Paul Stroede
Orange Tree Imports
The movement to take back American kitchens from fast-food carryout has a lot of friends in Madison, Wisconsin. This section of the poll showed more than a healthy interest in local food and food culture. Lots of voters have taken cooking classes. "Favorite Grocery Store" was a real battle and a near tie between warehouse-style Woodman's and the think-local Willy Street Co-op, with plenty of partisans for independent grocers like Metcalfe's Market and Jenifer Street Market. Local, independent and ethnic specialties are more than buzzwords here.
And it shouldn't be any surprise that in America's Dairyland, people really, really know their cheese. Fromagination, the Square's emporium of fine local and imported cheeses, ran away with the "Specialty Food Shop" category. Stella's Bakery and its hot spicy cheese bread is the "Farmers' Market Item You Can't Live Without" - and that was followed by "cheese curds."
Finally, the question "Favorite Wisconsin Cheese" tended to be answered with names of cheesemakers, which seems a sophisticated approach. Hook's Cheese Company, of Mineral Point, won the most votes, followed by Carr Valley Cheese, of LaValle, and Bleu Mont Dairy of Blue Mounds.
Yes, overall, the number-one most popular cheese type is cheddar. But when voting for a specific cheese, readers most liked Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Uplands Cheese Company of Dodgeville, a cow's milk cheese made only from May to October when the cows have fresh pasture. It was followed by Carr Valley's 10-year cheddar and Bleu Mont's Bandaged Cheddar.
Specialty Food Shop
1. Fromagination
2. Fraboni's
3. Brennan's
Local Farmers' Market Item You Can't Live Without
1. Stella's Bakery's Hot Spicy Cheese Bread
2. Cheese curds
3. Asparagus
Wisconsin Cheese
1. Hook's
2. Carr Valley
3. Bleu Mont
Deli Counter
1. Willy Street Co-op
2. Fraboni's
Natural Food Store
1. Willy Street Co-op
2. Whole Foods
3. Trader Joe's
Bakery
1. Batch Bakehouse
2. Lane's Bakery
Liquor/Wine Shop
1. Star Liquor
2. Steve's Wine Beer & Spirits
3. Woodman's
Grocery Store
1. Willy Street Co-op
2. Woodman's
3. Metcalfe's Market (Sentry Hilldale)
Cooking Class
1. Orange Tree Imports
2. L'Etoile/Whole Foods (TIE)