Road trip: Old-time fun in Lake Geneva
No hard sell is required to get people to flock to Lake Geneva, Wis., this time of year, said Naomi Waxman in Eater. Though closer to Milwaukee, the resort town has been an especially popular retreat for Chicagoans for well over a century, which explains why you pass a fair number of stately mansions if you walk the public path that circles the 8-mile-long lake. “From upscale steaks to lakeside fish fries,” the dining often has a throwback feel, too.
Hunt Club Steakhouse This decade-old restaurant, located in a 106-year-old mansion on the grounds of the Geneva National golf resort, “easily ranks among the top spots for a fancy night out in Lake Geneva.” Dark pine paneling and a stone fireplace set the mood, and the kitchen has it easy. After all, “it’s difficult to go wrong with rib eyes, fillets, and strips sourced from family farms in Wisconsin and Iowa.” 555 Hunt Club Court
Mars Resort “Supper clubs are a staple of Wisconsin dining,” and Mars, a club that’s celebrating its 100th anniversary, “puts its own spin on the genre.” Located on Lake Como, Geneva’s smaller sibling, it features a fish fry two nights a week, barbecue rib racks always, a signature Old Fashioned, and a beach bar that opens daily at 11 a.m. W4098 S. Shore Drive
The Grandview Restaurant Floor-to-ceiling windows and a prime location on a bluff make this upscale spot the place to go to catch “gorgeous, romantic sunsets over Lake Geneva.” Steaks, chops, and seafood off the grill are the main events on the menu. N2009 S. Lake Shore Drive