text: We avoided the Saturday Badger crowds, but even on Friday morning, Mickies Dairy Bar was packed. There's no waiting list or anything, so you just gotta keep your eye on the prize, and hover with purpose. There seemed to be a pretty quick turnover though, so the four of us were able to get a table before too long. The place is fairly small, with a long, U-shaped counter space in the middle, and tables lining the perimeter, with waitresses darting in and out serving their charges. Lots of history adorn the walls, lending Mickies the air of the quintessential diner.\n\nAs we sat down and ordered coffee, we talked a bit with our friendly server who explained a few of the offerings to us. We didn't peruse the menu very long before we had all settled on the Scrambler: A plate-sized bed of potatoes piled high with eggs scrambled with your choice of meat, all smothered with cheddar cheese and cream gravy, with toast on the side. Two of us went for sausage, two for bacon, and based on our server's recommendation, we got a side of corned beef hash as well. When our mounds of diner breakfast glory came out, we couldn't believe we had ordered extra, but that hash was actually the surprise hit. The large potato quotient in the Scrambler could get a little bland in spots, but we all agreed that if you chose the hash as part of your Scrambler, it might just be breakfast heaven, with its unique hints of chili powder and cumin.\n\nThe four of us waddled out of Mickies fully sated, and fueled for an epic day in Madison.