Hubbard Avenue Diner

Hubbard Avenue Diner is a Middleton comfort-food diner where about ten pie flavors turn in spinning and stationary cases, with monthly specials rotating through, and everything is baked on site. The best-seller is the French silk, a thick chocolate pie under waves of whipped cream and big chocolate curls, and apple, key lime and the Duo of Silks, which works peanut butter into the French silk, are regulars. Order the French silk, or a pie shake, a whole slice blended with vanilla ice cream.

Picks from Madison Magazine and Wisconsin State Journal

Madison Magazine's breakfast guide tells you to come to this Middleton diner for the breakfast and stay for the always freshly stocked dessert case, which is the whole pitch in one sentence. It opens at seven and runs a full breakfast and brunch menu all morning. Order eggs and hash browns, then take a slice of pie from the case on the way out, which is the part regulars plan the visit around.

Picks from Wisconsin State Journal and Madison Magazine