast!

📣 Kathryn P. wanted to shout out Wisconsin Printing! “Shout out to Dan at Wisconsin Printing. He is great to work with - so helpful and such high-quality finished products! From neighborhood newsletters to business cards, he's the guy!”

📣 Catherine S. wants you to get involved with One Walk, Big Strides For Autism 2026! “Join us for One Walk, Big Strides for Autism - a one-mile walk celebrating acceptance and supporting autism programs across Wisconsin.”

Got a Neighborhood Shoutout that you think Madison oughtta know about? Become a City Cast Madison Neighbor!