It sometimes might be hard to find a parking spot on East Johnson Street. But it’s worth it to stop in to Public Parking, the new(ish) cocktail bar that has taken Madison by storm.
As the bar prepares to celebrate its first anniversary with a big party this weekend, co-owner JR Mocanu talks to host Bianca Martin on the City Cast Madison podcast today about Public Parking’s first year and its mission as a quintessential neighborhood bar.
Public Parking was recently honored by Bon Appetit Magazine as one of the “9 Best New Bars of 2025.”
“The folks behind the bar bring a heavy hand of helpful Midwest nice to complement their sophisticated creations," the article reads.
Here are a few other Madison-area restaurants that have gotten national huzzahs. Check out the list on Overlook Maps!
This high-end throwback to the Wisconsin supper club was named one of Esquire’s 40 best new restaurants in America when it opened in 2021, and one of the New York Times’ 50 favorite restaurants in 2022.
Esquire also shouted out Harvey House for having one of the best martinis in America, noting that when the writer had half-finished their glass, a waiter swooped in and deposited the remainder of the drink into a fresh ice-cold glass.
The north side music lounge was cited by Food & Wine magazine as being evidence that Madison is one of the “Next Great Food Cities.” It’s a “vibe with late night icy martinis set to a Motown soundtrack.”
Food & Wine also shouted out this popular Willy Street spot for its “creative Southeast Asian dishes, including standout tropical soft serve adorned with housemade chili oil.” Earlier this year, Ahan chefs Jamie and Chuckie Brown-Soukaseume were semifinalists for the James Beard Awards in the Best Chef: Midwest category.
In 2023, Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, chefs and co-owners of this elegant and approachable Monroe Street spot, won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest.
A restaurant, micro-dairy, and boutique hotel built inside a former Wisconsin milk factory? That was irresistible to Food & Wine magazine, who praised this Paoli spot for offering “an immersive look into America's Dairyland. That, and plenty of ice cream and fresh butter.”
As part of its series on Italian-American restaurants, “Red Sauce America,” Bon Appetit enthused about this longtime favorite on University Avenue, especially its miniature recreation of Rome’s Trevi Fountain.
For years, when national food critics thought about Madison, it pretty much started and stopped with L’Etoile and chef Tory Miller. Miller, who won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest in 2012, was prominently featured along with the Harvey House on “Top Chef Wisconsin.” He even beat Bobby Flay once on Iron Chef Showdown!
