You’ll be hard-pressed to visit Madison and not hear of Tory Miller, the chef who’s behind four of the city’s best restaurants, including Sujeo, Estrellon, and Graze. But it’s this spot that helped him earn a James Beard Award, where a seven-course tasting menu showcases his aptitude for “fine dining Midwestern” fare like squab with chamomile and honeycomb, or local pork belly with apple blossoms and crispy rice.

If you could take the big city craft cocktail experience and marry it with an epic college town house party, Gib’s would be it. Situated inside a renovated Victorian two-flat, this bar packs in seemingly everything one could ask for on a night out: carefully crafted libations, unbeatable prices, and chilled ramen noodles in to-go boxes upon exit (their parting gift to patrons new and old).

Chefs and co-owners John Gadau and Phillip Hurley have been dishing out French bistro fare for more than 10 years — long enough to gain a loyal following in the Williamson Street and Marquette neighborhoods. Kick things off with an aperitivo before hitting favorites like the spit-roasted half chicken or the moules frites with Pernod, fennel, and bay leaf.

Seafood lovers are in good hands at this restaurant, where executive chef Henry Doane has created a menu specializing only in fish and shellfish that are sustainably caught or farmed. While you can’t go wrong with plates like Maryland softshell crab or broiled marlin with hazelnut pesto, you could just as easily craft an entire meal out of the restaurant’s oyster lineup, available for just $2 a pop come happy hour.

Between the likes of mushrooms with black garlic or roasted broccoli with toasted chia and reduced whey, this James Beard-nominated neighborhood spot may be known for its vegetable-heavy menu — but meat lovers, fear not. There’s plenty of charcuterie and expert cuts to go around with the help of Underground Meat and Underground Butcher, the team’s very own meat processing company and butcher shop.

This Bay View neighborhood favorite sees its share of regulars, who are bound to find something new to try upon each visit thanks to a daily changing menu featuring hyper fresh and local product. Once you’ve settled into its cozy environs (bedecked in vintage wallpaper and farmhouse-reclaimed tin ceilings), it’s time to think about plates like spicy crab pasta, fennel pollen-brined rotisserie chicken, or leg of lamb, gussied up with lavender and anchovy.

It’s the neighborhood feel, proximity to downtown, and lakeside views that get folks into this East Side institution, which opened its doors more than 20 years ago. Most recently the talent helming the kitchen is executive chef (and James Beard winner) Adam Siegel, who keeps the French classics coming by way onion soup with gruyere cheese, escargot with garlic-parsley butter, and croque monsieur sandwiches filled with ham, cheese, and Dijon mustard.

Executive chef Justin Carlisle has yet to take home a James Beard Award, but seeing as he’s been up for Best Chef: Midwest the past three years, he’s doing something very right. Credit that to contemporary American cuisine that’s smartly sourced, such as beef from Carlisle’s father’s farm or a bread service comprised of butter and cheese crafted from the same batch of dairy.

Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward neighborhood saw new digs last summer with the arrival of this Kimpton property, where ex-Sable chef Heather Terhune oversees the menus at two restaurants: Mediterranean-meets-contemporary American eatery Tre Rivali, and rooftop hangout The Outsider. Head to the former for super local takes on Italian-inspired go-tos (think olive oil-braised octopus and pork neck ragout pappardelle), and visit the latter for a no-fuss afternoon with friends — pizza delivery and 5,000 square feet of fire pits and daybed lounging await.

When this “roof-to-table” restaurant isn’t feeding the members of its community (and doing it well), it's finding other ways to lend a helping hand. In addition to offering classes and culinary boot camps led by James Beard-nominated chef Dave Swanson and his team, it created the country’s first RSA (restaurant supported agriculture), a system that supports local farmers and purveyors by helping to make seasonal ingredients available to neighboring restaurants.

More than 10 restaurants make up the dining options at Destination Kohler, the AAA Five Diamond, five-star resort, but for a splurge of an evening with views just as over the top, it’s all about Whistling Straits. Take in views of its award-winning golf course environs between an array of Irish- and British-inspired eats — most notably a half-pound Irish cheeseburger with smoked bacon and “Black and Tan” onion rings. Best to show up early for a pre-dinner dram like the mint chocolate brandy negroni, just one of the riffs bartender Peter Kalleward is well-suited to tackle.

Swing by the tasting room at this brewery, which has gained a cult following for its lineup of beers that you can purchase only upon crossing the Wisconsin border. The farmhouse ale Spotted Cow is a surefire crowd-pleaser, but come summer months don’t miss the Totally Naked, a Wisconsin-style lager that’s only available now through August.