When the Dells' steady stream of family-oriented restaurants has taken you to your mac-and-cheese limit, take a break at the High Rock, a streetfront cafe justifiably known as one of the best restaurants in town. In the old part of downtown, the upscale restaurant is operated by a pair of local buddies who spent years on culinary travels around the country before returning home to open their place. The cafe, which features a modern look and two levels of dining, focuses on innovative dishes using local ingredients.

The chefs, for example, pick a seasonal item, such as peaches or berries, that stars in dishes—sweet to savory—across the menu for a month. On the regular menu, the pot stickers ($9) served over greens with a sweet chili marmalade make an excellent lunch for light appetites. Another of our favorites: the Soprano sandwich ($10) featuring sauteed garlic shrimp with bacon, Swiss and tomato-basil mayo.