Restaurants in Menomonie

Dozens of deluxe rooms roost within Afton House Inn's historic walls, where guests relax amid antique furniture and sate hungers in onsite restaurants. The beneficiaries of thoughtful renovations, deluxe rooms feature en suite jacuzzis, gas fireplaces, TVs, and balconies that overlook the St. Croix river, home to passing cruises and vacationing albatrosses. Antiques and oriental rugs lend each room its own distinctive charm, whereas downstairs, Current Restaurant embraces modernity. Fresh, locally sourced ingredients conspire in seafood-centric entrees and small plates on an approachable menu. Diners sample gluten-free pan-seared scallops with baby bok choy under gilded ruby-red ceiling lights while debating Heidegger’s theory on ordering dessert before dinner.

Sometimes, you’d rather just enjoy a view of the fairways than be on them. That’s why the staff at Danny’s Bar & Grill welcomes guests to sit on their expansive patio, which gives them clear views of the green. The patio features an outdoor fire pit where guests can keep warm on cool nights as they wait for plates of chef Bohnert’s Guinness-braised short ribs or mahi mahi encrusted with macadamia nuts. When patio weather is over, guests can still hang out by the indoor fireplace in the dining room where a slew of high-definition TVs showcase golf matches and, if the golf match turns out right, golf fights. On weekend evenings, live bands entertain in the dining room.

Charlie's Restaurant & Charlie’s Irish Pub and Water Street Inn, which was originally built in the late 19th century as the Lumber Exchange Building, aims to preserve the legacy of the area's industrial pioneers with its faithful restoration of the building's Victorian architecture and artwork. Intricately carved wooden trim and filigree wallpaper run throughout the 41 rooms, and the lobby's original tin ceiling reflects glints of lamplight after being covered in layers of plaster for decades.

In the on-site Irish Pub, barkeeps set pint glasses onto a handcrafted wooden bar that once stood as the counter in the building's original post office. The elaborate dining room hosts breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus with a full list of award-winning, international wines. High ceilings and ornate dining sets in the banquet room add a dash of elegance to wedding dinners. A patio with views of the river makes an inspiring stage for traditional wedding activities such as bobbing for cake.

The youngest of nine children, Luna Rossa’s owner and chef, Raffaele Virgillo, grew up at his mother’s side, studying her every move as she cooked in the kitchen of their small cottage in southern Italy. Emigrating to the United States in the 1970s, Virgillo put the culinary skills and magical Italian incantations he learned from his mother to use here in the States. He settled in the Twin Cities, where he cooked his way through four restaurants before opening the original Buona Sera, and eventually, Luna Rossa. There, he works alongside his daughter, Anna, son-in-law, Jesse, and grandson, Vinny, serving a menu of Italian-inspired cuisine within a rustic eatery near Stillwater’s historic limestone caves.

The sound of Laura Provenzano calling out "Mangia, mangia!" would send her children running to the table, their stomachs growling in anticipation of the hearty Italian feast ahead. Today, her great-grandchildren carry on the family tradition at Provenzano's Ristorante, where they whip up a menu of the family's classic Italian dishes infused with a few tasty American additions. Within the restaurant's warm, spacious dining room, glasses of Italian wine meet with plates of pasta and pizzas, along with American-style burgers with Italian flourishes, such as shaved prosciutto. Come Sunday, a lengthy brunch buffet stretches across the floor, simmering with platters of freshly made selections.