Brandon B.
Yelp
While the city of of Duluth, MN may have gotten its legacy established in iron ore, it's become known in the past several years that Duluth has a new found fame for having an above-average-number of great food and beer joints per capita. And while well-known mainstays that are household names anchor the area the historic Canal Park area near the Lift Bridge just across from downtown, the "new kids" have made their own cool block a few miles down Superior Street in the Lincoln Park Craft District...and their food and drink options are arguably some of the best in the upper Midwest!
On a recent fall weekend, my wife and I showed up early to a well-known smokehouse in Canal Park, only to be told that it was a 30-45 minute wait for food BEFORE THEY WERE EVEN OPEN (victims of their own success one might argue)!? Slightly annoyed, getting hungry, and ready to start driving to the State Parks south of town, we looked for another option - and fortuitously we ended up at Corktown Deli in the Lincoln Park Craft District.
While a pretty concerted revitalization and a couple of local breweries may have put this corner of Duluth back on the map in the past few years, the food options here are fantastic and Corktown Deli is at the heart of the mix. Their collaborations with their friends across the street at OMC Smokehouse lead to sandwiches and sides that are not just a lunch "option", but are food you'll come back to Duluth for...and having top-notch Bent Paddle Brewing Company on tap, and literally out your back door, doesn't hurt either!?
The sandwich names are inventive enough to peak curiosity, but the fresh flavors and plentiful helpings truly seal the deal. A bunch of artichoke...they got it. A sandwich with everything dill-based...yep, got that too and it's really "Kind of a Big Dill" (all puns intended, I'm sure). Their neighbor OMC Smokehouse's smoked salmon was the basis for my wife's sandwich, and it was among the best salmon we've ever had anywhere! I went for a handheld with thinly-sliced porchetta, smoked ham, apple chutney, and some fresh field greens that was equally amazing. A bacon and blue cheese potato salad side capped-off a really filing lunch that powered us for a full day of hiking...and firmly married the flavors of Corktown's amazing sandwiches with our visit to Duluth in our minds - and stomachs!
Need desert? Yes they have some...but so does the ice cream joint next door.
Make certain you plan to visit the Lincoln Park Craft District on your next stop in Duluth, but be sure to come hungry and thirsty...and start at Corktown Deli & Brews!