This Midwest Destination Has More Award-winning Cheese Than France or Italy—Here’s How to Visit Its Capital Like a Cheese Expert

Madison, Wisconsin, has a lot going for it. The downtown sits on a narrow isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona—earning it its “Lake, City, Lake” nickname—and has abundant opportunities for hiking, cultural exploration, and outdoor adventure. But the real star of Madison is its dynamic local food scene, which continues to surprise and delight visitors with its creativity, quality, and community spirit. A standout mention is its cheese scene: Wisconsin’s 800 cheesemakers won more awards than any other state or country in the world at the World Championship Cheese Competition.

“Cheese making goes back 185 years before Wisconsin was a state, and it wouldn’t be without the immigrants that moved here,” Ken Monteleone, who has lived in Madison for 30 years and owns cut-order-cheese shop Fromagination, told Travel + Leisure. “We have fourth generation cheese makers. Their families immigrated here from Switzerland and are still making cheese today.”

Monteleone, whose wealth of knowledge is like an encyclopedia for Wisconsin cheese, added that, “This cheese tradition really is rooted in our whole city.”

An assortment of cheeses from Fromagination in Madison, Wisconsin.

Todd Maughan/Travel Wisconsin 

But it’s not just the cheese that makes Madison worth a visit. Chef Tory Miller—the talent behind L’Etoile and Graze—builds his menus around local ingredients sourced directly from the Madison Farmers’ Market. A James Beard Award winner and “Iron Chef Showdown” champion (after besting Bobby Flay), Miller grew up in Racine, Wisconsin, where he spent his childhood helping in his parents’ diner. Though he never planned to settle in Madison, after training in New York, he returned home and quickly became captivated by the city’s famed market. “Every Saturday was just, like, incredible. And I met so many incredible farmers and producers,” he said.

The local pride for the locally grown and sourced ingredients is shaping the city to be an exciting culinary scene. “Madison has become a destination for cooks that either grew up here and went somewhere else, or they’ve heard about Madison,” Miller added. “There’s this great kind of influx of really young culinary talent.”

So, what should you prioritize on your trip? Here are Miller and Monteleone’s recommendations.

Things to Do in and Around Madison, Wisconsin

• Visit the Saturday Farmers’ Market: Chef Miller insists, “If you come here, you have to go to the Saturday farmers market.” Monteleone adds that the Dane County Farmers’ Market, held from April through November, is a must for anyone who loves farm-fresh ingredients.
• Explore the Shorelines: Monteleone recommends soaking up Madison’s outdoor beauty by renting a bike or canoe, having a picnic, or just wandering the shoreline. “Just really enjoy the outdoors, especially if the weather’s conducive,” he told T+L.
• Lake Menona’s Bike Trail: Miller raves about the biking scene in Madison and recommends renting an e-bike, calling the trail around Lake Menona, in particular, “incredible.”
• Dine at James Beard-winning Restaurants: “The food scene has really exploded in Madison, we have a lot of great locally owned shops and restaurants, and a lot of our dining scenes have been James Beard award winning, or been nominated for James Beard awards,” Monteleone told T+L.
• Visit the New Glarus Brewery: New Glarus is close to Madison and the downtown is amazing, according to Miller. “I always talk about the cheese and beer. In the south there’s the Bourbon Trail, in Kentucky, and they go to all these distilleries. Here, you can book brewery tours and cheese tours.”
• Go to the Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin Preservation: Miller says the drive to the Frank Lloyd Wright Museum in Spring Green is scenic. “And there’s amazing food out there that people don’t really know about because it’s a tiny town, but there’s some really cool young people out there making really great local sorbets and ice creams,” he added.
• Check Out Other Neighborhoods: Monteleone lives on the east side of Madison, which he said has a bohemian vibe. “It definitely has a different flavor than the Capitol Square or the west side of Madison. There are some very distinct neighborhoods that you can really get a flavor of different communities in Madison, amazing.”
• See the “Driftless” Area: The Driftless Area in southwestern Wisconsin is known for its rugged, hilly landscape—a result of being untouched by the last glacier that covered most of the state. Because it lacks the glacial “drift,” or sediment deposits, found elsewhere, the region’s soil is especially rich. Miller says about 80 percent of Madison’s food comes from this area, calling it “so vibrant and beautiful” and a must-visit.