I’m going to give you four reasons to spend more time in your car. The end result is worth it.
First, a bit closer to home: Trattoria Stefano, which first offered its odes to regional Italian cuisine in 1994. The space isn’t glitzy but comfortable and down-to-earth – the perfect framework for the heartiest, homiest of plates, from osso buco with herb risotto to house-made ravioli with brown butter, sage and toasted walnuts.
Tell us who you’d pick to be a Betty this year!
Madison is our sister food city, with so many great spots to dine. Two immediately rise to the top – each with at least one James Beard Award to its name. Madison’s proximity to so many farms, dairies and artisan makers inspired Odessa Piper to open L’Etoile. Local agriculture continues to inspire current owner-chef Tory Miller. The restaurant’s name is French for the star – appropriately so, as this is a bucket-list Wisconsin restaurant.
I discovered the now 5-year-old Fairchild two summers ago. Both the space (clean, refined) and the food that co-founders and former L’Etoile chefs Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger prepare are unassuming. Wisconsin cuisine isn’t about showmanship. It’s about integrity, simplicity and respect for the ingredients. This place lives that.
In Viroqua, a small town in our state’s Driftless Region, the Driftless Café has earned praise for its co-owner, “Wisconsin Foodie” TV show host Luke Zahm. What you hear about his place rings true – it’s friendly, local farm-supporting and as unpretentious as a small-town restaurant can be. The cafe – which modernizes farm cooking with bright, imaginative flavor combinations from Indian to Italian – reminds us that we lose a lot when we forget our connection to local food.
