Recommendations
Best breakfast in town?
Where does everyone think the best breakfast is in town?
Best Fish Fry
We are recent transplants and have visitors coming. They’ve requested to go out for fish fry … perch from the lake. Anybody know of a good place in Duluth?
Jazzy Tunes and Good Eats
One of the most awesome aspects of hanging out at the local comic shop are the quirky people who hang out there. I don’t mean the Sheldon Coopers — I mean the creators of Apocalypse City and Night of the Smurfing Dead. I mean the owner of Psher Meats, who also sidelines as a fiction writer. I mean Sir Jeff, the newest light in the kitchen at Zeitgeist, and Greg, who makes the DNT’s new creative services run like clockwork. Duluth is filled with more talented people than it has outlets for that talent.
So it didn’t surprise me that a talented light-jazz musician stopped by the shop and told us about his show tonight at Valentini’s.
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Great Lake Superior fish and chips found!
I went up the north shore looking for a little north woods fun and dinner and found a little bar/restaurant/motel just south of Two Harbors called Earthwood that has a fantastic fish and chips dinner made with lake herring caught by local fishermen and beer battered fries. Two local beers (Bent Paddle and Castle Danger) on tap and huge deck made this trip a memorable experience. Has anyone else stumbled onto any hole in the wall fish and chips shops? The Earthwood can’t be the one and only!
Sprint coverage in Lakeside/Lester Park?
Does anyone have a Sprint phone in Lakeside/Lester Park? I’m with AT&T and its coverage has become almost non-existent in the past six months. I’m thinking about trying Ting, which uses an intriguing billing model, but it uses Sprint’s network and I don’t want to find out its coverage sucks too. Its map looks okay, but I was hoping that someone here could back that up with actual experience.
On a semi-related note, am I the only one in the country who can’t imagine paying $80 per month for a phone? I’m currently only paying $20 a month (no data) by having a line on my sister’s AT&T plan.
Party Bus Rental
We are needing transportation for our wedding on Aug. 18. We’ll be needing enough room for 35 people, so I am thinking a school bus would be our best option. We’re looking for a ride to our wedding at 4 p.m. and from the wedding at midnight. Any suggestions?
Travel Advice: San Diego
In a few weeks, I’m going to be in the San Diego area for work [i.e. standing in front of a marketing display slapping backs and shaking hands]. The Prioress is going to meet me at the tail end for a few days. (more…)
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!
Water
As some of you know, I have long been interested in storm-water retention. Looking at these pictures of the flood, I am going to once more enter into the fray. I do not do this seeking anything, it just seems to be a common sense thing to do on so many levels. This is what I think. Take it for whatever you want. One small thing you could do.
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“Candyland” at Spirit Mountain MTB Park
Great video on Candyland Spirit Mountains new MTB Trail.
Duluth Food Trucks and Carts 2013 Rundown
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?
Help me stop, please
Where should I take my 2005 Prius to see if the funny noise it’s making is something wrong with the brakes?
Bike Thefts on the East Side
My son’s bike was stolen this weekend. A really nice white-and-black Specialized Hardrock Comp with disc brakes was taken from my back yard. The officer from DPD told me there has been a rash of bike thefts east from 10th Avenue East. I spoke with a pawn shop owner who told me they are often moved out of town to more populated cities to our south. So get ’em locked up and put away or end up like my little-big man who will be mowing lawns for a new one.
Greenhouse Advice
I’m trying to make my yard and garden more inviting to pollinators, and I’m having trouble finding greenhouses in the Duluth area that don’t treat their flowers with long-lasting systemic insecticides that get into the pollen and nectar. I don’t want to bring flowers and shrubs home that will poison the bees and butterflies I’m trying to attract. Any recommendations for where to get untreated plants locally? I’ve gotten some at Burchfiel’s and some at Boreal Natives, but they don’t have everything I’d like to plant.
Morel Hunting in Greater Duluth Area
I’ve done quite a bit of morel hunting in southern Minnesota, where I’m from, but I don’t know if there are morels up here or good places to look. If anyone up here has hunted mushrooms and can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it. I realize that good morel grounds might be top secret around here, but if anyone is willing to share I promise I won’t tell anyone!
T-Mobile Coverage
I was thinking of switching my cell phone to T-Mobile since it doesn’t require contracts anymore and has some decent prices. How good is the coverage? I would guess coverage is fine in Duluth/Superior, but how good is it as you head toward Ashland?
Duluth Garbage Haulers
Who has the best garbage service in town?
Off Street Parking?
My wife and I own a home with 2 vehicles, and no off street parking. This can become a pain when we want to leave town for a long weekend and the sides switch on Sunday. I haven’t done too much investigating, but is there a decent solution to having to be back on Sunday night to move it, aside from selling a vehicle, asking someone to move it for us or taking the parking ticket? Is there a local lot that has a reasonable rate for several days of parking? Anybody anybody?
Long-term renting in Duluth
Where do professional types rent long-term in Duluth? Are there any rental complexes beyond that Boulder Ridge development that would be appropriate for an incoming UMD prof? Biking to campus would be a bonus. A sabbatical house-sitting-type gig would be okay if there was some room to store stuff. Where does one look for rentals of houses these days? Realtors (or friends of realtors) let me know if you have any ideas on rentals/rental agents. Trying to help an incoming UMD prof find a place to live at the end of the summer.
Hanging Posters
I’m looking to hang a poster to promote music gigs, and I’m working on a list of places to hit. Where do you notice posters hanging in town? In short, where are you standing when you notice posters?
Yakima Hack
Through some horse trading and good luck, I’ve acquired two Yakima Rocket Boxes. I would like to mount them both on the current touring rig for our upcoming summer travels, but they both hinge the same direction. I really don’t want to mount one backward, and therefore am trying to figure out if the hinges can be switched with any success.
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Good used-car dealerships for unfortunate souls with bad credit?
My husband and I currently own a beat-up 2002 Aztek. The car is a piece: bad wiring, broken speedometer, and endless dinging from a malfunctioning brake monitor. It wasn’t a problem when my job provided a fleet of cars to me for my travels as a social worker, I just drove the hunk of junk to work and used their car to transport clients. At my new job I’m required to use my own car for this while driving about 30 miles one way to work every day. I really need to get a new car before this one dies on me completely and leaves me high and dry.
I was wondering where one might find a reliable used car dealership in town. Our credit isn’t the greatest from old hospital bills and the like, but we make good payments and have improved our budgeting skills since getting out of college and realizing hey … bills don’t disappear if you ignore them like an idiot.
If the kind people of PDD have any ideas I’d be extremely grateful!
Miigwech.
Duluth Roofers
Does anyone have any recommendations for a really good roofer who can troubleshoot tricky leaks on old houses?
Floor restoration recommendations
The carpet has got to go. Under the carpet is ugly linoleum. Under the linoleum is beautiful hardwood. Any recommendations for floor pros?