Restaurants

Beijing Restaurant closing

Beijing Restaurant‘s last day will be Sunday, July 28, according to the big guy at the counter. He said the owners are going to take a year or two off before launching another restaurant.

Hacienda del Sol: When will it return?

I miss the Hacienda. I mean, I really miss it. I just want a basket of its chips, some salsa, a beer, and a cheesy something or another. When oh when will it come back?

Good Asian Food in Duluth

My friend from Chicago is visiting. We used to go to the Lotus Inn. Where should we go now?

Vietnamese Lantern Review

I know this a Duluth blog, but I wanted to get the word out about the Vietnamese Lantern in Two Harbors. I ate there last night and it blew my socks off. The food was amazing!
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Minnesota Wine Exchange Review

I spent last Friday evening at the Minnesota Wine Exchange for the first time.  It is a fantastic place to enjoy Minnesota wines and beers right in the center of Downtown Duluth (Lake Ave & Superior St.).  If you’re interested in sampling wines, you can purchase a “flight” consisting of three glasses, each filled 1/3 full with a different wine for the reasonable price of $5. 

If you’re hungry, there are appetizers and sandwiches which I plan on trying some day soon when I go there for lunch. If you want to relax and enjoy conversation with friends, this is the place to go. Background music for listening with local art exhibited on two levels for viewing. The  paintings of the late John Peyton are currently being displayed.

This is a locally owned business selling Minnesota products which is a win-win situation. If you haven’t been there, I would encourage you to try it. The day I went there was a perfect Duluth day indeed!

Un Taco Mas is coming back!!!

Hello Duluthians, this is Rosalinda, owner of Un Taco Mas. I would like to thank all of you who keep asking and looking for us. I am sorry to say that it is taking longer than we thought to reopen. Due to certain circumstances we have not been able to get our trailer up to code. Apologizes to all. I am happy to say that we are still able to supply you with our great authentic Tex-mex food.
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Duluth Food Trucks and Carts 2013 Rundown

chow-haul-food-truck-duluth

How many mobile restaurants are there in Duluth? What do you think of them? Let’s crowdsource a list. Below are the only ones I know of. I’ll add more to the list when you, the people, make them known.

Chow Haul – Burgers, wontons, nachos, etc.

D’s Dogs – Hot dogs

The King of Creams – Ice cream

Mrs. Delicious – Ice cream

The Rambler – Paninis, pot roast, pulled pork, etc.

Un Taco Mas by Rosie – The trailer isn’t up to code yet, but food is being made in Superior and delivered.

Is that Oriental food truck that used to be on Central Entrance still around?

Superiorites and Pizza Lovers

I’ve asked a few friends and associates about this with unsatisfactory results, so I thought I’d throw it out there for the PDD community to mull over.

In the early 90s (1990-1993), I remember going to a pizza place in Superior, but I can’t remember what it was called. Here’s what I remember about it:

  • It was open late at night.
  • It was kind of grimy and dark inside.
  • It offered a large variety of toppings. For example, I remember getting shrimp and cashews a few times. I think they also offered sauerkraut as a topping.
  • I don’t think it was a chain.

Does anyone remember a restaurant like that?

The Rise and Fall of the Red Herring (the old Rocket Bar)

Regarding the Rocket Bar renovation:

Well, folks, far-be-it from me to talk the talk and not walk the walk, but when a few hundred thousand greenbacks comprise the difference between the “talk” and the “walk,” well, shucks … it was a good run. (more…)

Duluth Grill Rain Garden/Orchard

We (the Duluth Grill) are looking at tearing up part of our back parking lot (we won’t lose any parking spaces, we’ll just manipulate placement a little) and putting in a 140-foot-long, 12-foot-wide, six-foot-high rain garden/orchard. If you want to get on our e-mail list send a request to likeahenway [at] hotmail [dot] com.

Fix One, Another Shows Up

At this point, we may need someone named “Martini” to open their own chain of bars in order to make this trend legit.

Merch Madness

Kate and I walked downtown for Merch Madness and we found some friendly shopkeepers, some great deals, and some yummy food. (more…)

Cooking on the Car returns

Duluth’s finest cooking show continues as Dan Dresser and Jason Wussow make beer cheese soup and black bean dip on the manifold of their car on the way to Washburn using techniques they’ve honed on their many road trips around the country. (more…)

Brewhouse Cattle

[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.]

Jason Davis was in Duluth for his “On the Road” series to find out more about the connection between a brewery and a farm.

Chipotle coming to the Twin Ports! (?)

I have it on decent authority that work is being done right now to bring four or five Chipotle restaurants to the Twin Ports area. My source says that one of the stores is destined for Cloquet and the rest are going to be in Duluth/Superior.

I won’t get too excited until the doors open, but I think many will agree that this is a long time coming for this area. No more trips south just to get a burrito (yes, I’ve done that).

Sambo’s Restaurant

Recently discovered in my parents’ basement is this wooden coin from the old Sambo’s Restaurant, which was located where the Miller Hill Mall Perkins is today. Sambo’s was a chain with more than 1,000 locations during its heyday in the 1970s, according to the Wikipedia entry. (more…)

Vietnamese Lotus Inn closing

The Vietnamese Lotus Inn will close on Saturday, Feb. 2. It almost lasted 10 years, having opened at 1314 Commonwealth Ave. in the summer of 2003.

The old Zippys Pizza Express

Vintage-Itatian-Pizza-Duluth

I was asked recently via e-mail what the name was of the pizza joint at 1830 E. Eighth St. before it was Vintage Italian Pizza (as seen in the modern photo above).

Since I spent no time at all in that neighborhood in my youth, I looked it up. (more…)

Takk for Maten closing

From the Takk for Maten Cafe Facebook page:

It is with great disappointment that I am closing Takk for Maten Cafe. It has been 4 1/2 years since I opened the cafe in the Sons of Norway building and 3 1/2 years since we opened in the Tech Village. The exact date has yet to be determined, but I should know within a day or two.

Many friends have walked through our doors and we leave with so many wonderful memories. We will truly miss all of you. Thank you for your kindness, support and patronage. If we don’t see you again before we close, we hope our paths will cross again soon. If you have any questions or comments, please send us a message.

Klem, Sandy, Bente and all the Trolls ♥

24-hour eats?

My sister just notified me that the Perkins on London Road is no longer open 24 hours!  The choices for all-night study sessions someplace other than a dorm room seem to be dwindling.  Does anyone have suggestions for someplace that is open all night?  Do we even have any 24-hour restaurants left in Duluth?!?

Z’s Deli

I am hearing that Z’s Deli is going to reopen in the location that was vacated by Jalapeno Express. Anyone else hear that?

New Minnesota Cookbook

Does anyone remember Joe Huie’s Cafe and his incredible fried shrimp? I’m finding more and more interest in Joe and the Huie family history, and over the years I’ve searched for his “secret recipe” that I remember as a kid (so many claimed to have it, but of course no one did). Just today in searching yet again for any recipe that may be similar I came across this book from an article in the Duluth Herald.

It just came out in October and there are a large number of great reviews about it, but best it includes Joe Huie’s famous fried shrimp recipe, another family member’s recipe(s) (I haven’t ordered it yet so I’m not sure how many) and a lot of other well-known Asian restaurant recipes from over the years, plus a history of how the Asian influence changed Minnesota. I can’t wait to get it!

Last year in searching I came across a Joe Huie’s Cafe menu on eBay, in brand new condition. The seller lives in California and I live in Vermont, but we are both originally from Duluth. What a small world, and it was so cool to “talk” about the old days. Joe Huie’s is one of those iconic memories that brings me back to when I was a kid on Lake Superior. Great times.

Duluth Coffee Company

Duluth Coffee Company

Downtown Duluth has recently been bestowed with a new coffee cafe and roasterie on Superior Street. Located at 105 E. Superior St., Duluth Coffee Company is founded by owner and roaster, Eric Faust, whose passion for coffee is obvious upon walking into the elongated cavernous space. For the unprepared, all your senses will be hit with coffee at its finest.
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Canal Park Brewing Co. Reviews

Does anyone know if the new brewery is open yet?

Duluth-area Restaurants Serving Thanksgiving Dinner: 2012 Edition

Based on grabbing information from previous posts on this subject rather than actually performing due diligence and calling the restaurants to confirm, here’s this year’s list:

Buffalo House (Midway Township)
Captain Barker’s Restaurant & Lounge (Superior)
Black Woods (Duluth, Proctor, Two Harbors)
Dreamland Supper Club (South Range)
Dry Dock Bar & Restaurant (Midway Township)
Foster’s Sports Bar & Grill (Hermantown)
JJ Astor (Duluth)
Ledge Rock Grille (Larsmont)
Midi Restaurant (Duluth)
Old Town Bar & Restaurant in Superior
Pickwick (Duluth)
The Shack Smokehouse & Grille (Superior)
Upper Deck Restaurant (Superior)

And, of course, there’s always a free Thanksgiving dinner at the DECC.

Anyone with further information, additions or corrections to this list may, as always, comment on this post or e-mail factcheck @ perfectduluthday.com.