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Duluth: Part II

8/10/2011

2 Comments

 

5 Would Like a Bigger Bed Please

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The baby (and the mommy) are LOVING sleeping in a king sized bed! If we could fit one of these guys in our bedroom and still be able to shut the door, I would want one SO SO bad. I still kind of do, but in a more theoretical way.

Northern Minnesota Culinary Adventures

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Yesterday morning, we got up nice and early (thanks 5), and walked just a few blocks to the absolute best Scandinavian restaurant I have ever been to for a DELICIOUS breakfast! The walk was so short we didn't even bring the stroller. Great, right?

Takk for Maten means "Thanks for the Food" and that is how you will feel.

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We walked past this place, it's actually called Takk for Maten, our first day in town. It was so cute from the outside and the menu was so intriguing, we immediately scrapped any prior breakfast plans in favor of this little gem.
All the tables are set up like the picture above- directions for how to order, a vase of feather-pens, menu, and fabric covered book with ordering tickets inside.
The menu covers ground in Norway, Sweden, and even Finland with breakfast items like grilled lefse with bacon and egg, swedish pancakes, yeasted waffles, and cardamom french toast.
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After waxing extremely poetic about the amazing delicious properties of lefse, Fred decided to get the bacon/egg/lefse combination. Lefse is like a Norwegian tortilla made primarily from potatoes, but better. I am an expert lefse griddler, but alas, can no longer partake as I cannot eat of the potato. The woman with whom we placed our order gave me hope though, when she informed us that traditionally, lefse is made from flour and ground reindeer horn- no potato!
I naturally ordered the item with the most whipped cream- the Swedish pancakes. Yum! I also had some tea they blend themselves with cacao, cinnamon, and orange, I think. Super tasty good.
This place was so fantastic, with great service, a designerly (but comfortable) feel, and kid-friendliness to spare, we had to come back today for a coffee/ chocolate-lingonberry milkshake break. That's right, I said chocolate-lingonberry milkshake. Combining the two was a special order, but it was delish. I hear their gooseberry shakes are good too.
If you live within 100 miles of Duluth, you have to come here. The end.

The Last Whaleback Ship in the WORLD (and minigolf)

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We also visited THE LAST WHALEBACK SHIP IN THE WORLD! We did not play minigolf, though it was conveniently located right in front of the boat.
So, for those of you who are curious as to what a whaleback ship is, why there are no more, and why we would go see one, read on. For those of you who are not, skip to the end.
Somewhere between 100 and 150 years ago, people who do these things wanted to design a boat that would have a minimum of drag in the water. So they made a ship that looked like a whale. As I understand it, they worked great, but the people who worked on them thought they were ugly, so they stopped making them. They were called whalebacks or pig noses. My husband is the ultimate boat dork, so visiting this boat was mandatory.
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Fortunately, the guided tour was not mandatory, because we will be touring the William A Irvin great laker tomorrow. For the second time.

Bridges and Pinko Burritos

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We rounded out the day with a lovely walk through Duluth's extensive skyway system, crossing this pedestrian lift bridge, leading to the beautiful lake walk (you guessed it, it's a boardwalk that goes along the lake) and back to the hotel.
We had dinner in the former location of the Whole Foods Coop which now houses Burrito Union, home of the best Communist Mexican food money can buy. Seriously, very good. For any of you old-school Madisonians out there, it kind of reminded me of Porto Bananas.

Join me Friday for the exciting conclusion to the Duluth Report: boats, pie, and naps, oh my!

2 Comments
Mutti
8/10/2011 10:52:51 pm

What a lovely tour guide you are!!
It makes me want to come back to Duluth. We missed the Takk for Maten but it sounds like it's worth returning -if only for that!!
It appears that you are having a wonderful time. Thanks for sharing your vacation with us.

Reply
Suzy
8/19/2011 10:38:40 am

Porto Banana?? It was our favorite restaurant in Madison! The ever-changing Barbie tableau in the front window was a stitch. I still have a recipe for a fish dish that was served there, called Reagan's Polyps. Ah, yes. Porto Banana.

Duluth is great. I have to get up there again soon. Is the co-op gone, gone or moved to a new location? I remember it being a nice co-op.

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    My name is Ansley Knoch. I am the creator of Rispok, a line of accessories for big and little people made from repurposed materials. I live in Madison, Wisconsin with my husband, Fred, and our son, also Fred, better known as 5.

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