I was perusing the Duluth city website to find out if/when the farmer's market would begin this year, when I stumbled on the Thirsty Thursday event page. I love that the local shops and restaurants have banded together to offer discounts and specials every Thursday! The Hubs and I d on't usually spend a lot of money on dining out, but these deals were too good to pass up. In addition, we love the restaurants in our little downtown and it feels good to support the small local businesses.
For our first adventure, we went to Crave Pie to try a Tipsy Tart. I tried to take a picture but it was devoured the second we took it out of its tin - you can see the blur of The Hubs' pie in the upper corner. I'm not a dessert-lover, but this Bourbon Pecan Pie was amazing - it had the perfect ratio of filling and pecans, and it wasn't too sugary. The crust was flaky, but not too dry. As we chowed down on our little Tipsy Tart we watched the bakers at Crave Pie make their creations. The kitchen is divided from the rest of the shop by a large clear window where you can watch the craftsmanship and care that goes into each pie. Yum. I'm definitely buying our next dessert pie from here...our company will be impressed!
Next, Best of Brews. The Hubs loves this place and goes whenever he can (which sadly, is not that often). We got a discount on two howlers (32 oz) of our favorite beers on tap - Smuttynose Imperial Stout and Midnight Train to Duluth. These rounded out the movie night we had on Friday.
I have to talk a little more about beer...Midnight Train to Duluth is one of my favorite beers of all time. It's a cream ale, and from the picture you can see that it is quite dark. However, the flavor is very smooth (even though the alcohol content is 6%) with hints of vanilla. It is brewed especially for Best of Brews by Thomas Creek - what other city has it's own signature brew?
Finally, we ended our evening at Park Cafe. This is probably my favorite local restaurant - the diner entrees are in the $18-$25 range but you absolutely get what you pay for. Park Cafe is located inside of a converted historic home, each room being a separate dining space. Even when it is full of people, the noise is still low enough for you to enjoy your table's conversation. When you go, make sure to explore the selection of wines and order an appetizer to share. The entrees sometimes take a bit to arrive but I promise, you won't mind.
You can tell that the food is crafted with the highest quality, fresh ingredients and is presented with such attention to detail you almost hate to dig in. But you do. And it is amazing. So are their drink selections - I tried the mint julep wine cocktail and The Hubs tried Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale. That was some good beer! It is a Belgian-style ale and tastes just like Delirium Nocturnum but for half the price.
The Hubs and I both got the Prix Fixe $25 dinner, which included our choice of individual appetizer, entree, and dessert. We both chose the duck confit flatbread (with fig jam and havarti cheese...oh my Lord it was amazing), a steak dish with mashed potatoes and a delicious jus, and we split dessert - I chose a peach strudel (incredible!) and The Hubs got Oreo truffles. Again, we are not dessert people but we cleaned our plates. I wish I took pictures, but we were too busy enjoying our dining experience (and stuffing our faces).
Here is the best part of the whole evening - Park Cafe had a Thirsty Thursday drawing for a $25 gift certificate...and I won!!! Praise! We may try the lunch menu there next week.
So what's in the plans for next week? Hopefully Crave Pie will have more tarts and "pie shooters," we will refill our growlers at Best of Brews, and try out the specials at Pure Taqueria. With $2 and $2 beers, we may have to walk home.
- Maggie White
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