It’s been six years since I posted my first list of the best riverside dining along the Upper Mississippi River. It’s time for an update, especially since a few places on the first list have closed, and new places have opened. A reminder about how I select places: the restaurant must have a good
The first time I walked in the door of the Third Street Deli in Pepin, Wisconsin, Judith, the owner/chef, looked up from the grill and said “Ooh, a handsome stranger just walked in.” I was a little hung over—honestly, I was very hung over from a late night exploring the downtown bars in La Crosse—and
Every small town once had a hotel/restaurant like the Bagley Hotel. Opened in 1913 (happy 100th birthday!) as the Park Hotel, the restaurant is a friendly place with a bar that has changed little in the past 100 years; the patty melts are good enough to make you glad you stopped. If you decide to
Third Street Deli; Pepin, WI Pepin, Wisconsin may be known as the home of one particularly famous restaurant, but if you haven't stopped in at the Third Street Deli to dine with Chef Judith, your visit is incomplete. With an emphasis on fresh ingredients and preparation, you can dine on omelets with seasonal
Shemwell's BBQ; Cairo, IL Cairo, Illinois has been through some tough times, but through it all, Shemwell's Barbecue, now run by the fourth generation of the family, has continued to put out good barbecue for a reasonable price. The sweet smell of smoking meat fills the small, no-frills interior that feels like a
I made my first visit to the Clarksville Station Restaurant at Overlook Farm a couple of weeks ago and sure wish I'd been stopping there more often: dishes made from fresh, seasonal ingredients (locally sourced) that are prepared by a creative chef plus a casual but elegant dining room and a serene patio. Can't go
