Ridott Corners Tavern

-Got beef?
The Burgers of IL

My newest food project is burgers here in my home-state. It's something I tackled before but only in the form of the smashed crispy burgers found down in Central Illinois. Illinois is in the heart of the Midwest which is where you'll find the country's best old school burger spots. So of course there's plenty to be found in the Land of Lincoln. First up is a spot long on my list. Or at least on my list the past couple years after it was named one of 5 best burgers in the state by the Illinois Beef Council.

 Locals Favorite in Ridott Corners, IL

The trip to Ridott Corners from Chicago can be done in less than two hours. It's located 25 minutes west of Rockford. The bar itself is the only thing I'm aware of as far as businesses in the area go. They've been here since 1929. With Wisconsin being just 20 minutes North it's no surprise to find a bar like that which you'd find in Cheeseland. Except instead of Packers memorabilia it's Bears/Cubs.

 a peek inside 

The menu here is pretty simple. Burgers and beer with hard stuff too. No fries, chips. They come in the form of Mrs. Mike's which are made up the road in Freeport. Gotta love the regional potato chips. If you go while the weather is nice out they have a great little patio overlooking a bunch of cornfields.

Mrs. Mike's Potato Chips

As far as the burgers go each one is a 1/2 lb of fresh local beef. You get your choice of cheese and toppings all of which are the standards. Like the taverns in Wisconsin the burgers are cooked on a well seasoned flattop behind the bar. I tried one with American cheese and pickles, onion, mustard. Boy did it hit the spot. I'd been craving a burger for about a week but wouldn't let myself have one until my next day off which would be my shot at coming out here. Was it the best in the state? Well that's something that will always be up for debate as there's some really good ones to be found up and down. No surprise to find a fantastic tavern burger up near the IL/WI border. Our neighbors to the north know their cheeseburgers. Now it's time to see how my home state compares. Stay tuned for more.

Cheeseburger at Ridott Corners Tavern

Ridott Corners Tavern
1862 S Rock City Rd
Ridott, IL 61067
(815) 235-2451

Indiana Eats

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
-The Signature Eats of Indiana 

Over the years we've featured handfuls and handfuls of spots from the Hoosier State. Today's post is a handful of spots I've been to that feature one of Indiana's signature regional eats. As you scroll down you may wonder is anything they eat healthy? Sure. There's good produce such as corn I guess. Other than that though these spots don't exactly cater to a South beach like diet. Though I still managed to squeeze in a completely vegan meal while in-state, and it was delicious. Please read on for the info.

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Nick's Kitchen

Huntington, IN

What's a round-up of Indiana regional eats without the inclusion of a breaded pork tenderloin? Incomplete. I don't like to leave readers hanging so instead of just any old tenderloin the first stop up is the place where the sandwich is said to have originated. Due to this claim Nick's has been featured in many publications and is always mentioned when BPT's in Indiana are discussed. Nick's is a full fledged kitchen churning out a variety of standard diner fare offerings but the breaded pork sandwich and pie are what most people are there for. Looking down on the pic of the menu I took that day I can see I made the wrong call by going peachy apple with the pie. It was just ok and Sugar Creme is the official food of the state so I should've known then and there what to get. Can't win 'em all.

Pie is Life in Indiana

As mentioned Nick's claim to fame is the breaded tenderloin. Maybe the most well known restaurant in the Hoosier State. So they claim it made it's debut in 1908 when Nick's was just a pushcart serving the more well known hamburger at the time. So they say the rest is history and the BPT is now the signature eat of Indiana. I liked Nick's just fine but have had better both in Indiana and also Iowa.

Breaded Pork Tenderloin

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A Kaung Zarr

I've featured Burmese food in Indiana before. As mentioned in that post Indiana has one of the highest populations of Burmese refugees. Many of them reside in Ft. Wayne. So with them there's a decent amount of Burmese food in the area. More than in Chicago and many other metropolises. One day we took a ride to explore the scene and came to find many of the spots closed on Tuesday. Luckily this one here was open and even better it's probably the spot you want to check out. We would end up ordering samosas, tea leaf salad, and a lo mein salad served Burmese style. This would unintentionally be a vegetarian meal that was also fantastic. It was fresh and had some flavors we don't get to experience every day. I'd say this spot is worth a detour. A true hidden gem.

Burmese Feast in Fort Wayne

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Gray Brothers Cafeteria

The Cafeteria is a staple in Indiana cuisine. If you do alot of travel thru the state I suggest taking a look at Joanne Raetz Stuttgen's book titled 'Cafe Indiana: A Guide to Indiana's Down-Home Cafes'. She documents all of the states hometown mom-and-pop restaurants in celebration of small-town Midwest culture. One of the more well known Cafeteria's in the state is the roadfood approved Gray Brother's Cafeteria which rests about 20 minutes southwest of Indianapolis.

Moorseville, IN

This would be my first visit to one of these fill your tray up Indiana cafeterias and thus I learned a few things as I went. The line starts with dessert and there's lots of it. So much I was overwhelmed. Even though I'm not the biggest dessert guy you cant go thru one of these diners in the middle of the Midwest and not get a piece of pie.

Start of the Buffet Line

Moving thru...Beef and Noodles, Fried Chicken and Meatloaf

Along with my slice of apple pie I went ahead and had them put three pieces of dark meat fried chicken and a few hush puppies on my tray. For my sides I went overload and got green beans cooked in ham juice, mac and cheese, sliced potatoes, and of course the standard Hoosier classic of beef (or chicken) and noodles, second only to the pork tenderloin for most beloved eat in-state. Read more on this in this excerpt HERE.

So photogenic

My friend went slightly lighter than I and got the Friday special of baked cod and some sides and pie to go with it. My next learning lesson would be in the price of all this. It wasn't cheap, maybe the fact it was being served cafeteria style led me to believe this but my tray and drink were easily over $20.

Friends Plate

First up the fried chicken which is taken very seriously around this way. It was ok. I'm not totally opposed to it when it's pre-fried and served cafeteria style and there wasn't a problem with it as far as temperature or crunch on the exterior, it was just plain. I didn't hate it but I don't feel the need to return for more. The sides were all pretty good and in case anyone was wondering, the meat in the beef and noodles was indeed real and not from a can. I know this because I got a little piece of butcher string that was still stuck to a piece of beef in my order. I'd imagine this place gets packed on the weekends. There were multiple generations of family in there on our visit.

My Plate

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The Flamingo

Lenten season is coming but you don't need to go go to The Flamingo Lounge on a Friday just to get some fish. Lake Perch is a specialty of the Northwest Indiana region which I wrote about HERE. This historic Gary Indiana restaurant now located on Miller Beach serves plates of lake perch year-round. While the old school neon sign is gone most of the bars charm inside remains intact.

Gary, IN

Opened in 1941 as a lounge serving pizza I read elsewhere that it was one of the first pizzerias in the state. The current owners added a dining room addition onto the bar and to keep the local feel they sourced the building material from other local establishments now out of business. We stopped in out of season thus there were locals cuddled up at the bar smoking cigarettes watching football and not much else going on. The Lake Perch was lightly dusted and very flaky, tasted good in my book. Extra points for the cup of drawn butter included with each order.

Plate of Lake Perch

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Lisa's Pie Shop

 Atlanta, IN

Here's a place I found one day when returning home from Indianapolis. I took an off-highway route and came across this pie shop sitting on a corner in what was basically the middle of nowhere. How could I not stop? It was nearing the end of summertime so they had some fresh apple pies on display. No way I walked out without one. As good as I expected it to be. Another spot worth a detour.

Apple Pie

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Nick's Kitchen
506 N Jefferson St
Huntington, IN 46750
(260) 356-6618

A Kaung Zarr
5205 Decatur Rd
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
(260) 203-9056

Gray Brothers Cafeteria
555 S Indiana St
Mooresville, IN 46158

(317) 831-7234

Flamingo Pizza of Miller
8341 Locust Ave
Gary, IN 46403
(219) 938-0323 

Lisa's Pie Shop
5995 US-31
Atlanta, IN 46031
(317) 758-6944

Haywood Tavern

-Grubbing in Chicago
New to the 'Scene'

Is this the golden era for restaurant openings in Chicago? It sure seems that way. I've lost track of all the different spots I've heard about that sounded appealing to the eater in me. I've still managed to remember a few that I've actually made it into including the Haywood Tavern which opened this summer at the hot intersection of California and Augusta. Despite being opened by Chicago restaurant vets this place has gone under the radar by my estimation. 

A modern take on a neighborhood tavern in Humboldt Park 

Haywood Tavern is supposed to be a lowkey type place for neighbors to wander over too and enjoy some drinks and food and thats what it felt like. We sat at the bar and talked to a neighbor of the tavern that couldn't have been any happier that they were his new go-to spot in the 'hood. The beer list was looking good as were the pinxtos so I started off with them. Pinxtos are what the people of the Basque region of Spain call tapas and Haywood Tavern offers a handful of options to snack on. I thought both the stuffed pepper and crispy pork belly confit were excellent drinking bites.

Pinxtos to Start 

One of the things that I really like about Haywood is the fact they have a standard menu as well as a weekly menu featuring dishes the chef wants to feature that week. She decided to try something off the weekly featured menu as I pointed out that she loves everything in the dish. It was basically a bacon salad with a poached egg and some blue cheese. She enjoyed it just fine.

 The Weekly Menu allows for the constant trying of something new for regulars

I was torn between a steak sandwich on the weekly menu and their take on a classic tavern style cheeseburger on the standard menu. The burger would win out. The temptation of two smashed patties of Hoosier Farms beef prepared simply in a classic way was too much to resist. Plus it comes with fresh cut fries. The fries were served room temp but I didn't bother to ask for a new batch, I was hungry. They were a filler as the burger was the one worth consuming the calories for. It's just a classic take on a burger you'll find at many Midwest taverns. Two patties, melted cheese with pickles, lettuce and a dijon aioli. You know the old saying by now, sometimes simple is better. In this case great ingredients and simplicity make for a worthy burger. I look fwd to further exploring the menu.

Cheeseburger and Fries 

Haywood Tavern
2759 W Augusta Blvd
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 661-1084
Website

Mad City Burger Bounce

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Wisconsin

I spent one of the last weekends of Summer in Wisco doing some heavy eating and drinking, 'Sconnie style. It had been over a year since my last visit (a year too many...) to Madison so we would spend Saturday in my old stomping grounds walking around the Capitol. Sunday it was off to Spring Green for the night as we explored and ate the Rolling Hills of Green County, WI. I'll post my fun finds from that portion of our trip as the days go by as well as some other bites and drinks we had from Madison in a future thread. In the meantime I wanted to share three fancy "upper class" burgers from the Cap City in this thread here. Badgers might of lost their BCS title hopes but Madison's world famous rowdy Halloween still awaits and these burger spots will always be around town.


Madison, WI
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The first stop upon arrival was an old favorite of mine in the hippie part of town. I always lived on or right off State Street when I was in school but I was lucky enough to have a car and know about the Weary Traveler Freehouse. One of the best places in Madison to kill a hangover with food and more booze it's a great little spot that plays the "buy fresh, buy local"game and their menu reflects that.


a longtime residents of Madison favorite located on Willy Street

This part of Williamson street where the Weary is located has alot of Phish-heads that have formed a pond in the area. There's quite a few hipsters and hippies around and the business' reflect that, Weary Traveler included. It's got that "I rode here on my funny bike to play my ukulele vibe inside". On any given day you may find a grungy artfart guy who came to Madison in the 70's and never left in there enjoying a coffee while some struggling "musician" is there using the free WIFI. Then there might be a few college kids at the bar drinking beers while a couple of families enjoy food at their table on an early afternoon. On the weekends they have a brunch menu including some nice morning mixed drinks, so I started my day in Madison the only way I remember how to.

The view from inside...and we're off!

A Bloody Traveler for me with a few Spotted Cows from the tap to follow and some mimosas for her. My usual go to eat from here back when was the "West of the Andes" steak sandwich served in egg-wich form since I liked going here on the weekends during brunch. But they also have what I remembered to be one bad ass burger. 'Bob's Bad Breath Burger' as it is called comes with a half pound of hand-packed fresh ground Lange Farms organic beef with cream cheese, green goddess dressing, caramelized onions, garlic, tomatoes and Pickapeppa Sauce. Served with a side of Yukon Gold potatoes and mixed greens it's one of the best "fancy burgers" your ever going to find. Bob could easily hang and hustle on Kuma's Corner if he wanted to. I call it upper class because the pricetag is double digits, but the lowest it can be at $10 makes it a steal.


Bob's Bad Breath Burger from the Weary Traveler
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Saturday we continued on and hit up some great spots for both food and drink. Madison is a great place for both. The original plan was to stop in at the old favorite Tornado Room Steakhouse for dinner. Maybe their signature bone in tenderloin or since it was a Saturday, the prime rib maybe was what I was thinking. However a somewhat new spot opened up, The Old Sugar Distillery and it's a must visit for any drinkie. More on that in a future post. They only serve the dinner menu at Tornado until 10p but they also have a late night menu available until 1a. We went over to the Great Dane for some brews and headed to Tornado around Midnight.


Famous Downtown Steakhouse on Hamilton Street

The Tornado is a classic Midwestern steakhouse as far as looks and feel. But it's also in Madison so the clientele can be anyone from college kids to local businessmen and politicians alike. There's also the Corral Room located downstairs which is an underground nightspot with live music on the weekends. They serve some great steaks and mix excellent cocktails here and it's always packed up until close on the weekends.


The view from inside

The steaks are great and they do all the WI supper club traditions of a Friday Fish Fry, Saturday Prime Rib and Sunday night chicken dinner too. The late nite menu includes a few things and since I was hungry and hadn't ate in a few hours I said screw it and went all out. Started out with their excellent French onion soup and also got the sirloin steak with an onion ring on top ($13), the steak sandwich with aus jus and horseradish cream ($10) and for the sake of this series of posts I also got the Bacon bleu cheeseburger.

Late Nite Eats at Tornado Room Steakhouse

The sirloin was very tasty, the steak sandwich aint what it used to be and the burger? Hot Damn! What's that old saying about college? If I only knew then, what I know now?


Bacon bleu cheeseburger from Tornado Room

This is what a steakhouse burger should be. A fresh 1/2 pound patty of local farm raised beef cooked to a perfect red on the inside with crispy Bacon, bleu cheese, lettuce, tomato, raw purple onion and some special sauce. No sesame seed bun needed, as is the case with most places in state the bun was fresh and great. Fries and onion rings are available on the late menu as baskets but do not come with the burgers. Either way at $9 you wont regret trying one.


The insides
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The Old Fashioned has been on my radar since I first read about "a bar that was shaping itself after the 1000's of Taverns in the state. It's been mentioned that may might open locations in Milwaukee and Chicago but as of now those remain an idea. Think an upscale (but not too classy) tavern with an amazing menu selection that reflects the states popular eats and of course great beers on tap too.


Downtown on the Capitol Square

The Old Fashioned took the concept restaurant and nailed it. Aimed to take after the 100's and 1000's of popular state wide supper clubs and taverns they did a great job making me feel like I was "in state" and all I kept saying to my friend is how much I would have loved this spot and been there when I lived around town. They have over 150 WI brewed beers including 30 of them on tap. The drink it's named after has its own page on the menu that allows you to build your own Old Fashioned. As they mix you one up the way you like from their selections in each category offered.

Endless beer and some expertly prepared mixers is how it should be

Wisconsin Beer Sampler

We actually stopped in here for drinks on Saturday afternoon and then returned for brunch and more booze Sunday. Since the brunch menu was no longer being served Saturday we came back for that and went with the highly rec'd cheese curds as well as the Wisconsin Benedict which comes with a Miesfelds brat patty and of course, the house burger. The curds were the real deal, "best I've had" in fact. The brats Benedict was awesome. They take the authentic thing serious to the point where they grill their meats over real charcoal just like many of the places around state do. The smoke flavor in the patty was pretty damn tasty with the hollandaise and everything else added into the mix.

Wisconsin Cuisine

The burger was really stellar as well. For the most part everything is local and from instate as far as the ingredients, hell even the beef jerky bar snack foods come from local suppliers. The house burger is grilled over a live fire, topped with fried onions, Bavaria's hickory-smoked bacon, aged Cheddar, garlic sauce and a soft-cooked egg on a buttered and toasted roll. The ingredients were fresh and the burger was great but all I could think about was how next time I'm going to have to order a "combo" Sheboygan style and have them add a brat patty onto the burger as well. Great stop, the atmosphere was on and it's very reasonable too, for drinks and food. The burger was $9.95 with a $1 upcharge for the popular around the state onion strings included. Get those too. Cant wait to back back to Madison, it's only been about a month but that's already too long. See ya soon Mad City.


The Old Fashioned House Burger
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Weary Traveler Freehouse
1201 Williamson Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 442-6207

Tornado Club Steakhouse
116 S Hamilton St
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 256-3570

The Old Fashioned
Ste 1, 23 North Pinckney Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 310-4545

North Shore Scenic Drive

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
-Cruisin' Country MN (Duluth to Grand Marais)

Welcome back, I hope y'all are enjoying 'Travel Month' @chibbqking. The next adventure was part of my previously seen trips. After riding the WI portion of Great River Road we were headed for Minnesota where where would take in another scenic display. This is the story. We got into Duluth around 9p Friday night and checked into our spot in the downtown area and decided to skip around town and see what was going on. We had a couple stops on the agenda that night including the Fon-Du-Luth Casino in downtown Duluth followed by a night at Fitger's Brewhouse which is Duluth's longest operating brewery.


a view of Duluth from up top

The first night was an interesting one in downtown Duluth. It was filled with some weird people who might of been part of a "house" in the area or something, I'm not sure but the first night gave me a weird impression of the once thriving port city. At the end of the 19th century there were more millionaires in Duluth per capita than anyplace else in the world. I didn't take any tours but many are offered for the Victorian mansions that once could be found all over town. However today it feels like alot of other once thriving Great Lakes Port Cities and that's a place on the decline.

View from Port District

Lots of for lease signs are on the buildings downtown in beautiful old structures that are starting to decay since they arent used. They have however redone the entire Port area near the water and have bunch of shopping, restaurants and museums and hotels and it was packed the nights we were there, all the hotels were booked. Well the casino was average, aside from limited gaming options it wasn't a place with the vibe of a Vegas or Caribbean casino. More like most Midwest casinos in struggling areas. It was in fact depressing and made me leave straight for the brewery which was a short walk away after a bottle of beer.

I would suggest you piss your money away at the brewery...it's worth it

The highlight of the Duluth food/drink stops for me was easily Fitger's Brewhouse which was originally built in 1882 and at the time called Lake Superior Brewery. The company was renamed A. Fitger & Co./ Lake Superior Brewery when the place hired a young brewmaster from Germany named August Fitger, who less than a year into his job purchased half the company. Time has passed but the building has not. The place started selling pop and candy during the roaring 20's prohibition period and then sadly closed its doors during 1972 ending a 115 year tradition. Well that only lasted about 10 years because it was reopened in 1984 but didn't do too well do to the construction of Highway 35. It was then purchased in 1994 by four big time business men/beer fans and has been a thriving company since then. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the place today.

Fitger's makes fantastic batches of beer and is a must stop (Duluth, MN)

I loved this place as did those with me. We all liked different of beers and were able to find ones that matched our palates perfectly. My easy favorite was the Wildfire Lager brewed with jalapenos, habenero and scotch bonnet, it tasted like I was drinking a beer after eating some super spicy jerked chicken and kept me coming back for gulp after gulp right after I had one. The bartender kept asking me if I have had it before every time I ordered because its not for all but it was for me. After a couple hours at the bar we headed back and were ready to take the scenic Highway 61 drive north to Canada the next morning. Breakfast that morning for me was at the towns two local Coney stops not too far from each other. I spied one called The Original Coney Island walking to the casino and another one a block up not too far from the first one called Deluxe Coney Island.

Report HERE

Now is the only time where I'll jump off track on retracing my foodventure because after the scenic ride up Highway 61 on Saturday (Read on). I had a quick Pre-dinner snack at Northern Waters Smokehouse located in the new Duluth port district which I saw featured on Diners, Drive In's and Dives and had to go. This trip was my chance.


In the The DeWitt Seitz Marketplace in Duluth, MN

I used to watch many of food network shows in High School and my early college days but I rarely watch anything on there anymore. But I do love DDD and the places Guy visits. Northern Waters was always one of the spots I wanted to visit most that I saw featured on his show so I made sure I got there Sat. night about 40 minutes before they closed since we were heading out of town on Sunday. They smoke and cure everything in house and everything is alot of different menu items for both lunch/dinner and your fridge. This place is located in the newly developed tourist district near the water and around the museums and in a old renovated building turned into a mall called The DeWitt Seitz Marketplace.


house cured bacon, salami and fish are a few things they got


The brown sugar cured Superior trout was bomb


It all looked great

I saw two things on the show that really stood out to me. I knew those were what I was going to get along with some smoked fish. Unfortunately they were out of the cured in the basement special to the store salamini which looked heavenly on DDD. The guy said they wouldn't have any for a while because its a long process and the temp in the basement hasn't cooperated this summer.


I wanted some so bad...

I did however get to try the other item that caught my attention which was the pastrami mommy sandwich made with bison. It came served on pumpernickel along with pepperoncinis, lettuce, made in house mustard and mayo and some provolone cheese. I enjoyed my sandwich but next time will ask if the bison pastrami is sold by the pound and it eat straight up.


(bison) pastrami mommy sandwich from Northern Waters Smokehaus

Saturday morning we were on the road at about 10:30a and on our way headed north from Duluth up Scenic Highway 61 along Lake Superior towards Grand Marais and maybe Canada if we felt like it. After conquering the Lake Michigan Circle Tour and getting a sneak peak of Lake Superior while doing so, I have always wanted to do the Lake Superior Circle Tour. However that wasn't going to happen on this trip. But the parts of it we got to do from Duluth to Grand Marais and back was a seller for me to eventually circling around the entire lake.


The closer you get to Canada the more "wild" it feels

It was raining the morning we took the trip but by the time we were in the car and rolling the sun was coming out from the clouds and the day turned into a beauty. The smell of the air from the rain, the lake and all the trees and grass was something we just don't get in the city so I took it all in and was happy to be cruising. We passed on some spots that we would eventually stop at on the way back as well as some spots we never made it too so I'm looking forward to my next visit in the area. Just like on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour and in any great lakes town, smoked fish is abundant and readily available.


All the smoked fish spots also do homemade jerky and Lou's was wonderful

After our binge of roadfood on previous days we weren't all that hungry at the start of this journey but when we saw the sign for Betty's World Famous Pie's and a whole lot of cars coming in and out of the lot we then had what would be our first food stop. Betty's is located in Two Harbors, MN and has been in the town since 1956 when Betty's dad built a fish shack near the Stewart river along Highway 61. Betty thought it would be a good idea to have snacks for the fisherman to enjoy and they started selling donuts and drink and eventually homemade pie's. As time went on they switched the fish shack into a cafeteria and added the pies to the menu with other breakfast goodies. Its now a regular stop for people traveling to and from the North Shore.

Two Harbors, MN

The place was packed with people dining in when we visited but we really just wanted some of that famous pie and were able to get some at the pie to go counter located in the waiting area. I asked the pretty girl working the pie counter what she would recommend I go for and she told me they sell more slices and whole pies of the 'Great Lakes Crunch' than any other and she really loves it too. Sold. I can see why. It had a little of everything popular in the pies they make including apple, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, rhubarb and some other things I'm sure I've forgotten. Now I'm not a pie guy but I always eat it when I'm at a place famous for it or known for having fantastic versions of it and this seemed like one. "I should of gotten a whole one" was what I was thinking as we ate it in the lot and hopped in the car to roll along.


Slice of Great Lakes Crunch from Betty's

So on we rode ready to cross off some of the 110 miles between Duluth and Grand Marais. We drove on and took in the scenes and fresh air. We saw some signs along the road for the 100th anniversary of the Split Rock Lighthouse which was built near Silver Bay, MN along the North Shore after a wild storm took 29 ships in 1905. The cost to get in and see the lighthouse up and along the beach was $10 and tours were available on most hours. We paid but didn't take the tour but did get to check out what was a beauty of a lighthouse built on a cliff that was in operation until it was shut down in 1969 and became part of the state park and Minnesota Historical Society. You get to see alot of lighthouses on any circle tour and this one is a worthy stop.


Built 100 years ago

"The site includes the original tower and lens, the fog signal building, the oil house...

...and the three keepers' houses. It is restored to appear as it did in the late 1920s."


View when headed down the trail to the water where shipping goods and packages arrived

After the history lesson at the lighthouse we were back in the vehicle with our next stop being Grand Marais. When we made it into town I was very impressed and taken in by the pure comfort and relaxation of it. It's without a doubt a vacation resort type town but its not quite as developed and populated as Harbor Country in Michigan is or any of the resort towns out east. After all your really close to Canada and you can feel and see that. Its a nice little town with the usual stores and restaurants and is located right on Lake Superior giving it a spectacular view when overlooking the lake. Something I saw that I've never seen on Lake Michigan was rides on hydroplanes available, and plenty of tourists doing so.

Grand Marais, MN

Our first order of business was to check out a spot with a nice view and get a cold one or two and just max relax in the bright shining sun. So we found a bar named Gun Flint Tavern with a patio on top overlooking the lake that was bragging about the best Bloody Mary's around. The bloody was really damn good and one of the better ones I've had while on vacation. The view from the deck, with the wind blowing and the fresh smell in the air on a perfect sunshiny day might of had something to do with it being so good. If there's one thing that the food stops in Grand Marais arent lacking, its views from their outdoor seating.


Good Bloody Mary's to be had here


View from the patio on the bars rooftop

So after some drinks it was time to get something to chow down. I wanted to try a place I read about called Hughie's that is the home to the puffed taco where they make the tortillas by hand in house. I thought that maybe this place had a connection to a Native American background but I don't think that was the case. But I will say that the ground beef puffed taco was very good and something I've been looking for here in Chicago for a while. I've never been to a place that uses a quality ground beef filling as most times they either have something with horrible texture or no seasoning at all in the meat mix and in most cases its both of those. Not here at Hughie's where the taco was fried perfectly and the shell and ground beef were the best parts to it. I would of had another if we weren't going elsewhere and one in itself was pretty filling.

Much better than our stop along the river...great fried tacos

Upon our entry into town one of the first spots to be seen was a fish house right on the lake which advertises fresh and smoked fish as well as fish and chips fried fresh for lunch. Well since we hadn't had any fried fish yet this trip here was the chance so we shot back over to the Dockside Fish Market for our next stop.


Grand Marais, MN

Everything good from Lake Superior is available fresh and or smoked

The Dockside is a nice little shop with a fish monger and country store feel. A few people came in and made orders for their homes and grabbed spices and sauces for their own bbq's while others were choosing between the kitchen menu items. Options in the fish and chips dept. were walleye, whitefish, herring and cod and also featured was a fish burger. I went with the walleye and took a seat out back on the deck, took in the view and waited for my order.


View from the outdoor seating deck and where all the fresh fish comes in

I'm usually a perch eater when I want some fresh fried fish while in Chicagoland and near Lake Michigan but walleye seems to run abundant and be available everywhere in the Superior region and I didn't make a mistake in choosing that. I haven't had walleye as much as perch and other choices of fried fish but the Docksides rendition of it was really damn good. Perfectly fried with a light dust and it just ripped apart into flakes the way I like it. The chips were eh but the fish was fantastic.


Dockside's fish (walleye) & chips

So then we fooled around and walked the lakefront for a few minutes before we would make our last stop in town which would be a place called simply put, World's Best Donuts. How could we not stop in and see if the claim is a real one or another bogus one like so many others? It had a constant flow of people coming in and out and that's never a bad sign.


World's Best Donuts (Grand Marais, MN)

I love the spots that do one thing and do that one thing really well. These donuts started getting made by hand in 1969 and then moved into their present location in 1979 and took the name 'World's Best Donuts' and its been all in the family since. The fourth generation donut family is many peoples must stop spot and favorite place to go in Grand Marais and its all about those donuts. I had one of almost every one they had in the case and they were so warm and mouth watering I went back in and got one more of each for the next day.

Not all places or people live up to their names...these did

Well I wish I could of stayed in Grand Marais a little longer but after a few hours it was time to roll out and head back towards Duluth and get to our next order of business. The fact that Thunder Bay, Ontario was a short ride away and me wanting to do the Lake Superior Circle Tour will get me back to Grand Marais one day. On the rebound back we stopped at a state park that's name escapes me but they had some cool waterfalls and it was free and a nice place to stretch the legs and grab some waters etc...


Waterfalls are always fun for the kids

We had one last stop to make on our return back down the lake which was going to be at a famous smokehouse in Knife River, MN which isn't too far from Duluth. Its an old school longtime locals and visitor favorite specializing in...you guessed it, fresh fish, smoked fish and beef jerky. Its a small shop with a tavern located next door that's connected to it so you can take your smoked fish and jerky and eat it while having a beer. We had a small piece of the sugar cured trout and got some jerky for the rest of the trip to go with it. We went thru the door attached to the shop into the tavern and had a beer and some smoked fish before heading back to the hotel.

Russ Kendall knows smoked fish and beef jerky

Back in Duluth but didn't have much time to rest,we were headed across the bridge to Superior, WI for dinner...
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Fitger's Brewhouse
600 East Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 279-2739



Northern Waters Smokehaus
394 South Lake Avenue
Duluth, MN 55802-2336
(218) 724-7307



Lou's Fish House
1319 Old Highway 61
Two Harbors, MN 55616-1492
(218) 834-5254

Betty's Pie's
1633 Main St
Two Harbors, Minnesota 55616
(218) 834-3367



Split Rock Lighthouse
3713 Split Rock Lighthouse Rd
Two Harbors MN, 55616
218-226-6372

Gun Flint Tavern
111 Wisconsin Street
Grand Marais, MN 55604
(218) 387-1563



Hughie's Taco House
15 W Highway 61
Grand Marais, MN 55604
(218) 387-3382

Dockside Fish Market
418 W Highway 61
Grand Marais, MN 55604-2334
(218) 387-2906
Website

World's Best Donuts (seasonal)
10 Wisconsin Street
Grand Marais, MN 55604
(218) 387-1345



Russ Kendall's Smoke House
149 Scenic Drive
Knife River, MN 55609
(218) 834-5995