Essentials: Badger Blast, Madison, Wisconsin
A tribute to America's Dairyland and Bucky Badger
Since 1951, the Babcock Dairy Store, in a campus building at the University of Wisconsin, has supplied the university and pretty much the rest of Madison with its signature products. An observation deck allows visitors to watch the experts make award-winning cheese, milk, butter, and, of course, ice cream. Flavors rotate monthly, but for a taste of school spirit, try the Badger Blast, a chocolate-on-chocolate-on-chocolate tribute to mascot Bucky Badger. —Jeff Ruby
Jeff Ruby is a Chicago-based writer. He was formerly the chief dining critic at Chicago magazine, and his writing has appeared in Esquire, GQ, Time, Newsweek, Men's Journal, and Southwest: The Magazine.
Kevin Necessary is a freelance illustrator and editorial cartoonist. He is currently the editorial cartoonist for The Cincinnati Enquirer. His cartoons are syndicated by GoComics, and his cartoons have been published in a variety of publications such as The Week and Politico. A Cincinnati native, Kevin will fight to the death defending Cincinnati chili. He lives with his wife, Julie, and three cats, Huckleberry, Grayson, and Bonnie.