The Heights Kitchen
It’s always nice to see a new restaurant open. What new dishes will be on the menu? Will an entree be so good you’ll dream of it? Will it turn your go-to eatery list on its head? These are the top five vote-getters in our 2019 Madison’s Favorites reader poll. Any one of them might hijack your dreams and your own favorites list.
1. Bar Corallini immediately won the hearts and mouths of near east siders. Take a seat at the bar for happy hour and you may feel as if you’ve jetted to Italy and are lazing on the Gulf of Naples, catered to by staff in crisp black-and-white striped t-shirts. Nibble on warm olives or the beautifully charred savory octopus salad. Or come with a table’s worth of friends and order pizzas to share, hot out of the wood-burning oven. 2004 Atwood Ave.
2. The Heights Kitchen does what it does beautifully. It achieves perfectly the atmosphere of neighborhood cafe. Chef Allie Christian and her crew have perfected the art of simple, delicious food, and you can have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 11 N. Allen St.
3. Bartaco brings a street taco-focused menu to its Hilldale location. Summers, the walls go up and make the whole place an indoor-outdoor fiesta. While the numerous taco fillings are fun, don’t overlook the non-taco menu, including chicken empanadas, corn fritters and spicy cucumber salad. 464 N. Midvale Blvd.
4. The Tipsy Cow’s new Sun Prairie location brings favorites from its Capitol Square location to the ’burbs. Yes, the stretchy fried curds and topped French fry baskets and the very fully-stuffed cheeseburger have made the transition. (So has the well-curated tap list.) There’s also a new mac ’n cheese section to the menu. 2816 Prairie Lakes Dr., Sun Prairie
5. Little Tibet made the transition from food cart to brick-and-mortar restaurant this year. Tibetan, Nepali and even Bhutanese dishes populate the menu. The momos — hearty beef dumplings — are a big draw, and are served as an appetizer or as an entree. Curries and stir-fries are plentiful, but try a hot Bhutanese dish at one of the few restaurants in the country that serves this cuisine. 827 E. Johnson. St.
