The writing on the wall

Isthmus readers choose their Madison Favorites, from autos to artists, from new restaurant to CSA

Every year, Isthmus asks its readers to tell us about what they love (and sometimes, what they maybe dislike just a wee tiny bit) about Madison. There’s widespread enthusiasm for certain topics (pizza, for instance); other categories generate more concentrated ardor — passionate partisans for their own doctor or dentist

(and veterinarian and personal trainer...).

One thing that becomes clear in reading all the answers to questions we asked about the general zeitgeist of the past year is that you know how to carry a grudge. When we asked about “Madison’s most embarrassing moment” we meant “over the last year.” We found voters were having a hard time letting go of the events surrounding Gov. Scott Walker’s bill to dismantle collective bargaining rights for unions in February 2011. Other voters were still having trouble letting go of the fact that it took the city 50-some years to build Monona Terrace — even though it was built 18 years ago. Yes, there was plenty of serious fodder to make Madison blush, but really, who can forget “That one time when we tanked it on the ice and Verona and Middleton totally saw and laughed at us”? For reals.

Thanks to everyone who voted. We wouldn’t know all this unless you told us. Read on, and you too will know all.

Madison’s Favorite Dining

New Restaurant

1.  Salvatore’s Tomato Pies (Johnson Street)

2.  Cento

3.  Sujeo

Steakhouse

1.  Tornado Steakhouse

2.  Smoky’s Club

3.  Rare Steakhouse

Pizzeria

1.  Glass Nickel Pizza Co. and Ian’s Pizza (TIE)

3.  Salvatore’s Tomato Pies

Italian Restaurant

1.  Lombardino’s

2.  Paisan’s

3.  Osteria Papavero

Middle Eastern Restaurant

1.  Banzo

2.  Kabul Restaurant

3.  Mediterranean Cafe

Chinese Restaurant

1.  Hong Kong Cafe

2.  Imperial Garden West

3.  Imperial Garden East

Sushi Restaurant

1.  Sushi Muramoto

2.  Red Sushi

3.  Takara

Southeast Asian Restaurant

1.  Ha Long Bay

2.  Lao Laan-Xang

3.  Sa Bai Thong

Indian Restaurant

1.  Maharani Indian Restaurant

2.  Swagat Indian Cuisine

3.  Swad

Mexican/Southwestern Restaurant

1.  Taqueria Guadalajara

2.  Pasqual’s Cantina and Tex Tubb’s Taco Palace (TIE)

Creole/Cajun Restaurant

1.  New Orleans Take-Out

2.  Liliana’s

3.  Louisianne’s

Soul Food

1.  New Orleans Take-Out

2.  That BBQ Joint

3.  Melly Mel’s catering

Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurant

1.  Monty’s Blue Plate Diner

2.  Alchemy

3.  The Green Owl Cafe

Patio Dining

1.  UW Memorial Union Terrace

2.  Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co.

3.  Mickey’s Tavern

Fish Fry

1.  Dexter’s Pub

2.  Avenue Bar

3.  Quivey’s Grove

Food Cart

1.  Banzo

2.  Caracas Empanadas

3.  Good Food Cart

Spot for a Business Lunch

1.  The Old Fashioned

2.  Graze

3.  Brasserie V

Restaurant for Date Night on a Dime

1.  Alchemy

2.  Natt Spil

3.  Tex Tubb’s Taco Palace

Restaurant for Date Night on a Benjamin

1.  Sardine

2.  Graze

3.  L’Etoile

Bakery

1.  Greenbush Bakery

2.  Batch Bakehouse

3.  Madison Sourdough Co.

Restaurant for Breakfast

1.  Marigold Kitchen

2.  Monty’s Blue Plate Diner

3.  Short Stack Eatery

Madison’s Favorite Drinking

Coffee Shop

1.  Colectivo Coffee

2.  Barriques

3.  Johnson Public House

Happy Hour

1.  Genna’s Lounge

2.  Shamrock Bar & Grille

3.  Nitty Gritty

Bar for Craft Beer

1.  The Coopers Tavern

2.  The Malt House

3.  One Barrel Brewing Company

Bar for Wine

1.  Barriques

2.  Eno Vino Wine Bar & Bistro

3.  The Icon

Bar for Cocktails

1.  Merchant

2.  Opus Lounge

3.  Gib’s

Sports Bar

1.  Nitty Gritty

2.  Wilson’s Bar & Grill

3.  Jordan’s Big 10 Pub

Gay Bar

1.  Plan B

2.  Shamrock Bar & Grille

3.  FIVE Nightclub

Pub Trivia Night

1.  Dexter’s Pub

2.  The Sett - Union South

3.  City Bar

Dive Bar

1.  The Plaza Tavern

2.  The Paradise Lounge

3.  Caribou Tavern

Bar / Downtown

1.  Genna’s Lounge

2.  The Plaza Tavern

3.  Up North

Bar / Willy Street

1.  Mickey’s Tavern

2.  Weary Traveler

3.  Gib’s

Bar / Atwood-Winnebago

1.  Harmony Bar

2.  Malthouse

3.  Jade Monkey

Bar / Eken Park-North

1.  Tip Top Tavern

2.  Villa Tap

3.  Locker Room

Bar / Campus-Kohl Center

1.  Echo Tap

2.  Nitty Gritty

3.  Mason Lounge

Bar / Monroe Street-Near West

1.  The Laurel Tavern

2.  The Village Bar

3.  jacs

Bar / Middleton-Far West

1.  The Freehouse Pub

2.  Oakcrest Tavern

3.  Mid Town Pub

College Bar

1.  The Plaza Tavern

2.  Nitty Gritty

3.  Kollege Klub

Liquor Store

1.  Woodman’s Markets

2.  Steve’s Wine, Beer, Spirits

3.  Star Liquor

Local Brewery

1.  New Glarus Brewing Co.

2.  Ale Asylum

3.  Karben4

Locally Brewed Beer

1.  New Glarus Brewing Co. Spotted Cow

2.  Karben4 Fantasy Factory

3.  Ale Asylum Hopalicious

Craft Cocktail

1.  Old Fashioned at The Old Fashioned

2.  Moscow Mule at Merchant

3.  Cuba Libre at Old Sugar Distillery

Locally Distilled Spirit

1.  Old Sugar Factory Honey Liqueur

2.  Death’s Door Gin

3.  Rokker Vodka

Madison’s Favorite Local Dishes

Appetizer

1.  Pork Buns at Umami

2.  Calamari at Lombardino’s

3.  Coquille St. Jacques at Tornado Steakhouse

Entree

1.  Steak au Poivre at Tornado Steakhouse

2.  Bibimbap at Graze

3.  Three-Cup Chicken at Natt Spil

Dessert

1.  Cookie Dough Egg Roll at Bluephies

2.  Sticky Ginger Cake at Grampa’s Pizzeria

3.  Lavender Hour Cheesecake at Looking Glass Bakery

French Fries

1.  Brasserie V Frites

2.  Sexy Fries at Mickey’s Tavern

3.  Duck Fat Fries at A Pig in a Fur Coat

Deep Fried Cheese Curds

1.  The Old Fashioned

2.  Graze

3.  Craftsman Table & Tap

Burger

1.  Bob’s Bad Breath Burger at Weary Traveler Free House

2.  Blue Moon Burger at Blue Moon Bar & Grill

3.  Gritty Burger at Nitty Gritty

Salad

1.  Porta Salad at Paisan’s

2.  Iceberg Wedge at Tornado Steakhouse

3.  Strawberry Love at Good Food Cart

Sandwich

1.  World’s Greatest Sandwich at Mickey’s Tavern

2.  Garibaldi at Paisan’s

3.  Big Cheesy at Teddywedgers

Breakfast Sandwich

1.  Marigold Kitchen’s Marigold Breakfast Sandwich

2.  Short Stack Eatery’s B’wich

3.  4 & 20 Bakery & Cafe’s #1

BBQ

1.  Smoky Jon’s #1 BBQ

2.  That BBQ Joint

3.  Famous Dave’s

Madison’s Health & Fitness Favorites

Hair Salon

1.  Cha Cha Beauty & Barber

2.  Thorps

3.  Studio 924

Gym

1.  Capital Fitness

2.  Princeton Club

3.  Pinnacle Health & Fitness

Yoga Studio

1.  Dragonfly Hot Yoga

2.  Bliss Flow Yoga & Wellness

3.  The Studio

Personal Trainer

1.  Sam Masino / Ford’s Gym

2.  Matt Furyk / Pinnacle Health & Fitness

3.  Ron Gratz / Gold’s Gym

Doctor

1.  Jill Mallory, MD

2.  Margaret C. Wilcots, MD

3.  Xiping Zhou, MDOM, CMT, L.Ac

Dentist

1.  Tamim Sifri, DDS

2.  Benjamin Farrow, DDS

3.  Jay Hazen, DDS

Alternative Health Practitioner

1.  Michelle Buchanan / Isthmus Acupuncture

2.  Katie Fritz / Red Sage

3.  Xiping Zhou / Acupuncture Pain Management

Veterinary Clinic

1.  Lakeview Veterinary Clinic

2.  Whole Pet Clinic

3.  East Towne Pet Clinic

Mani/Pedi

1.  Elevation Spa

2.  Blush Nail Boutique

3.  Fancy Nails

Body Art Shop

1.  Steve’s Tattoo & Body Piercing

2.  Iron Quill Tattoo

3.  Eldritch Brothers Tattoo & Piercing

Golf Course

1.  University Ridge

2.  Odana Hills

3.  The Oaks

Dog Park

1.  Warner Park

2.  Prairie Moraine Park

3.  Quann Park


Bike Trail

1.  Capital City Bike Trail

2.  Military Ridge Trail

3.  Southwest Commuter Trail

Place to Ski

1.  Devil’s Head Resort

2.  Cascade Mountain

3.  Tyrol Basin

Madison’s Favorite Businesses

Hotel

1.  The Edgewater

2.  The Madison Concourse Hotel

3.  HotelRED

Grocery Store

1.  Willy St. Co-op

2.  Woodman’s Markets

3.  Metcalfe’s Market

Butcher Shop

1.  Underground Butcher

2.  The Conscious Carnivore

3.  Knoche’s Old Fashioned Butcher Shop

Specialty Food Shop

1.  Fraboni’s Italian Specialties

2.  Willy St. Co-op

3.  Fromagination

Kitchen Supply Store

1.  Orange Tree Imports

2.  The Kitchen Gallery

3.  Sur La Table

New Store

1.  Sur La Table

2.  Lush Cosmetics

3.  Hazel General Store

Hardware Store

1.  Ace Hardware Center

2.  Dorn True Value

3.  Wolff Kubly Ace Hardware

Men’s Clothing Boutique

1.  Jazzman

2.  Good Style Shop

3.  Context

Women’s Clothing Boutique

1.  Change Boutique

2.  Rupert Cornelius

3.  Zip-Dang

Jewelry Store

1.  Burnie’s Rock Shop

2.  Goodman’s Jewelers

3.  Studio Jewelers

Bike Shop

1.  Budget Bicycle Center

2.  Machinery Row Bicycles

3.  Revolution Cycles

Auto Dealer

1.  Zimbrick Honda

2.  Smart Toyota

3.  Don Miller Subaru

Auto Repair Shop

1.  Zimbrick Fish Hatchery Road

2.  Chet’s Car Care

3.  Dutch’s Auto Service

Home Decor Store

1.  Century House

2.  Rubin’s

3.  Black Red White Room 2 Be In

Pet Supply Store

1.  MadCat Pet Supplies

2.  Mounds Pet Food Warehouse

3.  Bad Dog Frida

Pharmacy

1.  Community Pharmacy

2.  Mallatt’s Pharmacy

3.  Neuhauser Pharmacy

Bookstore

1.  A Room of One’s Own

2.  Half Price Books

3.  Frugal Muse

Gift Shop

1.  Orange Tree Imports

2.  Little Luxuries

3.  Anthology

Craft Shop

1.  Wisconsin Craft Market

2.  Anthology

3.  Artist & Craftsman Supply

Thrift Shop

1.  St. Vinny’s Thrift Store

2.  Goodwill

3.  Agrace Thrift Store

Shoe Store

1.  The Shoe Box

2.  Morgan’s Shoes

3.  Cornblooms

Outdoor Recreation Store

1.  REI

2.  Fontana Sports Specialties

3.  Rutabaga Paddlesports

CSA

1.  Harmony Valley Farm

2.  Driftless Organics

3.  Vermont Valley Community Farm

Madison’s Entertainment & Media Favorites

Rock Band

1.  PHOX

2.  The Hussy

3.  Little Red Wolf

Local Musician

1.  Meghan Rose

2.  CRASHprez

3.  TekNIcolor

Americana Band

1.  WheelHouse

2.  Madison County

3.  Count This Penny

Jazz Band

1.  Mama Digdown’s Brass Band

2.  Tony Castañeda Latin Jazz

3.  Ladies Must Swing

Blues Band

1.  Cash Box Kings

2.  The Jimmys

3.  The Mustache

Hip-Hop Band

1.  Dogs of War

2.  CRASHprez

3.  Me eN You

Cover Band

1.  The Gomers

2.  VO5

3.  Steely Dane

Live Music Venue

1.  High Noon Saloon

2.  UW Memorial Union Terrace

3.  Majestic Theatre

Theater Troupe

1.  American Players Theatre

2.  Young Shakespeare Players

3.  Forward Theater Company

Movie Theater

1.  Sundance Cinemas

2.  Palace Cinema

3.  Point Cinema

Dance Club

1.  Plan B

2.  Cardinal Bar

3.  FIVE Nightclub

Club DJ

1.  Nick Nice

2.  Tim Walters

3.  TekNIcolor

Local Comedian

1.  Dina Nina Martinez

2.  Chris Lay

3.  Alan Talaga aka Dan Potacke

Madison-centric Event

1.  Dane County Farmers’ Market

2.  Willy Street Fair

3.  La Fête de Marquette

Local Website

1.  Isthmus.com

2.  Channel3000.com

3.  Madison.com

Local Radio Show

1.  Jonathan and Kitty In the Morning on 105.5 Triple M

2.  Mel and Floyd on 89.9 WORT

3.  The Devil’s Advocates on 92.1 The Mic

Local Writer

1.  John Nichols

2.  Doug Moe

3.  Nico Savidge

Local Podcast

1.  To the Best of Our Knowledge

2.  On Wisconsin

3.  The MadStage Podcast

Local Twitter

1.  @UWMadison

2.  @WisconsinUnion

3.  @LegalEagle

Local Instagram

1.  @UWMadison

2.  @MouthfulOfMadison

3.  @Hate4Beachtowel

Madison’s Favorite People

Most Interesting Madisonian

1.  Thong Cape Scooter Man

2.  Bo Ryan

3.  Paul Soglin

Bartender

1.  Steve Renfro - High Noon Saloon

2.  Craig Berger - FIVE Nightclub

3.  Duckie Larsen - FIVE Nightclub

Politician

1.  Russ Feingold

2.  Tammy Baldwin

3.  Mark Pocan

Most Inspiring Madisonian

1.  Tammy Baldwin

2.  Russ Feingold

3.  Richard DiPrima (Young Shakespeare Players)

Local Start-Up

1.  Exact Sciences Corporation

2.  UpDown Technologies

3.  Create Connect Jewelry Studio

Professional Networking Group

1.  OPEN Madison

2.  Downtown Madison Inc.

3.  Rotary Club of Madison

Local Artist

1.  Claire Warhus

2.  Laura Meddaugh

3.  Angela Richardson

Madison’s Favorite Stuff for Kids

Kid-Friendly Event

1.  Brat Fest

2.  Wild Rumpus Circus Camp

3.  Madison Music Foundry Student Jam

Shop for Kid’s Gear

1.  Capitol Kids

2.  Happy Bambino

3.  Wild Child

Kid-Friendly Restaurant

1.  Ella’s Deli

2.  Monty’s Blue Plate Diner

3.  Nitty Gritty

Playground

1.  Vilas Park

2.  Monona Youth Dream Park at Winnequah Park

3.  McKee Farms Park

After-School Program

1.  Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR)

2.  Young Shakespeare Players

3.  Madison Music Foundry Rock Workshop

Kid’s Birthday Party Place

1.  Madison Children’s Museum

2.  Nitty Gritty

3.  Create Connect Jewelry Studio

Odds & Ends

Describe Madison in One Word

1. Home 

2. Eclectic 

3. Diverse

Phrase to Be Banned

1. Sconnie 

2. Bae 

3. On fleek

Madison’s Most Embarrassing Moment

1. Scott Walker’s re-election

2. The death of Tony Robinson

3. Homelessness