The Harbor View Cafe

Rick and I had a very busy weekend with not one, but two weddings to attend. Andrea and Nick had a beautiful wedding on Friday night, with both ceremony and reception held in the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul. And in Winona on Saturday, Amanda and Jesse hosted a blast of a reception following a formal Irish-themed ceremony.

On our way home yesterday, we decided to drive on the Wisconsin side and stop off in Pepin at The Harbor View Cafe, a restaurant I have been wanting to try. The Cafe boasts an excellent reputation and is repeatedly voted as one of the best "destination" restaurants in Twin Cities magazines. Pepin's main street is right on the water, so the restaurant has a great view of the river. The setting inside is charming and almost cabin-like, with wood floors and furniture and checked cotton tableclothes. You get the feeling that you should be wearing a wool sweater and sitting down to a plate of pancakes drenched in pure maple syrup.

Instead, the chalkboard menu on the wall lists off entrees and prices you wouldn't expect in such a small Wisconsin town. But don't be disheartened, the food is excellent and just as good, if not better, than that in many city restaurants. Also, portion sizes are hearty and entree prices include soup or salad.

Rick and I both began our meals with a cup of squash soup. It was light, thinner than other squash soups I have had, and very flavorful. For his entree, Rick had the Organic Atlantic Salmon baked in parchment with ginger sauce and dill ($27). This came with wild rice, very fresh green beans, cranberries and more ginger sauce. The different flavors melded together beautifully and that ginger sauce was sinfully tasty. I overheard other patrons wishing out loud for the recipe. I ordered the Braised Pork Shank with basil balsamic sauce ($18). This was served with mashed root vegetables, kale, peppers and tomatoes. The pork was fall-off-the-bone tender (as braised meat should be) and packed with flavor. The piquant basil balsamic sauce was lovely with the meat and as a sort of gravy for the root vegetables.

For dessert, I had a piece of the cranberry apple pie ala mode. ($6). Normally I don't order pie at restaurants, as I am extremely preferential to my mom's pies. But I was intrigued by the addition of cranberries to an apple pie. I was thrilled with the taste, as the cranberries added a welcome tanginess to the sweetness of the apples and the cinnamon & sugar-dusted crust.

I would recommend The Harbor View Cafe to anyone and I am so glad that despite being very tired, we decided to stop. A cozy setting, a breathtaking view and excellent food make for a wonderful restaurant. Also, when we walked in the door, I immediately recognized two women from my friend Dena's wedding the previous weekend. Turns out, they were Dena's aunt and cousin. So it was fun to make that connection, what a small world!

Obviously, I took pictures of our food at The Harbor View, something I typically don't do at restaurants. But it was quiet when we were there and I was able to be very discreet. I'm really not sure of the proper etiquette involving this, perhaps some of you have thoughts...