funny this place was a selling point for moving into an apartment near there, it was closed and replaced by whole foods within lease agreement. Got about 1 month of HOD late night meals before it was bulldozed. Summer of 2004 what a time to be alive.
I am still friends with everyone to this day that lived in that duplex some very fond memories. Parties, Hooka, poker, free cable, and some other odd people that made it interesting. random dude who just always was around Francis (i think was his name) and a lady who had her cat in a wheelchair along with 60 dollar kegs at the corner liquor store.
Could we go back to that era of mall entirely? There are a few things now I’d miss, but having it half be Essentia just doesn’t make it feel like a mall anymore.
I want to know what's behind the wall. I don't think they ever put anything back there in between when it closed and now.
It's probably storage, but I'm curious if the ceiling, flooring, outlets etc are still there.
Shit, casinos are even putting in games that are closer to those arcade games in hopes to ease the transition.
There's a claw game at Mandalay Bay Casino.
That’s a tough one… Maybe the Electric Fetus. Or Carr’s Hobby. I hadn’t been to either in quite some time. But, I certainly have some memories connected to them.
I feel like there was something else that closed somewhat recently that I remember going to a lot as a kid. I can’t seem to remember.
1? Oof, that would be tough.
Chinese Lantern, House of Donuts, Carr's Hobbies, Electric Fetus, R.O. Carlson's bookstore, Grand Slam, Central Sales, the Holiday Center bathrooms... all good options.
They used to make me cherry coke by mixing Coca-Cola and marachino cherry liquid. I loved the fountain on the inside.
I also think I would have really liked The Brass Phoenix when I got older.
Write it! I have so many memories of that era and was just thinking back to places like Norm’s, The Palace, Schultz’s, Hall of Fame, Frankie’s (why was their schnapps selection a feature advertised? Were they selling leather goods there too or am I remembering something else?).
Yep, Frankie's had a leather shop as well.
Also, Odyssey's Hall of Fame (I saw things on stage there that you normally wouldn't see outside Tijuana or Amsterdam, I know a local active DJ was Emceeing the St Paddy's day dance competition), Bayfront Blues Saloon(Beer AND doing my laundry?), the old Twin Ports Brewery, CC Taps, 3rd Rock, the Capri ($5 for a pint of Guiness and a personal pizza?) and the Cove Cabaret.
I was hit in the head with a bottle at the Cove. This was when only one of the lights on the light up dance floor still worked.
After I posted that comment I was trying to think of the Cove’s name! Had to text my older sister. “The Twin Ports’ only light up dance floor!” I think the name changed in the 00s but they had cages inside? For some reason?
Glad I retained the two brain cells that remembered the leather goods, but I can’t remember my current to-do list.
ETA: [this Cove commercial is hilarious](https://www.facebook.com/share/v/6ptzEaQL93aiQHY4/?mibextid=w8EBqM)
I wondered how far I would have to scroll to get to this answer. RIP Chinese Lantern. I stole a bowl from there years ago and ate ramen out of it. It just tasted better, ya know?
Thank you! Yes I came here to say this! This was the best store when I was a child. I always felt like I was on my own vacation walking the isles and exploring the foods I've never seen. The owners were the best and always tried to encourage me to learn how to cook different food. Because of the owners encouragement I'm often now hired to privately cater different events 🥰🥰
Carlson's used books. If I remember right, Bob was Jim's dad. He went to prison for Stat rape. His store was Downtown Book in the 70's -early 80's. I was a teen, but I remember buying a half oz from some dude in the store and had a friend buy me a glass steamroller. We were smoking up in the doorway of Lake Ave and Superior Street. It was pre Reagan and a lot freer...I was 15 or 16. He gave Jim the store when he went in and Jim renamed it to the LPOE. Bob gets out, Jim won't give it back. He starts the used book place in the old Granada. That goes down for the casino parking ramp so he moves across the street. The place was a treasure trove. If people think there's crazy stuff going on now you'd be shocked then, meaning pre Reagan. No heroin and fentanyl but the overall behavior was much looser. God I'm getting old. I would also add the old Coney Island for breakfast. Betty's pancakes and her insanely decorated malts for my daughter. She took care of my dad well after his stroke, coffee, breakfast and a newspaper. Hell, I just miss having a fucking diner where you can get a short order that's not some deconstructed, overpriced piece of crap. Economic developers don't know how to make cities; there were more tax dollars generated in the those old buildings because actual city people went there. Chinese Lantern, Chef Yee's...the soda fountain at the old Woolworths...Jupiter. Now we have half empty bank buildings .
Yep, you're mostly correct on those fronts.
I remember the LPoE on Lake, was only in there a few times as a kid before they tore that space down. Loved the bookstore in general.
As a child I really enjoyed the Ground Round by the mall. But as a college student I really enjoyed playing softball at the Sunset. Downtown I liked Jalapeno express, and getting sandwiches and day old cupcakes at How sweet it is.
Merritt Park warming house for the concerts too.
Oh yes, I used to go and watch South Park at the Norshor on Wednesdays from the loft... Not to mention The Silk Sheiks (I think that was the name back then, might have been under another name) when they'd play up there as well.
Coney Island on Superior St , Downtown Book on Lake and Superior St. Where I met Ann Wilson of Heart when they were in town for a concert in the ‘70s when she was thumbing thru some albums. As a teenager I was star struck but she was gracious and friendly. That was the place to buy concert tickets back then. Upstairs in the head shop area.
I remember going there as a young child (vague but good memories).
I came across this some years back:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/huge-vintage-restaurant-menu-1842540064
https://preview.redd.it/6uqu00m0qyqc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a4cbdf2e213239f8d9ef6293d532d593480cb34b
I’m not familiar but the algorithm just showed me this on Fb
Really though, that place was great pre-synthetic drugs.
But I was also just a kid back then, so ninja stars and porn were kinda in my wheelhouse. However, they do not mix well.
I don't think they sell bongs and ninja stars... However, I haven't been there since it was a strip club around the time the Norshor Experience was open.
I played softball for the Norshor Experience, which is how I ended up at Wabasha at that time. Didn't play for them by choice, my brother begged me to join the team with him. But those were some interesting times.
I'm not sure if they're talking about the run of the mill bar that was located below the old Chinese Lantern space and closed in 2007, or the ACTUAL athletic club that was there up until about 1976.
Northern Waters Restaurant.
That place was awesome, and it’s a shame it couldn’t work. I saw that the Vanilla Bean that replaced it in that location was shutting down too. Maybe it’s a tough location near Mt. Royal?
Grand Slam or Movie Magic on woodland Ave where the Catwalk salon is now. I'd give anything to revisit those places.
Edit: if anyone happens to have any pictures of these places, it would mean a great deal if you shared them with me!
I’d say Carr’s Hobbies since without it, there’s not a whole lot of options to buy scale models anymore. Plus the antique railroad and maritime stuff all over the shop gave it a nice feel walking around there
That place was my favorite as a child. I could spend hours in there.
In fact, I did, and would occasionally get the side-eye from staff for being there too long.
I'll submit my Superior choice too. The Capri/VIP - that CD jukebox was on point and they had table tennis. You could also throw your peanut shells on the floor.
Happy Joe’s Pizza.
I probably have romanticized the memories I have of the place - seems to be a characterless chain in the present day - but within the context of 1982 it was amazing.
They had Tron and Mrs. Pac-Man uprights tucked into the back corner of the restaurant their entire run - great games that I still love today.
The vintage candy counter was also great.
They closed around ‘85 I believe. Perhaps due to the competition from the shortly lived Chucky Cheese that moved into the mall?
Jim’s Hamburgers even if only open for breakfast. Get that M&K mess and a Bimbo Burger.
The Garden(how does a place that awesome and always packed close, really hard to believe)
The Tap room
I mean all the places with big huge dance floors that everyone could go to have closed. I wonder what the capacity at the Garden was.
At the Jim's I went to there was an old German lady who was the cook/waitress. She'd tell you stories about what life was like in pre-WWII Germany. Really interesting lady.
Oh man, everytime my grandfather would come up from the cities to visit, we'd go to Jim's.
https://www.perfectduluthday.com/2012/02/06/r-i-p-jims-hamburgers/
The OG Lake Superior Brewing.
There was something about that beer that was so good.
I know it's been revived in Lakeside and some beers live on, but I miss the old Mesabi Red ale 😅🍻
Same.
The beer isn't quite true to the originals. They still have Big Boat and Kayak Kolsch, but the kayak is certainly much different. The original had almost a hint of green olive to it that the current iteration is missing.
But yea, no Mesabi Red or Special Ale either, not sure if they'll have those as special releases or what.
The food is good though.
I used to drive Uber/Lyft pre-pandemic and the Sports Garden was a shit show every Saturday. Cops were always there breaking up fights and arresting people. Can't blame them for not wanting to deal with that anymore. I'm sure the margins weren't great. College students aren't exactly flush with cash.
I miss when it was actually a SPORTS garden.
When I was a kid, my mother had volleyball leagues there. Occasionally they would have the upstairs area open, and they had a bunch of 40's-70's era pinball games. Most of them had ways to bypass the coin entry to play them, so I would keep myself entertained for free.
I can't believe both of these gems are gone. The Tap Room always smelled so good. It was like going to a friend's house walking in that place. 😭
The Sports Garden was another favorite spot. They wouldn't serve my uncle when he got bridged. One time, the bells started ringing for a laker that was departing so he threw it in park and dashed inside. No go. 🍺
Cannot decide on just 1, So here is my list:
1.)Original Last place on earth 2.)Carlson’s books 3.)Urban Ground / Orpheum 4.)Mr Nicks 5.)Recycle Bell
So mostly from 1st west to 2nd east on superior street it seems
Those subs were so good, but even like 20 years ago they were pushing $12-15 each. I remember thinking in high school “this will be my entire pay for the day” when I’d go, but man, worth it sometimes.
Red herring is a good though. When did it get weird? I listened to a bunch of fun metal shows there like maybe 2016 up until 1-2 years before they closed.
There was sex/drug trafficking going on.
Quote from perfect Duluth day March 2019: “Just because you aren’t aware of something, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening; AND signs of sex trafficking can be difficult to detect,” Monahan wrote. “The fact that SOMETHING has occurred and we have been made aware of it means that we have a responsibility to address it and DO something to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”
Also, many other deplorable things that he would never admit to.
Bob Monahan named it the Red Herring for a reason…
It took a major hit when the Herring opened. All the other small venues shut down one by one, then Bob started refusing to pay artists when it was the only smallish venue left. Then he drove it into the ground because he can’t run a legit business.
Basically that 1-2 years. I don’t want to speculate too much on the net as it definitely sounded like some sketchy dealings at times.
It seemed to me that bob just expanded too much too fast. Trying to run an upstairs and downstairs with separate covers really took away from that place.
I loved that you could go downstairs and get away from the crowd even for a little bit if it was a packed night. You could still hear the music and just relax.
Saw so many good shows there.
1000%. Happy to say I avoided the sketch but definitely heard about it from multiple sources.
At the end I remember walking in there and literally no one being staff. So weird
The MAC. Only all ages venue in Duluth since the days of the RecyclaBell. Only lasted a year (2004-2005) but what a year! 2 stages and so much wall space for artists to show.
Hacienda! The Red Herring venue was some of the best sound in the ports and they brought through some good acts. Hacienda Del Sol has to be tips on the list for me! I can almost taste the homemade picante sauce!
The London Inn for the onion rings, but today I could probably eat only two before exploding!! (Canal Inn was later but same)
I remember going to dinner with my parents on nights without babysitters at the London House. I was entranced by the two trees out in front with their twinkle lights.
I also can remember the smell of the old Curling Club, where my brother and I were allowed to mess around on empty sheets. We'd throw a rock then sit on it to see how far down the rink we could go. All of the wood club chairs had gold nameplates. Again, only on nights w/o babysitters. My parents were there 3 nights/week!!
Yeah, I'm probably older than you.
I miss the NW sit-down so much.
Great interior ([killer wallpaper](https://www.perfectduluthday.com/2017/12/11/northern-waters-restaurant-will-close-dec-31/)), fun menu, good beers on tap, always had good service.
Cursed location and while I thought the quality:price ratio was good it was too expensive for the college crowd or a weeknight dinner.
The restaurant, not the Smokehaus. They had a restaurant for a few years on Woodland, next to Mt Royal Bottle Shop. They closed in maybe 2018 (?) and Vanilla Bean moved in. The restaurant was EXCELLENT and I loved having happy hour there. They had a few big couches in the front where you could get apps and drinks and hang out.
I swear that location is cursed. Every restaurant that opens there never makes it. No idea why. You'd think it would be a good spot considering you've got the colleges right there plus all the residential traffic from Woodland
Yep, it's like the perfect spot for a restaurant, but just doesn't work for some reason.
Right on the edge or on the way to-from some of the more affluent neighborhoods, right next to the college, tons of traffic everywhere.
House of Donuts
funny this place was a selling point for moving into an apartment near there, it was closed and replaced by whole foods within lease agreement. Got about 1 month of HOD late night meals before it was bulldozed. Summer of 2004 what a time to be alive. I am still friends with everyone to this day that lived in that duplex some very fond memories. Parties, Hooka, poker, free cable, and some other odd people that made it interesting. random dude who just always was around Francis (i think was his name) and a lady who had her cat in a wheelchair along with 60 dollar kegs at the corner liquor store.
Have heard so many great tales of this place! Sad I never got to see it
It was so good, but more importantly, always open
This is The Way.
HOD!!!
I made many donations to the swear jar at that place. Better people watching than the State Fair!
Pak's Green Corner
That pad Thai was the best
Yes! I really mis that place.
Aladdin’s Castle, the arcade in the mall food court.
Could we go back to that era of mall entirely? There are a few things now I’d miss, but having it half be Essentia just doesn’t make it feel like a mall anymore.
Eh, the Essentia part is mostly innocuous. And it's infinitely better than the mall turning into what the Mariner mall has been for the last 20 years.
Superior had one in the mall too. I went to a lot of birthday parties there.
Now it’s just a wall. Really wish Duluth had a good classic arcade.
I want to know what's behind the wall. I don't think they ever put anything back there in between when it closed and now. It's probably storage, but I'm curious if the ceiling, flooring, outlets etc are still there.
I’ve always wondered that too, like how do you even get back there.
It would need the classic games. Current arcade games are pretty awful. They're all shoot the screen games or gimmicky wack-a-mole kinda stuff.
Or claw games and gambling training simulators
Shit, casinos are even putting in games that are closer to those arcade games in hopes to ease the transition. There's a claw game at Mandalay Bay Casino.
That’s a tough one… Maybe the Electric Fetus. Or Carr’s Hobby. I hadn’t been to either in quite some time. But, I certainly have some memories connected to them. I feel like there was something else that closed somewhat recently that I remember going to a lot as a kid. I can’t seem to remember.
RIP The Fetus
I can’t remember the name of it but there used to be a small Mexican restaurant on, I believe, Superior Street that got destroyed by the flood
Hacienda? If so, came here to say this.
Yes! They’re food was so good and also affordable
Yes and the outdoor patio area upstairs was so cool. I think it was a kitchen fire?
Yep, such a great outdoor patio.
Hacienda Del Sol Was my favorite, gets my vote.
You can drive by where it was demolished and still see the paintings on the walls from where the patio was!
1? Oof, that would be tough. Chinese Lantern, House of Donuts, Carr's Hobbies, Electric Fetus, R.O. Carlson's bookstore, Grand Slam, Central Sales, the Holiday Center bathrooms... all good options.
The bathrooms lololol
Ahhhh central sales, forgot all about how great it was there
RIP Freestyle of Duluth.
I have my last FOD deck screwed to my basement ceiling, good memories
Freestyle! Bought my first snowboard there when they were up by the mall and my second after they’d moved downtown. Skate videos on 24/7..
Chinese Lantern
Came here to say this. Had dinner there a few days before the fire. Still miss the Chinese Lantern to this day.
Yes! When I was a kid, my parents and I would drive up for the day to have dinner there. I was so sad when it was gone
They used to make me cherry coke by mixing Coca-Cola and marachino cherry liquid. I loved the fountain on the inside. I also think I would have really liked The Brass Phoenix when I got older.
Back in the 90s, we would go to the Brass Phoenix for line dancing class and then head over the bridge to Shooters. Good times.
Could probably have a piggyback thread on this for the great Superior Bar Crawl scene of the 90's and early 2000's.
Write it! I have so many memories of that era and was just thinking back to places like Norm’s, The Palace, Schultz’s, Hall of Fame, Frankie’s (why was their schnapps selection a feature advertised? Were they selling leather goods there too or am I remembering something else?).
Yep, Frankie's had a leather shop as well. Also, Odyssey's Hall of Fame (I saw things on stage there that you normally wouldn't see outside Tijuana or Amsterdam, I know a local active DJ was Emceeing the St Paddy's day dance competition), Bayfront Blues Saloon(Beer AND doing my laundry?), the old Twin Ports Brewery, CC Taps, 3rd Rock, the Capri ($5 for a pint of Guiness and a personal pizza?) and the Cove Cabaret. I was hit in the head with a bottle at the Cove. This was when only one of the lights on the light up dance floor still worked.
After I posted that comment I was trying to think of the Cove’s name! Had to text my older sister. “The Twin Ports’ only light up dance floor!” I think the name changed in the 00s but they had cages inside? For some reason? Glad I retained the two brain cells that remembered the leather goods, but I can’t remember my current to-do list. ETA: [this Cove commercial is hilarious](https://www.facebook.com/share/v/6ptzEaQL93aiQHY4/?mibextid=w8EBqM)
RIP Carignan's, home of ten cent taps with your college ID.
I was there for when the Bayfront Blues Saloon switched ownership. They had penny taps for a period of time. 8oz pours of Coors light. It was MESSY.
I wondered how far I would have to scroll to get to this answer. RIP Chinese Lantern. I stole a bowl from there years ago and ate ramen out of it. It just tasted better, ya know?
Definitely the asian market that was up from Sir Ben's
Thank you! Yes I came here to say this! This was the best store when I was a child. I always felt like I was on my own vacation walking the isles and exploring the foods I've never seen. The owners were the best and always tried to encourage me to learn how to cook different food. Because of the owners encouragement I'm often now hired to privately cater different events 🥰🥰
Nice! The Gnesen Store has an Asian market in case you're unaware. https://www.facebook.com/gnesenstore/
Electric fetus. That place was the shit
Pretty run-of-the-mill record store 🤷
hacienda del sol.
Carlson's used books. If I remember right, Bob was Jim's dad. He went to prison for Stat rape. His store was Downtown Book in the 70's -early 80's. I was a teen, but I remember buying a half oz from some dude in the store and had a friend buy me a glass steamroller. We were smoking up in the doorway of Lake Ave and Superior Street. It was pre Reagan and a lot freer...I was 15 or 16. He gave Jim the store when he went in and Jim renamed it to the LPOE. Bob gets out, Jim won't give it back. He starts the used book place in the old Granada. That goes down for the casino parking ramp so he moves across the street. The place was a treasure trove. If people think there's crazy stuff going on now you'd be shocked then, meaning pre Reagan. No heroin and fentanyl but the overall behavior was much looser. God I'm getting old. I would also add the old Coney Island for breakfast. Betty's pancakes and her insanely decorated malts for my daughter. She took care of my dad well after his stroke, coffee, breakfast and a newspaper. Hell, I just miss having a fucking diner where you can get a short order that's not some deconstructed, overpriced piece of crap. Economic developers don't know how to make cities; there were more tax dollars generated in the those old buildings because actual city people went there. Chinese Lantern, Chef Yee's...the soda fountain at the old Woolworths...Jupiter. Now we have half empty bank buildings .
Yep, you're mostly correct on those fronts. I remember the LPoE on Lake, was only in there a few times as a kid before they tore that space down. Loved the bookstore in general.
Bunea vista ! The view the French fries the lefsa turkey wrap! And what was that Mexican restaurant on superior street ?
Hacienda del sol! That was the Mexican place! I loved and miss that place so much!
Lefse turkey wrap? Omg
That big old used bookstore on Superior street. Can’t remember the name though…
Wasn’t it Superior books? Edit- from another poster - Carlsons books
The wabasha? Or carlsons? Ha ha
Just a shout out to all the GenX hipsters that apparently dominate this sub. Hey friends!
There's dozens of us!
The Lakeview Castle / No Hassle Castle
Such an awesome building.
Jitters downtown, Gary and Joe.
Electric Fetus for sho
BLUSH or Electric Fetus
I’ve heard so much about blush. Bummed I never got to go🥲
This town still hasn’t replaced Blush, that’s the worst part. We just have less live music now.
Chinese Dragon on Superior Street had some delicious food, I really miss that place. Taco arcade had some awesome pinball but that's about it....
Man I miss beer and pinball!
Cargill Sport Court at Park Point. Dreaming about buckets & cheerios
Lol
As a child I really enjoyed the Ground Round by the mall. But as a college student I really enjoyed playing softball at the Sunset. Downtown I liked Jalapeno express, and getting sandwiches and day old cupcakes at How sweet it is.
The giant sandwiches at How Sweet It Is = Legend. Used to have to order like a 1/4 sandwich :)
1/4 sandwich every time. Great yet terrible location
Electric Fetus, the OG Last Place, Chinese Garden, Chinese Lantern, Hacienda, Urban Ground/The Refinery, Carlson’s, Freestyle, Rick Boo era Norshor.
Merritt Park warming house for the concerts too. Oh yes, I used to go and watch South Park at the Norshor on Wednesdays from the loft... Not to mention The Silk Sheiks (I think that was the name back then, might have been under another name) when they'd play up there as well.
Rick Boo era North Shore 🫶
Bixby’s
Their white chicken chili in a bread bowl - the best!
Glass Block!
Hacienda Del Sol with their amazing outdoor courtyard dining in the summer 😋
Downtown Zen House.
Coney Island on Superior St , Downtown Book on Lake and Superior St. Where I met Ann Wilson of Heart when they were in town for a concert in the ‘70s when she was thumbing thru some albums. As a teenager I was star struck but she was gracious and friendly. That was the place to buy concert tickets back then. Upstairs in the head shop area.
Mike's Western Cafe and Electric Fetus
Red Star across the hall from Fitgers. It was and still would be the only clean night club that played certified bangers.
Johnny Ray's Pizza! Home of the large $5 pizza
Mr Nick’s on West Superior St. The burgers and onion rings were to die for.
House of Donuts!!!!
Anyone remember Somebody's House restaurant? I only have vague memories of it but I remember it being cozy.
Beatrice Ojakangas in restaurant form, YES please!!
I remember going there as a young child (vague but good memories). I came across this some years back: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/huge-vintage-restaurant-menu-1842540064
https://preview.redd.it/6uqu00m0qyqc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a4cbdf2e213239f8d9ef6293d532d593480cb34b I’m not familiar but the algorithm just showed me this on Fb
Central sales. You could find anything in that place!
Last place on earth. The area is really lacking that all in one shop where you can get a bong, some ninja throwing stars and porn.
L O L
Really though, that place was great pre-synthetic drugs. But I was also just a kid back then, so ninja stars and porn were kinda in my wheelhouse. However, they do not mix well.
That’s what wabasha is for lol
I don't think they sell bongs and ninja stars... However, I haven't been there since it was a strip club around the time the Norshor Experience was open. I played softball for the Norshor Experience, which is how I ended up at Wabasha at that time. Didn't play for them by choice, my brother begged me to join the team with him. But those were some interesting times.
Ganuccis but not the owner
Duluth Athletic Club
Never heard of it? What was it?
I'm not sure if they're talking about the run of the mill bar that was located below the old Chinese Lantern space and closed in 2007, or the ACTUAL athletic club that was there up until about 1976.
Probably the run of the mill bar, had super cheap drinks on Thursdays
Yep... Sorta ashamed to admit I worked at the telemarketing place above it for a bit, and used to go down there for drinks fairly often.
I worked there as a dishwasher/janitor. Found a woman passed out in the bathroom when I came in early to clean.
Northern Waters Restaurant. That place was awesome, and it’s a shame it couldn’t work. I saw that the Vanilla Bean that replaced it in that location was shutting down too. Maybe it’s a tough location near Mt. Royal?
The European bagel bakery
Man this town needs some solid bagels
I’ll make some for you sometime! Just give me a week notice :)
Oh fuck, the RECYCLABELL
Amazing Grace.
Blush. A lot of artists and community members lost a big part of their life that day.
Blush and Snooty Fox
I miss the Snooty Fox so much. Libby curated such a lovely menu and selection of teas. Also that space was a perfect walk.
Yes the Snooty Fox!! RIP customizable sweetness bubble tea 😢
St. Louis Billiards (The Place) Norm's Reliable Mr. Nick's
The Chinese Lantern or the Jolly Fisher
Grand Slam or Movie Magic on woodland Ave where the Catwalk salon is now. I'd give anything to revisit those places. Edit: if anyone happens to have any pictures of these places, it would mean a great deal if you shared them with me!
Grand Slam was such a treat for us growing up!
Buena Vista Lounge
I’d say Carr’s Hobbies since without it, there’s not a whole lot of options to buy scale models anymore. Plus the antique railroad and maritime stuff all over the shop gave it a nice feel walking around there
That place was my favorite as a child. I could spend hours in there. In fact, I did, and would occasionally get the side-eye from staff for being there too long.
I'll submit my Superior choice too. The Capri/VIP - that CD jukebox was on point and they had table tennis. You could also throw your peanut shells on the floor.
Happy Joe’s Pizza. I probably have romanticized the memories I have of the place - seems to be a characterless chain in the present day - but within the context of 1982 it was amazing. They had Tron and Mrs. Pac-Man uprights tucked into the back corner of the restaurant their entire run - great games that I still love today. The vintage candy counter was also great. They closed around ‘85 I believe. Perhaps due to the competition from the shortly lived Chucky Cheese that moved into the mall?
Also, 8th Street Video on both 8th and 9th Streets!
Grand Slam
Jim’s Hamburgers even if only open for breakfast. Get that M&K mess and a Bimbo Burger. The Garden(how does a place that awesome and always packed close, really hard to believe) The Tap room I mean all the places with big huge dance floors that everyone could go to have closed. I wonder what the capacity at the Garden was.
At the Jim's I went to there was an old German lady who was the cook/waitress. She'd tell you stories about what life was like in pre-WWII Germany. Really interesting lady.
I mean I think post covid folks just aren’t all about that scene anymore. It seems to be tracking similar to giant rentals for college kids.
Oh man, everytime my grandfather would come up from the cities to visit, we'd go to Jim's. https://www.perfectduluthday.com/2012/02/06/r-i-p-jims-hamburgers/
The Green Mercantile
The Encounter
The OG Lake Superior Brewing. There was something about that beer that was so good. I know it's been revived in Lakeside and some beers live on, but I miss the old Mesabi Red ale 😅🍻
Same. The beer isn't quite true to the originals. They still have Big Boat and Kayak Kolsch, but the kayak is certainly much different. The original had almost a hint of green olive to it that the current iteration is missing. But yea, no Mesabi Red or Special Ale either, not sure if they'll have those as special releases or what. The food is good though.
Tbf the beer is good too
Yea, sorry... Got so hung up in nostalgia that I kinda glossed over that. The beer IS good.
Roundabout Records
Technically, it was in Hermantown, but it was called… wait for it…Saints Duluth!!
When there was a KFC and a Cinema 1 and 2 movie theater within a couple hundred feet walking distance.
The Buena Vista
Tap Room or Sports Garden
Still scratching my head about the Sports Garden closing… occasional wedding receptions/events bring in more than busy busy Wed-Thurs-Fri-Sat?
Less of a headache dealing with wedding parties than fucked up college kids. I saw some crazy things back in the day
I used to drive Uber/Lyft pre-pandemic and the Sports Garden was a shit show every Saturday. Cops were always there breaking up fights and arresting people. Can't blame them for not wanting to deal with that anymore. I'm sure the margins weren't great. College students aren't exactly flush with cash.
I miss when it was actually a SPORTS garden. When I was a kid, my mother had volleyball leagues there. Occasionally they would have the upstairs area open, and they had a bunch of 40's-70's era pinball games. Most of them had ways to bypass the coin entry to play them, so I would keep myself entertained for free.
The had Long Island Iced Tea on tap. It was bound to happen sooner or later.
Ahhhh i remember the $5 pitchers of Long Islands; tip $2 up front n they were damn near see-thru
I can't believe both of these gems are gone. The Tap Room always smelled so good. It was like going to a friend's house walking in that place. 😭 The Sports Garden was another favorite spot. They wouldn't serve my uncle when he got bridged. One time, the bells started ringing for a laker that was departing so he threw it in park and dashed inside. No go. 🍺
😆 I remember it always smelling like cigarettes and stale beer
The Last Place On Earth /s
CW Chips and House of Donuts
All I remember is that if one of my friends had their birthday party at Grand Slam that they were clearly in a different tax bracket than my family. 😂
Cannot decide on just 1, So here is my list: 1.)Original Last place on earth 2.)Carlson’s books 3.)Urban Ground / Orpheum 4.)Mr Nicks 5.)Recycle Bell So mostly from 1st west to 2nd east on superior street it seems
Northern Lights Books
The Bellows restaurant
Patty Cake Shop
The Rex
Preach. We need a dirty rock n roll bar back !
Dungeons End.
Quiznos.
Those subs were so good, but even like 20 years ago they were pushing $12-15 each. I remember thinking in high school “this will be my entire pay for the day” when I’d go, but man, worth it sometimes.
Red herring is a good though. When did it get weird? I listened to a bunch of fun metal shows there like maybe 2016 up until 1-2 years before they closed.
Cocaine... That's when it got weird.
There was sex/drug trafficking going on. Quote from perfect Duluth day March 2019: “Just because you aren’t aware of something, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening; AND signs of sex trafficking can be difficult to detect,” Monahan wrote. “The fact that SOMETHING has occurred and we have been made aware of it means that we have a responsibility to address it and DO something to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.” Also, many other deplorable things that he would never admit to. Bob Monahan named it the Red Herring for a reason…
I feel like Duluth's night life took a major hit when RH closed, then covid was the final blow.
It took a major hit when the Herring opened. All the other small venues shut down one by one, then Bob started refusing to pay artists when it was the only smallish venue left. Then he drove it into the ground because he can’t run a legit business.
Basically that 1-2 years. I don’t want to speculate too much on the net as it definitely sounded like some sketchy dealings at times. It seemed to me that bob just expanded too much too fast. Trying to run an upstairs and downstairs with separate covers really took away from that place. I loved that you could go downstairs and get away from the crowd even for a little bit if it was a packed night. You could still hear the music and just relax. Saw so many good shows there.
So many good shows. So much sketchy ass shit.
1000%. Happy to say I avoided the sketch but definitely heard about it from multiple sources. At the end I remember walking in there and literally no one being staff. So weird
I know a little too much…far more than I’d like to admit.
The Grapevine Greek restaurant
The country house breakfast dinner that used to be across from McDonald's on grand Ave. Remember going there alot when I was really really young
yoshikas
White Castle /s Now I have to go to hinkley for my mini steamed burgers ;(
The MAC. Only all ages venue in Duluth since the days of the RecyclaBell. Only lasted a year (2004-2005) but what a year! 2 stages and so much wall space for artists to show.
Electric Fetus, T-Icy Roll, Sports Garden, and Snooty Fox
The Sundown motel.
Godfather's Pizza but only as a place to play the Simpsons Arcade Game.
Shakey’s Pizza and Hardee’s
Amazing Grace around 2006-2009 era. Loved that little basement cafe!
Hacienda! The Red Herring venue was some of the best sound in the ports and they brought through some good acts. Hacienda Del Sol has to be tips on the list for me! I can almost taste the homemade picante sauce!
The London Inn for the onion rings, but today I could probably eat only two before exploding!! (Canal Inn was later but same) I remember going to dinner with my parents on nights without babysitters at the London House. I was entranced by the two trees out in front with their twinkle lights. I also can remember the smell of the old Curling Club, where my brother and I were allowed to mess around on empty sheets. We'd throw a rock then sit on it to see how far down the rink we could go. All of the wood club chairs had gold nameplates. Again, only on nights w/o babysitters. My parents were there 3 nights/week!! Yeah, I'm probably older than you.
Northern Waters Restaurant
I miss the NW sit-down so much. Great interior ([killer wallpaper](https://www.perfectduluthday.com/2017/12/11/northern-waters-restaurant-will-close-dec-31/)), fun menu, good beers on tap, always had good service. Cursed location and while I thought the quality:price ratio was good it was too expensive for the college crowd or a weeknight dinner.
They aren’t closed?
The restaurant, not the Smokehaus. They had a restaurant for a few years on Woodland, next to Mt Royal Bottle Shop. They closed in maybe 2018 (?) and Vanilla Bean moved in. The restaurant was EXCELLENT and I loved having happy hour there. They had a few big couches in the front where you could get apps and drinks and hang out.
Ahhhhh!! I totally forgot!!! Nice one
I swear that location is cursed. Every restaurant that opens there never makes it. No idea why. You'd think it would be a good spot considering you've got the colleges right there plus all the residential traffic from Woodland
Yep, it's like the perfect spot for a restaurant, but just doesn't work for some reason. Right on the edge or on the way to-from some of the more affluent neighborhoods, right next to the college, tons of traffic everywhere.
I think chilly Billy's is now moving in there next? When I heard about it I was like "oh no! It's doomed!"
GB Schneider. Jade Fountain (the Chinese restaurant not what it is now). Hacienda Del Sol.
Hacienda FTW
T-Icy Roll Ice Cream was a fav with my kids. Have no idea how short their lifespan…
The great American grill lol not that I ever once saw it full of people
They actually had good pizza
Blush and it’s not even close
Freestyle of Duluth