The Best of Madison 2022 Readers’ Poll is here, and we’re celebrating the businesses, people and things that make this area our paradise on earth. In addition to the nearly 500 gold, silver and bronze winners, Madison Magazine’s editors selected 15 editors’ picks awards, which will be announced July 22.
Sous chefs Salvador Luna and Francisco Lopez Xelhua at RED — this year’s gold winner in the Japanese/sushi category — craft plates with vibrant seafood and vegetables. Every roll is handmade using fresh ingredients, and the offerings include raw, cooked, vegan and vegetarian rolls. (Photo by Nikki Hansen)
Best Artisan Food Product ★ Nutkrack ★ Vicki Cookies ★ Tricky Foods
Best Bakery – Bread ★ Madison Sourdough Co. ★ Stella’s Bakery ★ Clasen’s European Bakery
Best Bakery – Sweets ★ Greenbush Bakery ★ Bloom Bake Shop ★ Batch Bakehouse
Best BBQ ★ Beef Butter BBQ ★ North and South Seafood & Smokehouse ★ Smoky Jon’s #1 BBQ
Best Breakfast ★ Marigold Kitchen ★ Hubbard Avenue Diner ★ Short Stack Eatery
Best Brewery ★ New Glarus Brewing Co. ★ Vintage Brewing Co. ★ Working Draft Beer Co.
Best Brunch ★ Café Hollander ★ Sardine ★ Marigold Kitchen
Best Burger ★ Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry ★ DLUX ★ Village Bar
Best Butcher ★ The Conscious Carnivore ★ Knoche’s Old Fashioned Butcher Shop ★ Ken’s Meats & Deli
Best Catering ★ Buck & Honey’s ★ Blue Plate Catering ★ Beef Butter BBQ
Best Cheese Producer ★ Hook’s Cheese Co. Inc. ★ Carr Valley Cheese Co. Inc. ★ Farmer Johns’ Cheese
Best Chef ★ Dave Heide, Liliana’s Restaurant* ★ Tory Miller, Graze and L’Etoile ★ Giovanni Novella, Bar Corallini
*Liliana’s is now closed.
Best Chicken Wings ★ Chicken Licks ★ Buck & Honey’s ★ Monk’s Bar & Grill
Best Chinese ★ Imperial Garden ★ Chang Jiang ★ Taigu
Best Chocolate ★ Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier ★ Madison Chocolate Co. ★ Infusion Chocolates
Best Coffee Roasters ★ Just Coffee Cooperative ★ Rusty Dog Coffee ★ JBC Coffee Roasters
Best Coffee Shop ★ Barriques ★ Ancora ★ Firefly Coffeehouse & Artisan Cheese
Best Curbside Pickup/Takeout ★ Culver’s ★ Parthenon Gyros ★ Ahan
Best Delivery ★ Glass Nickel Pizza Co. ★ Ahan ★ Parthenon Gyros
Best Destination Restaurant (Outside of Dane County) ★ Ishnala Supper Club ★ The Del-Bar ★ Hi Point Steakhouse
Best Distillery ★ Wollersheim Winery & Distillery ★ Old Sugar Distillery ★ Driftless Glen Distillery
Best Fish Fry ★ Quivey’s Grove ★ Dorf Haus Supper Club ★ The Hilltop
Best Food Cart ★ Banzo ★ Curd Girl ★ Jose’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant
Best Fried Cheese Curds ★ The Old Fashioned ★ Craftsman Table & Tap ★ Buck & Honey’s
Best Greasy Spoon ★ Mickies Dairy Bar ★ Monty’s Blue Plate Diner ★ The Curve
Best Home Meal Kit Delivery ★ Isthmus Eats ★ Pasture and Plenty ★ Fit Fresh Cuisine
Best Ice Cream/Custard ★ Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co. ★ Babcock Dairy Store ★ Culver’s
Best Indian/Nepalese ★ Swagat Indian Restaurant ★ Swad ★ Himal Chuli Restaurant
Best Italian ★ Lombardino’s ★ Paisan’s ★ Bar Corallini
Best Japanese/Sushi ★ RED ★ Muramoto ★ Tavernakaya
Best Korean ★ K-Peppers ★ Sol’s on the Square ★ 5 Star Korean BBQ
Best Lake View ★ Memorial Union Terrace ★ Eno Vino Downtown ★ Sardine
Best Latin American ★ La Taguara ★ Monona Bakery and Eatery ★ Estacion Inka
Best Mediterranean/Middle Eastern ★ Banzo ★ Parthenon Gyros ★ Mediterranean Cafe
Best Mexican/Southwestern ★ Taqueria Guadalajara ★ Pasqual’s Cantina ★ Jose’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant
Best New Orleans/Cajun Style ★ Liliana’s Restaurant* ★ Louisianne’s Etc. ★ North and South Seafood & Smokehouse
*Liliana’s is now closed.
Best New Restaurant ★ The Harvey House ★ The Botanist Social ★ Blind Shot Social Club
Best Old-Fashioned ★ The Old Fashioned ★ Cimaroli’s Supper Club ★ Dorf Haus Supper Club
Best Outdoor Dining ★ Buck & Honey’s ★ Eno Vino Downtown ★ Riley Tavern
Best Pizza ★ Salvatore’s Tomato Pies ★ Sugar River Pizza Co. ★ Glass Nickel Pizza Co.
Best Restaurant ★ Buck & Honey’s ★ The Harvey House ★ Eno Vino Downtown
Best Sandwich Spot ★ Stalzy’s Deli & Bakery ★ Casetta Kitchen and Counter ★ Milio’s Sandwiches
Best Seafood ★ Tempest Oyster Bar ★ Sardine ★ North and South Seafood & Smokehouse
Best Server ★ Rachael Peterson, Green Acres ★ Jackie Flock, Cimaroli’s Supper Club ★ Darien Walter, Bar Corallini
Best Southeast Asian ★ Hạ Long Bay Restaurant ★ Sa-Bai Thong Thai Cuisine ★ Lao Laan-Xang Restaurant
Best Specialty Food Store ★ Fraboni’s Italian Specialties & Delicatessen ★ Fromagination ★ Willy Street Co-op
Best Steakhouse ★ Tornado Room Steak House ★ The Del-Bar ★ Delaney’s Steak Seafood Wine
Best Supper Club ★ Ishnala Supper Club ★ Tornado Room Steak House ★ Toby’s Supper Club
Best Tapas (Small Plates) ★ Eno Vino Downtown ★ Mint Mark ★ A Pig in a Fur Coat ★ Eno Vino Wine Bar & Bistro
Best Vegetarian/Vegan Focused ★ Green Owl Cafe ★ Everly ★ Monty’s Blue Plate Diner
Best Winery ★ Wollersheim Winery & Distillery ★ Bailey’s Run Vineyard ★ Drumlin Ridge Winery
Brock Landers, a nonalcoholic cocktail with Lyre’s Spiced Cane, Lyre’s Coffee, Banana, Pineapple, Coconut, Orange Lime and Nutmeg, from Blind Shot Social Club. Blind Shot won gold for experiential fun, bronze for new restaurant and bronze for local craft beverage. (Courtesy of Blind Shot Social Club)
Best Bar with a View ★ Eno Vino Downtown ★ Baraboo Bluff Winery ★ Driftless Glen Distillery
Best Bartender ★ Liz Gerber, Mint Mark* ★ Anne Leahy, Robin Room ★ Jenn Dachauer, State Line Distillery
*Liz Gerber is no longer at Mint Mark
Best Bloody Mary ★ Café Hollander ★ Short Stack Eatery ★ Driftless Glen Distillery
Best Cocktail (Not Old-Fashioned or bloody mary) ★ Honey Cap, Old Sugar Distillery ★ Smoke Show, State Line Distillery ★ I Sat By The Ocean, Bar Corallini
Best Cocktail Kit ★ Old Sugar Distillery ★ State Line Distillery ★ Driftless Glen Distillery
Best Dive Bar ★ Le Tigre Lounge ★ Caribou Tavern ★ The Dive Inn
Best Local Craft Beer ★ Spotted Cow, New Glarus Brewing Co. ★ Fantasy Factory, Karben4 Brewing ★ Warped Speed, Lake Louie Brewing
Untitled Art won gold for local craft beverage for their selzers and nonalcoholic beers. (Courtesy of Untitled Art/Photo by Nikki Hansen)
Best Local Craft Beverage ★ Untitled Art ★ Brix Cider ★ Blind Shot Social Club
Best Neighborhood Bar ★ Mid Town Pub ★ The Atwood ★ Leopold’s Books Bar Caffè ★ Garth’s Brew Bar
Best Patio ★ Riley Tavern ★ Skål Public House ★ Driftless Glen Distillery
Best Private Parties ★ Buck & Honey’s ★ The Coopers Tavern ★ Everyday Kitchen – Madison
Best Sports Bar ★ 5th Quarter Sports Bar & Grill ★ Wilson’s Bar & Grill ★ Pooley’s Sports Bar and Event Center
Best Wine Bar ★ Eno Vino Downtown ★ Toot + Kate’s Wine Bar ★ Grape Water Wine Bar
Xizhou Xie, the gold-winning local artist, pours paints to create abstract designs (pictured). She incorporates different art styles and materials in her pieces that are available in her home gallery or at events. Other local artist winners this year were Lindsey Salzwedel and T.L. Luke Art. (Photo by Timothy Hughes)
Best Art Gallery ★ Dark Horse ArtBar ★ River Arts Inc. ★ Farwell Gallery
Best Classical Music Group ★ Madison Symphony Orchestra ★ Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra ★ Willy Street Chamber Players
Best Columnist ★ Doug Moe, Madison Magazine ★ John Nichols, The Cap Times ★ Michael Perry, The Wisconsin State Journal*
*Perry’s column was recently retired.
Best Comedy Group/Comedian ★ Monkey Business Institute ★ Lady Laughs Comedy ★ Atlas Improv Co.
Vicki Cookies won silver for Artisan Food Product and bronze for experiential fun. (Courtesy of Vicki Cookies)
Best Experiential Fun ★ Blind Shot Social Club ★ Wine & Design ★ Vicki Cookies, Cookie Decorating Classes
Best DJ (not radio) ★ DJ Nick Nice ★ DJ Sarah Akawa ★ The Susie Show
Best Local Artist ★ Xizhou Xie ★ Lindsey Salzwedel ★ T.L. Luke Art
Best Local Band ★ Madison County ★ Soggy Prairie ★ Mars Hall
Best Local Celebrity/Prominent Madisonian ★ Charlie Shortino, NBC15 ★ Amber Noggle, WKOW ★ John Stofflet, NBC15
Best Local Cover Band ★ Cherry Pie ★ Madison County ★ Universal Sound Dance Band
Best Local Influencer ★ Rippeology, @Rippeology ★ IamGlytja, @IamGlytja ★ Everyday M&K, @everydaymandk
Best Local News Website ★ channel3000.com ★ nbc15.com ★ wkow.com
Best Local Podcast ★ Black Like Me with Alex Gee ★ HERself Podcast ★ Say It Out Loud
Best Local Singer/Songwriter ★ Bree Morgan ★ Elizabeth Mary ★ Mike Zibell
Best Local Theater ★ Overture Center for the Arts ★ American Players Theatre ★ Barrymore Theatre
Best Museum ★ Madison Children’s Museum ★ Chazen Museum of Art ★ Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Poppy and Olive Photography won gold for best photographer. (Courtesy of Poppy and Olive Photography)
Best Photographer ★ Poppy and Olive Photography ★ Krista Brinkmeier Photography ★ Maureen Cassidy Photography ★ Karmen Lindner Photography
Best Radio Team ★ Jonathan & Kitty, 105.5 Triple M ★ Mornings with Dave & Amanda, Life 102.5 ★ Johnny and Dee, 94.1 WJJO
Best TV News Team ★ Amber Noggle, George Smith, John Zeigler and Lance Veeser, WKOW ★ John Stofflet, Leigh Mills, Maria Lisignoli, Brian Doogs and Mike Jacques, NBC15 Evening News ★ Tim Elliott, Erin Sullivan, Charlie Shortino and Gabriella Rusk, NBC15 The Morning Show
Best TV Personality ★ Charlie Shortino, NBC15 ★ Chris Reece, News 3 Now ★ John Zeigler, WKOW
Dwellings, gold winner for interior design, can help spruce up your living space. The company provides in-store and in-home consultations for everything from designing an entire home to accessorizing one room at a time to choosing the correct paint color. (Photo by Nikki Hansen)
Best Alterations ★ Binh’s Tailoring Alteration Service ★ Right Size Alteration Services ★ Monetti Tailoring
Best Antique Store ★ Odana Antiques & Fine Arts Center ★ The Cozy Home ★ Antiques Mall of Madison
Best Assisted Living ★ Oakwood Village ★ Oak Park Place ★ BeeHive Homes of Mt. Horeb
Best Auto Body Repair ★ Zimbrick Inc. ★ Sparkle Auto Body ★ Ball Body Shop Inc. – Division of Smart Motors Inc.
Best Auto Parts ★ Zimbrick Inc. ★ O’Reilly Auto Parts ★ Weaver Auto Parts
Best Barbershop ★ Monona Barber Shop ★ Mark’s Barber & Styling ★ Blue Chip Barber Club
Best Bed & Breakfast ★ Sunniva Inn ★ The Livingston Inn ★ Iron Amethyst Inn & The 2One Speakeasy
Best Bookstore ★ A Room of One’s Own ★ Mystery to Me ★ Frugal Muse Books
Best Boutique Hotel ★ Mansion Hill Inn ★ Graduate Madison ★ Hotel Ruby Marie
Best Childcare ★ Hearts & Hands Children’s Center ★ Lodgic Kids Camp – Madison ★ Academy of Little Vikings 4K & Childcare
Best Chiropractor ★ LSM Chiropractic ★ The Joint Chiropractic ★ Zelm Chiropractic Center
Best Cleaning Service ★ Primavera Cleaning Service ★ 4 Senses House Cleaning ★ Mother Earth Cleaners
Best Clothing (Men) ★ Duluth Trading Co. ★ Jazzman ★ St. Vincent De Paul Store
St. Vincent De Paul Store won won four Best of Madison Awards. (Courtesy of St. Vincent De Paul Store)
Best Clothing (Women) ★ St. Vincent De Paul Store ★ Hive of Madison ★ McFee on Main
Best Dealer Auto Service Shop ★ Zimbrick Inc. ★ Smart Motors Toyota ★ Don Miller Auto Group
Best Domestic Auto Dealer ★ Zimbrick Inc. ★ Don Miller Auto Group ★ Bergstrom Automotive
Best Dry Cleaner ★ Klinke Cleaners ★ Lake Mills Cleaners & Dyers Inc. ★ Best Cleaners
Best Electrician ★ Dave Jones Inc. ★ Cardinal Heating & Air Conditioning ★ Hill Electric Inc.
Best Flooring ★ Sergenian’s Floor Coverings ★ Nonn’s ★ Coyle Carpet One Floor & Home
Best Florist ★ Felly’s Flowers ★ Klein’s Floral and Greenhouses ★ Brenda’s Blumenladen
Best Furniture ★ Don’s Home Furniture ★ The Century House ★ Rubin’s Contemporary Furniture
Best Gift Shop/Specialty Store ★ Orange Tree Imports ★ Booth 121 ★ National Mustard Museum
Best Grocery Store ★ Woodman’s Food Market ★ Metcalfe’s Market ★ Willy Street Co-op
Best Hair Salon ★ ANiU Salon & Spa ★ Ecco Salon ★ Kismet Aveda Salon
Best Health Specialty Store ★ Community Pharmacy ★ Willy Street Co-op ★ The Healthy Place
Best Heating & Cooling ★ Dave Jones Inc. ★ Harker Heating & Cooling Inc. ★ Cardinal Heating & Air Conditioning
Best Home Accessories ★ St. Vincent De Paul Store ★ Booth 121 ★ Brenda’s Blumenladen
Best Home Builders ★ Hart DeNoble Builders ★ Veridian Homes ★ Michael F. Simon Builders
Best Home Health Care Agency ★ Agrace ★ SSM Health at Home ★ UW Health Care Direct
Best Home Repair ★ Waunakee Remodeling ★ Michael F. Simon Builders ★ Ganser Co.
Best Hotel ★ The Edgewater ★ The Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club ★ AC Hotel by Marriott Madison Downtown
Best Import Auto Dealer ★ Zimbrick Inc. ★ Smart Motors Toyota ★ Don Miller Auto Group
Best Interior Design ★ Dwellings ★ Zander’s Interiors ★ Sprinkman Design Collective ★ Fig Interiors LLC
Best Jeweler ★ Goodman’s Jewelers ★ TQ Diamonds ★ Chalmers Jewelers
Best Kitchen & Bath Design ★ Nonn’s ★ Dream House Dream Kitchens ★ Frey Construction & Home Improvement
Best Laser Hair Removal ★ ANEU Med Spa ★ Ideal Image Madison ★ Robertson Cosmetic Center
The Bruce Co. won gold for Lawn, Garden & Landscape and silver for Outdoor Living. (Courtesy of The Bruce Co.)
Best Lawn, Garden & Landscape ★ The Bruce Co. ★ Brenda’s Blumenladen ★ Badgerscape Design & Landscape
Best Local Etsy Shop ★ TacoCat Creations ★ Boutique608 ★ Will James Leather Co.
Best Luxury Auto (Import and Domestic) ★ Zimbrick Inc. ★ Lexus of Madison ★ Bergstrom Automotive
Best Moving Company ★ Badger Brothers Moving ★ Two Men and a Truck ★ Gorilla Movers of Wisconsin
Best Music Store ★ Strictly Discs ★ B-Side Records ★ Sugar Shack Records
Best Musical Instrument Store ★ Ward-Brodt Music ★ Heid Music ★ Spruce Tree Music & Repair
Best Nail Salon ★ Diamond Nails & Spa ★ US Nails & Spa ★ ANiU Salon & Spa
Best Nondealer Auto Service Shop ★ Mike’s Automotive Repair ★ Smith’s Service Center ★ David’s Certified Auto Repair
Best Outdoor Living ★ REI ★ The Bruce Co. ★ Brenda’s Blumenladen
Camp K9 Pet Resort & Day Camp won gold for Pet Day Care & Boarding. (Courtesy of Camp K9)
Best Pet Day Care & Boarding ★ Camp K9 Pet Resort & Day Camp ★ The Dog Den ★ Paradise Paws Camp & Resort
Best Pet Supplies Store ★ Mounds Pet Food Warehouse ★ MadCat Pet Supplies ★ bad dog frida
Best Physical Therapy ★ UW Health Sports Medicine Center ★ Capitol Physical Therapy ★ Integrated Physical Therapy
Best Plumber ★ Dave Jones Inc. ★ H.J. Pertzborn Plumbing & Fire Protection Corp. ★ Monona Plumbing & Fire Protection Inc.
Best Real Estate Company ★ Stark Company Realtors ★ Sprinkman Real Estate ★ Matt Deadman Homes Brokered by Real Broker LLC
Best Retirement Community ★ Oakwood Village ★ Attic Angel Community ★ Oak Park Place
Best Roofer ★ Frey Construction & Home Improvement ★ Waunakee Remodeling ★ Ganser Co.
Best Secondhand Store ★ St. Vincent De Paul Store ★ Agrace Thrift Store ★ Dane County Humane Society Thrift Store
Best Shoes ★ The Shoe Box ★ Morgan’s Shoes ★ DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse
Sundara Inn & Spa won gold for Spa. (Courtesy of Sundara)
Best Spa ★ Sundara Inn & Spa ★ Kneaded Relief Day Spa & Wellness ★ ANiU Salon & Spa
Best Specialty Spa ★ ANEU Med Spa ★ A Healer’s Hand + The Nest ★ Robertson Cosmetic Center
Best Tattoo Shop/Artist ★ Blue Lotus Tattoo & The Piercing Lounge ★ Ultimate Arts Tattoo ★ Starkweather Tattoo Collective
Best Tech Service/Repair ★ Ampro Data Services Inc. ★ Graphite – Apple Premier Partner ★ Madison Computer Works Inc.
Best Towing Company ★ Schmidt’s Auto Inc. ★ Liberty Towing Service LLC ★ Prairie Land Towing
Best Used Car Dealer ★ Zimbrick Inc. ★ Smart Motors Toyota ★ Schoepp Motors
Best Veterinarian ★ Sauk Point Veterinary Clinic ★ Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic ★ Lakeview Veterinary Clinic
Best Wealth Management ★ Madison Partners ★ Dorn Wealth Management ★ Eventus Weather Advisors – Ameriprise Financial Services
Best Windows & Doors ★ Waunakee Remodeling ★ Frey Construction & Home Improvement LLC ★ Ganser Co.
Best Wisconsin Bank ★ State Bank of Cross Plains ★ Associated Bank ★ Monona Bank
Best Wisconsin Credit Union ★ UW Credit Union ★ Summit Credit Union ★ Heartland Credit Union
Tenney Park was voted gold for Park.
Best Alternative Fitness Center ★ Burn Boot Camp ★ Basecamp Fitness ★ Transformation Center
Best Bike Shop ★ Machinery Row Bicycles ★ Budget Bicycle Center ★ Atkins Verona Bicycle Shoppe
Best Campground ★ Devil’s Lake State Park ★ Governor Dodge State Park ★ Blue Mound State Park
Best Dance Studio ★ Kehl School of Dance ★ Storybook Ballet ★ Dance Life Studio and Fitness
Best Fitness Center ★ Princeton Club ★ Anytime Fitness ★ Harbor Athletic Club
Best Golf Course ★ Pleasant View Golf Course ★ University Ridge Golf Course ★ Door Creek Golf Course
Sue Shapcott won gold for golf instructor. (Photo by Darren Hauck)
Best Golf Instructor ★ Sue Shapcott ★ John Gaschke ★ Jeremy Cabalka
Best Martial Arts Studio ★ Silver Lining Taekwon-do ★ MadCity Martial Arts ★ Kicks Unlimited Karate
Best Park ★ Tenney Park ★ McKee Farms Park ★ Wingra Park
Best Personal Trainer ★ Mike Onsrud Personal Training ★ Jenna Schulz, Orange Shoe Personal Fitness ★ Amy Sanborn, MadPower Training Center
Best Pilates ★ REFORMadison ★ Club Pilates ★ Prairie Athletic Club
Best Running/Biking Trail ★ Pheasant Branch Conservancy ★ Ice Age National Scenic Trail ★ Capital City Trail
Best Sports & Recreation Shop ★ REI ★ Rutabaga Paddlesports ★ Movin’ Shoes
Best Yoga Studio ★ Dragonfly Hot Yoga ★ Inner Fire Yoga ★ Perennial – Yoga, Wisdom, Community
Best Youth Programs ★ Goodman Community Center ★ Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County ★ Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras (WYSO)
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This semi-annual event is the perfect opportunity for food lovers to sample some of Madison’s finest local offerings.
We're hosting the Best of Madison Party to celebrate this year’s winners and our readers who make this list possible! On Monday, August 29 at The Edgewater, guests will enjoy live music by Shekinah King, snap photos in a photobooth,…