The votes are in, and the winners have been selected for OnMilwaukee's Best Dining 2009. The results of this readers' poll, including an editors' pick, are available in this series of articles that run all October long during Dining Month on OnMilwaukee.com.

Roots Restaurant and Cellar, 1818 N. Hubbard Ave., was one of Milwaukee's first dining destinations to actively pursue the use of local ingredients. Using only naturally raised meats and fresh seafood from the start, it evolved to mainly use produce grown in Wisconsin, too.

While it may have been one of the menus to spark the trend locally -- along with fellow travelers like Crazy Water -- eating local has caught on like wildfire and creating a market for restaurants such as Transfer Pizza, Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub and La Merenda. But Roots introduced the concept to many Milwaukeeans.

Active members of Slow Food USA and The Chefs Collaborative, Roots' culinary creations are based on seasonally changing ingredients.

OnMilwaukee.com editors' choice: Crazy Water

Runners-up:
2. Comet Cafe
3. Hinterland
4. La Merenda
5. Dream Dance Steak
6. Crazy Water
7. Riverwest Co-op
8. Transfer
9. Kil@wat