When seasonal restaurants begin to re-open -- a sure harbinger of spring -- daytrippers start heading to Wisconsin's scenic Lake Pepin region, roughly 90 minutes southeast of the Twin Cities.
The venerable and ultra-charming Harbor View Cafe in Pepin, Wis., has opened for the season, serving lunch and dinner Friday through Sunday. Its changes-daily chalkboard menu remains intact. Remember, no credit cards, and no reservations.
Its far more casual Pepin neighbor, the Homemade Cafe will kick off its 2011 schedule (lunch Thursday through Sunday, dinner Friday and Saturday) — and cherry-rhubarb pie — starting May 12.
Further north on Hwy. 35 in cute Stockholm, Wis., the Bogus Creek Cafe & Bakery (chef/owner Colleen Flynn is pictured above, in a Star Tribune file photo) is opening this weekend, cooking plentiful breakfasts and lunches 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
And in the next town to the north, tiny Maiden Rock, Wis., the ever-popular Smiling Pelican Bakeshop (www.maidenrock.org) will commence its Friday-Saturday-Sunday daytime hours on April 1st; hello, lavender-ginger sugar cookies!
For a more complete look (OK, it's nearly three years old, but most of it remains pertinent) at Lake Pepin dining, go here.
