We took a quick trip up to Duluth at the end of July. The following is just a quick summary of where we ate and where we stayed.
It was quite hazy and smoky for a lot of the weekend due to wildfires in Canada and northern Minnesota I believe. It wasn't too bad right by the lake though, better than in the Twin Cities area anyway.
few pics of a ship going under the lift bridge
We finally made it to Vikre Distillery. The capacity was limited, but we only had to wait a couple minutes for a table. The drinks were excellent. Cute place with lots of cool vintage glassware.
We grabbed a snack at Scenic 61, the New Scenic Cafe's trailer parked near the aerial lift bridge.
We both had the ahi sashimi tacos. They were really delicious and made with very fresh tasting tuna.
Saturday morning we went to Duluth Grill for breakfast. I can't recommend stopping here enough, it is always great. Breakfast burrito for John.
I had the meat lover's omelet with the red flannel hash.
We decided to do a harbor cruise after breakfast. It was quite interesting even though I am pretty sure I did the same tour when I was a kid. It was interesting and covered some local history and information about the different buildings around the harbor.
We stayed at the Comfort Suites in Canal Park this time. It was right next door to the Canal Park Lodge we stayed at the year before. The room was fine, nothing too special.
No daily housekeeping due to Covid protocols. Please excuse the unmade bed. I forgot to take photos on arrival.
I paid extra for a balcony with a lake view. There were not many ships going in and out so we didn't really sit out there all that much.
We had burgers for lunch at the Anchor Bar. We found a spot to sit at the bar pretty quickly even though it was pretty busy. The hand cut fries are perfect. The burgers are great too.
We stopped at Duluth Cider in the afternoon and at Blacklist Brewing on the way to dinner.
a cool neon sign at an empty lot
Lake Superior
We had made reservations ahead of time for Va Bene. We had a nice table on the enclosed patio/porch area overlooking the lake.
bruschetta
arugula salad
arrabiata pasta for John
pappardelle e funghi for me
Va bene was a very adorable restaurant. The service was very good and the food was also excellent. We enjoyed everything we ordered. It is a small place, so reservations are probably essential.
We walked back to the hotel along the lake walk. It was starting to rain a bit, but it was not a bad walk. It was not as far as I thought it was going to be. We planned on taking an uber back to the hotel, but none were available.
Sunday morning before heading home we stopped at Duluth Grill again. I had the breakfast melt this time with hash browns.
John had the farmer's feast with bacon, over medium eggs and sourdough toast.
Duluth is always a nice little weekend away. It was nice to get away from the Twin Cities for the weekend since the wildfire smoke was worse there than in Duluth. I'm not sure if staying in Canal Park is worth the inflated the pricing, but it is nice to be within walking distance to a number of dining and shopping options.
