Best of Madison 2021 Winners

Best of Madison 2021 on the left with cookies that have lemons and pitchers

Following 2020, many local businesses have mastered the art of turning lemons into lemonade by pushing forward despite the challenges of COVID-19. This year, the 40th annual Best of Madison celebrates the people, places and businesses selected by our readers, with the addition of a few special editors’ picks. 2021 marks 40 years since Madison Magazine began highlighting what our readers deem the "best of" the city. This year we honor 458 businesses in our readers’ poll and 13 awards from our editors.

View our editor's picks here.

Sometimes all you need to take a dish to the next level is some fresh lemon juice for a dash of acidity. Lombardino's adds a lemon garnish to some dishes, including this pan-seared halibut with roasted cherry tomatoes. Lombardino's is this year's gold winner in the Italian category. Photo by Nikki Hansen

Artisan Food Product

★Hook's Cheese Co. Inc.

★Nutkrack

★Vicki Cookies

Bakery – Bread

★Madison Sourdough

★Stella's Bakery

★Clasen's European Bakery

Bakery – Sweets

★Greenbush Bakery

★Bloom Bake Shop

★Lane's Bakery & Coffee

Barbecue

★Beef Butter BBQ

★North and South Seafood & Smokehouse

★Smoky Jon's #1 BBQ

Breakfast

★Hubbard Avenue Diner

★Short Stack Eatery

★Lazy Jane's Cafe

Brewery

★New Glarus Brewing Co.

★Wisconsin Brewing Co.

★Ale Asylum

Brunch

★Café Hollander

★Sardine

★Bassett Street Brunch Club

Burger

★Dotty Dumpling's Dowry

★Culver's

★Blue Moon Bar & Grill

The Conscious Carnivore and grinding meat

★

The Conscious Carnivore

★

Knoche's Old Fashioned Butcher Shop

★

Ken's Meats & Deli

Cheese Producer

★Carr Valley Cheese

★Hook's Cheese Co. Inc.

★Farmer Johns’ Cheese

Chicken Wings

★Chicken Licks

★Monk's Bar & Grill

★Sconnie Bar

Chinese

★Imperial Garden

★Dumpling Haus

★Chang Jiang

Chocolate

★Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier

★CocoVaa Chocolatier

★Madison Chocolate Co.

Cleanliness

★Eno Vino Downtown

★Driftless Glen Distillery

★Parthenon Gyros

Coffee Roasters

★Colectivo Coffee

★Just Coffee Cooperative

★Rusty Dog Coffee

Coffee Shop

★Barriques

★Grace Coffee Co.

★Firefly Coffeehouse & Artisan Cheese

Curbside Pickup

★Buck & Honey's

★Beef Butter BBQ

★Parthenon Gyros

Delivery

★Glass Nickel Pizza Co.

★Pizza Pit

★Parthenon Gyros

Destination Restaurant (Outside of Dane County)

★Ishnala Supper Club

★The Del-Bar

★Cimaroli's Supper Club

Distillery

★Wollersheim Distillery

★Old Sugar Distillery

★Driftless Glen Distillery

Fish Fry

★Quivey's Grove

★Toby's Supper Club

★Dorf Haus Supper Club

Food Cart

★Banzo

★Curd Girl

★Caracas Empanadas

Fried Cheese Curds

★The Old Fashioned

★Craftsman Table & Tap

★Curd Girl

Greasy Spoon

★Mickies Dairy Bar

★Monty's Blue Plate Diner

★Brothers Three Bar & Grill

Grocery Store

★Metcalfe's Market

★Woodman's Food Market

★Willy Street Co-op

Home Meal Kit Service

★Pasture and Plenty

★Isthmus Eats

★Fit Fresh Cuisine

Ice Cream/Custard/Gelato

★Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co.

★Babcock Hall Dairy Store

★Culver's

Swagat best of madison ad with indian dishes

★

Swagat Indian Restaurant

★

Swad Indian Restaurant

★

Himal Chuli

Italian

★Lombardino's

★Paisan's

★Bar Corallini

Japanese/Sushi

★RED

★Muramoto

★Tavernakaya

Korean

★Sol's on the Square

★K-Peppers

★New Seoul Korean Restaurant

Lake View

★Memorial Union Terrace

★Paisan's

★The Edgewater

Latin American

★La Taguara

★Monona Bakery and Eatery

★Estacion Inka

Mediterranean/Middle Eastern

★Banzo

★Parthenon Gyros

★Mediterranean Cafe

Mexican/Southwestern

★Pasqual's Cantina

★Laredo's Mexican Restaurant

★Gloria's Mexican Restaurant

New Orleans/Cajun

★Liliana's Restaurant

★Louisianne's Etc.

★North of the Bayou

New Restaurant

★Buck & Honey's – Waunakee

★Settle Down Tavern

★Ahan

Old-Fashioned

★The Old Fashioned

★Cimaroli's Supper Club

★Dorf Haus Supper Club

Outdoor Dining

★Buck & Honey's – Monona

★Riley Tavern

★Parthenon Gyros

Pizza

★Salvatore's Tomato Pies

★Sugar River Pizza Co.

★Glass Nickel Pizza Co.

Restaurant

★Buck & Honey's

★Eno Vino Downtown

★Short Stack Eatery

Sandwich Spot

★Fraboni's Italian Specialties & Delicatessen Inc.

★Milio's Sandwiches

★Casetta Kitchen and Counter

Seafood

★Tempest Oyster Bar

★Sardine

★North and South Seafood & Smokehouse

Southeast Asian

★Hạ Long Bay

★Sa-Bai Thong

★Lao Laan-Xang Restaurant

Specialty Food Store

★Penzeys Spices

★Brennan's Market

★Fraboni's Italian Specialties & Delicatessen Inc.

Steakhouse

★

Tornado Room Steak House

★

Delaney's Steak Seafood Wine

★

The Del-Bar

The Del-Bar Best of Madison

Supper Club

★Tornado Room Steak House

★Toby's Supper Club

★The Del-Bar

Takeout

★Sa-Bai Thong

★Liliana's Restaurant

★Nitty Gritty

Tapas (Small Plates)

★Eno Vino Downtown

★A Pig in a Fur Coat

★Eno Vino Wine Bar & Bistro

Upscale Dining

★L’Etoile

★Eno Vino Downtown

★Rare Steakhouse

Vegetarian/Vegan Focused

★The Green Owl Cafe

★Monty's Blue Plate Diner

★Everly

Winery

★Wollersheim Winery

★Bailey's Run Vineyard & Winery

★Drumlin Ridge Winery

Find Editors’ Picks: Best Giant Spring Rolls, Best Innovative Collaborator, Best Salvadoran Quesadilla, Best Meal and Best Under-the-Radar To-Go Kit

Driftless Glen Distillery added its lemon vodka to Reneé Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic and sour mix in crafting its lemon drop cocktail. The silver winner in the cocktail kit category has a variety of DIY drink options, but its citrus martini version is a sweet and sour treat. Driftless Glen also received silver for cleanliness and bronze for distillery. Photo by Sunny Franz

Bar With A View

★Eno Vino Downtown

★The Edgewater

★Camp Trippalindee

Bloody Mary

★Café Hollander

★Riley Tavern

★Nitty Gritty

Café Hollander is the gold winner for best bloody mary. Courtesy of Café Hollander

Cocktail

★The Regret, Merchant

★Honey-Cap, Old Sugar Distillery

★Margarita, Pedro's Mexican Restaurante

Cocktail Kit

★Merchant

★Driftless Glen Distillery

★Mint Mark

Dive Bar

★Le Tigre Lounge

★Riley Tavern

★Wilson's Bar and Grill

Le Tigre Lounge continues its reign as king of the dive bar category, winning gold for the fourth year in a row. Le Tigre is home to more than 300 tiger figurines, paintings, stuffed animals and pictures. COVID-19 forced the bar to stay closed because of its cozy size, but bartenders are back slinging cocktails and beers as of early June when Dane County regulations lifted. Illustration by Tommy Washbush

Local Craft Beer

★Spotted Cow, New Glarus Brewing Co.

★Fantasy Factory, Karben4 Brewing

★Warped Speed, Lake Louie Brewing

Neighborhood Bar

★Tip Top Tavern

★Riley Tavern

★Mid Town Pub

Pandemic Pivot

★Liliana's Restaurant

★Short Stack Eatery

★Monk's Bar & Grill

Patio

★Paisan's

★Riley Tavern

★Everly

Private Parties

★Buck & Honey's

★Dorf Haus Supper Club

★Eno Vino Downtown

Socially Distanced Bar/Layout

★Eno Vino Downtown

★Riley Tavern

★Nitty Gritty

Sports Bar

★Jordan's Big 10 Pub

★Wilson's Bar and Grill

★5th Quarter Sports Bar & Grill

Wine Bar

★Eno Vino Downtown (tie)

★Toot and Kate's Wine Bar (tie)

★nineteen09

★Drumlin Ridge Winery

Find Editors’ Picks: Best Jazz Club

This year's gold-winning art gallery, the Chazen Museum of Art is home to a collection of 23,000 works, including artist El Anatsui's "Danu," a sculpture made of repurposed metal bottle caps, metal wrappings and copper wire (pictured). This photo snapped inside Chazen's Gallery 17 was taken by gold-winning photographer, Samuel Li. Photo by Samuel Li for Chazen Museum of Art

Art Gallery

★Chazen Museum of Art

★Overture Center for the Arts

★Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

Classical Music Group

★Madison Symphony Orchestra

★Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

★Willy Street Chamber Players

Columnist

★Doug Moe, Madison Magazine

★John Nichols, The Capital Times

★Michael Perry, The Wisconsin State Journal

Comedian/Comedy Group

★The Monkey Business Institute

★Dina Nina Martinez

★Allie Lindsay

Local Artist

★Art Paul Schlosser

★Xizhou Xie

★Madeleine Parker Pottery

Local Band

★The Jimmy's

★Cherry Pie

★5th Gear

Local Cover Band

★Cherry Pie

★VO5

★Universal Sound Dance Band

Local Influencer

★Rippeology, Facebook: @rippeology

★Epicurean Chronicles, Instagram: @epicureanchronicles

★Chloe Homan, Instagram: @frizzandfrillzz

Local News Website

★channel3000.com

★nbc15.com

★wkow.com

Local Singer/Songwriter

★Bree Morgan

★Shelley Faith

★Jackie Ernst

Jackie Ernst (bronze for local singer/songwriter) at Heid Music (silver for musical instrument store). Photo by Patrick Stutz

Museum

★Madison Children's Museum

★Chazen Museum of Art

★Wisconsin Historical Museum

Photographer

★Samuel Li

★Maureen Cassidy Photography

★Jen Lucas Photography

Radio Team

★Jonathan & Kitty, 105.5 Triple M

★Johnny & Dee, 94.1 WJJO

★Mel & Floyd, WORT 89.9

TV News Team

★Amber Noggle, George Smith, John Zeigler and Lance Veeser, WKOW

★John Stofflet, Leigh Mills, Brian Doogs and Mike Jacques, NBC15

★Erin Sullivan, Tim Elliott, Isabel Lawrence and Charlie Shortino, NBC15

TV Personality

★Charlie Shortino, NBC15

★Amber Noggle, WKOW

★John Zeigler, WKOW

Virtual Performance

★A Virtual Madison Symphony Christmas

★Elizabeth Mary

★Oakwood Chamber Players

Find Editors’ Picks: Best Time Capsule Efforts and Best Day-Brighteners

Orange Tree Imports, which won gold for gift shop/specialty store, has everything you might need to brighten up a lemon-themed dream kitchen. In addition to lemon squeezers, you’ll find herbal tea, pasta, hand soap, towels and other yellow goodies. Photo by Nikki Hansen

Alterations

★Binh's Tailoring Alteration Services

★Right Size Alterations Services

★Monetti Tailoring

Antique Store

★Odana Antiques & Fine Arts Center

★The Cozy Home

★Antiques Mall of Madison

Assisted Living

★Attic Angel Community

★Oakwood Village

★Oak Park Place

Auto Body Repair

★Zimbrick Inc.

★Sparkle Auto Body

★Ball Body Shop Inc. – Division of Smart Motors Toyota

Barber Shop

★Monona Barber Shop

★The GIRL Barber

★Blue Chip Barber Club

Bed & Breakfast

★The Livingston Inn

★Speckled Hen Inn

★Iron Amethyst Inn & The 2One Speakeasy

Bookstore

★A Room of One's Own

★Half Price Books

★Barnes & Noble

Boutique Hotel

★Mansion Hill Inn

★Graduate Madison

★Hotel Ruby Marie

Chiropractor

★

LSM Chiropractic

★

The Joint Chiropractic

★

Infinite Athlete Chiropractic & Rehab LLC

Primavera Cleaning Service 2021

Cleaning Service

★

Primavera Cleaning Service

★

Mother Earth Cleaners

★

4 Senses House Cleaning

4 Senses House Cleaning the bronze winner of best of madison

Clothing (Men)

★Blain's Farm & Fleet

★Jazzman

★Journeyman Co.

Clothing (Women)

★The Purple Goose

★Hive of Madison

★McFee on Main

Commercial Developers

★The Alexander Co.

★The Gialamas Co., Inc.

★Livesey Co.

Dealer Auto Service Shop

★Zimbrick Inc.

★Smart Motors Toyota

★Don Miller Auto Group

Domestic Auto Dealer

★Zimbrick Inc.

★Don Miller Auto Group

★Wilde East Towne Honda

Dry Cleaner

★Klinke Cleaners

★Lake Mills Cleaners & Dryers

★Middleton Cleaners

Electrician

★Dave Jones Inc.

★Hill Electric Inc.

★Cardinal Heating & Air Conditioning

Flooring

★Nonn's

★Sergenian's Floor Coverings

★Coyle Carpet One Floor & Home

Florist

★Felly's Flowers

★Klein's Floral and Greenhouses

★Brenda's Blumenladen

Furniture

★Steinhafels

★Don's Home Furniture

★Rubin's Contemporary Furniture

Gift Shop/Specialty Store

★Orange Tree Imports

★Booth 121

★National Mustard Museum

Hair Salon

★ANiU Salon & Spa

★Anaala Salon and Spa

★RIAH•HAIR Salon

Health Specialty Store

★Community Pharmacy

★The Healthy Place

★Willy Street Co-op

Heating & Cooling

★Dave Jones Inc.

★Harker Heating & Cooling Inc.

★Cardinal Heating & Air Conditioning

Booth 121, a first-time Best of Madison winner, placed in two categories: gold for home accessories and silver for gift shop/specialty store. The Monona shop is filled with fun decor, clothing and housewares largely created by Wisconsin artists and makers. Courtesy of Booth 121

Home Accessories

★Booth 121

★Brenda's Blumenladen

★Dwellings

Home Builders

★Veridian Homes

★Hart DeNoble Builders

★Acker Builders Inc.

Home Health Care Agency

★Agrace

★SSM Health at Home

★UW Health Care Direct Home Health Agency

Hotel

★The Edgewater

★The Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor's Club

★AC Hotel by Marriott Madison Downtown

Import Auto Dealer

★Zimbrick Inc.

★Smart Motors Toyota

★Don Miller Auto Group

Interior Design

★Dwellings

★Zander's Interiors

★Washa Remodeling & Design

Jeweler

★Goodman's Jewelers

★Chalmers Jewelers

★TQ Diamonds

Kitchen & Bath Design

★

Nonn's

★

Frey Construction & Home Improvement LLC

★

Dream House Dream Kitchens

Frey Construction Kitchenbath Bom 1280x720 082021

Laser Hair Removal

★ANEU Med Spa

★Robertson Cosmetic Center

★Milan Laser Hair Removal

Lawn, Garden & Landscape

★The Bruce Co.

★Weed Man

★Olson Toon Landscaping Inc.

Local Etsy Shop

★TacoCat Creations

★Rescued Woodworks LLC

★Boutique608

Luxury Auto (Import and Domestic)

★Zimbrick Inc.

★Lexus of Madison

★Bergstrom Automotive (tie)

★Fields Jaguar Land Rover Volvo Madison (tie)

Moving Company

★Two Men and a Truck Madison

★Badger Brothers Moving LLC

★Gorilla Movers of Wisconsin Inc.

Whether you prefer listening to vinyl records or CDs, you’ll likely find what you’re looking for at a local music store. All three of this year's winners in the local music store category opened in the 1980s, the same decade that Best of Madison was born. Strictly Discs, this year's gold winner, opened in 1988 (customers Valerie Grayson and Tommy Yonash pictured at Strictly Discs above). B-Side Records has been a Madison staple since 1982. Sugar Shack Records opened in 1981 on State Street and moved to Atwood Avenue 22 years later. Photo by Paulius Musteikis

Music Store

★Strictly Discs

★B-Side Records

★Sugar Shack Records

Musical Instrument Store

★Ward-Brodt Music

★Heid Music

★Spruce Tree Music & Repair

Nail Salon

★Diamond Nails & Spa

★ANiU Salon & Spa

★Laquerus

Non-Dealer Auto Shop

★Smith's Service Center

★Aeschbach Automotive

★Mike's Automotive Repair

Outdoor Living

★REI

★The Bruce Co.

★Patio Pleasures Pools & Spas

Pet Day Care & Boarding

★Camp K9 Pet Resort & Day Camp

★The Dog Den

★Paradise Paws Camp & Resort LLC

Treat your pet to some fun snacks, food, accessories and toys from this year's best pet supplies stores, Mounds Pet Food Warehouse (above), MadCat Pet Supplies and bad dog frida. Photo by Tim Burton

Pet Supplies Store

★Mounds Pet Food Warehouse

★MadCat Pet Supplies

★bad dog frida

Physical Therapy

★Capitol Physical Therapy

★UnityPoint Health – Meriter

★Stoughton Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Clinic

Plumber

★Dave Jones Inc.

★Monona Plumbing & Fire Protection

★RHD Plumbing Inc.

Real Estate Company

★Sprinkman Real Estate

★MHB Real Estate

★Stark Company Realtors

Retirement Community

★Attic Angel Community

★Oak Park Place

★Capitol Lakes

Frey Construction Roofer Bom 1280x720 082021

★

Frey Construction & Home Improvement LLC

★

Ganser Co.

★

Badgerland Exteriors

Redecorate with the help of our winning secondhand stores: St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store, Agrace Thrift Store and Dane County Humane Society Thrift Store. Maybe if you’re lucky you’ll score a lemon-patterned cup. Illustration by Tommy Washbush

Secondhand Store

★St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store

★Agrace Thrift Store

★Dane County Humane Society Thrift Store

Shoes

★The Shoe Box

★Morgan's Shoes

★DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse

Spa

★Sundara Inn & Spa

★Kneaded Relief Day Spa & Wellness

★Rejuvenation Spa

Specialty Spa

★ANEU Med Spa

★Pure Waxing Studio

★LE SPA

Tattoo Shop

★Blue Lotus Tattoo & The Piercing Lounge

★Art & Soul Tattoo and Gallery

★Starkweather Tattoo Collective

Used Car Dealer

★Zimbrick Inc.

★Smart Motors Used Cars

★Goben Cars

Veterinarian

★Sauk Point Veterinary Clinic

★True Veterinary Care

★Cat Care Clinic

Wealth Management

★Madison Partners

★Northwestern Mutual Financial Group

★Dorn Wealth Management

Wisconsin Bank

★State Bank of Cross Plains

★Associated Bank

★One Community Bank

Wisconsin Credit Union

★

UW Credit Union

★

Summit Credit Union

★

Heartland Credit Union

Heartland Credit Union Best of Madison

Find Editors’ Picks: Best Worker of Car-Cleaning Miracles, Best Dog Treats, Best Smudge Sticks and Best Show of Solidarity for Pets With Cancer

Embrace the sunshine on two wheels in one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country. This year, readers voted Machinery Row Bicycles (general manager Ben Classon pictured above), Budget Bicycle Center and Trek Bicycle Madison the top three bike shops in town. Photo by Patrick Stutz

Alternative Fitness Center

★Basecamp Fitness Madison

★Orange Shoe Personal Fitness

★Transformation Center

Bike Shop

★Machinery Row Bicycles

★Budget Bicycle Center

★Trek Bicycle Madison

Campground

★Devil's Lake State Park

★Governor Dodge State Park

★Blue Mound State Park

Fitness Center

★Princeton Club

★Anytime Fitness

★Harbor Athletic Club

University Ridge Golf Course Best of Madison Ad

★

University Ridge Golf Course

★

Pleasant View Golf Course

★

Door Creek Golf Course

Martial Arts Studio

★MadCity Martial Arts

★Moh's Martial Arts

★Infinity Martial Arts

When it comes to the best campground and park, readers chose Devil's Lake State Park for the top spot in both categories. Devil's Lake in Baraboo has three campgrounds with 423 campsites and nine group campsites for additional campers. With two large beaches and more than 29 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, there are land and water activities that will keep you busy for hours. That, and the beautiful views, may be why it claims gold this year.

Park

★Devil's Lake State Park

★Olbrich Park

★Indian Lake County Park

Personal Trainer

★Katie Frank, REFORMadison

★Erin Tallard, Transformation Center

★Amy Sanborn, MadPower Training Center

Running/Biking Trail

★Pheasant Branch Conservancy

★Ice Age National Scenic Trail

★Monona Lake Loop

Speed into a new pair of shoes from the silver best sports and recreation shop, Fleet Feet. This retail store has two nearby locations, one in Middleton and one in Sun Prairie, with large selections of women's and men's shoes. Photo courtesy of Fleet Feet

Sports & Recreation Shop

★REI

★Fleet Feet

★Madison Boats (Brittingham, Marshall, Wingra)

Virtual Workout

★Dfly on Demand

★Virtual PiYo with Britt

★Peloton

Yoga

★Dragonfly Hot Yoga

★Inner Fire Yoga

★Haumea: Yoga, Fitness, Massage, Chiropractic

Find Editors’ Picks: Best Use of Our Official City Bird

Best of Madison turns 40! A special edition flip cover is coming in November to celebrate Best of Madison's 40th year. We will induct the names with the most wins over the readers’ poll's four-decade history into the Best of Madison Hall of Fame.

image with cover of Madison Magazine and an open spread offering a subscription deal

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