The website Livability named Madison a “Top 10 Foodie City” for its slew of diverse and critically acclaimed restaurants, number of chefs on the cutting edge of the culinary industry and the extensive local food network.
Livability is a national website that ranks quality of life and tourism attractions in cities throughout America. In 2010, editors at livability.com began a series of top 10 lists of cities with specific urban attributes, including a top ten cities for foodies.
According to a press release, Livability’s staff recently decided to do “a second helping” of the top ten foodie list, and focus it on lower-profile cities than the traditional food-lovers destinations, such as San Francisco and New Orleans.
The article cites Madison’s Underground Food Collective and its newly opened restaurant, Forequarter, as an influential part of the decision to award Madison the number five spot on the revamped 2013 list.
“The collection shows the latest example of the kinds of food experiments that Madison residents enjoy sinking their teeth into,” according to the Livability article.
According to its website, the UFC is a collection of chefs who do not take individual credit, but rather work as a team of equals at Forequarter and in their catering business.
Livability also said chefs in Madison are leading in the culinary industry and taking an innovative approach toward creating unique menu items.
“Their kitchens use traditional cooking techniques then add in dashes of foreign flavor and
modern presentation,” the article said. Livability specifies Madison chef Tony Miller, who owns downtown establishments L’Etoile and Graze, as an important local figure.
The website also said Madison’s number of “farm-to-table restaurants,” the Dane County Farmer’s Market, which is the largest producers-only farmer’s market in the nation, and the Willy Street Co-op contributed to their designation of Madison as the fifth most foodie-friendly city in America.
