Harbor View Cafe — Restaurant in Pepin

We have been coming down a couple times a year for a decade or more. I usually never write reviews unless the place deserves a great boost, or things have changed. Harbor View has changed, and as you see with my star review, it is not going in the right direction. I know they have new ownership and I hope they read their reviews so they can right the ship. For now they have slipped back into the "just an average place" but the prices have not slipped down with everything else.

3:00 Saturday. Enter to put our name in. The host snapped that it would be AT LEAST 45 MINUTES when we gave our name and said, how long today (if it's a long wait, we grab a glass of wine) think soup guy on Seinfeld not basket of bunnies.

Service: Waitress was distracted, asked if we had questions and then said are you ready. Took our oder and started to run away and I had to stop her to take our drink orders - 2 - Terrazza Malbec ($9 each) middle of the road Malbec which was not to punchy and had a smooth finish. (wine 4 out of 5).

Food review: Salad or soup, it was chilly we both went for the Cream of Tomato Soup. Soup should have been called Onion tomato soup with extra onions. One cup of soup was presented with at least a half onion per cup. You could not get away from the onion. It became a game to slowly sink our spoon into the broth to try and only get the cream of tomato. When we were done extracting the soup from the onions we showed each other our cups and laughed - half full of onions. Tomato broth was good, but not overly creamy. (2 out of 5). Just a miss.

Mains: Halibut ($40) came with a black butter caper sauce. The butter caper sauce was by far the heaviest black butter caper sauce I had ever tasted - probably too heavy for a robust steak. The Halibut was previously frozen and overcooked to the point of dryness, rice was eh. (2 out of 5), for a total miss.

Lasagna ($17) and for that price might be the best option on the menu. Fairly large piece (think large enchilada shape and size) Tomato sauce had sun-dried tomato chunks (sauce 4 out of 5). Description said made with house beef tenderloin - it was pork and ground chuck with I'm guessing a couple tiny scraps of tenderloin ground in, I appreciate their marketing attempt though, filling (3 out of 5). Combine them and we get a (3.5 out of 5).

Dessert: We had seen enough, we'll pass.

They take your card at the table with an ipad, the waitress (the distracted one) promptly rang us up with the tab for the table next to us, took another 10 minutes to figure that out. When she came back, I had 2 separate charges that totaled our bill. I'll check my bank account and see where that goes and update you. Service (2 out of 5).

Will we be back when we drive down the river road next year, not a chance, two misses in a row this year, it's time for a new destination restaurant - maybe we'll try again in...

A group of friends from Minneapolis gathered excitedly at the Harbor View Cafe, a beloved restaurant they had been frequenting for over three decades. With fond memories of delicious meals and warm ambiance, they anticipated another delightful evening of fine dining. However, upon perusing the menu, they were taken aback by the drastic changes that had occurred.

The menu, once filled with familiar and comforting dishes, now boasted a selection that seemed to belong to another era. It was as if the restaurant had undergone a culinary revolution, introducing bold and unconventional flavors. One particular salmon dish, served with wild rice, caught their attention. It was accompanied by a curry sauce, a fusion of flavors that seemed out of place in the context of their cherished memories.

Curiosity got the better of them, and they decided to give it a try. As the dish arrived at the table, the aroma of the curry sauce wafted through the air, piquing their senses. However, the first taste was met with mixed reactions. The combination of the delicate salmon, the earthy wild rice, and the unexpected curry sauce created a flavor profile that was undeniably unique but not entirely to their liking.

Despite their disappointment, the group of friends reminisced about the countless meals they had enjoyed at the Harbor View Cafe over the years. They chuckled at the unexpected twist and found solace in the fact that change is an inevitable part of life. While this particular visit may have left them with a taste of uncertainty, they remained grateful for the cherished memories and the enduring bond they shared.

Leaving the restaurant that evening, they couldn't help but wonder what other surprises the future might hold for their beloved Harbor View Cafe. This no longer may be a summer monthly ritual trip. I have never given this restaurant less than 5...

This review is my opinion. All here are based on my perceptions, beliefs, and observations. In other words, these are legally unrebuttable statements.

I believe this place is deceptive. I believe they project an image of wholesome foods made from scratch. I believe they bank on the buzzword of 'local'.

I do not believe Sysco foods is remotely synonymous with the concept of sustainable stewardship, or humanely treated farm animals. Not local, not fresh, not pure, and no respect for the Most High Source Field's (God of gods, energy that moves thru all things, the ALL, the Great Mystery, The Infinite) very simple​ natural laws designed to regulate this dimension for the benefit of all it's inhabitants :(

But hey, if potentially supporting the midevil torture devices standard for hog rearing which neither allow the sow (allegedly smarter than, or as intelligent as your dog) turn around, lay down, or groom herself. You want that on your karmic debt?

Even if you are a Christian, the Bible still commands you to steward the earth. And literally says, they who destroy the Earth, themselves will be destroyed..

Lastly, the goy in the suit commented to me when I answered his inquiry as to what I was doing with these photos, "that's vicious".

Naturally he would think this is an attempt at slighting the restaurant. I don't care about your stupid restaurant, and I wouldn't be posting this info if it was meant to cease and allay the suffering of farm animals who are trapped, and cannot express their torment, or when they do, it goes unanswered. Until the suffering of every other life form on the planet is felt as deeply as if it were your own, or that of someone you actually * do regard*, not one of us in this realm will know...