Paul Lundgren
Best Duluth Lunch Poll
Earlier this week, PDD asked where the best lunch is in Duluth. We got 31 different answers. Now it’s time to see which of those answers hold weight. It’s time to roll out the fancy polling tool.
[poll id=”46″]
This poll is now closed. Four restaurants move on to the finals:
How Sweet it is Cakes
Northern Waters Smokehaus
Red Mug Coffeehouse and Bake Shop
Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake
Best Restaurant for Lunch
Next up in the series of polls for the <PDD Awards Index>PDD Awards, we will determine the best lunch restaurant in the Duluth area. We’re taking nominations in the comments to this post, then a poll will follow, as usual.
For some of you, the ideal lunch is the place that kicks out the fastest, cheapest grub. Others might prefer a slow-pace escape from the daily grind. Either notion is fine, but the majority vote will decide what is best.
Once again, we 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, Cloquet and farther away municipalities are out of bounds.
Perfect Restaurant: New Scenic Café
You have to leave Duluth to get to its best restaurant. The New Scenic Café is located about three miles beyond the city’s northeastern border, in Duluth Township — roughly a 20-minute drive from the center of the Zenith City. It’s a drive Duluthians and tourists alike have been happy to take repeatedly during the 14 years since chef Scott Graden and his aunt Rita Bergstedt opened their contemporary American restaurant.
Above: New Scenic Owner Scott Graden
The location on the scenic North Shore Drive is a big part of the allure, but what’s so new about this 14-year-old café? The menu, that’s what. It’s always new, changing with the seasons. Today one might try the seared duck breast or ratatouille lasagna, while six months ago the lamb meatloaf was the temptation of the moment.
Sure, it’s the kind of place ham-and-eggers will make fun of, scoffing at the prices and snickering at the notion of an “heirloom” tomato, but it’s hard to be the best restaurant in the area without a hint of snootiness. At least it’s a North Shore brand of foodie snootiness, where your flannel shirt and/or socks with sandals will fit in just fine.
Props must go out to the runners up in this poll, because the voting was close. New Scenic edged out Zeitgeist Arts Café by two percentage points, and Zeitgeist edged out Duluth Grill by three percentage points. A bit behind the top three, but still pulling nearly 15 percent of the vote, was Lake Avenue Restaurant & Bar.
Duluth Playhouse Centennial Season
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7G8i6dVbxs
The Duluth Playhouse is celebrating its 100th season in 2013-’14.
East & West Duluth (September Holga)
Video by Eric Fryc.
The Nonchalant Jaunt and other 2003 stuff
The Perfect Duluth Day Archives for September 2003 feature a number of posts about the Nonchalant Jaunt, an event in which seven hearty PDDers walked the length of Duluth, from the Wabegon Supper Club in the Superior Township to the Lakeview Castle in the Duluth Township.
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A “Noteworthy” call for poetry submissions
The Duluth Poet Laureate Committee is seeking submissions of poetry for a collaborative project entitled Noteworthy. Twelve area composers/songwriters will each select a poem to serve as the inspiration for an original piece of music. There will be a performance of the readings and the music in May 2014.
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Three reminders of Duluth along the Delmar Loop in Missouri
Playing at the Tivoli Theatre: In a World…, based on Duluth native Don LaFontaine.
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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).