Restaurants
The Rise and Fall of the Red Herring (the old Rocket Bar)
Regarding the Rocket Bar renovation:
Well, folks, far-be-it from me to talk the talk and not walk the walk, but when a few hundred thousand greenbacks comprise the difference between the “talk” and the “walk,” well, shucks … it was a good run. (more…)
Duluth Grill Rain Garden/Orchard
We (the Duluth Grill) are looking at tearing up part of our back parking lot (we won’t lose any parking spaces, we’ll just manipulate placement a little) and putting in a 140-foot-long, 12-foot-wide, six-foot-high rain garden/orchard. If you want to get on our e-mail list send a request to likeahenway [at] hotmail [dot] com.
Fix One, Another Shows Up
At this point, we may need someone named “Martini” to open their own chain of bars in order to make this trend legit.
Merch Madness
Kate and I walked downtown for Merch Madness and we found some friendly shopkeepers, some great deals, and some yummy food. (more…)
Cooking on the Car returns
Duluth’s finest cooking show continues as Dan Dresser and Jason Wussow make beer cheese soup and black bean dip on the manifold of their car on the way to Washburn using techniques they’ve honed on their many road trips around the country. (more…)
Brewhouse Cattle
[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.]
Jason Davis was in Duluth for his “On the Road” series to find out more about the connection between a brewery and a farm.
Chipotle coming to the Twin Ports! (?)
I have it on decent authority that work is being done right now to bring four or five Chipotle restaurants to the Twin Ports area. My source says that one of the stores is destined for Cloquet and the rest are going to be in Duluth/Superior.
I won’t get too excited until the doors open, but I think many will agree that this is a long time coming for this area. No more trips south just to get a burrito (yes, I’ve done that).
Sambo’s Restaurant
Recently discovered in my parents’ basement is this wooden coin from the old Sambo’s Restaurant, which was located where the Miller Hill Mall Perkins is today. Sambo’s was a chain with more than 1,000 locations during its heyday in the 1970s, according to the Wikipedia entry. (more…)
Vietnamese Lotus Inn closing
The Vietnamese Lotus Inn will close on Saturday, Feb. 2. It almost lasted 10 years, having opened at 1314 Commonwealth Ave. in the summer of 2003.
The old Zippys Pizza Express
I was asked recently via e-mail what the name was of the pizza joint at 1830 E. Eighth St. before it was Vintage Italian Pizza (as seen in the modern photo above).
Since I spent no time at all in that neighborhood in my youth, I looked it up. (more…)
Takk for Maten closing
From the Takk for Maten Cafe Facebook page:
It is with great disappointment that I am closing Takk for Maten Cafe. It has been 4 1/2 years since I opened the cafe in the Sons of Norway building and 3 1/2 years since we opened in the Tech Village. The exact date has yet to be determined, but I should know within a day or two.
Many friends have walked through our doors and we leave with so many wonderful memories. We will truly miss all of you. Thank you for your kindness, support and patronage. If we don’t see you again before we close, we hope our paths will cross again soon. If you have any questions or comments, please send us a message.
Klem, Sandy, Bente and all the Trolls ♥
24-hour eats?
My sister just notified me that the Perkins on London Road is no longer open 24 hours! The choices for all-night study sessions someplace other than a dorm room seem to be dwindling. Does anyone have suggestions for someplace that is open all night? Do we even have any 24-hour restaurants left in Duluth?!?
Z’s Deli
I am hearing that Z’s Deli is going to reopen in the location that was vacated by Jalapeno Express. Anyone else hear that?
New Minnesota Cookbook
Does anyone remember Joe Huie’s Cafe and his incredible fried shrimp? I’m finding more and more interest in Joe and the Huie family history, and over the years I’ve searched for his “secret recipe” that I remember as a kid (so many claimed to have it, but of course no one did). Just today in searching yet again for any recipe that may be similar I came across this book from an article in the Duluth Herald.
It just came out in October and there are a large number of great reviews about it, but best it includes Joe Huie’s famous fried shrimp recipe, another family member’s recipe(s) (I haven’t ordered it yet so I’m not sure how many) and a lot of other well-known Asian restaurant recipes from over the years, plus a history of how the Asian influence changed Minnesota. I can’t wait to get it!
Last year in searching I came across a Joe Huie’s Cafe menu on eBay, in brand new condition. The seller lives in California and I live in Vermont, but we are both originally from Duluth. What a small world, and it was so cool to “talk” about the old days. Joe Huie’s is one of those iconic memories that brings me back to when I was a kid on Lake Superior. Great times.
Duluth Coffee Company
Downtown Duluth has recently been bestowed with a new coffee cafe and roasterie on Superior Street. Located at 105 E. Superior St., Duluth Coffee Company is founded by owner and roaster, Eric Faust, whose passion for coffee is obvious upon walking into the elongated cavernous space. For the unprepared, all your senses will be hit with coffee at its finest.
(more…)
Canal Park Brewing Co. Reviews
Does anyone know if the new brewery is open yet?
Duluth-area Restaurants Serving Thanksgiving Dinner: 2012 Edition
Based on grabbing information from previous posts on this subject rather than actually performing due diligence and calling the restaurants to confirm, here’s this year’s list:
Buffalo House (Midway Township)
Captain Barker’s Restaurant & Lounge (Superior)
Black Woods (Duluth, Proctor, Two Harbors)
Dreamland Supper Club (South Range)
Dry Dock Bar & Restaurant (Midway Township)
Foster’s Sports Bar & Grill (Hermantown)
JJ Astor (Duluth)
Ledge Rock Grille (Larsmont)
Midi Restaurant (Duluth)
Old Town Bar & Restaurant in Superior
Pickwick (Duluth)
The Shack Smokehouse & Grille (Superior)
Upper Deck Restaurant (Superior)
And, of course, there’s always a free Thanksgiving dinner at the DECC.
Anyone with further information, additions or corrections to this list may, as always, comment on this post or e-mail factcheck @ perfectduluthday.com.
Un Taco Mas: “We are still here”
Hello Duluthians, I am Rosalinda, owner of Un Taco Mas — the taco trailer mentioned in a PDD post last month. We would like to say thank you to all who came out and tried our food. We would like to apologize for it taking longer to re-open than we expected. We ran into some financial problems and we are working hard to get it up and running again. We will have a bigger menu, so please keep your eyes open and look for us. Again we thank you for your support and look forward to serving you again!
Growler Magazine Contest
Hey Duluthians! Growler Magazine just nominated Fitger’s Brewhouse for “Best Brewpub” in Minnesota.
Would you vote for us? Everyone else up for the vote is from the Twin Cities and it would be great to make a strong Duluth showing!
Awning Edit
When did this happen? The riot of apostrophe errors on the Sir Ben’s awnings is gone. Here’s how they look now. (more…)
Brewhouse at Great American Beer Festival
Big congrats to the Fitger’s Brewhouse for winning a medal at the GABF 2012. Fitger’s Framboise took the bronze in the American-style Sour Ale category. I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure it’s fantastic.
Rosie’s Taco Trailer in Duluth Heights
I never post anything here, but I felt it was my civic duty to inform the PDD community about Un Taco Mas by Rosie, a taco trailer in the parking lot of Old World Meats. Rosie is from San Antonio, Texas, and makes the best taco I have had in Duluth. I had one carne asada and one carne quisada. She made the flour tortillas fresh while I waited, the filling was amazing. She has a full breakfast menu as well, she is there from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. It is on the corner of Basswood Avenue and Central Entrance. The place is very much worth the visit.
7 West Tap House: Photos, Menu, Reviews
7 West Tap House
7 W. Superior St., Duluth (more…)
What do Duluthians want?
The DNT article about Rod Raymond and Tim Nelson’s purchase of Endion Station said this:
Raymond said he will take advice from anyone wanting to chime in on the finer points of his business plan.
“What do Duluthians want?” he said. “What do tourists want?”
So, what do you want?
Tops on my list would be a bakery that sells artisan bread and really good coffee. With outdoor seating.
What do you want?
Update on New Stuff
Noodles & Company opened at the Miller Hill Mall yesterday, according to Business North.
Shake It, the new nutritional protein shake and juice bar in West Duluth (at the former Spirit Bottle Shoppe) will open Sunday if I remember correctly what the sign by the door indicated today.
Carmody 61, the new bar/restaurant in Two Harbors that is taking over the former Viking Legends opens on Oct. 1, according to co-owner Rick Boo.
7 West Tap House, Minnesota Wine Exchange and Canal Park Brewing are all potential late October openings, according to word on the street. (We haven’t mentioned Minnesota Wine Exchange on this site before. The location will be 3 W. Superior St., the owners are Brent Johanson and Debra Fellman, and the place will have a rotating selection of Minnesota wines.)