Downtown apartment building fire threatens Underground Kitchen

Early this morning a fire broke out in the apartment building at 24
North Webster Street, just off Madison’s Capitol Square. The fire rapidly spread out of control, and by 6 a.m. Madison Fire Department spokeswoman Lori Wirth said flames were “shooting through the building’s roof.”

This is bad for all the usual reasons towering eruptions of blistering fire in a building are bad (though no injuries have been reported), and, of course, the biggest concerns are for the residents who have been displaced and the firefighters dealing with the blaze. But we can’t help but be concerned about the future of the Underground Kitchen, one of Madison’s most innovative and exciting restaurants, situated on the ground floor of the building.

Underground Kitchen exploded onto the scene less than a year ago, and has been a source of constant delight to downtown epicures, many of whom complain about the laid-back service but not so much about the highly creative, pitch-perfect presentations of fresh, locally sourced ingredients. 

As of 9 a.m., firefighters were still battling the smoky blaze, and traffic is being re-routed around the blasted area. Hopefully the damage to the kitchen is not cataclysmic, and the Underground (as well as the rest of the building) can stage a comeback; we need this kitchen in Madison.