Restaurants
By Kenneth Burns

Encouragingly, the local-food movement has taken firm hold here; that potato you ate last night very possibly was grown by a farmer an hour away. Our readers, however, are not above sneaking out to Taco Bell when the munchies arise.

New restaurant

1. Samba Brazilian Grill
2. Liliana’s
3. TIE: Sala Thai and Alchemy

Madison diners cried out: We want giant skewers of meat, and a great salad bar. Well, maybe not, but Samba fits that bill anyway as the local outpost of the Brazilian churrasco grilling method. The growing Fitchburg dining scene has welcomed New Orleans-style cuisine to the mix with Liliana’s. Tied for third are very new newcomers Alchemy (at the site of the old Wonders Pub) and Sala Thai (in the old Mexican grocery on Fair Oaks Avenue).

Restaurant for a first date

1. Portabella
2. TIE: Weary Traveler and Sardine

The elegant confines of the North Frances Street Italian institution Porta Bella are indeed conducive to romance, and can’t help making you look more sophisticated than you are.

Place to go when price is no object

1. L’Etoile
2. Harvest
3. Tornado Club

In 1976, restaurateur Odessa Piper put Madison on the foodie map when she opened L’Etoile, the fine-dining establishment that emphasized locally grown food before the idea became chic. The tradition continues under her successors, Tory and Traci Miller. Two doors down, Tami Lax works similar magic at runner-up Harvest.

Breakfast

1. Lazy Jane’s Cafe
2. Monty’s Blue Plate Diner
3. Marigold Kitchen

On Williamson Street, Jane Capito is a food force to be dealt with, thanks to the interesting new pub fare at her Mickey’s Tavern and, of course, the hearty breakfasts at Lazy Jane’s, where getting a scone is practically a city ordinance. Great breakfast is served all day at Monty’s Blue Plate on Atwood, home to a stellar corned beef hash.

Deli counter

1. Willy Street Co-op
2. Fraboni’s
3. Whole Foods

Willy Street Co-op: You love the emphasis on locally sourced food, feel good about the cooperative management structure, and dang if the deli counter doesn’t have great salads and sandwiches, plus hot dishes, too.

Sandwiches/subs/bagels

1. Gotham Bagels
2. Milio’s
3. Mildred’s

Ian Gurfield, he of Ian’s Pizza fame, has made a name for himself purveying high-quality East Coast comfort food. The bagels at Gotham are the best in town, either plain or with a schmear of what have you.

Place for appetizers

1. The Icon
2. Great Dane
3. Restaurant Magnus

The Icon, which opened last year across from the Overture Center, boasts an extensive menu of tapas cold (tuna tartare, beef carpaccio) and hot (mussels, empanadas). The Great Dane is great for Buffalo wings and the like, too. Restaurant Magnus scores at third with its South American-influenced tapas menu.

Cheap eats

1. Taco Bell
2. Mediterranean Cafe
3. Tex Tubb’s Taco Palace

Well, on one point at least, we can’t argue with you here: Taco Bell is cheap.

Sweets/desserts

1. Monty’s Blue Plate Diner
2. Sucre
3. Michael’s Frozen Custard

At Monty’s, people stare at the cake display as if they had been hypnotized, and in a way, they have. Monty’s boasts a mesmerizing selection of baked desserts, plus ice cream treats. Coming in second is Sucre, the new, Euro-style patisserie downtown.

Pizza

1. Glass Nickel
2. Roman Candle
3. Ian’s

It’s another big win for Glass Nickel. Madison doesn’t ever seem to tire of its signature Fetalicious pie. But Roman Candle and Ian’s are both worthy competitors who ennoble the art of pizza-making with lively toppings.

Burgers

1. Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry
2. Weary Traveler
3. Harmony Bar

The wild interior of campus favorite Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry is cleverly calculated to induce college nostalgia. The burgers are quite wonderful, and come in various esoteric varieties. At the Weary, Bob’s Bad Breath Burger is a one-of-a-kind dish, and what it induces is, yes, bad breath.

Fish fry

1. Avenue Bar
2. Esquire Club
3. Quivey’s Grove

You can’t go wrong with any of these choices, but Avenue Bar bested the competition handily. Little known fact: The Friday fish fry is available every night. Beat the crowds that way.

Steak house

1. Tornado Club
2. Smokey’s Club
3. Johnny Delmonico’s

West Main Street’s Tornado Club oozes a kind of faded grandeur. The dimly lit space combines big-city chic and Wisconsin-supper-club coziness in approximately equal parts. And the juicy, melt-in-your-mouth steaks are the greatest.

Italian

1. Lombardino’s
2. Paisan’s
3. Portabella

Lombardino’s takes the prize in a landslide. Owners Marcia and Patrick O’Halloran have brought supremely good judgment to the menu, with interesting takes on classic Italian dishes. The campy red-sauce decor is also not to be missed.

Indian

1. Maharajah
2. Maharani
3. Taj

Thanks to Maharaja outlets on both east and west sides, Madisonians all over town are covered when it comes to chicken tikka saag and lamb vindaloo. Downtowners, meanwhile, also like runner-up Maharani on West Washington Avenue.

Middle Eastern

1. Mediterranean Cafe
2. Lulu’s
3. Kabul

Lunchtime crowds spill out onto the sidewalk to order falafel and chicken shwarma at Mediterranean Cafe, for at least two reasons: The food is good, and the food is cheap. Lulu’s is a longtime favorite of west-siders.

Chinese

1. Imperial Garden
2. Hong Kong cafe
3. Wong’s Garden

Our years-long epic clash of Chinese restaurants continues, with Imperial Garden this year edging out perennial rival Hong Kong Cafe in a nail biter. Wong’s Garden on Atwood Avenue takes the bronze.

Southeast Asian

1. Lao Laan-Xang
2. Sa-bai Thong
3. Bandung

It’s another victory for Lao Laan-Xang, which dishes up reliable pad Thai and squash curry at the original Willy Street location, and also at an outlet in the increasingly interesting Atwood Avenue restaurant district.

Japanese

1. Takara
2. Restaurant Muramoto
3. Wasabi

Solidly in the lead is Takara, where the sushi is very good and the hibachi cooking is a jolly show. In second place is Restaurant Muramoto, whose owner, Shinji Muramoto, is a Madison culinary celebrity overseeing a growing empire of terrific and distinctive eateries.

Barbecue

1. Famous Dave’s
2. Smoky Jon’s #1 BBQ
3. Fat Jack’s

Any Southerner can tell you: Meat is best when it is slow-cooked to within an inch of its life, then slathered with sauce. All three of these joints have some very fine ’cue. Readers split nearly evenly between Park Street’s Famous Dave’s and the north-side redoubt Smoky Jon’s #1 BBQ.

American regional cuisine

1. The Old Fashioned
2. New Orleans Take-Out
3. Liliana’s

As gumbo is to Louisiana and cheese steak is to Philly, the humble fried cheese curd is to Wisconsin. Naturally, curds are on the menu of classic Badger State offerings at downtown’s Old Fashioned, along with fresh-water fish, an impressive beer lineup and, of course, the titular cocktail.

Mexican

1. Laredo’s
2. Casa de Lara
3. Pedro’s

It is a big win for Laredo’s, where the watchword in Mexican food is big plates of enchiladas, frosty margaritas and salsa. Come to think of it, that’s the watchword at Casa de Lara and Pedro’s, too.

Food cart

1. Buraka
2. Jamerica
3. Santa Fe Trailer

Like its dine-in counterpart on State Street, the Buraka cart serves up doro wat, injera and other Ethiopian delicacies. But if you like your meats seasoned with jerk spice, the delightful Jamaican dry rub, then Jamerica is for you. New entry Santa Fe Trailer serves the distinct cuisine of New Mexico.

Vegetarian-friendly menu

1. Monty’s Blue Plate
2. Himal Chuli
3. Lao Laan-Xang

There’s a dearth of dedicated vegetarian restaurants in Madison, possibly because restaurants of all kinds cater to locals who say no to meat. Monty’s notches another win with cruelty-free versions of diner classics like burgers and meatloaf.

Outdoor dining

1. Great Dane
2. Memorial Union Terrace
3. Jolly Bob’s

This is Wisconsin, after all, so the al fresco dining season is not long. But the shady garden at the downtown brewpub Great Dane is an excellent place to enjoy it, what with the good food and the chirping birds. As for the Memorial Union Terrace, what can we say? It doesn’t get more Madison.

Late-night menu

1. Weary Traveler
2. Great Dane
3. Tornado Room

If it’s late and you’re tipsy, you can eat junk. But why? Willy Street’s Weary Traveler proves that bar food can be as thoughtfully prepared as any other kind of fare. The impeccable selection of beers and the handsome furnishings also attract the locals.