Larry and Tom Schmock
Owners of State Bar & Grill

The State Bar and Grill opened January of 1999.

It is the dream of Larry and Tom Schmock, life long Madisonians and restaurateurs.

Their logo "Nothing Else Like It" couldn't be truer. This is where art deco meets the Jetsons.

After passing under the copper awning at 118 State Street, which is only a half block from the capitol, you are instantly amazed at what unfolds… a beautiful, handbuilt mahogany and walnut bar that runs the full length of the first level.

After being greeted by the bar staff, you notice the chefs preparing culinary delights in the open area kitchen. You look up thirty feet and see large round skylights allowing natural light to carom off the cream city brick walls.

There are five levels to explore, each with a different ambiance.

Whether its dining, drinking, billiards or the big game on one of the 13 televisions, you will enjoy the State Bar and Grill. With waiting lines out the doors a common site, the State Bar and Grill is the place to be and be seen.

STATE ST. GETS DELICIOUS ADDITION

Excerpts from a published article on Saturday, January 16, 1999
© 1999 Madison Newspapers, Inc.

Byline: Michael Muckian

One can legitimately argue whether or not State Street needs another bar and grill. After seeing the interior of the new State Bar & Grill, however, one may ask if all the others are ready to live up to the new aesthetic.

Schmock has gutted the former Funny Business Comedy Club from floor to roof, sandblasting the Cream City brick walls down to their essence. A multi-leveled, railed, second floor loft type of arrangement has been constructed over the main floor, which fans out toward the back into a surprisingly large area.

Above the second floor loft hangs a white ceiling with some fairly dramatic recessed lighting, the likes of which we haven't seen before. Three large, unobstructed windows look out from the second floor onto State Street.

State Bar & Grill 118 State St., Madison. 608-294-9988. Hours: Sun.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Wheelchair access. Private parties and meetings welcome.

STATE BAR AND GRILL IS ROOTED IN THE PAST OF THE OWNERS

Published on Sunday, October 25, 1998
© 1998 Madison Newspapers, Inc.

Byline: Genie Campbell
State Street improvement is well underway.

From cleaner sidewalks to euphoria over a $50 million private arts grant that is likely to transform at least a portion of Madison's eclectic shopping and dining district, State Street is becoming a major player in Madison's revitalization efforts.

But the mid- to late-November opening of a new bar and restaurant, the State Bar and Grill, 118 State St., by lifelong residents, Larry and Tom Schmock, is as much a tribute to the past as it is an endorsement of the future.

"The fact is that my brother and I used to hang out here (Downtown) all summer,'' said Larry, recalling the times the two would hot rod around the Square and down State Street.

The presence of the Kohl Center, the Monona Terrace Convention Center and the fact that more people are choosing to live Downtown are definitely all plus factors.

Yet, added Larry: "We've always wanted to make a mark down here, particularly on State Street. More than anything else, that's it.''

Tom and Larry are the sons of longtime restaurateurs Leonard "Smoky'' and Janet whose steakhouse on the West Side -- Smoky's Club -- is a Madison institution that's been operated by the family for 46 years. But the State Bar and Grill is strictly the brothers' endeavor as is another restaurant/bar they recently opened together on University Avenue -- the Blue Moon Bar and Grill.

While their newest eatery will be set up much like the Blue Moon, it will be twice as big, reflecting an art deco ambiance over five levels.

"The whole building in itself is a piece of artwork,'' said Larry. "There isn't one nail that hasn't been pulled out and replaced by a new one,'' he said of the $500,000 renovation. Everything is new except the original cream-colored bricks that had been hidden beneath layers of drywall.

Added Larry: "It's the first piece of artwork to go into the new proposed arts district.''

Located in the former Funny Business Comedy Club space, the State Bar and Grill will serve lunch and dinner every day of the week.

Funny Business is alive and thriving on the upper level of Kosta's Restaurant across the street.

Under Chef Dave Punswick's guidance, the State Bar and Grill's menu will include homemade soups and an extensive array of appetizers meant to attract the before- and after-theater crowd, especially from the nearby Madison Civic Center.

The Schmocks also hope to feature entertainment of their own.

"We'd like to have a live jazz get-together every day over the cocktail hour (4 to 7 p.m.) to promote jazz in Madison,'' said Larry.

The State Bar and Grill is one of a handful of new restaurants and/or night spots that have gotten underway within the past year in the Downtown area. More are in the planning stages, including possibly two new ones for the Block 89 project.

Brothers Tom, left, and Larry Schmock soon will be serving up inviting entrees and appetizers in their latest establishment, the State Bar and Grill. The restaurant, designed by Jim Vincent, will employ about 50 part- and full-time workers.

Make your next party or gathering a class event. Book it with us! We have just the right space and our menu is what you want it to be. Please contact Tracy or Larry.

Map of State Bar & Grill at 118 State St, Madison, WI 53703

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