Paul Lundgren
Best Duluth Restaurant Poll
In a previous poll, PDD readers made it clear there are four restaurants in the Duluth area worthy of consideration for the distinction of “Best Restaurant.” They are: Duluth Grill, Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar, New Scenic Café and Zeitgeist Arts Café. So now it’s time to pick a winner.
[poll id=”45″]
This poll is now closed. The results were:
New Scenic Café — 30.7 percent
Zeitgeist Arts Café — 28.7 percent
Duluth Grill — 25.7 percent
Lake Avenue Restaurant — 14.9 percent
Video Archive: Meet the Bulldogs
In case you were wondering about the 1987 basketball team roster.
PDD’s Best Restaurant Poll
Through the highly scientific method of asking people what they think, we developed a list of 38 nominees for Best Restaurant in the Duluth area. This poll whittles the list down to manageable list of finalists.
[poll id=”44″]
This poll is now closed. The four top restaurants in alphabetical order, are:
Duluth Grill
Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar
New Scenic Café
Zeitgeist Arts Café
What is the best restaurant in the Duluth area? We’re working our way up to a poll.
Next in PDD’s series of restaurant awards is probably the one we should have started with — the grand champion: the best restaurant of them all. We’ll begin this process by taking nominations in the comments to this post.
The criteria is somewhat up to you. In our previous polls there were a limited number of restaurants that could be considered “new” or “breakfast” restaurants, but virtually any restaurant in the territory is eligible to be considered “best.” And whatever makes it “best” is certainly subjective.
We expect people will lean toward fancier operations and consider money no object on this one, but if you truly feel the best restaurant in town is a cheap pancake house or burger joint, we’ll respect that. However, if you nominate a fast-food chain we’ll tell you right now it won’t be on the ballot. So here it is right up front we so can all get a good laugh: “I nominate the West Duluth KFC.” Oh, ha ha ha. Very funny.
Also, we know some of you snobs are dying to rant about how Duluth doesn’t really have any good restaurants because your advanced taste buds can barely survive outside of New York or Marrakech. Shut up.
And, of course, we must 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 and Cloquet are out of bounds.
With all that out of the way, let’s begin. Once the nomination list reaches a satisfactory conclusion, a poll will be posted.
Christine Hoberg — “All This Hate”
Superior native Christine Hoberg has just released this video for “All That Hate” from her new album World Within. The video was produced by Duluth-based Lakefront Films.
Jim Carlson vs. United States of America: How will court rule?
Last Place on Earth store owner Jim Carlson’s trial is scheduled to begin today. He’s accused of 54 55 counts of violating federal drug and regulatory laws. How many of them will stick? Perhaps you’d like to take a lucky guess. There’s a prize involved, so concentrate and read on.
More explanation below, poll question now:
[poll id=”43″]
This poll is now closed.
Following the ruling on the case, everyone who has chosen the correct number will be entered into a drawing for the prize. What is the prize? It’s a little vague, but PDD will buy you something nice at any shop located near the Last Place on Earth. Maybe you’d like a nice lunch at the Chinese Dragon, some copies at Shel-don, some tokens at Fond-du-Luth Casino or a couple Starfire Ales at Tycoons? We’ll figure it out.
Normally we turn off the commenting feature on polls, but this time we are leaving it on, because it could be interesting to get into some discussion about strategy.
It should be noted that there are three other defendants in this case, charged along with Carlson on some of the counts. For the purposes of this poll, we are considering them irrelevant.
Any changes to the ruling on appeal do not apply to this poll/contest.
Also, because this poll was recklessly hatched overnight, we reserve the right to change the rules at any point, should there be something stupid we overlooked.
Below is a copy of the indictment, courtesy of Minnesota Public Radio. Click here to read it bigger.
Duluth 2013 Primary Election Results
With 34 of 34 precincts reporting:
Duluth At-large City Councilor
Four candidates advance to general election; two will be elected
Barb Russ – 3,943 | 35.8%
Zack Filipovich – 3,081 | 28.0%
Ryan Stauber – 2,295 | 20.8%
Ray (Skip) Sandman – 1,175 | 10.7%
Ray Whitledge III – 525 | 4.8%
Duluth At-large School Board
Four candidates advance to general election; two will be elected
Annie Harala – 2,850 | 25.9%
Harry Welty – 2,103 | 19.1%
Nancy Nilsen – 1,948 | 17.7%
Henry L. Banks – 1,835 | 16.7%
Loren Martell – 1,175 | 10.7%
Joshua Bixby – 1,043 | 9.9%
Duluth District One School Board
Two candidates advance to general election; one will be elected
Rosie Loeffler-Kemp – 871 | 54.3%
Joseph Matthes – 454 | 28.3%
Marcia Stromgren – 278 | 17.3%
Duluth District Four School Board
Two candidates advance to general election; one will be elected
David Bolgrien – 463 | 37.6%
Art Johnston – 411 | 33.4%
Justin Perpich – 356 | 28.9%
Duluth banker brings home “what probably are the first amateur motion pictures in color of native and animal life in Africa”
An interesting item from the New York Times, July 07, 1937:
Amateur films jungle in colors: Duluth banker sails today from Paris with rare movies of natives and animals
Laurence O. Anderson of the Northern National Bank of Duluth, Minn., after a month’s holiday in the Belgian Congo, will sail for the United States tomorrow on the Normandle with what probably are the first amateur motion pictures in color of native and animal life in Africa.
How are you liking the Lakewalk extension?
It’s not a long extension, but it’s a vital one, connecting Lakeside to Brighton Beach. It officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today at noon at the 61st Avenue East and bridge section.
Perfect New Restaurant: Pak’s Green Corner
West Duluth had never seen the likes of schnitzel or poutine, much less a pad thai burrito, until Pak Williams converted the former China Station restaurant into Pak’s Green Corner in summer 2012. The friendly and funky little Asian-fusion joint — located across the avenue from a long-shuttered auto lube — was the clear-cut winner of Perfect Duluth Day’s Best New Restaurant poll.
Above: Pak Williams with the fancy Perfect New Restaurant plaque, flanked by cook Hieng Wilaiphan (left) and waitress Vicki Boynton (right).
Pak’s got off to a rocky start following its opening day, when word of the new restaurant leaked out and a positive recommendation on PDD led to a full-house showing up for lunch on day two. With one server out sick and no one around with a strong command of how the cash register or credit-card machine worked, it was a rough day to say the least.
Now, with a full year of working out the kinks behind it, Pak’s Green Corner can claim the title of Duluth’s Perfect New Restaurant, having captured 51.9 percent of the vote. Honorable mentions go out to Tycoons Alehouse and Eatery (second place, 32.5 percent) and 7 West Tap House (third place, 15.6 percent).
The new lower-level of the Duluth Flame Nightclub is now open
What happens on the white couch, stains on the white couch.
Poll: Best New Restaurant in Duluth
A previous poll on PDD narrowed the choices from a baker’s dozen down to the three best new restaurants in the Duluth area — Pak’s Green Corner, 7 West Tap House and Tycoons Alehouse. Now it’s time to determine the champion, so we ask …
[poll id=”42″]
This poll is now closed. The results were …
Pak’s Green Corner – 51.9 percent
Tycoons Alehouse and Eatery – 32.5 percent
7 West Tap House – 15.6 percent
You must be logged in to your Perfect Duluth Day blogging account to vote. If you need to create an account, click here. You can register and login simply with Facebook by clicking here. If you need help figuring it out, click here.
Video Archive: Flipping the bird across Duluth, from east to west, decade to decade
The video above, by Mark Ryan, is a collection of film footage from 1970 of dudes hanging out at the old London Inn and other places in eastern Duluth, flipping off the camera. It first appeared on PDD in 2008.
I brought it back for this post because I just came across some footage I shot in the halls of Denfeld on Oct. 17, 1988, that I hope is of similar quality.
Poll: Best New Restaurant
After some careful analysis, we developed a list of nominees for Best New Restaurant in the Duluth area. Now we ask you to pick your favorite.
[poll id=”41″]
This poll is now closed. The three top finishers, in alphabetical order, were:
Pak’s Green Corner
7 West Tap House
Tycoons Alehouse & Eatery
Video Archive: 1988 Denfeld Hockey
Part of the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament experience is the creation of a cheesy music video highlighting the school and the team. The Hunters did not disappoint with this clip. Yes, there are all the mullets and protruding bangs you would expect, along with plenty of guitar air-jamming.
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Best New Restaurant Nominees
Two weeks ago, we announced Duluth Grill won our poll for Perfect Breakfast Restaurant. Now we’re wondering which restaurant among the newbies you like best.
Before we open the voting, of course, we have to establish a list of nominees. What qualifies as a new restaurant? Well, these are all fairly new:
Shorty’s Pizza and Smoked Meat (Superior; Aug. 2013)
Citys 58th Street Diner (Superior; June 2013)
Canal Park Brewing Co. (Nov. 2012)
7 West Tap House (Oct. 2012)
LeeAnn Chin (Oct. 2012)
Noodles & Company (Sept. 2012)
Pak’s Green Corner (Aug. 2012)
Grizzly’s Wood-fired Grill (Canal Park location; May 2012)
Giant Panda (Feb. 2012)
Oriental House II (Jan. 2012)
Tycoons Alehouse & Eatery (Dec. 2011)
Azteca’s Mexican Grill (Dec. 2011)
Vitta Pizza (June 2011)
What territory are we talking about? Anything in Duluth or 10 miles of its border — so new restaurants in Superior, Hermantown, Proctor and the various bordering townships all qualify; Two Harbors and Cloquet are out of bounds.
So, the only question we’re really asking here: Are there any good nominees we didn’t think to include in the list above?
What does this sign mean?
I realize this might be a dried-up glue-like substance that held some actual sign in place, but I don’t know, maybe this symbol means something to snowmobilers. If not, we might as well make up a meaning for it.
Port City Supply
Duluth’s Cody Paulson has a new photo blog called Port City Supply, which aims to explore Duluth’s curious aesthetic, which Paulson says “falls somewhere between industry and nature.”
Port City Supply on Instagram
Port City Supply on Tumblr
It’s like 50 “Where in Duluth?” posts at once, with some scattered familiar scenery interspersed.
R.I.P. Westminster Presbyterian Church in West Duluth
Westminster Presbyterian Church demolition is underway at 4441 Grand Avenue in West Duluth. The church was a victim of the Historic Summer Solstice Flood Disaster of 2012, when a culvert beneath the building worked its way into the basement and wrecked the place. The city of Duluth bought it as part of its Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program. The church was built in 1961.
Update: In 2015 Westminster’s congregation moved to a new home at 9030 Beaudry St. in Duluth’s lower Smithville neighborhood.