Photo credit: Lacey Muszynski
Brewers RTBNL Hand-Breaded Cheese Curds
Artisanal Cheese
West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe 6832 W. Beecher St. 414-543-4230 westallischeese.com
West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe is the go-to place for Wisconsin cheese. Most enticing are its amazing selections from Sartori Cheese and Carr Valley Cheese, two of the top cheesemakers in the state. But the store also offers some offbeat, addictive cheeses. You can also find a wide array of cheese from outside of Wisconsin, as well as curds and spreads. The Shoppe also has a booth at the Milwaukee Public Market. (Morton Shlabotnik)
Runners-up: Clock Shadow Creamery Widmer's Cheese Cellars
Bacon
Nueske's Applewood Smoked Meat www.nueskemeats.com
Nueske’s Applewood Bacon is a tasty delight. It appears on restaurant menus all around town, paired with breakfasts, burgers, bloody marys, and even as a topping on doughnuts. Nueske’s really stands out because they use a lean cut that is slowly smoked over applewood, resulting in an incredibly flavorful, meaty bacon that crisps up to perfection when cooked. Next time you’re looking to elevate your bacon experience, seek out the Nueske’s! (Susan Harpt Grimes)
Runners-up: Bunzel's Meat Market Ray’s Butcher Shoppe Usinger's Famous Sausage
Bratwurst/Sausage
Usinger's Famous Sausage www.usinger.com
No summer barbeque, tailgate, or really most any Wisconsin gathering would be complete without brats or sausages. Luckily, here in Milwaukee we have one of the best, and longest-running purveyors of these meats. Unsinger’s has been family owned since 1880, and still operates in the same location as their original store. Following the family recipes all these years has meant that the brats and sausages we enjoy today from Usinger’s are of the same quality craftsmanship generations of Milwaukeeans have loved. (Susan Harpt Grimes)
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Runners-up Bratwurst: Bunzel's Meat Market Kettle Range Meat Company Klement's Sausage Co., Inc. Runners-up Sausage: Bunzel's Meat Market Glorioso's Italian Market Kettle Range Meat Company
Cheese Curds
Clock Shadow Creamery 138 W. Bruce St. 414-273-9711 clockshadowcreamery.com
Named for its proximity to the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower, this business was the first urban cheese factory in Wisconsin. While emphasizing environmental sustainability, owner Bob Wills makes the art of cheesemaking—and the art of savoring its results—an accessible experience for folks far from the dairy farm. The cheese is made fresh daily. Curds come in a variety of flavors, and their quark and chèvre are sure to appeal to a gourmet palate. (Anastasia Skliarova)
Runners-up: Henning's Wisconsin Cheese Pine River Dairy Inc Widmer's Cheese Cellars
Craft Beer
Photo credit: Virginia Small
Lakefront Brewery “stooges” with yellow masks
Lakefront Brewery 1872 N. Commerce St. 414-372-8800 lakefrontbrewery.com
Lakefront is a brew pub with a brewery tour, a great place for a fish fry and a polka band in normal times and a prime producer of craft beer. The roster includes organic, gluten-free varieties made with local ingredients. (Morton Shlabotnik)
Runners-up: Eagle Park Brewing MobCraft Beer Brewery and Taproom Third Space Brewing
Cupcakes
Aggie's Bakery & Cake Shop 7328 W. Greenfield Ave. 414-482-1288 aggiesbakery.com
Aggie’s was always a pleasant place to stop for a cup of coffee and something sweet in the heart of downtown West Allis. But the main deal has always been Aggie’s delicious array of cakes and cupcakes. (Morton Shlabotnik)
Runners-up: Classy Girl Cupcakes CupKate Jen's Sweet Treats
Distilled Spirits
Great Lakes Distillery & Tasting Room 616 W. Virginia St. 414-431-8683 greatlakesdistillery.com
Great Lakes was the first distillery in Wisconsin since Prohibition and a tasting room was soon added. Great Lakes Distillery creates vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, absinthe, brandy and various liqueurs. Their 90-proof Roaring Dan’s Rum boasts a subtle maple flavor, and the Rehorst Vodka includes citrus and honey versions made with real fruit and local honey. (Jean-Gabriel Fernandez)
Runners-up: Central Standard Craft Distillery Eagle Park Brewing & Distilling Twisted Path Distillery
Frozen Pizza
Palermo Villa, Inc. 3301 W. Canal St. 414-643-0919 palermovillainc.com
Frozen pizza was once dominated by a handful of national companies, but as in many other areas, Milwaukee fought back. One of several locally-owned pizzamakers, family-owned Palermo’s has several spin-off brands, including the tasty Screamin’ Sicilian. (Morton Shlabotnik)
Runners-up: Cedar Teeth Emil's Pizza Inc Jack's Lotzza Motzza
Gourmet Popcorn
Popping the corn since 1952, Knights produces bags of the tasty stuff in a variety of flavors and have added cholesterol free and low sodium varieties. A tin of Knight’s makes a perfect gift—a great snack while watching Netflix. (Morton Shlabotnik)
Runners-up: Goody Gourmets Lush Popcorn Pop's Kettle Corn
Hard Cider
Photo courtesy of Lost Valley Cider Co.
Lost Valley Cider Co lostvalley.com
In recent years, the expansion of the craft cider industry has been a huge boon to those who prefer cider over other types of adult beverages. Lost Valley Cider Company has fully embraced this trend. They offer a growing list of ciders that they make themselves and have also curated an excellent cider list from all around the world. Whether you are a cider-lover or are just interested in giving cider a try, head to Lost Valley for a sampling flight of their draft ciders. (Susan Harpt Grimes)
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Runners-up: Cache Cider Ciderboys Island Orchard Cider
Soda
Sprecher Brewing Co www.sprecherbrewery.com/soda
While Sprecher Brewing may have made a name for themselves based on their craft beers, their craft sodas are every bit as special. Made with care using a fire-brewing system, their sodas are naturally caffeine and gluten free. Sprecher sodas use locally produced ingredients, like Wisconsin honey, cranberries, and cherries. In the end, the quality craftsmanship really stands out when you sit back and enjoy a nice cold root beer, orange soda, or any one of Sprecher’s delicious sodas. (Susan Harpt Grimes)
Runners-up: Dang That's Good Beverages Dead Bird Brewing Jolly Good Soda
Tea
Rishi Tea 185 S. 33rd Court 414-747-4001 rishi-tea.com
Rishi Tea shares organic and direct-trade teas ranging from green loose leaf, botanical loose leaf and cold-brew sachets to chai concentrates. In 1997, founder Joshua Kaiser wanted to bring organic teas from remote locations around the world to Milwaukee. Beyond tea, Rishi Tea also has a selection of tea-ware and recipes that can turn matcha tea power into matcha oreos. (Morton Shlabotnik)
Runners-up: Fava Tea Company Swaye Tea Tippecanoe Herbs and Apothecary
