A Minnesota Culinary Northern Exposure

[Davydd]

Earlier this summer in June we went "up nort to da lake". Minnesotans go "up to the lake", no name, just to the lake, or any one of 15,000 actual or 10,000 license plate count - no name, just the lake. In this instance it was Bear Head Lake in Bear Head State Park near Ely, Minnesota and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. So the ritual goes like this...

First you get up early to beat the crowd. So about halfway up to Duluth, the springboard to the North Shore or the BWCA, you need coffee. Hinckley is that halfway spot and Tobies is the place...

Tobies is a restaurant and a bakery and their trademark is the sticky roll. In this instance though we did not need it we ordered a caramel pecan roll...

Then I finished with a croissant, cream sauce and scrambled eggs with ham...

That was enough to last the day. We arrived at the park and set up camp expecting no-seeums, black flies and mosquitos, so we put up a screen room. Surprisingly and for June they were not a problem and we sat outside around the fire pit.

Supper was simple. We grilled corn on the cob in the husks inside aluminum foil and a couple of rubbed chicken breast over a birch wood fire along with micro-waved in our camper van baked beans - a combination of traditional and decadent modern in the woods.

The next day was a long walk in the woods in the morning for about three hours and then topped in the afternoon canoeing about the lake pretending we were in the Boundary Waters but knowing we would have a comfy camper van bed waiting for us. While walking in the woods we came upon the "Lion King" of all shelf mushrooms high up in a tree...

It looked like a lion to me.

That night's supper was a repeat with the substitution of hamburgers for the chicken. The next morning we broke camp early, not to beat the crowd this time, but to drive into Ely and find a good breakfast. By chance, and the first place we spotted was the Chocolate Moose...

The Chocolate Moose was a cozy north woods log structure adjacent to one of the canoe outfitters. The coffee was outstanding. The orange juice tasted fresh squeezed. The breakfasts were also very good. Nancy had the Huevo Rancheros with corn bread and I had the Northern Scrambler. Note the nice touch on the cranberry toast.

After breakfast we explored a bit. We staked out the Fall Lake campground east of Ely for a future foray and then went to the end of the road to Lake One to watch canoeist launch and come in from the Boundary Waters. This picture is of a Boy Scout troop from Kearny, Nebraska heading out for a 5 day trip.

We went back and explored around Ely some more and stopped at the Dorothy Molter Museum - a restoration of her cabin that was on an island 19 miles from the nearest road and reachable only by canoe in the BWCA. Dorothy was the last person allowed to live in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area primitive wilderness. She was famous for serving home made root beer to canoeist. We had a sample of her original recipe now brewed by the James Page Brewery in the Twin Cities.

We then headed down Highway 1 to the North Shore of Lake Superior then down Highway 61 heading toward home. Out of tradition we stopped at Betty's Pies outside of Two Harbors, Minnesota...

Betty's Pies is not the original place or the original owner but it carries on the tradition. But first, before the pie, I had a fried walleye sandwich on a wild rice hoagie bun. It was one of the biggest walleye sandwiches I've had and it was delicious.

Now for the pies. Nancy had the straight blueberry but I went for the Great Lakes Crunch made of apple, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry and rhubarb with vanilla ice cream of course.

After that it was a straight drive home without stopping at Tobies.

We continued our road food and camping tour in July. we got up Monday morning packed and ready to go in our camper van. We headed out after the rush hour traffic this day so the traditional morning breakfast midway to Duluth to beat the vacation rush up north was out and unnecessary as I will point out in a moment. Instead we took the opportunity to arrive in Duluth at lunch time and took in the Fitger's Brewery. Fitger's was once a commercial brewery. The building now houses a hotel, several shops along with the old brew house museum. The restaurant is a brew pub. I had the tuna steak sandwich along with a Northern Waters Smoked Lager and Nancy had the Smoked Lake Trout Wrap with an Apricot Wheat beer.

We traveled on up Highway 61 the North Shore Scenic Route and stopped at the Temperance River State Park campground on the shore of Lake Superior. Typical of the state parks and waysides on the North Shore they are generally centered on a river with falls coming down the steep hillsides on the North Shore. This is typical.

That evening we drove on up to Grand Marais for dinner. We dined at the Angry Trout Cafe, right on the harbor, one of our favorite stops. The Angry Trout Cafe is big on organic foods and sustainability. They make every effort to conserve, buy locally and buy organic. Fish would normally be my logical choice but to my surprise I discovered they had a grilled pork tenderloin sandwich on the menu. I could not resist.

Later that night back at the campsite we had our planned ceremony--the retirement burn. That is the reason we can now vacation during the week and not battle the North Shore horde on the weekends. I worked at the Target Corporation headquarters in Minneapolis where business casual with tie or sport coat was the rule. The other option sans tie, suit or sport coat was to wear the store uniform of khaki trousers and red shirt. Thus symbolically no more red shirts or ties.

The next morning we resumed our tour and drove back up to Grand Marais for breakfast prior to heading up the Gunflint Trail. We tried the Wild Onion Cafe this time. One menu item stood out and we both ordered it--The Wild One consisting of homemade venison sausage, apple wood smoked bacon, wild rice, crimini mushrooms, roasted red bell peppers & Swiss cheese scrambled with fresh eggs served with fruit & toast. You can't beat this...

We did our obligatory poking around the shops in Grand Marais and lamented we only had so many chow stops to try everything. There will be other trips. We then drove 60 miles up the Gunflint Trail all the way to the end that terminates into the National Forest Service's Trails End Campground. On the weekend you would need a reservation for one of the 32 sites. During the week we had our pick and chose site 13 that was fairly isolated and overlooked the Sea Gull River outlet flowing into Gull Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. It was also a singed site on the edge of the Ham Lake fire that burned last May. There is a beauty in nature and forest rebirth after a fire.

For dinner we walked up to the Trails End Cafe. What else would I have but a walleye sandwich? This was the real thing in the heart of the BWCA canoe launch area.

We normally take our kayaks to the North Shore and Gunflint Trail area but we have not figured out a solution putting them on top of a nine foot high van. We are thinking about buying folding or inflating kayaks to make our trips more fun. Hiking it would have to be on this trip. We managed to get in about four miles each day.

For breakfast we cooked over the campfire ring. I cooked the Johnsonville brats and nancy made pancakes on the Coleman stove. My brats and to my relief no one rushed to us like in the Johnsonville brat TV commercials.

We broke camp and headed back down the trail and stopped at the Magnetic Rock Hiking Trail, part of the Border Route Hiking Trail that skirts through the BWCA for landlubbers. At the Magnetic Rock your compass goes haywire and becomes useless. As you can see the fire did some serious damage. We first hiked this trail about 15 years ago. Back then it was a dense forest and you could not see Magnetic Rock until you practically walked into it. We hiked it again after the 1999 straight wind blow down. It was still green and forested but less dense. This time it was burned completely but you can see after only two months the beginning of the reforestation.

So after two night we headed back to the Twin Cities. This time we sought out the competition to Betty's Pies on the North Shore. Our destination was the Rustic Inn Cafe in Castle Danger. Nancy had a Po Boy version of a walleye sandwich...

Wow! and to my surprise and totally unexpected the Rustic Inn Cafe had a traditional fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. I never expected to find one on the North Shore or anywhere beyond the farm belt in Minnesota. It was also very good.

We can't end our journey without pie. Nancy had the Blueberry Crunch and I had the Strawberry Rhubarb. And that's the end our our journey.

Our next trip will be this fall most likely in September and we may venture up the Sawbill Trail for our camping destination and we will continue seeking out interesting places to eat. Suggestions are welcome.

Some Culinary References:

A Taste of the Gunflint Trail

http://www.amazon.com/Taste-Gunflint-Trail...87654385&sr=8-7

Betty's Pies Favorite Recipes

http://www.amazon.com/Bettys-Favorite-Reci...87654530&sr=1-1

Edited August 21, 2007 by Davydd (log)

[srhcb]

First ... Congrats on the retirement

For your consideration:

Russ Kendalls Smoked Fish in Knife River. It's been there forever. (I like the Salmon)

Nokomis is a new restaurant just North of Duluth. Fine fine dining, and owned by the nephew of a friend of mine.

Cut off 35 on 73 into Moose Lake. Visit Arts Cafe, which has been around longer than forever.

Follow 73 North to the Iron Range. Visit Fraboni's in Hibbing for sausages, bacon and porketta. (their pasties aren't bad either) Then stop in at the Sunrise Bakery for some hard rolls for your porketta and some potica.

Or stay on 35 until you get to the Cloquet exit and take 53 to Virigina, where you can substitute F&D Meats for Fraboni's and the Italian Bakery for Sunrise.

If you come through Chisholm around noon I'll buy lunch at Valentini's, an traditional Iron Range stop for good food and DFL politicians. Thursday is the Italian buffett.

Many spots on the Range offer breaded porks too!

SB

PS: and you can stop in Buhl to fill up with "The Finest Water in America", (at least that's what the water tower has always proclaimed)

[snowangel]

Thanks, Steve, for chiming in about Russ Kendall's. The sugar-smoked salmon can't be beat. And, yes to Nokomis.

But, as you are heading up, do stop in Cloquet and have a burger at Gordy's High Hat (on the north side of Cloquet on highway 33). If you order fried, order a small order. The fish sandwich is also great, but I think their onion rings are way over-touted. Or, for a truly Minnesota experience, you can stop at the place just north of Gordy's on the east side of 33 at the Family (something or other) restaurant. Their sign is advertising "stop in for our hot dish specials!" (we've not stopped, but the place is packed during regular eating hours (early for lunch and early for dinner, like they do up nort.

Is that Jamaican place still open in Gilbert? If so, I've heard wonderful things.

[sparrowgrass]

You should have picked your "lion's head" mushroom--it was actually a clump of oyster mushrooms, my favorite wild edible. Very common up there in June, and if you can get to them before the black beetles and their white larvae do, a good camp treat.

As a former Ely resident, I can recommend the Chocolate Moose as well, just not on a summer weekend, when it is too noisy and full of tourists.

Many of whom are a bit fragrant, having just come in off the canoe trails.

[kbjesq]

Davydd, Dafydd: Congratulations on retirement. Great post. Makes me want to jump in a camper and head to Minnesota!

[Davydd]

Thanks! Great suggestions Steve and Susan. Russ Kendall's and Art's Cafe sound great. Just the kind of places we are looking for. We have as I said a fall trip sometime in late September planned with our camper van and probably a winter trip but not in our camper van. We have stayed at the Naniboujou Lodge several times outside the summer season.

Sparrowgrass, the mushroom was high up and well out of reach. Even so we would not have picked it in a public park. Little things like that should be enjoyed by all hikers. I am only comfortable with puffballs and morels out in the woods, both of which I can find in my own wooded lot.

[Brad Ballinger]

Follow 73 North to the Iron Range.  Visit Fraboni's in Hibbing for sausages, bacon and porketta.  (their pasties aren't bad either)  Then stop in at the Sunrise Bakery for some hard rolls for your porketta and some potica.

If you come through Chisholm around noon I'll buy lunch at Valentini's, an traditional Iron Range stop for good food and DFL politicians.  Thursday is the Italian buffett.

←

I've consumed large amounts of Fraboni's products in my lifetime. More groceries in and around Hibbing used to carry their products, but now I have to go to the retail portion of the porcessing facility on the northern part of the town. Fortunately, that means driving by Sunrise Bakery.

At Sunrise, you can also get meat pasties. If you like them, there is a shop south of Eveleth on 53 where you can try more.

I'm glad that Valentini's reopened.

Of course, one also has to mention Whistling Bird in Gilbert in any discussion about Iron Range dining destinations.

[snowangel]

F & D Meats in Virginia carries a number of Fraboni products (but not their bacon). But, Zup's carries their bacon (which is outstanding, but a bit too thick for me).

Do you do any road trips in Southern or Western MN?

Edited to add: How can I forget the K & D Drive-In just south of Eveleth on the east side of Highway 53?

And, for a most perfect picnic spot ever, the Wellstone Memorial (also on Highway 53, just south of Eveleth. A most perfect picnic spot if there ever was one.

[SundaySous]

Al you have accomplished today is to make me hungry and for that I thank you. I'll be at the market if anyone needs me.

[srhcb]

More groceries in and around Hibbing used to carry their products, but now I have to go to the retail portion of the porcessing facility on the northern part of the town.  Fortunately, that means driving by Sunrise Bakery.

I shop at Fraboni's Cash & Carry adjacent to the plant. (It's on my way home) They also have commercial sized bulk goods available there. Just be advised that they mean it when they say; CA$H & Carry. No checks or credit cards are accepted.

At Sunrise, you can also get meat pasties.  If you like them, there is a shop south of Eveleth on 53 where you can try more.

I think the pasty shop near Lion Spring on 53 (Celia's?) is closed again? Then I believe there was another place in Cotton after that?

For the best pasties, try and find a Methodist Church Ladies Sale!

I'm glad that Valentini's reopened.

I'm far more than glad. "Eternally grateful" even! The Valentini family and my family have been close friends for generations. (Have you seen the family cookbook they published a few years ago?) When the restaurant, (located one block up the alley from where I sit), was closed there was a dark hole in the social fabric of the town.

BTW: One of the third generation Valentinis, Mike, and his wife Sally, own the old Forest Service station at the end of the Gumflint, which was decimated by fire this past spring. (Mike's accounts and photos were featured in the Twin Cities' papers at the time.) They're rebuiling and repairing, and still plan to open a small first class resort on the property some day.

Of course, one also has to mention Whistling Bird in Gilbert in any discussion about Iron Range dining destinations.

←

My Sister and Cousins, who have dined all over the World, always visit the Whistling Bird when they come to visit. For a real culture shock, stop by The Gladiator Bar afterwards for a beer!

SB (Iron Range Expert )

[Brad Ballinger]

Do you do any road trips in Southern or Western MN?

←

I was in Lanesboro over this past weekend -- the one with the rain. On Friday night, we biked on the Root River Trail to Whalan. By Saturday night, a large portion of that trail had washed away.

On Friday night, we ate at the Old Village Hall.because my wife had a gift certificate from some silent auction months ago. It was okay, not good. My Caesar was swimming in dressing, and the chipotle-lime sauce on the quail was someting other than chipotle-lime. Cheesy Yukon Gold potatoes come with all but two of the entrees.

We fared much better on Saturday when we went on a tour of one of the nearby Amish regions. I bought plenty of jams. At one stop, I got 5 peaches for $1. They were the best peaches I've ever had. Well, I should say peach (singular). The daughter ate four of them in the car, and would've finished it all off if I didn't stop her. Also, grabbed some great pastires and homemade ice cream.

[Davydd]

As for southern Minnesota, we will now be making frequent trips to La Crosse, WI and probably will get to know it intimately and places in between on the river now that our daughter-in-law is starting her professorship at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. At one time we were planning a camping trip to southern Minnesota at either Whitewater SP or a mini B-van rally near Lanesboro at a private campground for this month. Kind of glad those plans fell through.

In the past year we have bypassed southern Minnesota foraging for Iowa pork tenderloin sandwiches in Wellsburg and St. Olaf, Iowa.

Our next immediate trip is Washington DC and everything in between. Then back to northern Minnesota and then Indiana in October. My fall color imprinted roots are in Brown County, IN. That will culminate over 10,000 miles of camper van travel this season. We try to hit nothing but independent establishments for meals.

[snowangel]

If you're heading toward La Crosse, you might want to detour to Hayward, MN (just off I90, just east of Albert Lea and visit Nick's Meats and Grocery. They took some big awards this year at the State Fair for sausages and bacon.

[Davydd]

If you're heading toward La Crosse, you might want to detour to Hayward, MN (just off I90, just east of Albert Lea and visit Nick's Meats and Grocery.  They took some big awards this year at the State Fair for sausages and bacon.

←

Hayward, MN would be a bit out of the way if going to La Crosse. After traveling many ways highway 52 to I-90 is the quickest, then 61 along the river second and 35 along the river on the Wisconsin side the longest (in time). To get to Hayward you would have to make a acute dogleg down I-35 to I-90. That will never happen going to La Crosse. But if heading straight down to Iowa on I-35 it is only a 7 mile detour.

Hayward, WI might be a more interesting trip.

[snowangel]

Hayward, MN would be a bit out of the way if going to La Crosse. After traveling many ways highway 52 to I-90 is the quickest, then 61 along the river second and 35 along the river on the Wisconsin side the longest (in time). To get to Hayward you would have to make a acute dogleg down I-35 to I-90. That will never happen going to La Crosse. But if heading straight down to Iowa on I-35 it is only a 7 mile detour.

Hayward, WI might be a more interesting trip. 

←

To be within 7 miles of award-winning bacon and not stopping would be a crime against smoked porkdom!

[Davydd]

We journeyed to Minnesota's Lake Superior North Shore for the third time this season in hopes of catching the fall colors at their peak. Though spectacular I believe we may have been about 4 or 5 days too early. Our previous trips included the Boundary Waters Canoe Area around Ely, MN and the Gunflint Trail. On this trip we stayed almost exclusively on Highway 61 along Lake Superior.

When you travel Highway 61 you are encountered by many state parks and waysides. So naturally we pulled over on one wayside to capture this photo of the Split Rock Lighthouse.

Then a little farther up we stopped at another wayside that happened to have a coffee shop. On the bridge across the road was this typical cascade toward Lake Superior. This was the Cross River.

The Cross River got its name from Father Baraga's Cross. Father Baraga was a priest from Yugoslavia. He had set sail in a small boat from Wisconsin's Madeline Island intent on heading to Grand Portage but got blown off course and landed safely in the protected waters of the Cross River. A wooden cross was erected on the site and later replaced by this granite cross.

We made it to our first destination, the Grand Marais, MN Municipal Campground around 1 PM and picked this site that looked over the harbor.

With our afternoon free we headed further up the highway to a park we are familiar with, Judge C R Magney State Park across the road from the Naniboujou Lodge, a place we had stayed numerous times over all four seasons. Our destination was a hike up the Brule River to the Devil's Falls and Kettle. On the way we encountered this.

The falls were overwhelmed with flow. Normally you can see half the falls go into the Devil's Kettle (a hole) to come out further downstream. There was so much flow you could not discern the kettle unless you had been there before. It is on the left at the top.

Getting up close was spectacular.

This fellow was poised to go into this cauldron. We watched him as he charged the falls and did a few rolls and then finally headed down stream.

This forum is about food so maybe it is time to get back on track. After hiking all afternoon in the woods we were naturally hungry. We went back to one of our favorite places, the Wild Onion Cafe in Grand Marais. I had the B2LT consisting of the usual BLT suspects plus strips of Kobe beef. Nancy had the Rueben. Both came with homemade chips.

The next morning we got up early and walked into Grand Marais at sun up. Our first destination was the World's Best Donut where we got ourselves some treats and much needed coffee and walked over to the beach.

A donut was not going to sustain us for another full day of hiking so we walked back to the Blue Water Cafe for a real breakfast.

Nancy ate ala carte with hash and eggs. I opted for the full bore Angler's Breakfast consisting of two eggs over easy, hash browns, sour dough toast and a whopping breaded Walleye.

Now we were ready for hiking. Our first stop was the Cascade River State Park where we first hiked up the Cascade River to the obligatory falls that tumble out of the mountains down to Lake Superior all up and down the North Shore.

But we also wanted to see fall color. As I mentioned on the North Shore we were perhaps early but over the mountains colors were in peak. So we hiked up to Lookout Mountain in Cascade River State Park on part of the Lake Superior Hiking Trail. 1,600 feet up we got what we came for.

After Cascade River we had a whole afternoon ahead of us so we drove to the Canadian border 50 miles further up the highway to Grand Portage State Park. Beyond the sign you can see the border crossing.

This is what we came for. The Pigeon River is the boundary between the United States and Canada. Just a short half mile hike in you come upon this tallest waterfall in Minnesota with a 120 foot drop. The US is on the left and Canada on the right.

That evening we took in another favorite place, the Angry Trout Restaurant adjacent to our campground. I had the pork tenderloin medallions and Nancy had the breaded herring. They were served with salad and wild rice.

We got up early the next morning and thought we would take a small hike at the Municipal Campground. It turned out to be a very rigorous hike up deep woods rocky hill. The reward was this overlook of Grand Marais harbor.

With that behind us we still had a 1-1/2 mile hike up and back to The Pie Place on Highway 61. Believe me it was well worth it. My breakfast was the Caribou Eyes, the classic egg in the hole fried eggs in the center of two pieces of homemade bread topped with cheese, sour cream, and salsa served with a wedge of hash brown pie. Nancy had the Northern Sausage Benedict consisting of English Muffin halves topped with maple sausage patties, poached eggs, and cheese sauce along with the hash. This breakfast was clearly the winner.

But wait! This is the pie place so we had to imbibe. We split a Maple Apple Cream pie. Now that we have had pie at Betty's Pies, the Rustic Inn and The Pie Place, I can say without a doubt The Pie Place in Grand Marais is the winner.

It was time to head back to the Twin Cities after two nights on the North Shore. On our way back we stopped at Gooseberry Falls State Park for one more hike. Right on the highway is the ever popular main falls.

We decided to hike up to the 5th Falls back in the mountain. On our way we encountered this interesting mushroom.

We made it to the 5th Falls about a mile into the forest walking along the Gooseberry River.

We had one last stop at Russ Kendall's Smoked Fish in Knife River between Duluth and Two Harbors. We bought some smoked trout and salmon spread and then headed for home.

We may have one or two more trips north yet this year. One again in October at the end of the season and then one again when winter closes in for some snowshoeing.

[snowangel]

Beautiful!

So, just what kind of fish did you get at Russ's place?

When you head to the North Shore, what route do you take? 35 to Duluth? If so, you owe it to yourselves to detour and get off of 35 onto Scenic Highway 23 (I think at Sandstone? -- I'll note it on Friday when we head north to close up the cabin). It's a spectacular section of road (bring a picnic lunch!) which dumps you into the very southern most part of Duluth, and really gives you a good sense of Duluth and how it was literally strung together from tiny towns.

[prasantrin]

What kind of mushrooms were these ones?

I have to admit, seeing all the mushrooms was kind of cool, but it also freaked me out. I don't know why, but mushrooms make my skin crawl! The last picture you posted of the mushrooms you saw really made me skin crawl!

Were any of them edible?

[Davydd]

I believe the mushroom is this one. The Amanitia Muscaria.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria

[Davydd]

SnowAngel,

We bought some smoked trout and some salmon spread. Now I wish I had bought some smoked salmon as well because I like to make my own spread. Their spread was good but expensive.

We have traveled Highway 23 in the past and probably would have this time if we hadn't been a week too early for the peak fall colors.