By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Oct 01, 2013 at 4:30 PM

For the seventh straight year, October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee.com, presented by the restaurants of Potawatomi. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, delectable features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food, as well as the winners of our "Best of Dining 2013."

You voted, you decided. And now it’s time for us to unveil the winners of the Best of Dining poll on OnMilwaukee.com.

Every day during October, we’ll update the list of 30 winners, one at a time. In addition to the individual articles you’ll find in our Dining section, you can check back here, and use this list as a helpful guide to the best of the best of Milwaukee restaurants. We’ve included the winners, the runners-up and the editors’ picks of our favorites.

Congratulations and bon appetit!

Best new restaurant: Wolf Peach
Runner up: Atlas BBQ
Editors' pick: Wolf Peach
The rustic-upscale restaurant offers a offers European-inspired cuisine made from local and seasonal ingredients. The space features a dining room on the main level and a lower-level bar. It features one of the city’s most spectacular urban views.

Best steak: Carnevor 
Runner up: Five O’Clock Club
Editors' pick: Dream Dance Steak
Carnevor was voted as having the top steak in Milwaukee for the first time in seven years in a very close race. You picked them in large part for the Allen Brothers Prime Steaks and the fine Kobe and Japanese Wagyu filets.

Best breakfast/brunch: Blue’s Egg
Runner up: Cafe Benelux/Cafe Hollander
Editors’ pick: Blue’s Egg
For the third straight year, you voted Blue’s Egg as Milwaukee’s favorite breakfast or brunch spot. It often has the long lines to prove its popularity, but at the end of those long waits lie delicious, made-from-scratch dishes that taste both cozy and gourmet. 

Best burger: Sobelman's
Runner up: AJ Bombers
Editors' pick: Oscar’s Pub and Grill
"Food Wars" may have picked AJ Bombers over Sobleman's, but the readers of OnMilwaukee.com once again handed Sobleman's a runaway victory – by a 22 percent margin – for Milwaukee's best burger. For our editors' pick, we chose Oscar's, 1712 W. Pierce St., where the Big "O" burger is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Best view/patio: Harbor House
Runner up: Barnacle Bud's
Editors' pick: Cafe Benelux
OnMilwaukee.com readers picked the view from Harbor House as the city's best once again this year, giving the restaurant the title for the fourth straight time. It's hard to argue, too, with its close-up views of Lake Michigan, the U.S. Bank Building, Discovery World and the Milwaukee Art Museum. Its patio is great, too.

Best small plates: La Merenda
Runner up: Odd Duck
Editors' pick: Odd Duck
Whether it's a goat cheese salad from Morocco, ceviche from Costa Rica, empanadas from Colombia or French trout almondine, it’s available at La Merenda as a small plate item. Plus, there’s a full-service bar to complement their global delicacies. La Merenda has been OnMilwaukee.com's reigning small plate champion since 2009.

Best coffee shop/cafe: Colectivo
Runner up: Stone Creek
Editors' pick: Colectivo
Colectivo (formerly Alterra) didn’t suffer from its name change, as the company once again dominated the voting by pulling in nearly 30 percent of all votes.

Best dessert: Kopp's
Runner up: Honeypie
Editors' pick: Le Reve
In a crowded and diverse field of desserts, Kopp's came out tasting sweet victory. A Milwaukee tradition for more than 60 years, the king of custard resoundingly defeated the rest of its competition, including the former two-time winner of best dessert, Honeypie.

Best Comfort Food/Bar Food: Maxie’s
Runner up: Comet
Editors' pick: Comet
Maxie's, 6732 W. Fairview Ave., has won the category best comfort food – expanded this year to include bar food – continuing what has a become something of a tradition. Maxie's, known for its hearty southern favorites, barbecue and seafood, delivers time and time again. The restaurant interior is gorgeous, too, with a mix of southern comfort, jazzy vibe and classy chandeliers.

Best Comfort Food/Bar Food: Lakefront Palm Garden
Runner up: Serb Hall
Editors' pick: Packing House
With the Brewhaus Polka Kings setting the mood, the Palm Garden's Fish Fry has become a can't-miss on Friday nights and regularly fills up fast. The family-style seating contributes to the social nature of the experience.

Best pizza: Zaffiro’s Pizza
Runner up: Transfer Cafe
Editors' pick: Calderone Club
Zaffiro’s Pizza’s hand-crafted, thin crust pies have been a Milwaukee favorite for nearly six decades, and it outlasted tough competition to bring home the title of "Best of" in OnMilwaukee.com’s seventh annual poll.

Best street food/food truck: Roll MKE
Runner up: Streetza
Editors' pick: Bun Me
In a certainly tight battle, Roll MKE managed to top three-time street food champion Streetza by a mere seven votes. It seems the relative newcomer's beefy sandwiches – complete with ingredients like pork belly, brisket and bacon jam – spoke to voters' inner carnivores.

Best seafood: Harbor House
Runner up: St. Paul's Fish Company
Editors' pick: St. Paul's Fish Company
For the third straight year, Harbor House took top prize in our readers’ poll for Best Seafood. In a crowded field of excellent choices, it bested runner up, St. Paul’s Fish Company, by more than 10 percent. Notably, Harbor House also won Best View/Patio in this year’s survey.

Best barbecue: Smoke Shack
Runner up: Speed Queen

Editors’ pick: The Smoke Shack
Last year, Joe and Angie Sorge’s then-new Smoke Shack burst onto the dining scene and unseated Speed Queen as your favorite barbecue joint in Milwaukee. Despite its small size, Smoke Shack has a big taste and one that was quick to win over Milwaukee diners. This year, Smoke Shack, 332 N. Milwaukee St., has solidified its hold on your smoky imagination, topping Speed Queen by five percent of the vote.

Best late night drunk eats: Oakland Gyros
Runner up: Ian's Pizza
Editors' pick: Real Chili
Oakland Gyros was again your choice for Milwaukee's best late-night drunk eats, taking the title by nearly 100 more votes than runner up, Ian’s Pizza.
And why not? Milwaukee has an awful lot of options for after-hours dining, but a late-night gyro is an excellent way to keep the stomach from rumbling – or prevent a case of the spins – until the morning.

Best romantic: Lake Park Bistro
Runner up: Crazy Water
Editors' pick: Crazy Water
It's hardly a surprise that readers picked Lake Park Bistro once again as the city's most romantic dining spot. The cozy eatery is the perfect place to spend time with a sweetheart with subdued lighting and a seasonally changing menu of French bistro fare, served elegantly. Plus, the view of the lake adds the perfect backdrop for heartfelt exchanges.

Best sandwiches: Cafe Lulu
Runner up: Jake's Deli
Editors' pick: Jake's Deli
A mere two votes separated the much-loved Bay View bar and cafe from its latest challenger, Jake's Deli. However, Cafe Lulu's combination of sandwiches, pitas, melts and baguettes – plus their house-made potato chips and Asian slaw – proved yet again that they're too tasty to top.

Best Vegetarian: Beans and Barley
Runner up: Casablanca
Editors’ pick: Casablanca
For more than three decades, Beans & Barley, 1901 E. North Ave., has served consistently good vegetarian soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. It helped blaze a trail of vegetarian dining options, and continues to be a major East Side draw – and, once again, the favorite of OnMilwaukee.com readers.

Best Chinese: Emperor of China
Runner up: Lucy Liu's
Editors’ pick: Jing's
Despite a remodel, which includes the addition of a massive Chinese dragon hanging from the ceiling, this Brady Street staple isn't especially fancy, nor is its fare. But with excellent lunch specials, including a great egg drop soup, and emphasis on quality and fresh vegetables, the Emperor is a solid pick for the best Chinese in town.

Best wings: Points East Pub
Runner: BW-3
Editors' pick: Club Garibaldi
Points East’s wings are meaty and, thanks to the grilling, the skin has a nice snap when you bite into it, revealing the juicy, tender meat within. The dry rub-style spices on the outside give these wings a subtle but, over time, powerful smokey kick.

Best French: Lake Park Bistro
Runner up: Le Reve
Editors' pick: Pastiche
The romance and view at Lake Park Bistro take a back seat only to the menu, which features a variety of succulent French dishes that once again made it your choice as the Best French Restaurant in Milwaukee.

Best Greek: Oakland Gyros
Runner up: Apollo
Editors' pick: Apollo
Since 2007, OnMilwaukee.com readers have given the title of Milwaukee's finest Greek food to Oakland Gyros, and 2013 is no different. It seems their plentiful portions of tasty gyros, spinach pies and much more have captured Milwaukee's heart, whether they be sober or schwasted.

Best Indian: Maharaja
Runner up: Taste of India
Editors’ pick: Taste of India
In seven years of balloting, Maharaja has been the voters' choice for Milwaukee's best Indian cuisine seven times. We’d say that qualifies as a lock on the title. The East Side restaurant nabbed nearly 40 percent of the vote, a little shy of last year’s percentage, to once again run away with the category. Maharaja is welcoming, consistent and offers a wide array of specialties from the Subcontinent. It's daily buffet continues to offer an incredible variety of both vegetarian and meaty Indian dishes.

Best Italian: Ristorante Bartolotta
Runner up: Calderone Club
Editors’ pick: Ristorante Bartolotta

Once again, OnMilwaukee.com readers have chosen Ristorante Bartolotta in Tosa Village as Milwaukee's best Italian restaurant. That makes six in a row for this Bartolotta gem. Though Bartolotta's has branched out into steaks, seafood, French food, gastropubs and beyond, Ristorante Bartolotta has been there from the beginning. For nearly two decades, Joe Bartolotta has run one of the most consistently great Italian restaurants in town.

Best Japanese: Izumi’s
Runner up: Screaming Tuna
Editors’ pick: Fushimi
In early 2005, Izumi's relocated to a significantly more spacious and aesthetically pleasing space, complete with artful, ambient lighting, lengthy sushi bar and enclosed tatami room. The sake list, featuring hot, cold and room temperature options, is also a big draw here and the knowledgeable staff is often helpful.

Best Mexican: Bel Air Cantina
Runner up: Botanas
Editors' pick: Cempazuchi
For the first time in six years there is a new winner for Best Mexican Restaurant. Bel-Air Cantina has an affordable and assorted menu of all the Mexican fare you would expect (tacos, burritos, fajitas, quesadillas, etc.) but they put their own twist on it with Jamaican Jerk Chicken, hot dog taquitos, beef slow cooked with sodas, a BLT taco and other unique flavors.

Best Middle Eastern: Casablanca
Runner up: Tulip
Editors' pick: Shah Jee's
It seems Casablanca has reclaimed the love of the city from once two-time champion Tulip, as the Brady Street staple came away with the crown last year, and now in 2013. Since its opening in late 2005 – and its impressive remodeling last year – the Musa brothers have been consistently pleasing customers with their traditional dishes of kabobs, falafel, stuffed grape leaves and the Avengers' favorite, shwarma.

Best Asian fusion, Vietnamese and Korean: Umami Moto
Runner up: Hue

Editors’ pick: Hue
OnMilwaukee.com readers once again picked Umami Moto as their favorite among Asian fusion, Vietnamese and Korean restaurants in the city. Last year Umami ran away with the vote, receiving more than double the number of votes received by second place winner, Hue. This year, Hue has closed the gap considerably and is now a mere 5.5 percent behind. The fresh ingredients, attractive presentation of the food and prompt, professional service have earned Umami Moto a five-star reputation. Add the sleek, elegant decor, diverse clientele and the hip location on Milwaukee Street and you have a winning combination.

Best Thai: Thai-Namite
Runner up: EE-Sane Thai Cuisine
Editors' pick: Bangkok House
Combining a sushi bar with authentic Thai cooking under one roof is a Windy City trend that hadn't arrived in Milwaukee until Thai-Namite opened, according to Kim Kongsin, who owns the business with Nini Buranabunyut and Dear Panyasopa. Kongsin emphasizes that Thai-Namite is not an Asian fusion restaurant. Its Thai offerings are straight from her native country.