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Vote for you favorite pizza place!

Vote for you favorite pizza place!

Janesville Buzz

Posted On: May 14, 2024

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There’s so many different ways to enjoy your pizza! But there’s always that one place that gets it right, which is your pizza place?

PIZZA PIZZA | Total Votes: 440

Ended June 4, 2024

Sam’s Pizza

157 votes | 36%

Jim’s Pizzeria

104 votes | 24%

Lisa Pizzeria

58 votes | 14%

Tony & Maria’s

45 votes | 11%

Milwaukee Street

40 votes | 10%

Mac’s pizza shack

36 votes | 9%

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"River of Life" Mural History

Hey Janesville, I’m back with my public art series, this week we’re featuring the “River of Life” mural on the River Street side of the Rock River Charter School. This 100-foot-long mural was painted in 2021 Art Infusion by Cuban-American visual artist from Miami, Ivan Roque. The background was painted with acrylic, and the foreground was painted with spray paint. Overall, it took him 7 days to complete. Roque says the piece is about “the journey we embark on in the pursuit of knowledge wisdom and open mindedness it takes to live a full life.” The flora and fauna in the piece represent this same theme, the owl represents wisdom, the butterflies represent freedom, and the otters represent playfulness and curiosity. Roque says all these traits play an important role in life. Roque uses vines in all his pieces to symbolize connection, along with the obstacles in life we face represented by the thorns that ultimately shape who we are. He wanted this piece to be a sort of stream of consciousness along the wall and also played with the fact that we have a river running through our city. I encourage you all to check out this mural and if you want to learn more about Ivan Roque you can check out the links below!Artist's website: www.ivanroque.comArtist's Instagram: instagram.com/ivanjroqueArtist's Facebook: facebook.com/ivanisforeverlostArtist speaking on the piece https://files.idss.com/public/C225/a7bc3cdb-ce56-4342-9aad-9905b1dd7bdd.m4a

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"Dancing on the Stars" Mural History

Hello Janesville and welcome back to my public art blog series, this week we’re talking about the “Dancing on the Stars” mural downtown on the Performing Arts Center. The artist behind this mural is Ruben Aguirre, a Chicago based artist who specializes in the intersection of abstraction, formalism, graffiti, and muralism. He made the mural in 2021 Art Infusion. He draws inspiration from typography, geography, and the human body. He has had exhibits at the Chicago Cultural Center, the Hyde Park Art Center, and has a solo exhibit at The National Museum of Mexican Art coming up. He has done commission work for large corporations such as Google, Adidas, Linked IN, and Conde Nast to name a few. In this mural, Aguirre wanted to incorporate the Janesville flag, native plant life, and colors that were representative of the landscape. He created an abstract interpretation of the Janesville flag with a tree and 4 suns representing the tree and 4 stars on the flag. He wanted to have a unique interpretation, making the stars suns, as the sun is a star. He also incorporated exaggerated cattails and some other native plant life and painted the background blue to represent the river flowing through Janesville. As a nod to the Performing Arts Center, he added some ballerinas dancing. If you want to check out more of Aguirre’s work, you can visit his website or Instagram www.theshiftchange.com www.instagram.com/likes_1 If you’d like to hear an interpretation of this piece in his own words, you can check it out here! https://files.idss.com/public/C225/d422668d-d640-4e47-88ab-32c861b56e98.m4aAnd of course, be sure to stop and check it out next time you’re downtown!

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Janesville Unveils Stunning New Public Art Installation: “Self-Worth”

Janesville Unveils Stunning New Public Art Installation: “Self-Worth”

Hey Janesville, welcome back to my public art series! This week we're talking about a new and exciting sculpture on the southeast corner of River and Court Streets.Last Wednesday 9/25 the City of Janesville unveiled a brand-new public art installation entitled “Self-Worth” by local artist Richard Lazcano. The sculpture stands at 12 feet tall depicting a bicyclist taking a selfie to showcase a slice of daily life. You can actually interact with this piece as the tire pump of the bike acts as a selfie stand community members can use to take their own pictures!All parts of the sculpture are recycled bike parts donated by Brian and Ann Reece, The Bike Elves, and Michael's Cycles. The piece was commissioned by Lynn and John Westphal. Lynn says “We are lifelong bicyclists who have supported all types of local bicycling initiatives for many years.” They wanted to create a landmark that links the downtown area, the town square, the river, and the ice age trail to promote exploration and connection in our city.Artist Richard Lazcano is also known for his sculpture, Gloria the Eagle in the Janesville Town Square, shared his take on the piece, “The title represents a journey of self-discovery and confidence. Initially, I doubted my ability to complete such a monumental project, but through perseverance and creativity, I realized my potential. This sculpture stands as a reminder that we all have the strength and capability within us.”The unveiling ceremony featured remarks from the Westphals, Lazcano, and local officials. The project was made possible through the efforts of Mike Payne, Public Works Director; Emily Moccero, Engineering Department; Angus Young Associates; and J.P. Cullen, who completed the sitework and installation.So next time you’re in the area, I encourage you to check out this stunning new landmark!

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Janesville's Best Boutique

Janesville's Best Boutique

We want to know what your favorite place is to get clothes and accessories! Let us know if we missed anyone and we'll add them :)

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We visited Sandwich Bar

We visited Sandwich Bar

Hey Janesville, I hope you’re hungry because today I’m reviewing Sandwich Bar on South Main Street! They advertise that they make “life-altering sandwiches” and let me tell you they are not messing around. This was my first time visiting and my goodness I was not expecting how good this meal was. So let’s get into it!I had the Ooh La La sandwich for $13 consisting of roasted turkey, raspberry-basil aioli, arugula and balsamic on a croissant bun. I was expecting deli sliced turkey, but to my delight they had big, juicy slabs of turkey. The raspberry-basil aioli was such an interesting pairing for a turkey sandwich, but it worked extremely well – I think that was the highlight of the sandwich. And of course, you can’t go wrong with a croissant so overall 10/10 experience. Jake had the Jolene for $14 which had country fried chicken, pimento cheese, Alabama white sauce, and lettuce on a bun. I can’t personally attest to the flavor, but he looked extremely happy. Definitely trying that one next!The atmosphere and service were also great. I’d highly recommend stopping in!

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"In History We Trust" Mural

Hey Janesville, I’m coming to you with another article in my public art series! This week we’re talking about the “In History We Trust” mural downtown on 101 E Milwaukee St! This piece was created in 2020 by featured art infusion artist Jeff Henriquez, an artist from New Jersey. He works with mediums including spray paint, pen, and ink and has a degree in painting from Bradford College. Henriquez says this piece was meant to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of women’s right to vote and represents the struggles and victories of colored women in America. There’s a lot of symbolism in this one, so let’s dive in! The piece features two women of color, the one on the left an African American women wearing a natural afro, a necklace with Harriet Tubman on it, and BLM stitched into her shirt collar. Wearing a natural afro was once seen as a rebellious act, so Henriquez wanted to represent that rebellion seen in the 60s in Western society. He added Harriet Tubman on her necklace to represent black freedom in America and the abolitionist efforts in Janesville including speakers Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln in 1859 and a documented Underground Railroad stop near Milton. He wanted to represent the past, present, and future in this piece, so he added the subtle detail of “BLM” stitched into her t-shirt collar to represent the current times and struggles of people of color. The colorful window to the left of her represents a critical tool used to help slaved people escape by sending signals of food and safety. This window can be seen from the Tillman House in Janesville. Behind this window is a sunrise to represent hopes for a brighter future of peace and equality for us all.The woman on the right is a Native American with a wolf and moon on her right shoulder as well as a small and large eagle feather to represent the unity in native tribes between youth and elders. The moon represents the 25,000 years indigenous people have been on this land and the wolf howling under it represents the strength she has for her pack. In the background are city lights to represent our modern era and the struggles people of color still face. The flowers at the bottom are wood violets, the Wisconsin state flower. If you want to learn more about Jeff, you can visit is website www.jeffhenriquez.com but be sure to take some time to appreciate the history and symbolism in this mural next time you’re downtown! (You can also hear Jeff speak on this mural in the source link below).Source: https://www.janesvillecvb.com/things_to_do/details/4720/247821/In_History_We_Trust_Mural

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We visited Genisa Wine Bar!

We visited Genisa Wine Bar!

What’s up Janesville, it’s Carly and I’m back with another food review this week! We visited Genisa Wine Bar located downtown in Janesville’s only historically preserved Italianate-style building on 11 N Main St.Although the outside of the building is historical, the inside is extremely modern and downright gorgeous. It took me a while to look around and fully ingest all of the details of my surroundings. We went around 3pm so only drinks and snack items were available, but this was more than enough to leave me satisfied with my experience. I ordered their Margherita Pizza consisting of delicious traditional red sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil cooked in a red Italian brick oven I could see from my table. Their Neo-Neapolitan dough is made with a living sourdough starter and takes about 3 days to prepare. It was extremely tasty and made for some good leftovers as well. We also got the Florentine Artichoke Dip made up of artichoke, kale, sarvecchio parmesan, and crostini. I’m a sucker for any artichoke dip so I of course loved this creamy appetizer. This was an overall lovely experience, the service was polite and timely, the food was amazing, and the atmosphere was to die for. Next time you’re looking for some good Italian food, you know where to go!

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Rock Star Mural History

Rock Star Mural History

Hey Janesville, welcome back to my public art series! This week I’ll be covering the “Rock Stars” mural that was on the former record store, The Exclusive Company, on Milton Avenue. The chain closed in 2021 with the death of their founder, James Giombetti. The mural has since been painted over, but it’s still a part of Janesville History!The wall has been repainted a few times, the first mural had colorful depictions of music legends David Bowie, Bob Marley, Janis Joplin, and Miles Davis. This mural faded with time and inclement weather, so The Exclusive Company decided to repaint it with a more diverse and modern variety of artists. They had 3 artists attempt to repaint the mural, the first two giving up before finishing. Finally, the third artist Mitchell Highnam, an employee at The Exclusive Company, completed the mural in 2016. The black and white mural included musicians such as Nas, Kurt Cobain, Billie Holiday, Prince, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan.I wish I could say go check it out, but unfortunately the music mural has gone along with it’s record store...should there be a 4th attempt?Until next time Janesville!Source: The Janesville Gazette

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Janesville's Favorite Coffee Shop

Janesville's Favorite Coffee Shop

For this month's poll, we want to know what your favorite place is to grab a cup of joe? Let us know if we missed any and we'll add them!

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We visited Sandee's Thai Fusion!

We visited Sandee's Thai Fusion!

Hope you’re hungry Janesville because we’re about to dive into a review of Sandee’s Thai Fusion, a popular downtown restaurant!Starting off right away, when we first walked into Sandee’s we were seriously transported to another world with the well-thought-out décor. It is stunning in there. The service was friendly, timely, and helpful. Our server had a lot of great recommendations with such a vast menu and the food came out really fast!Now I loveee Thai food so I would have enjoyed anything from the menu, so I went with a classic Pad Thia, and it did not disappoint. I’m also extremely happy to report that I successfully used chopsticks the entire meal! Sandee’s Pad Thai included rice noodles sautéed with eggs, scallions, onions, and carrots topped with bean sprouts and peanuts on the side. You also get to choose your protein, I went with chicken, but you can also get tofu, seafood, or extra veggies instead. Overall delicious meal that I would highly recommend. They DO NOT skimp on portion sizes either – I got a few meals out of this. Another thing I liked about this restaurant is you can pick the level of spiciness you want in your dish, so even if you have no tolerance for heat, you can still enjoy many menu items.The other dish we ordered was a recommendation from our server, the Pad Prik Pow. This included colorful peppers, carrots, onions and basil leaves in sweet chili paste sauce with your choice of protein. Jake went with chicken but as mentioned earlier, you can also get tofu, seafood, or extra veggies instead. This must have been a great recommendation because Jake did not go home with any leftovers!If you’re looking to get out and try a new restaurant, Sandee’s is a great option! Until next week Janesville 😊

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Waves of Giving Mural

Waves of Giving Mural

Hey Janesville, welcome back to my public art series! This week I’ll be covering the “Waves of Giving” mural painted on the Post Office! This piece was painted in 2020 by Jaime Brown and Karim Jabbari. The two artists came from vastly different backgrounds, Jaime being a Wisconsin native, while Karim is from Tunisia, North Africa. Their different experiences led them to blend together artistic styles to create a unique composition.Jaime and Karim described the elements of the piece as such:"The arrows on the top represent the forward thinking of the city.The zigzags represent the river running through downtown.The diamonds on the right are a stalk of wheat, from its earlier days establishing itself as an agricultural community.The horizontal bars on the bottom are for the fallen tree trunks during the lumber/industrial part of the city.The vertical lines are the train tracks for when the city became connected by rail. (huge move for exportation of goods, obviously)And the two purple circles that intersect show a woman looking down and working on something. The small circle is her head, the big one is her body and the mango color is her face. She could be making a quilt, she could be making dinner. But generally speaking the woman is the heartbeat of the home. Those homes and families are the heartbeat of the community."If you want to check out some more of their art, visit www.jaimebrownart.com but, of course, I encourage you to go check out this mural in person next time you’re at the post office first!Source: Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

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Public Art Series “Heart of the city outdoor: Janesville Women’s History”

Public Art Series “Heart of the city outdoor: Janesville Women’s History”

Hey Janesville! Welcome to my new public art blog series! I’m sure you’re all familiar with the numerous murals and sculptures around town, but do you know the history and artists behind them? If you’re curious, stick around! I’ll be covering different pieces for each article in this series…so, let’s get into it!This week we’re talking about Ronald Perry Wick’s 2010 vinyl printed “Heart of the City Outdoor Art Mural: Janesville Women’s History.” You can find this mural on the Rock County Courthouse on 51 S Main St. Four murals were created for the “Heart of the City Outdoor Campaign” to feature a time and industry that was important in the history of Janesville. This specific mural was focused on 1860-1890, a time when women’s contributions to the town started to become impactful and acknowledged. There are 6 key components to this piece that we’re going to dive into next.First up we have a woman and her daughter in the center of the mural representing early suffragists urging others to vote yes to votes for women.To the right is the Oaklawn Hospital representing Nellie Tallman. She’s remembered for making Janesville’s first hospital possible and successful through her work with the Janesville Associated Charities.Above the hospital is Rhoda Lavinia Goodell. In 1874 she became the very first woman lawyer in Wisconsin.Next to her is Angie King, the first woman popular election victor in Wisconsin and the third woman attorney in Wisconsin.On the bottom right are books representing the Janesville’s first public library that was established by…guess who…women! The Ladies afternoon club came together to establish this free public library.Lastly, The Janesville Cotton Manufacturing Company is depicted on the left side the mural along with 2 of their mill workers. Did you know two-thirds of the mill workers were women? Now you do!That’s all folks! If you want to learn more about Janesville’s rich art history, be sure to stay tuned for my upcoming pieces! Also, be sure to take some time to appreciate the foundational women of our town and go check out this mural at the Rock County Courthouse!Source: Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

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Summer Dining at Drafthouse

Summer Dining at Drafthouse

Hello Janesville! I hope you’re hungry because we’re about to dive into a local gastropub, Drafthouse, located downtown at 101 E Milwaukee St Suite 101. Drafthouse emphasizes American culture through their food and spirits, as well as a strong sense of community both for their city and state.They have a selection of 24 beers on tap ALL from Wisconsin breweries as well as several community tables and an incredible view of downtown Janesville through their plethora of huge windows. Even better, you can sit at their patio and be right there in Janesville’s historical downtown. They even have special events such as wine tastings and live music!We visited Drafthouse this past week to check out some of their menu options so we could report back to you! We got the Seared Tuna Bowl and the Farmhouse Flatbread as our entrees – and they did not disappoint. The tuna bowl had sesame crusted ahi tuna, mango, cucumber, avocado, cilantro jasmine rice and sriracha aioli. The tuna was very fresh and the sear was perfect. The mix of sweet with the mango pieces, crunch from the cucumber, and spice of the aioli was a perfect combination. If you're looking for something that is filling, but doesn't leave you feeling heavy, this is certainly a dish to try.Next up, the flatbread was a flavorful experience with unique pizza toppings such as a parmesan cream sauce, five cheese blend, goat cheese, caramelized onions, sauteed spinach and some crispy bacon. I’ve certainly never had a pizza like this before – it felt decadent while still maintaining thefeel of an American classic.The service was friendly and efficient and don’t even get me started on atmosphere! They have a full wall covered in black and white prohibition era photography, modern yet homey furnishings, tons of windows and natural light, and a full, aesthetically set up bar. I also appreciated the price variation, ranging from super affordable entrees for a quick lunch, to some more upscale options for a fancy night out so everyone has an opportunity to dine on different budgets.Overall, we had a great time at this local pub, we hope to see you at Drafthouse soon!

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Janesville's Favorite Burger Place

Janesville's Favorite Burger Place

It's still summer out there, and so that means it's still burger season. We want to know your favorite locally owned restaurant to grab a burger. Cast your vote and let us know below!

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Frozen yogurt or Ice Cream!

Frozen yogurt or Ice Cream!

You’d think there wouldn’t be that big of a different, both dairy products, both frozen, and both delicious, and truly there isn’t but I most definitely have a preference….. depending on the day! When I’m feeling a little particular about my snack, I go for frozen yogurt, typically because at most frozen yogurt spots you get to build your own bowls of what goes into it. Of course, it’s a bit healthier because of the less sugar content and the base being yogurt, but let’s be honest we just add all that back with the toppings we put on it! 😅 there is a slight down to Frozen yogurt and that is that it melts in a hurry, so it’s something you can’t savor with time because you’re trying to devour that sucker before it’s dripping down your hand. Now as for ice cream, it’s convenient because you can find it on every corner and at any grocery store! Also they do the thinking for you the delicious flavors are already created and mixed for you! So it’s great option for being quick and a hurry, and sometimes just want a treat with all the sugars! 😅So I guess the answer is, it depends on the today? How about for you? 

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