• Category Archives: Food

Bygone menus, part two: Taqueria Gila Monster

Taqueria Gila Monster was across from the old Isthmus office at 101 King in the space that is now occupied by Red Sushi, but I was eating at TGM before I started working at the paper. The food was terrific. My standard order was the chile rellenos, which were perfect – ethereal batter, very fresh peppers. I’ve never had another version that even comes close. Another daily special, a lamb-raisin filling in tacos and enchildas, lives on in my memory.

You ordered at the counter and then they gave you a tarot card to put on your table to indicate which order was which.

I caught up with the Gila Monster’s Jill Watson for Isthmus back in 2007. She started at L’Etoile. In 2007 she was a Director of External Relations and Development for the UW Foundation.

Here’s the old menu.

TGM menu back

gila_menu_interior

Bygone menus, part one: Uncle Stanley’s

menu

That was incredible bread.

Uncle Stanley’s was a sandwich shop in the original University Square Mall development back when University Square was new. It was back near the theaters, closer to West Johnson Street. I remember going there in high school. The bread – the buns – as I remember them – were round and flat, like Frisbee-sized English muffins, that is the aeration of the crumb was very open like an English muffin, but they were much tastier than English muffins — more savory, and crunchy on the outside.

The ingredient list for the Steamer is somewhat alarming (“lunch meat” – I’m assuming that meant bologna?) but I think I more often ordered the vegetarian, the turkey or the roast beef. I do not remember there being a fish sandwich, and it’s odd, since there obviously was a fish sandwich, why I didn’t order it. We all know about me and fish sandwiches.

I found this menu after much Googling within a thesis of some sort at the UW-Madison library site. The work in question is: Frey-Doering, Kathy; Zanella Albright, Kathy A. / How to teach: chronological age-appropriate activities for school aged moderately and severely handicapped students (1982).