45 Restaurants Worth The Trip
Midwest Living editors visit hundreds of restaurants each year. Here are some of our favorites at popular destinations throughout Wisconsin.
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Madison
L 'Etoile This is fine dining about as fine as it gets, with largely local ingredients, exquisitely prepared. (A mere canape of rosemary shortbread with raspberry creme fraiche and chives made us swoon.) (Pictured; 608/251-0500; letoile-restaurant.com).
Babcock Hall Dairy Store The public face of the U of W's food sciences program, this parlor sells scoops of campus-made ice cream (608/262-3045; babcockhalldairystore.wisc.edu).
Bluephies Restaurant and Vodkatorium What's not to love about a hip place that's family-friendly and offers a martini flight? Fun dishes include chocolate chip cookie dough egg rolls (608/231-3663; bluephies.com).
Monty's Blue Plate Diner This updated diner serves breakfast all day, great dessert and excellent vegetarian options (608/244-8505; montysblueplatediner.com).
The Old Fashioned This take on a classic supper club strikes a perfect balance between retro (Friday fish fries) and chic (artisan cheese flights). Try the signature old-fashioned cocktail (608/310-4545; theoldfashioned.com).
Sunroom Cafe The brunch menu has a range of omelets and scramblers, plus whole wheat pancakes to keep Madison's granola reputation intact (608/255-1555; sunroomcafe.com).
Southern Hills
New Glarus Bakery A highlight in town is this charming bakery selling cookies, bread and other old-fashioned treats, many made following traditional Swiss recipes (pictured; 608/527-2916; newglarusbakery.com).
Alp and Dell Cheese Store Most visitors have coolers in their car for stocking up on cheese at this huge factory and shop in Monroe. You'll also find sandwiches and cheese-related gifts, plus you can see the cheese-making facilities (608/328-3355; alpanddellcheese.com).
The Bank Restaurant and Wine Bar Chefs create dishes such as duck pizza in a renovated 1915 bank building in Spring Green (608/588-7600; thebankrestaurantandwinebar.com).
Baumgartner's Cheese Store and Tavern The signature sandwich at Wisconsin's oldest cheese shop is the wonderfully stinky Limburger with onion. It's served on rye bread with a smear of brown mustard (if you're feeling fancy). Milder sandwiches are available, too. In Monroe (608/325-6157; baumgartnercheese.com).
Bloom Bake Shop All-natural and often local ingredients go into cupcakes, whoopie pies and other nostalgic treats at this utterly girly corner bakery in Middleton. The Be Elvis whoopie pie features banana-chip cakes sandwiching peanut butter buttercream (608/831-5797; bloombakeshop.com).
The Dining Room at 209 Main An eclectic menu with international flair lures food-lovers to this upscale restaurant in Monticello. Sticky toffee pudding is a signature dish on the regularly changing menu (608/938-2200; 209main.com).
Glarner Stube In-the-know visitors and locals choose this spot in New Glarus for authentic Swiss fare. Swiss meatballs, veal steaks, pork schnitzel sandwiches and steaming cheese fondue are among the favorites (608/527-2216; glarnerstube.com).
Milwaukee
Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub Hand-crafted beers and seasonal Wisconsin cuisine make this a welcome fine-dining spot (pictured; 414/727-9300; hinterlandbeer.com).
Alterra This local coffee cafe serves tasty cookies and yogurt parfaits, plus great joe, of course. Of 10 local branches, we love the bustling lakefront shop (414/223-4551; alterracoffee.com).
Coquette Cafe Find high-end service and ambience--and most importantly, incredible food, in the Historic Third Ward. Try the grilled pork chop with mustard spaetzle and house beer (414/291-2655; coquettecafe.com).
Kopp's Frozen Custard Locals call this frozen custard their fave (414/282-4312; kopps.com).
Tulip Turkish flavors and decor give this Third Ward spot a Mediterranean feel. Try crispy phyllo cheese rolls, hummus and lamb kabobs (414/273-5252).
Door County
Inn at Kristofer's Many dishes at this waterfront fine-dining spot in Sister Bay feature local ingredients such as whitefish and cherries. Cooking classes and culinary weekends are available (pictured; 920/854-9419; innatkristofers.com).
Bluefront Cafe An emphasis on healthy, local foods makes this an ideal stop for soups, wraps and sandwiches in Sturgeon Bay. Breaded and pan-fried walleye comes with crunchy slaw on an organic sourdough roll (920/743-9218; thebluefrontcafe.com).
The Cookery Fresh foods expertly prepared make this a perennial favorite. The signature whitefish chowder is deliciously creamy, just one of many top-notch dishes. In Fish Creek (920/868-3634; cookeryfishcreek.com).
Fred and Fuzzy's Waterfront Bar and Grill This waterside restaurant prides itself on being a hidden gem. It's a great place to enjoy casual cuisine, like a steak and blue cheese sandwich. In Sister Bay (920/854-6699; fredandfuzzys.com).
The Village Cafe Cheerful, artsy decor and affordable, creative meals keep this Egg Harbor hangout bustling. Try the French pocket toast for breakfast, or the best-selling cherry-Jack wrap. Leave room for a slice of Toll House pie, or take home a bag of skorpa (twice-baked cinnamon twists) to go (920/868-3342; villagecafe-doorcounty.com).
Wild Tomato Wood-Fired Pizza and Grille Pizza made with fresh, local ingredients (and hand-tossed crust you can watch them make) reigns at this landmark spot in Fish Creek, though you can also order wonderful salads and sandwiches served with hand-cut fries (920/868-3095; wildtomatopizza.com).
Hayward Lakes
Hayward Bakery and Cheese Shop Old-world breads, Wisconsin cheese, salads and sweets make a quick lunch while you're shopping downtown (pictured; 800/266-2428; haywardbakery.com).
The Landing Sunny views of the Chippewa Flowage, generous portions and great service attract crowds. Visit summer Wednesdays for Native American dancing and the taco special (715/462-3626; thelanding-lco.com).
Rookery Pub Creative and local cuisine combine in this upscale restaurant near Cable. Popular dishes include bison chili, bacon-wrapped quail and a fresh fish "unfry" each week (866/794-2060; cablenaturelodge.com).
The Steakhouse and Lodge Try the pork Namekagon paired with wine at this upscale eatery open seven days a week year-round (715/934-4411; steakhouseandlodge.com).
West's Hayward Dairy With homemade ice creams like Church Basement Lemon Bar and Red Velvet Cake, this spot shows its creativity (715/634-2244; westshaywarddairy.com).
Bayfield
The Egg Toss Cafe Fresh-squeezed orange juice and coffee precede asparagus omelets and the fantasy French toast, which comes stuffed with cinnamon and cream cheese (pictured; 715/779-5181; eggtoss-bayfield.com).
Ethel's at 250 The burgers are great, and the Bayfield apple pizza, topped with thinly sliced Granny Smiths and chopped bacon, is a must-try (715/779-0293; ethelsat250.com).
Maggie's Pink flamingoes decorate just about every part of this restaurant inside and out, a quirk of owner and local restaurateur Mary Rice. The whitefish and chicken sandwiches and crispy kettle potato chips offer satisfying local flavors (715/779-5641; maggies-bayfield.com).
Old Rittenhouse Inn Try the $39 two-course dinner and share a dessert. The menu is seasonal, but the signature fork-tender pork roast in apple cider glaze is always available (888/611-4667; rittenhouseinn.com).
Wild Rice Restaurant Stop here for a five-star dining experience. The prosciutto-wrapped beef with mascarpone mashed potatoes is a best-seller (715/779-9881; wildricerestaurant.com).
Alma
Kate and Gracie's The signature roast beef sandwich updates the classic with contemporary marinade that includes figs (608/685-4505; kateandgracies.com).
Monarch Public House One of Wisconsin's oldest bars, the Monarch in Fountain City (17 miles downriver) has an ambitious menu that includes old family recipes (608/687-4231; monarchpublichouse.com).
Pier 4 Cafe and Smokehouse Try the beer-battered perch at this BBQ "shack" overlooking the lock and dam (pictured; 608/685-4964; pier4cafe.com).
Western Wisconsin pizza farms
Along Wisconsin's western edge, a handful of farms offer fresh pizza against a backdrop of lovely rolling countryside. Among our favorites:
Suncrest Garden Farms Belly up to the ordering side of the barn, capped off by the massive igloo-shape wood-fired pizza oven. Pizzas come in to-go boxes, which folks can open anywhere on the farm's manicured lawn. Owner Heather Secrist began selling vegetables to locals in 2003, adding wood-fired pizza night a few years later to counteract the unpredictability of farming. One fave: Garden Delight Pizza, with sun-ripened heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, carrots and summer squash. In Alma (pictured; 608/626-2122; suncrestgardensfarm.com).
The Stone Barn Century-old stone walls at this barn hold a bona fide gourmet pizza restaurant, clean and bright, filled with metal tables, local art and a wood-fired oven in one corner. This barn-bistro is owner Pam Taylor's vision, one that crystallized after she bought this 50-acre farm 20-some years ago. Try the Muffaletta, a riff off the classic sandwich complete with Canadian bacon, olives and pepperoncini -- or the Margherita, simply cheese, tomatoes and basil. In Nelson (715/673-4478; nelsonstonebarn.com).
Green Bay
Cheese Cake Heaven This bakery-cafe serves soups and sandwiches, plus more than 90 varieties of cheesecake (pictured; 920/490-1200; cheesecakeheaven.com).
Black and Tan Grille Enjoy tapas with a global selection of wines by the flight, glass or bottle (920/430-7700; blackandtangrille.com).
St. Brendan's Inn This cozy hotel restaurant serves Irish entrees such as slow-cooked Castledaly lamb shank and corned beef. Rooms from $120 (866/604-7474; saintbrendansinn.com).
Wisconsin Dells
Cheese Factory Vegetarians, vegans and omnivores all relax and enjoy here: The diverse menu includes wraps, skillets, pizza, sandwiches and soups. We loved the flame-broiled pita with feta, veggies, walnuts and briny olive spread (608/253-6065; cookingvegetarian.com)
Carvelli's Pizza and Pasta House The Calabria region inspires authentic dishes such as veal ravioli in porcini mushroom sauce (608/254-6156; carvellispizzaandpastahouse.com).
High Rock Cafe Upscale High Rock is one of the Dells' best restaurants. Try the pot stickers with sweet chili marmalade (608/254-5677; highrockcafe.com).
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