I’m playing hostess to my BFF at the moment, so I’m going to keep this short. I just have to share with y’all a delicious discovery I made tonight: the Inner Warmth Peanut Stew at the Great Dane in Madison. The Dane is a well-established local pub and eatery, serving local beer and all sorts of food, including quite a few vegan-friendly options. I’ve enjoyed falafel and a burrito on past [separate!] visits to one of its three locations, but this was my first experience with this stew. Now I’m kicking myself for not trying it sooner!
I don’t have a photo, but here’s the description from the menu: A stew of butternut squash, tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, hot peppers and cilantro in a zesty peanut sauce. Served over rice with beer bread.
A quick inquiry revealed the rice isn’t vegan (?!?), but they substituted Israeli cous cous, which I think I preferred. I also passed the beer bread on to my friends, but I didn’t need it – the portion size was perfect, and I was utterly satiated after my meal. It’s truly a warming and filling dish that avoids seeming too heavy. In other words, near perfection! I think I detected some cauliflower in my stew, and heaven knows I love anything with cauliflower. :)
So! If you’re ever at the Dane, definitely give this stew a try!
vegga 
I used to love that stew but I always got sick from eating it. They told me the stew was vegan, but one time my friend Claire asked about it (she got sick, too) and they told her the stew has cream in it. Maybe it was the rice, but double check next time. I often got different answers from different people at Great Dane. Have you ever been to the outdoor patio downtown in the summer? It’s beautiful.
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Really? How odd! I asked the waitress, and she checked and told me that other than the rice, it was vegan (she even used the word “vegan” first, not me). Maybe they’ve changed the recipe? Thanks for the tip, though – if I ever order it again, I’ll double and/or triple check!
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Hi! I’m the Claire in question, and you just commented on my blog, so I came to check you out :)
They DID tell me there was heavy cream in it… but I’ve never had it confirmed. But I could find out for sure – my husband works with the husband of the manager. If it isn’t too much of a pain to get through all the channels, I’ll ask.
Nice blog! Are you a member of the vegetarian meetup group?
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:) Hi! If you end up finding out the truth, let me know!
I’m a member of the meetup group, but I’ve only been to one event. I should get to more, though…
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Just had to leave a comment – it IS Vegan, and DELICIOUS!
I loved the stew then looked online and lo and behold, the recipe has been published! I made it at home and it is 100% the same great flavour as in the pub, and no meat or dairy.
Make with caution though – the recipe as published makes a MIGHTY VAT full of stew! I recommend scaling down unless you want to eat for a week or freeze some.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/THE-GREAT-DANE-INNER-WARMTH-PEANUT-STEW-1236084
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Ooh, fantastic! Thanks for the link. :) I’m totally up for a MIGHTY VAT of stew.
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