Edible Madison Magazine

by Marissa DeGroot

“I love the unexpectedness of it,” says Matt Trotter, referring to his pair of business ventures in the heart of a small Wisconsin city of just over 1,000 people.

Trotter is founder and owner of Parlor Hotel and Horseradish Kitchen + Market located in downtown Princeton, less than an hour-and-a-half drive north of Madison. The unexpected nature of his businesses are only the tip of the iceberg of what draws people to this tiny town.

Parlor Hotel is a seven-room inn that is anything but a quick place to crash before hitting the road. It is a space of belonging and becoming, a space to retreat and recharge. What Trotter, along with partner Greg Wright and business partner Alex Pearsall, have created in the 156-year-old, beautifully restored building is an immersive experience and retreat for creatives.

Uniquely designed rooms, like the Grant—dubbed the “best room in the house”—with its reading nook and soaking tub or the vibrantly colored Remi queen suite, can be individually reserved. For folks interested in a space to host a special celebration, company retreat or reunion, the whole inn is also available to rent. Bringing a group to the Parlor Hotel opens the opportunity for special dinner and breakfast options, opportunities not available to non-hotel guests, at Trotter’s other business venture, Horseradish Kitchen + Market.

A stay at the Parlor Hotel is a launching point to all Princeton has to offer, including the natural beauty of the Fox River that flows through the city, the largest outdoor flea market in the state, and a host of dining options including Horseradish Kitchen + Market. The restaurant, music venue and store is a one-minute walk across the street from the Parlor Hotel, open Friday through Monday.

Horseradish got its start as a food truck, serving up specialty sandwiches and salads out of a small school bus. In 2018, Trotter and Pearsall opened Horseradish Kitchen + Market in Trotter’s hometown, a place that four generations of his family have called home. “It’s been fun for me to see it [Princeton] through fresh eyes,” says Trotter. He and Wright, who both have backgrounds in the arts, have been crucial members of a growing community in Princeton that’s creating a culture of creativity, inclusion and connection—elements that can also be seen throughout the Horseradish menu.

Sandwiches are made with bread from neighboring Renards European Bakeshop and produce is from their friends at area farms, including Boerson Farm and Sandy Fox Farms, with florals grown just down the road at Sugarloaf Gardens. Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options abound. The food is not only delicious but also beautiful—just one of the many ways Trotter and his team show care to visitors.

Trotter likens his pair of businesses to a home. “If Horseradish is the kitchen, entertainment space, then Parlor is the living room and bedrooms—someplace cozy to go back to.” And like a home, Trotter and Wright hope visitors feel like family in the spaces they have created— spaces that foster inclusion, creativity and an appreciation of small-town Wisconsin.

Published quarterly with the seasons, Edible Madison focuses on Southern Wisconsin's food and agriculture through the stories of the local farmers, food producers, chefs, food educators and forward-thinking organizations that are behind the region's dynamic local food movement. And we share information about national food and farming issues and topics to keep us all connected to the greater food movement.