It's time for Dining Month, presented by Deer District and its spooky Halloween-themed alter ego, Fear District. Throughout the month of October, we'll be serving up fun and fascinating content about all things food. The signature dish, however, is our 2019 Best of Dining poll, who's winners we will dish out all month long. Get hungry, Milwaukee!

Bavette La Boucherie

In one of the tightest races of this year's poll, Bavette hopped from bronze to gold, winning the title of Milwaukee's best sandwich by 11 total votes. And that's just part of it, as the top three restaurants (Bavette, Glorioso's and Cafe Lulu) were separated by a mere 16 votes overall.

Bavette, located in the Third Ward, is a butcher shop and cafe owned and operated by Chef Karen Bell. Crafting sandwiches using sustainably raised meat products, Bavette also operates as a full-service butcher shop. 

This ranking isn't best butcher shop though; it's best sandwich, and Bavette's sandwiches stand above the rest. Since its opening in 2013, the shop has served the residents of the Third Ward and beyond with custom meat cutting, daily menu changes and craft beers. Crafted with their sustainable, farm-to-table meat selections, the restaurant offers everything from skirt steak to banh mi Vietnamese sandwiches and its famous corned beef tongue reuben – earning praise from the James Beard awards, Food Network stars and now from OnMilwaukee readers (and resident food expert Lori Fredrich, who gave it her nod as well).

Glorioso's and Cafe Lulu came in just behind Bavette in a three-way contest more heated than a freshly grilled panini, while West Allis Cheese Shoppe and Jake's Deli wrapped up the top five. 

Runners-up:
2. Glorioso's
3. Cafe Lulu
4. West Allis Cheese Shoppe
5. Jake's Deli

OnMilwaukee editors' pick: Oak & Oyster

Lori Fredrich's pick: Bavette