Euro-Local Fare on the Square

Two businesses with Francais-inspired names are making a big hit on the Capital square. Sucre on West Mifflin and Fromagination on North Carroll street are taking the first steps in creating an international flavor for local, green businesses.

Sucre, a recently opened patisserie and wine bar, took as many steps possible to come up with ways to create an environmentally friendly establishment through local vendors. The boldly designed orange and white shop speaks well of its ability to combine style with locally available materials.  The blonde wood flooring comes from a sustainable producer in Spring Green, and their furniture was found through a distributor on Willy Street. They chose low VOC paint and to-go containers made of recycled cornstarch to keep a clean atmosphere. The digital artwork on the wall, provided by local artist Jeffers Egan, keeps pace with other trendy patisseries across the Atlantic.

Sucre also strives to keep their ingredients local. Stop in for a lunch special and you will find breads baked fresh in-house, salads and dressings from scratch, and meats and cheeses from local and organic farms – sometimes straight from the indoor farmers market.  Of course, some of the ingredients for the sweets are imported from Europe, but it’s best not to question Punky Egan, Sucre’s sole proprietor, about that. She has more than 20 years (and counting) of experience as a pastry chef instructor at MATC and knows what to use to make desserts delectable. Though she still keeps a full course load, she enjoys the chance to have a chance to experiment outside the classroom. “Everything I do here I want to be different. I have a ton of knowledge that I am able to use to bring new ideas and help evolve recipes”.

Ken Monteleone, owner and creator of Fromagination came from a somewhat different background. After 14 years of working in product development for Famous Footwear and traveling the world looking at shoe trends, he found that he was paying more attention to food specialty shops than footwear boutiques. As a longtime resident of Madison and influenced by the local farmer’s market, Ken knew that Madison would be a perfect place for a specialty food store, and what better food to focus on in the dairy state than cheese?

Ken spent a year working on his business plan, design and layout – consulting with local chefs, cheesemakers and food connoisseurs to make sure he got the concept right. The feedback he received was all positive – a good indicator that the city was ready for a high class cheesemonger. Madison, especially downtown Madison, was the perfect environment and locale for a small, artisanal cheese shop featuring local makers.

Of course, the dream cheese boutique would have to be environmentally friendly as well as chic to best showcase the artistic collection of fromage.  Mr. Monteleone worked with a local architect to find building materials that were either almost entirely recycled or renewable for the entire shop. The result? Cabinets made from eucalyptus wood, floor tiles that are actually reclaimed shingles from an abandoned Chicago warehouse, ceiling beams from an old barn, and walls, made of American Made Plaster and milk protein paint, that reflect the warm and inviting texture of the hand-crafted cheeses found in the store.  

These two foodmongers represent what we hope is a growing trend in new businesses on the capital square. Their international flare invested into local stock is a remarkable way to translate a simple localized businesseses into something fantastic. Sucre and Fromagination add a bit of elegance amongst the bourgeois backdrop without commiting the sin of exclusivity – something that the owners took great pains to avoid.  Both the stores’s atmospheres reflect the attention, passion and drive that the entrepreneurs put into them without being overworked. DMI is excited to see such great combinations of green, local, international and tasty flavors added to the square, and we can’t wait to see what new creations will move in next door!