Paul Lundgren
Poll: Best Restaurant for Vegetarians
There are no strictly vegetarian restaurants in the Duluth area, but there are a few that go out of their way to provide good vegetarian options on their menus. Which ones are the best? That’s for you to decide. So we ask …
[poll id=”52″]
This poll is now closed. The restaurants advancing to the final round are At Sara’s Table / Chester Creek Café and Duluth Grill.
Facebook and Twitter Login on PDD
There were problems this week with the WordPress plugin that allows PDD users to log in via Facebook. In geek speak: “Facebook changed its API login procedures, which broke the plugin.”
We have a new plugin running now, so, if you are the sort to log in via Facebook instead of creating a PDD account the old fashioned way, please give it a try and let us know if you have problems. The new plugin also allows logins through Twitter. (If you are not logged in you can click either social icon below to launch. If you are logged in, you won’t see icons below.)
[oa_social_login]
A few polls opened this week that those of you who log in with Facebook had been excluded from until now. They are still open, so there’s still time for that.
Note: Logging in will not allow you to purchase health insurance from Perfect Duluth Day.
A little early with his Halloween jokes
Duluth News Tribune cartoon by R. D. Handy from 100 years ago — Oct. 23, 1913.
Poll: Best Asian Food in the Duluth Area
The nominations are in; now it’s time to pick the finalists.
[poll id=”50″]
This poll is now closed. The restaurants advancing to the final round are Hanabi Japanese Cuisine, Pak’s Green Corner, Taste of Saigon and Sala Thai.
Poll: Best Burgers in the Duluth Area
Let the elimination round begin.
[poll id=”49″]
This poll is now closed. The restaurants advancing to the final round are the Anchor Bar and Fitger’s Brewhouse.
Poll: Best Pizza in the Duluth Area
The nominations are in, and it’s time to whittle down the options. So we ask …
[poll id=”48″]
This poll is now closed. The restaurants advancing to the final round are Pizza Lucé, Sammy’s Pizza, Thirsty Pagan Brewing and Vintage Italian Pizza.
Perfect Lunch Restaurant: Northern Waters Smokehaus
When it comes to lunch in Duluth, the sandwich is king. Not one pizza place, burger joint or Asian restaurant managed to crack the top four in Perfect Duluth Day’s poll to determine the best lunch restaurants. Furthermore, the place with the best sandwiches in town, Northern Waters Smokehaus, smoked the competition. A solid majority of 55.4 percent of voters agreed Northern Waters is the best mid-day meal around.
Clearly the deliciousness is no secret — there’s almost always a noon-hour line at Northern Waters.
Southwire picked to click
City Pages selected Duluth band Southwire as one of the groups “picked to click” in 2013. Minneapolis hip-hop artist Lizzo was picked #1. Southwire came in at #8.
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PDD Awards: The Next Six
We’re going to accelerate the process of the PDD Awards IndexPDD Awards and conclude the Food & Drink category before the end of the month, then take a break so you can focus on political voting.
The next six categories to be voted on will be:
- Best Pizza Restaurant
- Best Burger Restaurant
- Best Asian Restaurant
- Best Italian Restaurant
- Best Mexican Restaurant
- Best Vegetarian Restaurant
So spout out your nominees for all six categories in the comments here, and we’ll start the voting when it seems like you’re about done.
Duluth Little Free Library Guide
It’s been more than a year since the first post on Perfect Duluth Day about Little Free Libraries, and the trend seems to be growing. So now it’s time to update the list and include some photos to show what’s out there.
Little Free Libraries, of course, are boxes full of books where anyone may stop by and pick some up or drop some off.
(As usual, click on these photos to see them larger.)
997 84th Ave. W. (Morgan Park neighborhood)
Steve & Janelle Schoenbauer, Stewards #2336
16 E. Seventh St. (Central Hillside neighborhood)
Colin Engstrom, Steward #8416
1612 E. Skyline Parkway (East Hillside neighborhood)
John Pastor, Steward #2278 (more…)
Best Lunch in the Duluth Area
Our previous poll tells us the top four lunch restaurants in Duluth are: How Sweet it is Cakes Deli, Northern Waters Smokehaus, Red Mug Coffeehouse and Bake Shop and Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake. Now it’s time to pick a winner, so again we ask …
[poll id=”47″]
This poll is now closed. The results are:
Northern Waters Smokehaus — 55.4 percent
How Sweet it is Cakes Deli — 21.5 percent
Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake — 13.9 percent
Red Mug Coffeehouse and Bake Shop — 9.2 percent
Mitch’s & Grill
Is there a more slapped together billboard in Duluth?
R.I.P. Joe Gomer
Joe Gomer, Minnesota’s last surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen, has died at 93.
Statement from Mayor Ness:
Duluth lost a national hero with the passing of Joe Gomer, one of the few remaining Tuskegee Airmen who served in WWII. Joe and his family moved to Duluth in 1963 and have been an integral part of our community ever since. While we mourn, we can also take comfort in knowing that he received the recognition he rightly deserved. Joe was able to witness the unveiling of a life-sized statue at the Duluth International Airport. The Joe Gomer Monument will forever serve as a reminder of Joe’s vast contributions to our community and country.
Duluth News Tribune: Legendary Tuskegee Airman Joe Gomer of Duluth dies
Best Duluth Lunch Poll
Earlier this week, PDD asked where the best lunch is in Duluth. We got 31 different answers. Now it’s time to see which of those answers hold weight. It’s time to roll out the fancy polling tool.
[poll id=”46″]
This poll is now closed. Four restaurants move on to the finals:
How Sweet it is Cakes
Northern Waters Smokehaus
Red Mug Coffeehouse and Bake Shop
Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake
Best Restaurant for Lunch
Next up in the series of polls for the <PDD Awards Index>PDD Awards, we will determine the best lunch restaurant in the Duluth area. We’re taking nominations in the comments to this post, then a poll will follow, as usual.
For some of you, the ideal lunch is the place that kicks out the fastest, cheapest grub. Others might prefer a slow-pace escape from the daily grind. Either notion is fine, but the majority vote will decide what is best.
Once again, we define our territory: Any restaurant in Duluth or 10 miles of its border is eligible. So establishments in Superior, Hermantown, Proctor and the various bordering townships all qualify; Two Harbors, Cloquet and farther away municipalities are out of bounds.
Perfect Restaurant: New Scenic Café
You have to leave Duluth to get to its best restaurant. The New Scenic Café is located about three miles beyond the city’s northeastern border, in Duluth Township — roughly a 20-minute drive from the center of the Zenith City. It’s a drive Duluthians and tourists alike have been happy to take repeatedly during the 14 years since chef Scott Graden and his aunt Rita Bergstedt opened their contemporary American restaurant.
Above: New Scenic Owner Scott Graden
The location on the scenic North Shore Drive is a big part of the allure, but what’s so new about this 14-year-old café? The menu, that’s what. It’s always new, changing with the seasons. Today one might try the seared duck breast or ratatouille lasagna, while six months ago the lamb meatloaf was the temptation of the moment.
Sure, it’s the kind of place ham-and-eggers will make fun of, scoffing at the prices and snickering at the notion of an “heirloom” tomato, but it’s hard to be the best restaurant in the area without a hint of snootiness. At least it’s a North Shore brand of foodie snootiness, where your flannel shirt and/or socks with sandals will fit in just fine.
Props must go out to the runners up in this poll, because the voting was close. New Scenic edged out Zeitgeist Arts Café by two percentage points, and Zeitgeist edged out Duluth Grill by three percentage points. A bit behind the top three, but still pulling nearly 15 percent of the vote, was Lake Avenue Restaurant & Bar.
Duluth Playhouse Centennial Season
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7G8i6dVbxs
The Duluth Playhouse is celebrating its 100th season in 2013-’14.
East & West Duluth (September Holga)
Video by Eric Fryc.
The Nonchalant Jaunt and other 2003 stuff
The Perfect Duluth Day Archives for September 2003 feature a number of posts about the Nonchalant Jaunt, an event in which seven hearty PDDers walked the length of Duluth, from the Wabegon Supper Club in the Superior Township to the Lakeview Castle in the Duluth Township.
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A “Noteworthy” call for poetry submissions
The Duluth Poet Laureate Committee is seeking submissions of poetry for a collaborative project entitled Noteworthy. Twelve area composers/songwriters will each select a poem to serve as the inspiration for an original piece of music. There will be a performance of the readings and the music in May 2014.
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Three reminders of Duluth along the Delmar Loop in Missouri
Playing at the Tivoli Theatre: In a World…, based on Duluth native Don LaFontaine.
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