Beer Selection
Winner: Discount Liquor (also won Best Liquor Store) Multiple locations discountliquorinc.com
When Frank Greguska Sr. and his wife, Irene, first opened Discount Liquor in 1960, beer and soda was sold in returnable bottles, and beer choices were limited to about a half-dozen domestics like Blatz or Hamm’s. As the liquor industry grew, so did Discount Liquor. The Greguskas added a second location in Waukesha and moved the Milwaukee store to its current location on Oklahoma Avenue. Today, their five children—Marie, Frank Jr., Michael, Tom and Barb—run the business and continue to stay on top of trends while offering variety and—true to its name—good prices. (Susan Harpt Grimes)
Runners-Up: Otto’s Wine & Spirits Ray’s Wine & Spirits Total Wine & More
Butcher Shop
Winner: Bunzel’s Meat Market (also won Best Meat Selection) 9015 W. Burleigh St. 414-873-7960 bunzels.com
Bunzel’s is truly a one-stop shop for anything meat-related and more. The market has a traditional butcher, deli and seafood, with produce and a bakery to boot. Bunzel’s also provides wild game processing services and its own catering business. The operation is still family owned and operated, though it expanded two years ago to meet increasing demand. Even in a bigger space, you still get the same feeling as walking into an old-school family butcher shop. (Rob Hullum)
Runners-Up: Bavette La Boucherie G. Groppi Food Market Kettle Range Meat Company Roberts’ Specialty Meats
Cheese Selection
Winner: West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe 6832 W. Becher St. 414-543-4230 wacheese-gifts.com
West Allis Cheese & Sausage specializes in its namesakes. The popular café on the building’s east end serves a long list of breakfast items all day long and daily sandwich specials on weekdays. In the “shoppe” part on the west end, you can find a wide array of cheese from outside of Wisconsin as well as curds, spreads and wax-covered cheddar shaped like a cow, beer mug or a Green Bay Packers player. (Morton Shlabotnik)
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Runners-Up: Larry’s Market Sendik’s Fine Foods Wisconsin Cheese Mart
Chocolatier
Winner: Indulgence Chocolatiers Multiple locations indulgencechocolatiers.com
Despite being ubiquitous, chocolate is difficult to craft and can lend itself to the creativity of culinary artists. As such, you may watch the cooks at Indulgence Chocolatiers work in the kitchen of their elegant shop in Walker’s Point. There, homemade chocolate, truffles and pralines are paired with wine, beer and cheese to offer unique combinations of flavors. Indulgence’s other two locations, in Shorewood and Wauwatosa, also double as ice cream shops. (Jean-Gabriel Fernandez)
Runners-Up: Allo! Chocolat Kilwins Milwaukee Northern Chocolate Co Red Elephant Chocolate Tabal Chocolate
Farmers Market
Winner: West Allis Farmers Market 6501 W. National Ave. 414-302-8600 westallisfarmersmarket.com
For the past century, the West Allis Farmers Market has been a source of fresh produce for generations of families. A wide range of produce arrives at the market throughout the year. The early season brings bedding plants, radishes, asparagus, and rhubarb. Strawberries and raspberries arrive in June as well as peas and snap beans. Corn comes about a week after the Fourth of July, along with many other squashes, zucchini and herb plants. The late season brings fresh apples and cider. Chickens and fresh eggs are always available. (Morton Shlabotnik)
Runners-Up: Riverwest Gardener’s Market South Shore Farmers Market Tosa Farmers Market
Fish Market
St. Paul Fish Company 400 N. Water St. 414-220-8383 stpaulfish.com
Look up as you walk east through the Milwaukee Public Market to see the huge St. Paul Fish Co. sign high above. At the long oyster bar to your left, a poster reminds you that the “Live Maine Lobster Dinner” is just $16.95. Pause to admire the ample display of fresh, beautiful take-home seafood, then grab a table in the cozy restaurant. The menu is huge and the food mouthwatering. Remember that seafood provides unique health benefits. Enjoy! (John Schneider)
Runners-Up: Center Street Fish Market Empire Fish Company Outpost Natural Foods
Grocery—All Purpose
Winner: Woodman’s Food Market Multiple locations woodmans-food.com
Employee-owned and headquartered in Janesville, with locations in Oak Creek, Menomonee Falls, Waukesha and Kenosha, Woodman’s offers a large selection at competitive prices. Best advice? Map out a game plan or detailed shopping list. As big as this place is, shopping during non-peak hours is a breeze. (Blaine Schultz)
Runners-Up: Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Outpost Natural Foods Sendik’s Food Market
Grocery—Ethnic
Alexis Amenson
Glorioso's Italian Market
Winner: Glorioso’s Italian Market (also won Best Grocery—Gourmet and Best Take-Out Deli) 1011 E. Brady St. 414-272-0540 gloriosos.com
So much is available in this neighborhood supermarket. Italian items, above all; imports from Mediterranean lands, the Glorioso family’s signature products and baked goods from Sciortino’s (winner for Best Neighborhood Bakery!) right down the street. I know folks who come just to treat themselves to the luscious gelatos or the dreamy cheeses, a mix of imports and local artisanal delights. The expansive affordable deli offers well-made sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, calzones, paninis, flatbreads and plentiful salads. You could live on this menu. (John Schneider)
Runners-Up: Cermak Fresh Market El Rey Pacific Produce Parthenon Foods - European Market
Grocery—Gourmet
Winner: Glorioso’s Italian Market (also won Best Grocery—Ethnic and Best Take-Out Deli, read about Glorioso's here) 1011 E. Brady St. 414-272-0540 gloriosos.com
So much is available in this neighborhood supermarket. Italian items, above all; imports from Mediterranean lands, the Glorioso family’s signature products and baked goods from Sciortino’s (winner for Best Neighborhood Bakery!) right down the street. I know folks who come just to treat themselves to the luscious gelatos or the dreamy cheeses, a mix of imports and local artisanal delights. The expansive affordable deli offers well-made sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, calzones, paninis, flatbreads and plentiful salads. You could live on this menu. (John Schneider)
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Runners-Up: G. Groppi Food Market Larry’s Market Metcalfe’s Market Sendik’s Food Market
Grocery—Natural Foods
Thinkstock / Getty Images
Winner: Outpost Natural Foods (also won Best Organic Product Selection) Multiple locations outpost.coop
Outpost has always been a bastion of healthy, green living long before it was trendy. Once staffed by volunteers and lofty dreams, the Outpost has grown a lot since its humble ’70s origin as a simple food co-op. Today, the Outpost brand has evolved into two cafés and a thriving chain of four stores on all ends of town, including one in Mequon. Outpost’s popularity has been fueled by its ability to remain true to its ideals of “wholesome living” and sustainability. (Susan Harpt Grimes)
Runners-Up: Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Good Harvest Market Whole Foods Market
Liquor Store
Winner: Discount Liquor (also won Best Beer Selection, read about Discount Liquor here) Runners-Up: Otto’s Wine & Spirits Ray’s Wine & Spirits Total Wine & More
Meat Selection
Winner: Bunzel’s Meat Market (also won Best Butcher Shop, read about Bunzel's here) Runners-Up—Meat Selection: Good Harvest Market Kettle Range Meat Company Ray’s Butcher Shoppe
Neighborhood Bakery
Peter Sciortino’s Bakery 1101 E. Brady St. 414-272-4623 petersciortinosbakery.com
Normally closed on Mondays after the busy weekend, Sciortino’s was opened especially for Christmas Eve Monday this year. I went to buy boxes of beautiful colorful Italian cookies for presents, as always, and ran into a neighbor pleased to have gotten a loaf of his favorite bread. As always, the busy staff in the small shop was friendly and gracious. Forever the winner, nothing important ever changes here, but now they also offer homemade pretzels. (John Schneider)
Runners-Up: Blooming Lotus Bakery Jen’s Sweet Treats MOR Bakery and Cafe Rocket Baby Bakery
Organic Produce Selection
Winner: Outpost Natural Foods (also won Grocery—Natural Foods, read about Outpost here) Runners-Up: Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Good Harvest Market Whole Foods Market
Produce Selection
Cermak Fresh Market Multiple locations cermakfreshmarket.com
Looking for something unusual? Chicago-based Cermak sells fresh tejocote, persimmon, dragon fruit, quince, star fruit, mango—and all the usual navel oranges and plastic cartons of blueberries. The fruit and vegetable department at the busy Walker’s Point location is big enough to house a supermarket and the wider store is stocked with all the staples along with an ample Hispanic aisle. And, yes, the produce section has big avocados ripe for making guacamole. (David Luhrssen)
Runners-Up: Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Outpost Natural Foods Sendik’s Food Market Whole Foods Market
Sausage Shop
Winner: Usinger’s Famous Sausage 1030 N. Old World Third St. 414-276-9105 usinger.com
Think Milwaukee, think sausage, think none other than Usinger’s. But the Usinger’s products we see in the grocery store are just the tip of the meat iceberg. Usinger wurstmachers—still practicing their culinary art at the site of the original store—continue to adhere to original family recipes dating to 1880. The deli boasts sliced meats, hams, bacon and snack sticks; the gift store offers applewood-smoked pit ham, Angus beef, cheese, crackers and more. Usinger’s is tough to beat when it comes to the wurst of Milwaukee! (John Jahn)
Runners-Up: Bunzel’s Meat Market Milwaukee Sausage Company West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe
Take-Out Deli
Winner: Glorioso’s Italian Market (also won Grocery—Ethnic and Grocery—Gourmet, read about Glorioso's here) Runners-Up: Beans & Barley Benji’s Deli Bunzel’s Meat Market G. Groppi Food Market Larry’s Market Ono Kine Grindz
Urban Farm
Photo credit: Fritz Haeg
Winner: Will’s Roadside Farms & Markets 5500 W Silver Spring Dr. 414-484-3063 willsroadsidefarmsandmarkets.com
Will Allen is widely recognized a visionary for his philosophy in getting fresh food to people in urban food deserts. In 2008, he received the MacArthur Foundation’s “Genius Grant,” and he has received a number of prestigious citations. Yet, what matters to Allen is doing the work and educating people. After more than two decades, Allen’s Growing Power was reborn in 2018 as Will Allen’s Roadside Farms & Markets. Now more than ever, his vision for urban agriculture makes sense. (Blaine Schultz)
Runners-Up: Alice’s Garden Victory Garden Initiative Walnut Way Conservation Corp.
Wedding Cake Designer
Simma’s Bakery 817 N. 68th St. 414-257-0998 simmasbakery.com
Simma’s Bakery has served Wauwatosa and the greater Milwaukee area for 36 years. They proudly claim to have “the best wedding cakes in town,” and the business received 2017’s “bakery operation of the year” award from the Wisconsin Bakers Association. Their wedding cakes are often spectacularly ornamented centerpieces, unique and tailored personally for each client. Starting at $3.75 per serving, they can feed more than 100 guests each for those really ambitious weddings. (Jean-Gabriel Fernandez)
Runners-Up: Aggie’s Bakery & Cake Shop The Cake Lady Eat Cake Jen’s Sweet Treats Miss Molly’s Cafe & Pastry Shop
Wine Selection
Ray's Wine and Spirits, Wauwatosa
Winner: Ray’s Wine & Spirits 8930 W. North Ave. 414-258-9821 rayswine.com
With more than 8,000 choices of wine, 2,000 spirits and 1,000 craft beers, Ray’s Wine & Spirits is a family owned liquor store filled from floor to ceiling with bottles of all shapes and sizes. Besides the store, Ray’s includes the Growler Gallery—a small bar to taste and enjoy the products, as well as participate in alcohol-related events. To top it off, the team at Ray’s has a goofy, enthusiastic attitude and genuine passion for liquor. (Jean-Gabriel Fernandez)
Runners-Up: Corvina Wine Company Discount Liquor Inc Otto’s Wine & Spirits Vintage 38
