Smokin' good in Duluth When a friend suggested placing Canal Park's DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace on my Duluth itinerary, he failed to mention the most important piece of information: The collection of shops and restaurants is home to one of the state's great culinary shining stars, the Northern Waters Smokehaus. Disguised as a sandwich shop -- a fabulous one, at that -- owner Eric Goerdt's tiny stomping grounds are so much more. Goerdt fills his cases with gorgeous delicacies he painstakingly hand-crafts in his lower-level smokehouse: brown sugar-cured Lake Superior trout and smoked Lake Superior whitefish, an extraordinary bison pastrami, luscious pâtés and ham, pancetta and charcuterie made using Minnesota-raised Berkshire pork.
The shop also stocks cheeses, a short list of gourmet groceries and those aforementioned sandwiches, each one a treasure (don't miss the coin-size slices of Goerdt's chewy, peppercorn-studded chorizo layered with peppers and provolone inside a torpedo roll, or thin shavings of that swoon-worthy pastrami stuffed into pumpernickel and topped with sauerkraut and Russian dressing, perfect with an ice-cold cream soda from the shop's cooler), best savored on a bench overlooking the lake.
Pancakes and paella As I was enjoying my fragrant Spanish red at the wine bar inside the dual-named At Sara's Table Chester Creek Cafe, here's the thought that flashed through my cortex: I'm glad I made the trek up the hill. Sure, I could have settled for one of Canal Park's cookie-cutter restaurants -- there are plenty of Red Lobsters in the Twin Cities, thank you -- but it's always more gratifying to go native and embrace the when-in-Rome thing. Co-owners Barbara Neubert and Carla Blumberg place a premium on local ingredients -- a new herb garden is blooming just outside the restaurant's front door -- and their abundant breakfasts and lunches keep the neighborhood well-fed; Paul Bunyan himself couldn't finish the divine plate-size pancakes.
At dinner, the kitchen sets itself apart by stretching its creative muscles with travelogue-inspired menus. This spring's food odyssey has taken diners to Spain, Portugal and Morocco, the region's flavors well-represented in broiled Lake Superior whitefish paired with fennel and currants and finished with an eggplant aioli, a lamb-date tagine, lemon-scented couscous with perfectly roasted vegetables, a messy but well-meaning tapas platter and a rib-sticking paella packed with succulent chicken and spicy sausage. Top price: $14. No wonder the place is perpetually busy.
Beer and burritos There are two burrito sizes at Burrito Union: big and bigger, with flavors to match. There are well-seasoned beef, chicken and pork options, done up in standard options (get the "Fat Capitalist," a winning combination of slow-cooked achiote-rubbed pork, red beans and rice and roasted tomato salsa) or build-your-own. Think Chipotle, minus standing in line. Because it's located in a neighborhood and not on the tourist track, this boisterous, blues-loving joint is full of Duluthians of all stripes: families with young kids, UMD students, couples on dates, retirees, the works, all gathering for quick, Botero-proportioned portions, low prices, perky table service and a full complement of first-rate beers from Fitger's Brewhouse (both restaurants share the same ownership). Breakfast is another option -- particularly on weekends -- and the roadhouse setting makes a favorable impression.
Up the North Shore Some of the region's most compelling cooking lies just outside Duluth. Follow London Road out of the city and the pavement eventually offers two options: Veer to the left for the high-speed expressway to Two Harbors, or hang a right to the slower, two-lane road. Take the latter, not only because the shoreline-hugging route is ridiculously scenic, but because it eventually turns into a miniature culinary highway.
First stop: New Scenic Cafe. Take a window seat for views of the water and chef/owner Scott Graden's well-tended garden, then soak up Graden's around-the-world menu, which is like no other in the region, notable for its emphasis on seasonal, locally raised ingredients and its capacity to surprise. There's a zesty curried peanut soup and a stunning ode to spring in the form of an asparagus flan decorated with morels and pert peas. Crisp fried wontons standing in for taco shells are filled with gently seared tuna and avocado and finished with a slow-burn vegetable slaw.
Graden's tempeh Reuben becomes a sandwich that meat-eaters could love; an asparagus-Gruyère-fried egg sandwich more than compensates for the drive to Duluth. A tagine-style baked chicken has the meat falling off the bone and is zinged with occasional blasts of preserved lemon. Desserts are extra-special, wines and beers are chosen with authority and the knotty pine setting (leaving just a few traces of the building's roots as a drive-in) has a cheery Scandinavian vibe.
