48 Hours in (Stunning) Madison Wisconsin

I’m not sure if you’ve seen my Instagram stories recently (as a note, I’m trying to be more active on that thing lately!), but I was invited to spend some time at the Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin a few weeks ago. It was really and truly the most incredible trip and I thought it’d be fun to give you guys a little behind the scenes peek at what we were up to.

To be totally honest, Madison, in and of itself, deserves an entire dedicated post as it is just the most magnificent town. Positioned smack dab in the middle of two lakes, it’s almost like you’re in the middle of cottage country, right in the city. It is shockingly beautiful and I’m legitimately dying to go back there to do some more exploring on my own.

 {the view – literally steps from downtown}

{apparently even the sunsets are other-worldly in Madison}

The entire experience was flawless from beginning to end. We stayed at The Edgewater, a beautiful, historic hotel, right on Lake Mendota (the view from our hotel room’s balcony was INSANE) and just steps to the city center. I spent the trip surrounded by the most talented bloggers, like Lavin Label (who is such a doll), What’s Gaby Cooking (who’s currently promoting her COOKBOOK – what!?), the beloved The BakerMama and Pure Joy Home. Oh, and not to forget, we were wined and dined from the moment we landed until the moment we departed, which was pretty spectacular as far as I’m concerned.

 {the view from our hotel room} {the lavender-thyme infused signature cocktail}

On our first evening, we were greeted by Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove ’s Head Demonstration Chef Joel Chesebro at ‘Harvest Haven,’ the organic garden and barn located on the company’s campus. Chef Joel and his team treated us to the most incredible farm-to-table dinner heavily sourced right from the garden. Truly had the trip ended right then and there I would have been pleased.

 {Andre, the 800 lb resident pumpkin} {organic tomatoes, growing in the farm’s greenhouse} {potentially the best bread I’ve ever had in the entirety of my life}

The next day, however, we were let loose in their living kitchens to test out all of the incredible products ourselves in an attempt to make our own breakfasts, which was particularly fun (note: I made the most delicious breakfast sandwich I’ve ever made in my entire life and I’m not unconvinced it was because of the appliances I was working with. Those things are NO JOKE).

{breakfast sandwiches in the works} {a chef’s dream}

From there we toured the factory floors in which they make their Sub-Zero refrigeration and Wolf cooking appliances (which felt very How It’s Made) before making our way back to the magical Harvest Haven (seriously – check my Instagram stories – the place feels otherworldly). We were then treated to a bit of an interactive lunch-meets-cooking demonstration, which was a particularly fun way to dine.

 {touring the factory}  {learning how to make custard}{pre-lunch}
{chef Joel, showing off with his 3 equally delicious pie recipes}{one day I’ll have a similar scene in my kitchen <3}

And while we were most definitely spoiled for the entire 48 hours, what I loved most about the experience was learning more about the Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove brands. As a family owned and grown business, they really are salt of the earth folk and it was so inspiring to see how dedicated each and every employee was to their end of the craft. Though it’s no question that their appliances are all top of the line, it was fascinating to learn more about what really sets them apart (like the fact that the air purification system found in Sub-Zero refrigerators will extend the life of your produce, in turn, saving you money and reducing food waste. – WHAT!). I’m actually thinking of doing a blog post on what you get for your money when it comes to appliances (and why there’s such a price discrepancy). If this is something you think you’d be interested please let me know! If there’s enough interest I’ll definitely divulge more.

All in all it was an incredible trip, and I’m so grateful to the folks at Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove for inviting me to experience their philosophy first-hand.

Thank you to Wolf, Sub-Zero & Cove for sponsoring this post, and sending us on this incredible trip! And thank you, my loyal and dedicated readers for supporting my sponsors.