Top 10 Restaurants in Madison, Wisconsin

Madison offers a plethora of restaurants, so selecting a particular eatery can be a daunting task for the unitiated (or even for those who have lived here a while). Having been a resident of this city for several years now, I would like to offer my take on some of Madison's best locally-operated restaurants. While the list is not exhaustive, it is a good compilation of what Madison has to offer in terms of fine food and drink. Some of these restaurants are well-known institutions, having been around for many years, while others are relatively new to the scene. Any visitor to Wisconsin's capital would be well advised to stop in and sample the fare from at least a few of these places.

The top ten restaurants in Madison (in no particular order) are:

1. The Old Fashioned (23 N. Pinckney St., Phone: (608)310-4545). A relative newcomer to the Madison restaurant scene, The Old Fashioned serves traditional Wisconsin comfort food such as bratwurst, rainbow trout, walleye, burgers, and of course the Friday fish fry. One can also expect a wide assortment of the restaurant's namesake, the old fashioned, made with brandy or whiskey. With the exception of a wonderful mixed greens salad, tossed with brandy vinaigrette, the food is on the heavier side, well doused with butter and sauces, and generally fried or toasted. Certainly not a place to be eating at every night of the week, but the rich, buttery, stick-to-your-ribs sandwiches and entrees of The Old Fashioned just can't be beat. Food and drinks are reasonably priced, and the sandwiches are actually rather cheap, considering that one sandwich (served with a side of salad or fries) can actually feed two people.