Tall Grass Previews Rooftop Dinners Ahead of Winter Opening

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art's restaurant is serving preview dinners in its rooftop lounge before moving to its permanent ground-floor space.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Dining Out

Tall Grass Previews Rooftop Dinners Ahead of Winter Opening

Live Poll

Would you pay $50 for a local-ingredient dinner at a museum?

Tall Grass, the restaurant at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, is offering preview dinners in the museum's rooftop lounge. The restaurant will occupy the space once used by the museum gift shop and is expected to open in its permanent location late this winter.

Why it matters

The preview series gives Madison diners an early look at a restaurant that will become a fixture of the city's downtown dining scene. Its move into the former gift shop space also marks a new use for a museum area that has been out of service since the 2020 Downtown riots.

Preview dinners begin at $50 per person in the rooftop lounge, and MMoCA members receive 10% off food. The preview series will not run during Thanksgiving week and is expected to continue through the end of the year.

The players

Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is a public museum at 227 State St. in downtown Madison that houses Tall Grass and offers member discounts on food.

Elena Terry

Elena Terry is the executive chef leading the Tall Grass restaurant and its opening menu.

The details

Chef Elena Terry leads the restaurant, and the opening menu includes The Sisters, made with roasted squash, bean puree, cranberry and sweet corn, as well as blue corn tortilla-crusted Lake Superior whitefish and bison ribeye. Preview dinners are held in a glass-enclosed pavilion overlooking Downtown Madison, and Saturday brunches are offered as part of the "Taste of Tall Grass" series.

2020: The museum store was vandalized during the Downtown riots and never reopened.
2021: Fresco closed after 15 years of operation.
October 9: A Harvest Dinner costing $125 drew nearly 100 guests to a nine-course meal prepared by nine chefs.
Thursday: Tall Grass preview dinners begin in the MMoCA rooftop lounge.
Late this winter: Tall Grass is expected to open in its permanent ground-floor location.

Downtown Dining Context

Tall Grass occupies downtown Madison's dining ground left open after Fresco closed in 2021 following 15 years of operation. Its arrival in a museum setting follows the earlier pattern of cultural venues adding restaurants to attract visitors beyond exhibition hours.

Madison diners can book $50 preview dinners now and get 10% off food with a museum membership. The preview series will pause during Thanksgiving week, so plan reservations around that break.

The takeaway

Museum restaurants can serve as early tests for new dining concepts, and Tall Grass's preview series offers Madison diners a chance to try the menu before its permanent opening. Reservations for the preview dinners are the simplest way to get a look at the space.

What happens next

Tall Grass is expected to open in its permanent ground-floor location late this winter, and preview dinners are expected to run through the end of the year.