What do a 19th-century miner in southwestern Wisconsin and a modern-day Madisonian have in common? It might sound like the start of a bad joke, but they could be enjoying the same lunch.
In the 1830s, pasties — D-shaped pastries filled with meat, potatoes and vegetables — were a common and convenient lunch item for miners, including those in Mineral Point’s Cornish mining settlements an hour southwest of Madison. Pasties provided a portable and calorie-dense meal, with a thick crust that held in heat and a crimped edge that could act as a handle.
Today, however, one shop on State Street proves that the appeal of this hearty handheld has outlived its historic practicality…