It took a long time for a nationwide chain of BBQ restaurants to hit Duluth, MN, even tho the first location was a mere 50 miles away.   Famous Dave’s was started in Hayward, WI, a regional year-round resort town, home of the World Lumberjack Contests, and also the winter cross country ski fest, the Birkebeiner.  Al Capone had a hideout nearby during the 1920′s and 30′s.

Located in the tourist center of Duluth, Canal Park, Famous Dave’s serves up a vast menu of barbecue specialties, and burgers as well.

Minnesota Burger Reporter Kawikamedia, and his burger posse hit Famous Dave’s the other day, and Kawikamedia went with the Ultimate BBQ burger, which promises a  juicy ground beef patty beneath a pile of Georgia Chopped Pork with two strips of jalapeño bacon, melted sharp American cheese and our signature Beam & Cola BBQ sauce.

Kawikamedia is not usually a fan of BBQ sauce, but reported he loved this one due to it’s complex combination of flavors.

He’ll be back, he says, after all, Famous Dave’s is within staggering distance of his house!

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Pickwick Restaurant, Duluth, MN

Nearly 100 years old, but yet a “newborn”, the Pickwick (“the Wick” to locals) has always been a Minnesota favorite, and has been operated by the same family until this week. The new owners have modernized some of the infrastructure, and will be “updating” (horrors!) the menu.

First pic of the new bar area (below) shows that they have increased seating, extended the bar itself, and added more seating at the bar (formerly, it just had 8 highly coveted stools). Looks like the have lightened up the room a bit, and possibly removed the plethora of dead animals and fish that previously hung on the walls and replaced them with flat screens (horrors, again!) (Can’t we go anywhere, anymore, w/o having to watch television?).

Minnesota Burger Reporter Kawikamedia and the Minnesota Burger Posse were there for

Pickwick Pepper Cheeseburger

the opening last night, and reported nothing had changed, apparently, in his usual (and favorite) Pepper Cheeseburger and onion rings. But he added an aside, that the “true test” of the burger is how it tastes after a night in the frig (like I believe the test of a pizza is how it tastes after a night on the kitchen counter!).

Still waiting for that verdict.

The Wick has retained their charcoal broiler for steaks and fish. One can only imagine they kept the various local fish entrees, featuring Walleye. Or one can hope. Word is they will be opening the 2nd floor, previously unused space, as a wine bar.

The group started with the Pepper Poppers, before launching into the burgers.  Poppers were reported as “a nice addition to the menu.”

(All photos @ Kawikamedia, and cannot be reproduced w/o permission).

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Pepper "Poppers" at the Pickwick

Pickwick Pepper Cheeseburger & Onion Rings

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Mickey Paulucci, spawn of Jeno Paulucci, self-described “peddler’ and ‘not a nice guy’,  started the Grandma’s, restaurant empire over 30 years ago, in Canal Park, Duluth, MN, across the street from his father’s office.

The original Grandma’s became known for quality food, ample servings, and fun ambiance, and grew to be a statewide mini-chain, but eventually cutting back to concentrate on opening several other eateries in the hometown Duluth area.

One of the spin-offs is Little Angie’s Cantina and Grill, a Tex-Mex outlet within avocado throwing distance of the first Grandma’s in Canal Park.   Little Angie’s puffery says “Little Angie’s Cantina is the kind of place where the food is so fresh it’s still sizzling at your table.”

Minnesota Burger Reporter Kawikamedia popped into Little Angie’s the other day and checked out the Cowboy Burger $7.99, a 1/3 pound all-beef patty topped with marinated lettuce (wtf?) tomato, mayo, add bacon and cheese for $2.09. The Cowboy is served on a toasted bun and comes w/ fries.

He said the burger looks much better than it tastes, overcooked, dry, no seasoning. The fries were “passable.”

In these days of boutique burger places, restaurants that offer burgers as just “one more item” need to try a little harder to upgrade their offerings.  One has a number of dining choices in Canal Park, and some of them aren’t part of the Grandma’s group, even!

Little Angie’s menu is online.
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Heard from Burger Niece yesterday, who was in Minneapolis to check out a few burgers and dogs (yes, it’s genetic). She hit up the Smashburger outlet in Golden Valley, then trekked a little further north to hit Uncle Franky’s in Plymouth.

She reported satisfaction on all counts, and was pleased with Smashburger concept, service and food, said she ordered at the counter, custom made burgers were delivered to table in less than five minutes.

They had the mushroom/swiss, the Twin Cities half pound smash, and the kid’s smash. (all pictured below).

Uncle Franky’s I haven’t heard of, but they got the Vienna beef chili dogs, and liked them just fine. (Who doesn’t like Vienna dogs?). The Uncle Franky’s website says they have three locations, the original site in Nordeast, one in Dinkytown, and the one in the far North suburbs. I imagine Dinkytown does real well, Dinkytown is one of the two little commerce blocks around the U of Minnesota (the other is called “Stadium Village”), and both neighborhoods have long been the locale for cheap eats for the students. One of my regular hangouts used to be a 24/7 place called “Best Steak House” (there was one in each area), which was akin to the old Tad’s Steakhouses in NYC. You know, steak, baked potato, salad and a roll for $1.79 or something silly like that. Are there any Tad’s left?

Apparently so, just checked the web, there’s still one in SFO and the steak dinner is $13.79, but you can get the half pound hamburger steak complete dinner for under ten bucks, so that’s still a deal!! Apparently Manhattan as well, but couldn’t find a website for those locations.

Anyway, thanks for the report Burger Niece….sounds like a good time was had by all!

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John Jacob Astor was the first billionaire in the US, amassing a fortune in fur trading, real estate, and exports to China. He also created the first trust. At the time of his death, he was the wealthiest person in the US, and, using 2010 dollars as an equivalent, he ranks as the 4th richest person in American history. Local legend in Duluth has him dying on the Titanic, which would have been a cool story, had he not died decades earlier.

Curt Carlson, founder of the Radisson Hotels, was also a billionaire, founding the Gold Bond Trading Stamp company after a stint at P&G. He bought the downtown Minneapolis Radisson Hotel in 1960, and started a second phase of his career which eventually included hotels, restaurants, and hospitality companies around the world. 10 years after his first hotel acquisition, he built the Radisson Duluth, which encompasses the cylindrical hotel design, so popular at the time, replicated at so many urban Holiday Inns, and taking its place in history forever with John Portman’s 4,000 foot tall (well it seems like it) Westin Peachtree (original name) in Atlanta.

These three elements come together in the relaunch of the Radisson Duluth’s rooftop revolving restaurant, JJ Astor’s, whose opening coincides with the complete refurbishment of the hotel, a modern updating using retro decorating and furniture, from top to bottom.

Time was, the Radisson revolving restaurant (where was the first one, anyway?) was the place for several things: the big date; mother’s and father’s days; engagements, anniversaries and birthdays. Now they hope to take a place in regular dining and lounge choices for Duluthians, and even shut off the “turntable” in the afternoons for Happy Hour. (kind, folks!).

Minnesota Burger Reporter and the Minnesota Burger Posse stopped by JJ Astor’s for lunch the other day, and reported a generally very positive experience. They like the house-made pickles which had a hint of garlic. Plates came with fresh cut fries, which were excellent, but not mentioned on the menu as a feature. Two of the posse enjoyed the cheeseburgers, one had the pan-fried Walleye sandwich, a common fixture on Duluth menus. The Walleye is a local fish, full name “Walleyed Pike,” but it actually isn’t a member of the pike family. Go figure!

Astor’s hot young chef brings a new twist to local favorites, employing the ‘simple is better’ technique so popular today.

The Radisson stands at 6th Avenue West and Superior St., near the site of the base of the formerly famous Duluth funicular. (Oh, look it up!).

It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the menu is online.

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OK, follow the bouncing ball, as this story can be confusing! Once upon a time, in downtown Duluth, MN, there was a venerable institution called ” Mr. Nick’s Burger King” – (Home of the famous Char-burger). Nick’s operated for years, with that name, until an upstart franchise burger joint who currently has a very scary “king” character as a mascot comes along and wants to open in Duluth. They negotiate with the Mr. Nick’s family, and eventually, a compromise was reached (the details were as secret-like as a burger joint’s secret sauce), and Mr. Nick’s dropped the “Burger King” name, and a couple or six BK restaurants opened in Duluth, and the Mr. Nick’s family was somehow involved with those. (Please don’t trouble me for the facts, I am off my meds and it’s hard enough to concentrate – LOL).

Now, once a year, the family that operated Nick’s, dusts off their burger and onion ring recipe to benefit Twelve Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox, raising money to send local kids to camp, and for other youth activities. This event occurred yesterday in Duluth.

For a mere $10, you got a taste of nostalgia via a Mr. Nick’s Burger, Rings, and a drink, and take-outs were allowed.

Minnesota Burger Reporter Kawikamedia covered the event and said a good time was had by all. Photo credits to Kawikamedia, except exterior b/w of Mr. Nick’s restaurant found online, but uncredited.  (“Little” Nick at the grill;  Charburger and Onion Rings).

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Once upon a time, there was an all night joint in Superior, WI, called “Louis’ Cafe”, which was famous for ultra-delicious pancakes, Greek specialties, and huge portions. Louis’ begat Louis’ West End in Duluth, which spawned Louis London Road and as those outposts faded from memory, a new Louis (not sure if there is any relation) sprang up on the hospital hillside of Duluth, promising the “best breakfasts in town.”

Kawikamedia and the Minnesota burger posse dropped by the other day, noonish, to check out the menu of this 20 year old establishment.

The “Bishop” went with the hot roast beef sandwich, served on white bread, with mashed potatoes and gravy, cleaning his plate while admiring a nearby order of Eggs Benedict. Kawika went with the heart-stopping Buxom Burger, two 1/3 pound patties, cheese, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, bacon, onion, and mayo, and pronounced it excellent, with “hand-formed seasoned patties” and good “overall taste.” He said the seasoned fries were spot on, as well.

When I go to town, I’m not allowed to join the Minnesota Burger Posse on their outings, because I don’t know the secret handshake. But I do believe they’ll let me attend next time, as I have learned the secret words – “I’m buying.” How ’bout it guys?

Louis menu is online at Urbanspoon..

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Hot on the heels of Guy Fieri’s visit, Kawikamedia and the Minnesota Burger Posse stopped in at the Duluth Grill to see what all the hubbub was about. One of Duluth’s few 24 hour eateries (this town has no Dennys!), the Grill is ensconced in the industrial section of the city, next to a service station, and just off one of the town’s 8 freeway exits.

The Grill used to be an outpost of “Embers” a midwest chain started in the mid 50s in Mpls-St Paul, not many Embers left, but they used to be a refuge for the late nite bar crowd, and were a regular television advertising, with spokesperson Nancy Nelson (now of infomercial ‘fame’) touting, “And if you don’t like your meat, it will be cheerfully exchanged!”) Always struck me as funny, that line, still does, tho when I mention it to others they give me a quizzical look.

Kawika went with the jalapeno cheeseburger, for $10.29, described as “Pepper-Jack cheese and roasted pepper-onion mix smother this burger. Served on a grilled multi-grain bun smeared with fresh guacamole, topped with roasted red pepper vinaigrette and fresh sliced jalapenos.”

He pronounced it “good”. And you guys know me, I would have been over the top about waffle fries, always am!  Duluth Grill menu is online, and when I looked it up, noticed they are no longer a 24 establishment, 7a-9p only.  Duluth Grill’s burgers are from grass fed beef.

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Gordy’s Hi-Hat, Cloquet, Minnesota, is one of those”local legends” that the media seems to love, it’s been open since 1960. It was started, and is still operated by the family who owned one of Duluth’s (30 miles to the NE) first, and beloved drive-ins, the “London Inn,” a local high school hang out.

Duluth teenagers of the 1960s and 70s still get all glassy-eyed remembering the “Inn’s” onion rings, and the introduction of “California burgers” to their palate.

Many have tried, but failed, to duplicate the Inn’s rings, and the story was always told that the Hi-Hat, since they originated the side, filled the bill.

“Not so,” says Minnesota Burger Reporter Kawikamedia. He and his burger buddies made the trek to Gordy’s this week, on the advent of the shooting of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives,” featuring celebrity chef/host Guy Fieri and his traveling vintage Camaro.

The upcoming event has been prominently publicized in a recent article in the Duluth New Tribune, which recounts the history of the seasonal diner, and its founding family, the Lundquists. (This is a dated story, which will soon vanish into the paper’s paid archive section, if the link doesn’t work for you).

Kawakimedia was disappointed in the rings, which he said are not to the standard of the Inn, in his memory, and were reminiscent of any fast food ring, with far too much cornmeal as a breading choice. “If they are making them on site, as they say, they are wasting their time.”

The California burger disappointed as well, as did a mushroom and swiss burger also ordered by the party. While the patties were fresh meat once, they were undercooked, and had a “gray” pallor which was unappetizing.

Unrelated to the food, but a disappointment to the party as well, was the boast of free wifi, so the posse could crank out their verbage on their iPads….the wifi was next door at the co-owned ice cream parlor, just out of reach of the burger eaters.

Guy Fieri’s show makes all places he visits look most appealing, and I have enjoyed dropping in on many of his recommendations. I often wonder, watching an episode, how many places they shoot, or start to shoot, and abort, because the food doesn’t live up to the legend, or they just can’t get any personality out of a place or individual.

That I will never know. But I do know that no matter how lucious he makes the burgers and rings sound, at least two local burgermeisters will take exception to Guy’s opinion. While in the area, Fieri and/or the crew also visited the Duluth Grill, a former “Embers” restaurant (slogan used to be “If you don’t like your meat, it will be cheerfully exchanged!”) and, At Sara’s Table, in the Chester Creek neighborhood, possibly as fine a stop as Duluth has.

If you are determined to hit Gordy’s in anycase, you can make your drive have some merit, as Cloquet is the home of the only gas station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, recently lovingly restored by local oil barons, the McKinney family.

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