News and Current Affairs
Lakewalk Galley in Canal Park officially opens Friday
Crabby Ol’ Bill’s is no longer crabby … or Bill’s. The landlocked food boat in Canal Park will officially reopen Friday, June 22, under new ownership and with a new name. Justin Steinbach of Vista Fleet is the new owner and Derek Snyder of Lake Ave Restaurant is running it. They have renamed the establishment Lakewalk Galley by Lake Ave Restaurant. (more…)
Freighter American Spirit runs aground near Aerial Lift Bridge
Photo by Mark Nicklawske
The Aerial Lift Bridge is closed to ship traffic after a 1,004-foot freighter ran aground in the Duluth harbor around 3:30 p.m. today. (more…)
Copper Crow Distillery open near Bayfield
The Arrowhead region’s supply of hooch expanded in April when Copper Crow Distillery opened on the Red Cliff Reservation about four miles north of Bayfield. It joins Vikre Distillery in Duluth as the area’s only makers of alcoholic spirits. (more…)
Toppers Pizza open in Duluth’s East Hillside
Toppers Pizza – Photo by Lissa Maki
Duluth’s East Hillside just got a bit cheesier. Toppers Pizza is holding a soft opening today and tomorrow. At the shop’s grand opening on Saturday it will give 50 people free pizza for a year. (more…)
Kickapoo Coffee will replace Big Water in Bayfield
Business North reports that Kickapoo Coffee will open this summer at 117 Rittenhouse Ave. in Bayfield. It’s the former location of Big Water Coffee Roasters, which closed the coffee shop last fall and slowly wound down coffee roasting operations in the following months. (more…)
Bubble Tea Company of Duluth open in Miller Hill Mall
Duluth has a Taiwanese pearl-milk tea shop. Fox 21 reports that Bubble Tea Company of Duluth opened in May at the Miller Hill Mall in the former Teavana location. (more…)
Duluth City Council has an open seat; here’s how to fill it
Duluth City Council President Elissa Hansen announced last month she will vacate her at-large council position on July 17 to focus on her new job as president and CEO of the Northspan Group. Hansen began her at-large term in 2016; her replacement will be expected to hold the position until January 2020.
Applications for appointment to Hansen’s soon-to-be-open at-large council seat are available in the city clerk’s office and online at duluthmn.gov.
Completed applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 9. Applicants will be interviewed by the council on Thursday, July 12, following the regular agenda session.
The process for filling the vacated seat was established by City Council Resolution 18-0471R, adopted by the Duluth City Council on June 11.
Corktown Deli & Brews and Love Creamery will open June 13
Two new eateries, next door to each other at 1906 and 1908 W. Superior St. in Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, will officially open full hours on Wednesday, June 13. (more…)
Duluth Experience launches Lincoln Park Craft District tour
Lincoln Park Craft District Tour – Photo by Lissa Maki
The buzz around Duluth’s burgeoning Lincoln Park Craft District continues. Now the neighborhood has its own walking tour, where people can learn more about the area and some of the key entrepreneurs driving its growth.
The Duluth Experience developed the tour. The company, now in its fifth year, also provides including biking, brewery and kayak tours. Knowledgeable guides lead the Duluth-centric outings, which include interesting tidbits about the city as well as historical context. (more…)
Harbor Lookout: Duluth Port Ship Tracking
There’s a new website for those who like watching the ships roll in and then watching them roll away again. Saturn Systems, a Duluth-based software engineering firm, recently launched a shipping tracker at harborlookout.com. The site lists arrival and departure times and displays a map with icons showing ship locations.
Duluth News Tribune: New maritime website unveiled in Duluth
Pak’s Green Corner in Superior opens June 1
Pak Williams – Photo by Lissa Maki
The wait is nearly over for Twin Ports Thai food fanatics. After a three-year hiatus from the restaurant business, Kamolpak (Pak) Williams will reopen Pak’s Green Corner in a new Superior location on June 1. (more…)
Morgan Park coffee shop returning as Letica’s Iron Mug
Morgan Park’s only restaurant and beverage purveyor closed on May 25 after nearly four years in business. On June 9 it will reopen under new ownership. The Duluth News Tribune reports Mike Letica is the new proprietor of the Iron Mug. Johnny Northfield will manage the business. Building owner Paul Johnson, who founded the coffee shop, is a silent partner.
The DNT notes Letica plans to steer away from the Iron Mug’s previous food focus, pizza, and is instead planning inexpensive options like Taco Tuesday and 99-cent ice cream cones.
Interior designer expands into historic Lake Avenue building
Isola Design and Mavis Furniture principal and owner Jill Isola Johnson, holding her dog Pepper, stands with Assistant Designer Mireille Kidd, left, and intern Kyla Schulte in the new office furniture showroom.
An interior designer responsible for cutting-edge urban commercial properties like the Whole Foods Co-op and Canal Park Brewery is opening a new office furniture showroom in a historic Downtown Duluth building. (more…)
PDD Quiz: May 2018 in Review
As we continue our giddy march toward summer, let’s look back at the headlines from May 2018. Test your current events knowledge with this month’s quiz!
The next Perfect Duluth Day Quiz will review PDD lore and legend in honor of the blog’s 15th birthday. It will be published on June 10. Email question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by June 7. (more…)
Conceptual designs for new WWI Memorial in West Duluth
Duluth’s Parks and Recreation division has been working with community members to gather ideas for a new World War I memorial to be built in Memorial Park in West Duluth. After surveying the public and hosting public discussions, the city’s consultant has drafted three conceptual designs based on submitted feedback and is once again seeking public input on three concepts. (more…)
Lincoln Park Café opening at former Randy’s location
If all proceeds as planned, Lincoln Park Café could open in the former Randy’s Café location as soon as next week.
Mike Delich said he hopes to have everything in order by then to open the rebranded diner at 2125 W. Superior St. in Duluth. He has owned the building for 35 years and ran the restaurant for 10 years when it was called 21st Delight. (more…)
Opening in June: Corktown Deli and Brews
Jeff Petcoff and Conor Maki – Photo by Lissa Maki
Corktown Deli and Brews is busy prepping for an early June opening. The fast-casual eatery in Duluth’s Lincoln Park Craft District is inspired by the iconic sandwich traditions of New York City. (more…)
Fitger’s Brewhouse wrangles beer distribution arrangement
Fitger’s Brewhouse owner Rod Raymond told Fox 21 News this week he is handing his company’s beer recipes over to his son, who will establish a separate enterprise to produce the products for distribution statewide. Brewhouse beers sold at Fitger’s Brewhouse and other establishments owned by parent company Just Take Action will continue to be brewed separately at Fitger’s as always.
Beau Raymond’s new entity will be called Bold Brewing and will sell the Duluth Brewhouse brand through the Duluth distribution company Bernick’s to liquor stores and restaurants. Fitger’s Brewhouse has been unable to legally distribute its product or produce more than 3,500 barrels per year because it is considered a brewpub under state law. (more…)
North Tower Stout wins bronze at World Beer Cup
The beards were polished and groomed at Music City Center in Nashville, Tenn. last week. Earth Rider Brewery of Superior claimed a bronze award in the 2018 World Beer Cup, a global beer competition that evaluates beers from around the world.
Awards were given in 101 beer-style categories. Earth Rider award was in the Oatmeal Stout category for its North Tower Stout, an ale with malty accents of chocolate, coffee and dark fruit balanced with a restrained hop presence. (more…)
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Refinery
On April 26 at the Husky Energy Oil Refinery in Superior, public safety officials responding to a series of petroleum explosions that rocked the area were also concerned a tank holding 78,000 lbs. of hydrogen fluoride was going to explode. Being unfamiliar with this substance, perhaps as many of you were, I was compelled to explore the many wonders and uses of hydrogen fluoride. (more…)
Duluth on CBS Sunday Morning: “Bringing our towns back to life”
Duluth was featured prominently in a CBS Sunday Morning story today. Correspondent Lee Cowan visited Bent Paddle, Loll/Epicurean and Cirrus. (more…)
Island Lake Inn back in business with original owner
After four months of locked doors, the Island Lake Inn is back open for business, under new management. The well-known bar and grill, located about 12 miles north of Duluth in the Gnesen Township, announced its return Monday on Facebook. (more…)
Irving Park renovation work starts next week
Construction is ready to begin at Irving Park in West Duluth. A news release from the city’s Parks and Recreation division specifies May 7 as the date KTM Paving, Inc. will launch the first phase of a $1.1-million revitalization plan. (more…)
Joint Ops: Why Minnesota has two pro-marijuana parties
Minnesota taxpayers might have wondered, while gazing at the State Election Campaign Fund portion of form M1, why there are two political parties dedicated to marijuana legalization. Is there some subset of beliefs that divide the parties to the point where they can’t work together? Does one party want cannabis legalized in a different way than the other?
The answer is neither. (more…)
Iron Mug closing May 25
Iron Mug Coffee and Ale House in Duluth’s Morgan Park neighborhood will close May 25 according to a post made on the business’ Facebook page today:
As most of you know we have decided to make the hard decision to close our wonderful restaurant. We have enjoyed getting to know the wonderful people in Morgan Park as well as all the people that drove out to check our place out. I’m so glad that I got to witness and be part of all the new friendships that developed here because that really was what this place was all about. Again thank you for all the support these last four years.