Restaurants
Postcard from Bloomer’s Drive-in
Bloomer’s Drive-in was a roadside restaurant in Duluth, located near the ore docks and Wade Stadium. It opened in 1955, operated by Walter Bloomer and his younger brother Robert. It was sold in 1960. (more…)
Round-up Bar and Grill plans new patio space
Round-up Bar and Grill owner Mike Ronning stands outside the site of a new side patio. Landscaping, furniture, games and a small stage will be built on the site of the former Fine Frog Emporium. (Photo by Mark Nicklawske)
A longstanding Duluth bar known for its family-owned roots and connection to country music will add a new outdoor patio after an adjacent antique store was condemned and torn down earlier this year.
The Round-up Bar and Grill, 415 E. Fourth St., will construct space for outdoor dining and bar service along with a small stage on the east side of its building this summer. Fencing and signage have already been assembled and final landscaping work, lighting and furniture installation is expected to take place in the next few weeks. (more…)
The Social House in Canal Park is open
The Social House, a casual restaurant in Duluth’s Canal Park district, held a soft opening over the weekend and officially opened this morning. The location is the former Famous Dave’s at 355 S. Lake Ave. (more…)
Northern Waters Smokehaus moving to Amazing Grace spot
Northern Waters Smokehaus To Move Into Former Amazing Grace Café Space
Fox 21 is reporting that Northern Waters Smokehaus will move its business from the main level of the DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace into the basement-level space formerly occupied by Amazing Grace Grocery and Café.
Duluth Grill group plans new Lincoln Park burger bar
The Duluth Grill Family Restaurant Group will take over operations at the former Coach’s Bar and Grill, 2113 W. Superior St. The new restaurant will be called Burger Paradox. (Photos by Mark Nicklawske).
A popular Lincoln Park restaurant group is adding another bar and grill to its neighborhood food empire.
Duluth Grill Family of Restaurants co-owner Tom Hanson said this week his organization has secured a 10-year lease on the longtime home of Mitch’s Bar and Grill, 2113 W. Superior St. The site was most recently home to the short-lived Coach’s Bar & Grill. (more…)
Many new Duluth-area restaurants kept it in the family in 2022
Twin Ports food fans gained some favorable new restaurant options in 2022 — from high-end dining to downhome comfort food, tacos and the return of an old classic. (more…)
Miller Hill Mall Perkins leads list of 2022 restaurant closings
The Miller Hill Mall Perkins closed in March after 37 years of service. The national chain still operates at two other Duluth sites. (Photo by Mark Nicklawske)
Restaurants come and go all the time but some seem like they will be around forever. The Miller Hill Mall Perkins is a perfect example. The naugahyde booths, chrome-plated tables, gigantic breakfast menu and sweet pies made each visit feel like the one before — like eating in a time machine that would never end.
But then it did end. (more…)
Postcard from the Lakeview Castle circa the 1940s
Lakeview Castle, 5135 North Shore Drive in Duluth Township, got its start circa 1914 as a fish stand and coffee shop, eventually growing into a restaurant, lounge and motel.
It ceased operation at the end of 2009 and the Clearwater Grille opened there in the fall of 2010.
Duluth Grill makes big Lincoln Park land moves
Duluth Grill Family of Restaurants co-owner Tom Hanson stands atop OMC Smokehouse. The former Kemps Dairy property and new parking lot are in the background. (Photos by Mark Nicklawske)
A popular Duluth restaurant group has acquired the largest piece of open land in the Lincoln Park business district and plans to build apartments, a parking garage and new street-level business space on the property — similar to plans announced by its previous owner.
The purchase is part of several big land moves revolving around the Duluth Grill Family of Restaurants. (more…)
Lincoln Park trades print shop for restaurant, tea and spices
JS Print Group moved into the Lincoln Park neighborhood about five years ago. The business then outgrew the location at 1927 W. Superior St. and moved this summer to a larger facility in the Central Hillside.
(Photos by Mark Nicklawske)
A fast-growing print shop has moved out of Lincoln Park for a bigger building and plans are in the works for two new businesses — including an Indonesian restaurant — to take over the prime Superior Street location. (more…)
Northland Larder serving up cured meats on Duluth’s waterfront
New among Duluth’s food trucks and trailers this summer is Northland Larder. The “immobile mobile food trailer” is parked near the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center between the Vista Fleet and the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Minnesota Slip into Canal Park. It features a shaded dining area, synthetic turf and Loll furniture. (more…)
Canal Park restaurant expands into Island Lake landmark
An investment group has purchased the former Boondocks saloon & grill and drive in on the south side of Island Lake. Investment group spokesperson Andrew Knutson, right, said the group plans to revitalize the roadside business district. Lake Ave Restaurant and Bar owner Derek Snyder, center, will take over food operations and Luke Anderson, left, has been named head chef at the new location. (Photo by Mark Nicklawske)
A popular Canal Park eatery started serving smash burgers and ice cream at a historic drive-in this summer while work is underway to expand operations at the site and create a new destination restaurant just south of Island Lake. (more…)
Corktown Deli and Brews moving to 27th Avenue West
Fox 21 reports that Corktown Deli and Brews will change its location in early 2023. The business opened in 2018 at 1906 W. Superior St. Co-owner Jeff Petcoff told Fox 21 more space is needed, so Corktown will move about three quarters of a mile southwest to 102 S. 27th Ave. W.
Parent company Arrowstar Hospitality Partners purchased the former Duluth Stove and Fireplace building in May. It is adjacent to the Duluth Grill, another restaurant under Arrowstar’s umbrella.
Tacos aplenty as new Duluth-area restaurants open
Hungry Hippie Tacos opened at the end of May in the former Westside Pet Clinic location at 1810 W. Superior St. in Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Photo by Jayden Erie
An array of new restaurants are taking root around Duluth, and tacos continue to be the trend. April and May saw two new taquerias open in Duluth, along with a full-service Mexican restaurant in Superior. At least three more enterprises offering Mexican cuisine are coming later this year.
From authentic Mexican dishes to experimental frybread creations, from taqueria to taco truck, here’s a summer guide of new spots to try. (more…)
Radisson restaurant and bar rebranding
JJ Astor, Bowery Bros. to be rebranded by Minneapolis restaurateur - Duluth News Tribune | News, weather, and sports from Duluth, Minnesota
The Radisson's rotating restaurant will become The Apostle supper club and piano lounge this spring. When that restaurant's rebranding is finished, the first-floor Bowery Bros. Pub will become the False Eyedoll retro Tiki bar.
duluthnewstribune.com
The Duluth News Tribune reports the Radisson Hotel Duluth-Harborview is rebranding its top-floor rotating restaurant and its ground-floor drinking establishment. The restaurant will become the Apostle supper club and piano lounge; the bar will become the False Eyedoll retro Tiki bar.
Matchbooks from Superior-area Restaurants and Bars
One year ago Perfect Duluth Day published a collection of “Matchbooks from Duluth Restaurants and Bars.” Now we honor the neighboring city of Superior, and the rest of northwestern Wisconsin, with a collection of matchbooks from Superior-area restaurants and bars. (more…)
New restaurants abound in Duluth/Superior; trend is tacos
Aaron Maloney and Alex Giuliani prepare tacos in July during a popup preview of their future Canal Park restaurant, Chachos Taqueria. Image via Facebook
Though 2021 was another year punctuated by pandemic problems, new Duluth-area restaurants proliferated. The Twin Ports gained more than a dozen restaurants, as seasoned and fresh-faced entrepreneurs alike took the leap to open eateries. (more…)
Among 2021 restaurant closures were two of Guy Fieri’s favorites
Television personality Guy Fieri poses outside Shorty’s Pizza and Smoked Meats with members of the restaurant’s staff. Fieri visited four restaurants in the Twin Ports area in 2014 — Shorty’s, Gannucci’s Italian Market, Pak’s Green Corner and the Kounty Quarthouse. All four have since closed.
The effect of COVID-19 on the restaurant industry is tricky to quantify, but in the Duluth area there is one noticeably positive trend. More new eateries are opening than existing ones are closing.
While the ongoing pandemic played a role in pushing some eateries that were in trouble over the edge, in most cases other factors were at play. At the top of the list of closings in 2021 were three family-owned ethnic restaurants. (more…)
Postcard from the Wilbert in Cotton, 1961
The Wilbert Café was founded in 1922. This postcard bears the year 1961. The modern day version of the Wilbert is located at 9105 Highway 53 in Cotton — about 30 miles northwest of Duluth.
The Duluth News Tribune profiled the Wilbert in 2018, noting it “gets its name from its original owners, combining the first names of William Lyman and Bert Robinson. In 1941, John (Tobie) Lackner took over management after William Lyman’s death, and Tobie and his wife, Ann, went on to establish the famed Tobies Restaurant and Bakery in Hinckley, Minn. … The current Wilbert was rebuilt in 1991, and it was purchased in 2004 by longtime employee Sandy Simek and her husband, Steve.”
Postcard from the Lakeview Castle
Lakeview Castle, 5135 North Shore Drive in Duluth Township, got its start circa 1914 as a fish stand and coffee shop, eventually growing into a restaurant, lounge and motel. It ceased operation at the end of 2009 and the Clearwater Grille opened there in the fall of 2010. (more…)
German restaurant in Miller Hill area circa the 1960s
What was the name of the German restaurant located on Miller Trunk Highway in the 1960s?
R.I.P. Gannucci’s Italian Market
Gannucci's to close, liquidate all business items - Duluth News Tribune | News, weather, and sports from Duluth, Minnesota
The West Duluth deli and Italian market was established in the mid-1970s as Conito's Italian Village, and was renamed in 2011.
duluthnewstribune.com
The Duluth News Tribune reports Gannucci’s Italian Market in West Duluth is closed and a liquidation auction will be held Aug. 25.
Duluth-area food truck scene expands
The U.S. food truck industry is now a $1.2 billion market. Duluth-area food truck options have grown steadily since the city’s first mobile restaurants hit the streets in 2012. That summer there were four mobile eateries. Now there are at least 15. (more…)
Superior Waffles opens July 27 on Tower Avenue
A sweet and savory waffle bar opens in Superior next week. Superior Waffles, located in the New York Building at 1412 Tower Ave., is holding a soft opening on Sunday and a grand opening on Tuesday. (more…)
Ride or Die Pizzeria open in Superior
Superior couple builds legacy with fresh ingredients at Ride or Die Pizzeria - Superior Telegram | News, weather, sports from Superior Wisconsin
Terry and Dawn Johnson hope to leave the new business to their children one day.
superiortelegram.com
The Superior Telegram reports a new pizzeria has opened in Superior. Terry and Dawn Johnson are the proprietors of Ride or Die Pizzeria at 1623 Broadway St., the former home of Thirsty Pagan Brewing, which moved to new location a block away in 2019.
The Johnsons also own Lee’s Pizza in Duluth’s Lincoln Park Craft District.