North or south? 15 dining recommendations for summer road trips

When the urge for a summer getaway strikes, my imagination inevitably splits in two directions: north, to Lake Superior's Apostle Islands region; and south, to Lake Pepin. For the scenery, and the restaurants.

Toward the Apostle Islands region

I'd happily make the four-hour journey north to Bayfield, Wis., just for a chance to dine at Wild Rice (84860 Old San Road, Bayfield, Wis., 1-715-779-9881, wildricerestaurant.com), where longtime chef Jim Webster's big-city cooking is as much of a draw as the restaurant's spare, stunning design, by Duluth architect David Salmela. The wine list? Also impressive. It's a peak Midwestern dining experience.

The sumptuous, tradition-minded Old Rittenhouse Inn (301 Rittenhouse Av., Bayfield, Wis., 1-715-779-5111, rittenhouseinn.com) offers a brief glimpse into this lakeside town's fat-cat era, especially from a perch in the dining room.

On a more downscale note, check out the nearly nightly Wisconsin fish boil at Greunke's Restaurant (17 Rittenhouse Av., Bayfield, Wis., 1-715-779-5480, greunkesinn.com). Breakfast? The Egg Toss (41 Manypenny Av., Bayfield, Wis., 1-715-779-5181, eggtoss-bayfield.com), of course.

For a Friday night fish fry, look no further than the ultra-inviting Good Thyme (77180 Hwy. 13, Washburn, Wis., 1-715-373-5255, agoodthyme.com), a $16, all-you-can-eat spread starring Lake Superior whitefish and trout.

The double beauty of a Lake Pepin visit is that it's as vista-soaked as it is convenient, a stunning landscape that's little more than an hour southeast of the Twin Cities.

Anyone with a free Tuesday night needs to know about the "pizza farm," aka A to Z Produce and Bakery (N2956 Anker Lane, Stockholm, Wis., atozproduceandbakery.com), where owners Robbi Bannen and Ted Fisher channel the considerable bounty of their picturesque farm into wood-fired pizzas of genuine distinction. It's magical. Go.

Stop for breakfast or lunch — and pie, lots of glorious pie — at the weekend-only Homemade Cafe (809 3rd St., Pepin, Wis., 1-612-396-5804, thehomemadecafe.com). Or make a plan for Pepin's landmark Harbor View Cafe (314 1st St. Pepin, Wis., 1-715-442-3893, harborviewpepin.com), where the constantly changing chalkboard menu has been drawing day-trippers for 36 years.

No jaunt down Wisconsin's winding Hwy. 35 is complete without a pit stop at the marvelous Smiling Pelican Bakeshop (W3556 Hwy. 35, Maiden Rock, Wis., 1-715-448-3807). Or the Nelson Cheese Factory (S237 Hwy. 35, Nelson, Wis., 1-715-673-4725, nelsoncheese.com), if only for the inexpensive ice cream cones.

Mention "Lake Pepin" and a food lover's reflexive response is often "Nosh Restaurant & Bar" (310½ S. Washington St., Lake City, Minn., 1-651-345-2425, noshrestaurant.com). With good reason. Chef/owner Greg Jaworski taps neighboring farmers for ingredients and inspiration, and his creative, seasonal cooking more than lives up to his restaurant's spectacular marina location. When making a reservation, be sure to ask for a window table.

The water views are also a major draw at Reads Landing Brewing Co. (70555 202nd St., Reads Landing, Minn., 1-651-560-4777, rlbrewingco.com), but so are brewer Bob Nihart's beers and chef Casey Mehrkens' satisfying pub fare.

Here's a final tip: Skip the restaurants and pack a hamper (or, better yet, order takeout) and head to the breathtaking, bluff-top picnic ground in Frontenac State Park (29223 County Road 28 Blvd., Frontenac, Minn., 1-651-345-3401, mndnr.gov/stateparks). Can't find it? Google Maps probably has it filed under G, for "God's Country."

Rick Nelson • 612-673-4757• @RickNelsonStrib