Restaurants
Breakfast in Duluth: Big Daddy’s Burgers
By popular demand, we chose Big Daddy’s Burgers as the next location in our “Breakfast in Duluth” series. Because it’s located next to Arthur’s Formal Wear in the Piedmont Plaza, we considered renting tuxedos so we’d look good while scarfing down our omelets, but unfortunately that wasn’t in the budget, so we kept our regular clothes on and, as usual, looked like a couple of fools. (more…)
Annual Asian Cultural Show: ImaginAsian
Annual Asian Cultural Show: ImaginAsian Hosted by UMD’s Asian Pacific American Student Association. Join us in a night of Asian arts, cultural performance, and delicious Asian cuisine. Admission: $10 (admission includes dinner and a show). For more information, please contact Hli Vang at 218-726-6335 or at vangh@d.umn.edu
UMD Kirby Ballroom
Saturday, April 30th
6:00 p.m.
Duluth Sub Sandwich Shops
Charley’s Subs is opened in the Mall. I always appreciate a new business, even if it’s a franchise. Where is the best sub sandwich in town?
Breakfast in Duluth: Comparing the diners
There are many great places to have breakfast in Duluth, but only a handful fall into the true breakfast diner category. Barrett Chase and Paul Lundgren set out to compare them all and report their findings on Perfect Duluth Day, so readers can admire their astute observations and compliment them publicly, without the briefest passing thought of contradicting any of the information presented.
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Impressed with Lake Ave Café
In light of the awesome weather we had last night my better half and I decided to go for an evening bike ride. We ended up down on that first beach on Park Point and sat there for awhile. When it got pretty dark we headed back and decided to stop at Lake Ave Café.
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Brewhouse Prix Fixe
I always feel odd enjoying the Fitger’s Brewhouse. Nearly everyone under 30 I’ve ever known in Duluth, and some older, has worked for the Brewhouse empire. And empire is not a carelessly chosen word; the success of the Brewhouse, Red Star, Burrito Union and the new expansion into City Hall may be local in origin, but functions in much the same way Wal-Mart does: by grinding through an ample supply of tourism-economy low-wage no-benefit employees. I feel good about eating local; I wish that I felt better about the economic impact of that particular local choice.
That said, there’s a newspaper circulating in the free racks around town talking about how the Brewhouse supports local agriculture, and so I thought I’d give them a chance, again, in prix fixe, as part of the Greater Downtown Council’s Eat Downtown event. I was not disappointed.
The burger was hearty and filling, the fries and onion rings are almost a meal to themselves, and the German chocolate stout cupcake will bring Kate and me back in the future.
Really, really awesome. Whoever designed this Prix Fixe (and gave me a window into the local agriculure connection at the Brewhouse in that newspaper) has brought me back to their table.
Now, if I could buy that cake to bring to work …
R.I.P., Le Bistro
Le Bistro restaurant in the former City/County Complex in Superior will close April 16, a victim of the sluggish economy.
Korean Cuisine in Duluth?
Does anyone know of some authentic Korean cuisine around town? As much as I enjoy the standard Chinese options that are standard in every joint around, I’m hinkerin for a change. I’ll even expand the range to Northern Minnesota if need be. Come on folks, help me out!
Lets keep the ‘grilled-fido’ comments to a minimum, Thanks in advance.
The [Food] Game is Fixed
You have one more week to enjoy Eat Downtown! The Greater Downtown Council-sponsored event, with 19 participating restaurants, is back this year.
The DNT describes the program here.
Kate and I at ate J J Astor — an amazing dinner, including blackberry salad, for me a pressed chicken, for her walleye with grapefruit and bleu cheese salad, for me a chocolate pudding for dessert, for her an orange olive oil cake. Amazing. Also of note: the happy-hour specials at the Astor are at least competitive with other local happy hours. We had never seen the bar added in the remodel before; it (and the whole space) is awesome.
Bellisio’s was awesome both for the company (M., S., and L.) as for the very filling mix of a caprese salad (the highlight of my meal), various pasta dishes, and tasty gelato.
Being a tourist in your own town is sometimes one of the best ways to rediscover your love for it. Try a local restaurant today. And note: some of the restaurants with more modest aims have a “two for twenty” menu in the evenings.
Happy Tet!
A good time was had by all at Saigon Cafe for Vietnamese New Year!
The dinner was served at long tables (a break from the norm), creating a long space in the middle of the restaurant and creating the opportunity to meet new people. And people had come from as far away as Hibbing and Grand Rapids for the feast. Dinner consisted of a wonderful shrimp dish made with fruit, a mixed seafood dish, a beef in a curry sauce, and one of the staples of Vietnamese food, a seasoned meatball (often made of shrimp and pork). Two tasty soups and a salad and a fruit rounded out an excellent buffet-style dinner.
Youngsters played Vietnamese games in the back, and a dragon dance in that newly created space in the middle of the restaurant.
I can’t imagine more fun, and I have a newfound respect for what this small, locally owned business does for our community.
Saigon Cafe Vietnamese Restaurant
114 W. First St.
Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 727-3987
Wild Rice Pizza in Duluth?
Anyone know of a restaurant that sells wild rice pizza? Looking for something like the ones at Sven & Ole’s pizza in Grand Marais. (Wild rice, Canadian bacon, mushrooms, olives, peppers onions). Simple, yet different.
Giant Panda becoming China King Buffet
The Giant Panda restaurant at 215 N. Central Avenue in West Duluth has closed.
No, Amsoil isn’t moving its corporate headquarters into the Spirit Valley Shopping Center. A woman unloading the truck said a new Chinese restaurant, under different ownership, is moving in. She said it will be called China King Buffet and be open in a few days.
The Bombay Sweets – First Fridays at Lake Avenue Café
This Friday, Lake Avenue Café plays host to Minneapolis band the Bombay Sweets as part of its First Fridays series. (more…)
Duluth Meal Deals and Happy Hours
I took a lot of heat from friends for always going to Green Mill for Happy Hour. $5 apps that make me think of college, you know.
But it made me think about meal deals around town for happy hour. What do you got?
1. Green Mill, $5 apps
2. Midi: Is this right? Buy one, get one entrees?
3. Blackwater: $5 pizzas? How big are these pizzas?
4. Thai Krathong: All you can eat Pad Thai Tuesday? Does it include beef/shrimp/chicken?
5. Sammy’s Woodland: All you can eat pizza buffet Tuesdays?
and
1. Lunch at Saigon Cafe, buffet for $5.99?
What else can you add to this list? I want to eat out in new and exciting places this week!
Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steakhouse Reviews
Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steakhouse opened in Duluth’s Burning Tree Plaza shopping mall on Dec. 15. (More info in a previous post “Duluth Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steakhouse,” including the menu.)
Has anybody been up there yet? I’m just trying to get a comparison between this new place and Hanabi. I’d love to hear a review.
Early Bird Music at Chester Creek Cafe with TJ Trio, December 18
Get blown away by the sounds of TJ Trio, Terrol, Jane, and Kyle Keegan on Saturday, Dec. 18, at 6 p.m. Take advantage of $2 off all wine and beer from 5-7 including on tap favorites, Bells Two-Hearted and Surly Furious. Happy Hour appetizer specials all night in the Chester Creek Wine Bar.
Oberstar/Cravaack, Chapter 17
I still have one nagging question that came up during the campaign: “Can you get good Malaysian food anywhere near Duluth?”
Anyone have an answer?
JJ Astor Liked by MNMO blogger & goodie Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
Go Ryan!
Minnesota Monthly review of Duluth’s JJ Astor restaurant:
Room with a View
Kozy Fire: Let’s Do Something Together
Can we put a fundraiser together between now and Sunday? Here is what Chester Creek Cafe will do:
1.) Set up a bank account to receive donations to Kozy residents.
2.) Take the 7pm to 10pm shift for a multiple site benefit – we clean out the “library” room for concert-style seating and prepare a “Spaghetti feed” type meal to be sold for (say) $15 to $20 — all of which will go to the Kozy fund. Any donations of clothing or other stuff will be available for Kozy residents. Kozy residents will also get a free meal that night.
3.) We will give any participating musicians and performers (Fire spinners?) a $15 gift certificate and a free meal.
Can other restaurants take the later shifts – like we all move down to the Brewhouse or Burrito Union at 10pm and then finish up at Luce at midnight?
Those places would offer a similar deal? What do you all think?
Restaurants? Musicians?
Let me know if this is doable.
Coffee with a Lakeview
I have been thinking lately about how much I miss Lakeview Coffee House in Fitgers. It was an awesome spot to spend an hour on a cold, blustery day watching the lake with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. It was pleasant and unrushed.
So, where is a good place to go now with a decent view of the lake where you can get a warm beverage and wile away a couple hours? I’ve tried Va Bene, but it’s a heckuvalot more expensive and they aren’t keen on you lingering. Dunn Bros. lost its lake view after the construction of Edgewater. Thoughts?
Duluth Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steakhouse
Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steakhouse
5115 Burning Tree Road, Duluth
218-727-3222
Another sushi joint will be opening in Duluth, but this one will be the city’s first hibachi restaurant. Work is underway at Burning Tree Plaza in preparation for Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steakhouse.
The Burning Tree Plaza mall, located at 5115 Burning Tree Road in Duluth’s Miller Hill area, is recognized for its anchor stores Best Buy and T.J. Maxx. Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steakhouse will be situated in store #309 of the mall, between Beauty Mart and Regency Beauty Institute, so, theoretically, it should be beautiful.
Owners are Sam Lin, Dan Xu and Lester Teseng.
Great New Restaurant – Clearwater Grille
A few days ago, my wife and I went to check out the new Clearwater Grille, in the old Lakeview Castle building up the north shore (Here’s the map). We always like to get out and see the new restaurants in town, of which there have been a lot over the past several years.
We were both very happily surprised when we got there. The new owners of the Clearwater Grille have done a lot of work and the bar and dining room are very nicely redone compared to the state they had fallen into over the past few years at this iconic building. The bar looks great; very classy. They replaced the nasty carpet with oak hardwood. It’s all been painted of course and there are new tables and chairs. They whole atmosphere is elegant without being pretentious, which some of the recent north shore restaurant additions are leaning toward. But I enjoy them also when I’m in the mood. This place is more approachable.
Duluth-area gluten-free options
I just discovered Bulldog Pizza has added some great gluten-free options! Pizza, appetizers, sandwiches, and salads. So now people who are gluten sensitive have an even wider array of places to go.