For our money, there is no better way to enjoy fall colors than while sitting in a cozy eatery in the middle of a forest, sipping hot coffee and enjoying a hearty breakfast.
Wait. Scratch that. The best way is luxuriating in a rustic shoreline supper club, sipping a cocktail and waiting for your fish fry or steak to be served.
You can do it all. Just head north.
But hurry — fall colors are one of those fleeting natural pleasures, and peak colors might be popping in the northern half of the state right now. As of Sept. 19, many northern Wisconsin observers were reporting about 20% color, and last year peak came in the second week of October , according to reports.
No idea where to go? Here are five restaurant suggestions that serve great food with sides of scenery and atmosphere.
The Delta Diner is a woodsy, out-of-the-way destination eatery
Located about 25 miles southwest of Ashland, the Delta Diner is the destination for foodies across the region. It's a unique place, located at 14385 Bayfield County H, on property that was once the home of the Delta Store, which served people who lived around the town of Delta, according to the diner's website. The building itself is a classic, authentic East Coast diner, refurbished and moved to the Northwoods. People who love to eat flock to the place, especially after Delta Diner was featured on TV shows such as "Wisconsin Foodie" and Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."
The location of the Delta Diner, though, might be the best thing about it. It's on the way to nowhere, which is a terrific place to go when you are rambling around looking at fall colors. The diner is nestled among the lakes, trees, campgrounds and resorts of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, a landscape that becomes a kaleidoscope of color during peak fall season.
The diner is open for breakfast and lunch, and its fall hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. More information at deltadiner.com .
Hill of Beans Restaurant offers food, coziness near Wisconsin's highest point
The Hill of Beans Restaurant is part of High Point Village, a Northwoods property that also offers rental cabins and a wedding and party venue at the foot of Timm's Hill , the highest point in Wisconsin. Timm's Hill is a top-notch fall destination, featuring a must-do lookout tower where one can gaze over a fall landscape that stretches out like a colorful, lumpy quilt. After climbing the tower and maybe taking a hike or bike through the woods, Hill of Beans beckons with comfort food, hot drinks and a cozy atmosphere.
Hill of Beans is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, when it serves breakfast and lunch fare. The eatery is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, when it offers dinner options from 4 p.m. to closing, with a menu of fish dinners, soups and salads. The restaurant is at W3075 Price County RR, Ogema. More information at highpointvillage.com .
Atmosphere is part of the draw at Wissota High Shores Supper Club
The walls of windows at the Wissota High Shores Supper Club add luster to an impressive menu. High Shores is on the edge of Lake Wissota near Chippewa Falls. The lake, according to the supper club's website, was created in 1917 when the Wisconsin-Minnesota Light and Power Company built a hydroelectric dam on the Chippewa River. Nearly 20 years later, the first iteration of High Shores opened as Donnelly's Steak House. Brian and Kim Wogernese purchased the supper club in 2021. They both are natives of Chippewa Falls, according to the website, and had eaten at the supper club since they were young, then bringing their own kids there to eat and enjoy the ambiance.
Supper club fare is the speciality: the menu includes fish fries, smoked prime rib dinners and steaks. The restaurant's hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; and 4 to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Its address is 17985 Chippewa County X, Chippewa Falls. More information at wissotahighshores.com .
Find 'relaxed elegance' on Patricia Lake at Norwood Pines Supper Club
Make sure you get to Norwood Pines Supper Club early in the season for peak colors and before it closes for a fall break from Oct. 26 through Dec. 2. Norwood Pines says it "delivers the relaxed elegance of one of Northern Wisconsin's oldest and finest supper clubs."
It certainly has a prime location for fall colors, offering views of Patricia Lake, which is about 4 miles west of Minocqua at 10171 State Highway 70. If it's warm enough, diners can enjoy their meals on a screened porch. Too frigid for outside dining? There's a cozy fireplace. The supper club's specialties include filet portabella, barbecue ribs and seafood dinners.
Hours are 5 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 4:30 to 10 p.m. Fridays and 5 to 10 p.m. Saturdays. More information at norwoodpines.com .
Take in pristine lake views at Maiden Lake Supper Club in Mountain
It bills itself as "the ultimate supper club" experience on its website. It's a bold claim, but many extol the virtues of the Maiden Lake Supper Club, located on Maiden Lake at 15649 Maiden Lake Road, Mountain. Maiden Lake has been serving up food with a view for more than 30 years. Specialties include hand-breaded walleye, gorgonzola tenderloin and chicken ultimate. "I would drive a thousand miles for the perch at Maiden Lake Supper Club," wrote Chelsey Lewis of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Maiden Lake's location makes it all better. Tree-lined Maiden Lake's water is rated "very clear" by the state Department of Natural Resources , and it's part of northeastern Wisconsin's Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Get to the supper club at sunset, and enjoy a drink on the outdoor cocktail deck as the sun goes down. The restaurant opens at 4 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. More information at maidenlakesupperclub.com .
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: 5 Northwoods Wisconsin restaurants with peak fall color views, from supper clubs to diners
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