Among the roughly four-dozen albums released by Duluth-area musicians in the past 12 months, 19 received mention in our call for nominations for Best Local Album of 2013. So now we attempt to identify the strongest in the field and ask you, dear reader …
What was the best local album of 2013?
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This poll is now closed. These six albums advance to the final poll.
Cars & Trucks – Theatre Stardusk
Christoph Bruhn – Weekends on the Frontier
Tim Kaiser – Microphone Obscura
Low – The Invisible Way
Southwire – Southwire
Ryan Van Slooten – Victory March
Oh, isn’t it just so typical to ask a question like this at the end of the year? Well, with something like four-dozen albums released by local musicians in 2013 it’s hard to keep up. Someone has to inform the general public of what’s essential. And that someone is you. Let your preferences be known in the comments.
For half a century, Sammy’s Pizza dominated the local Italian pie scene with its trademark thin crust and tasty sauce. Pizza Lucé came along in 2001 and shook things up with unusual toppings and a funky vibe. These days, however, Thirsty Pagan Brewing has won over pizza connoisseurs in the Twin Ports with its deep-dish pies, loaded with Wisconsin cheese. The TPB was the clear winner in PDD’s best pizza restaurant poll.
There is no shortage of great burger joints in the Duluth area, but the undisputed king of them all for the past three decades has been the Anchor Bar. Among the other dozen nominees in Perfect Duluth Day’s poll, only the Fitger’s Brewhouse pulled a significant chunk of the vote. When the two went head to head, the Anchor took 61 percent, and the Brewhouse took 39.
Duluth was a late adopter to sushi. Although sumptuous vinegared rice rolls showed up as a special menu item at a few places around town in prior decades, it wasn’t until 2006 that Zen House opened on the city’s border, technically in Hermantown, and became the first consistent, daily sushi source. Zen House added a second location in Downtown Duluth in 2009, but Hanabi Japanese Cuisine opened at the start of 2010, immediately becoming Duluth’s sushi king. It’s also the best Asian restaurant in town, having garnered 36.6 percent of the vote in Perfect Duluth Day’s poll.
Duluth doesn’t have an exclusively vegetarian restaurant, but there are a number of places that go out of their way to cater to the non-carniverous. Among them, At Sara’s Table / Chester Creek Café and Duluth Grill stood out in Perfect Duluth Day’s polling, and in the head-to-head matchup Duluth Grill came out on top with 64.2 percent of the vote. It is Duluth’s best restaurant among vegetarians.
Duluthians complain about their Mexican restaurants almost as much as they complain about the weather. The cuisinal affective disorder is prevalent enough that Perfect Duluth Day was compelled to include a “none are worthy” option in its poll to determine the best Mexican restaurant. When the voting was complete, however, one enterprise was worthy: Mexico Lindo.
Mary Kay and Jim Berarducci run a tiny Italian restaurant overlooking a massive lake. The combination of cozy atmosphere, magnificent view and delicious cuisine is no accident; “va bene” is Italian for “it goes well.” Readers of Perfect Duluth Day agree it does, indeed, go well. In a poll they chose Va Bene Caffé as Duluth’s best Italian restaurant.
The menu includes antipasta appetizers, pizza, panini, gnocchi, pasta, fish, steak, soups and salads. Many items, such as the sauces, dressings and breads, are made from scratch with imported Italian products.
In the top four categories below, an elimination round was held to determine the finalists. In the last two, the number of nominees was short enough to skip an elimination round.
Anchor Bar — 61.3 percent
Fitger’s Brewhouse — 38.7 percent
Which restaurant serves the best Asian food?
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This poll is closed. The results were:
Hanabi Japanese Cuisine — 36.6 percent
Pak’s Green Corner — 25.4 percent
Taste of Saigon — 22.5 percent
Sala Thai Restaurant — 15.5 percent
Which restaurant has the best vegetarian food?
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This poll is closed. The results were:
Duluth Grill — 64.3 percent
At Sara’s Table / Chester Creek Café — 35.7 percent
Which restaurant serves the best Mexican food?
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This poll is closed. The results were:
Mexico Lindo — 29.5 percent
None are worthy — 25.6 percent
Azteca’s Mexican Grill — 19.2 percent
Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant — 14.1 percent
Little Angie’s Cantina and Grill — 6.4 percent
Maya Family Mexican Restaurant — 5.1 percent
Which restaurant serves the best Italian food?
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This poll is closed. The results were:
Va Bene Caffé — 40 percent
Bellisio’s Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar — 18.8 percent
Valentini’s Vicino Lago — 18.8 percent
Gannucci’s Italian Market — 17.6 percent
Green Mill — 4.7 percent
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 …
What is the best Duluth-area restaurant for vegetarians?
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This poll is now closed. The restaurants advancing to the final round are At Sara’s Table / Chester Creek Café and Duluth Grill.
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