Northwoods nostalgia at River’s Edge Pub & Grub, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

In a town that caters to tourists as much as Wisconsin Dells, Wis., sometimes it’s not easy to find the places the locals go when they want to dine out.  Fortunately, on our most recent trip to the Dells, Punky and I followed the Lake Delton shoreline from our resort to a place with a charming exterior that also happened to be one of the most popular hangouts for Wisconsin Dells residents.

Welcome to the River’s Edge Pub & Grub. 

Making the best of a weekend at Baker’s Sunset Bay Resort, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

This is in some ways a story of a Wisconsin getaway that didn’t go quite as planned.  Punky and I had intended to take the Kiddo back to Wisconsin Dells for a long weekend of tourist trap fun combined with some much-needed rest and relaxation.  My job was to secure the lodging, which meant finding something family friendly that wasn’t loud or overcrowded.  Those megaresorts near the interstate and along the main highways were off limits.  But so was anything Punky or the Kiddo might have deemed too rustic. 

My Google mapping eventually led me to focus on the area surrounding Lake Delton south of town.  There, on the lake’s south shore, I chose Baker’s Sunset Bay Resort. 

A commoner dines at Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern, Monroe, Wis.

I wasn’t sure a place existed that could be the perfect representation of Wisconsin life, but then I traveled through Monroe, Wis., one weekend on the way to Wisconsin Dells.  There, by a stroke of luck (and a desire to find a good lunch spot), Punky and I found ourselves on the town’s historic downtown square, and there it was in all its glory ...

... Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern.  Yes, a cheese store and a tavern, in one place.  Surely, you won’t find a better Wisconsin experience than that.  We knew we had to check it out.