Best of Health & Fitness

Best Bike Shop

Twin Ports Cyclery
Since 1975, the experts at Twin-Ports Cyclery have worked to make a better cycling experience for residents of the Twin Ports with a personalized approach, getting you on the right bike. It also offers a full-service repair shop and accessories for every biking need. It helps that we all have a genuine love for biking.

Runner-up: Ski Hut

Best Bike Trail

Munger
Named after state legislator Willard Munger (1911-1999) this is 160 miles of multiple-use trails for hiking, bicycling, inline skating, snowmobiling and horseback riding. The paved Duluth-to-Hinckley section offers a spectacular 70-mile journey, following the historic 19th-century route of the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad. Along the way are the St. Louis River, Jay Cooke State Park, Thomson Dam, Andrew State Forest and the picturesque towns of Barnum, Finlayson, Willow River and Moose Lake.

Runner-up: Hartley Park

Best Health Club

YMCA
There are five YMCAs in the Twin Ports area, so they collectively get the prize. The 150-year old institution has pretty much grown into a full-service life thing, with not only health and fitness programs but also babysitting, educational support, after-school drop-in, camp, sports, biking, yoga, safety training.

Runner-up: Essentia Health Center for Personal Fitness

Best Optical Shop

Vision Pro Optical
Vision Pro has 11 locations in the region including Duluth, Superior, Cloquet, Two Harbors, Aurora, Moose Lake and Grand Rapids. They offer a full range of eye care services for men, women and children. They also offer financing options and will work with insurance providers to ensure eye health for all patients.

Runner-up: Blink Optometry

Best Place to Walk

Lake Walk
In the 1970s, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) planned to build a highway along the edge of the lake up the North Shore. Duluth citizens mobilized to get the freeway redesigned, and fighting the monolithic MnDOT seemed like tilting at windmills. But the residents didn’t give up and the highway was eventually set back with tunnels, allowing room for the much-loved multi-use path we have today.

Major storms in 2017 and 2018 did significant damage to the Lakewalk, causing an estimated $30 million dollars in damage. MnDOT actually came to help in 2023, awarding nearly $11 million in grants for resiliency improvements.
Runner-up: Pattison State Park

Best Playground

Playfront
It’s the No. 1 choice of kids in Duluth, with a rubber floor, space-age arcs and bouncy platforms. Now in its second decade, parts of it still defy explanation. There are structures you can’t do anything with, like the overriding tall blue metal arcs and the stubby curved posts. Did someone grab the set design for a sci-fi Broadway play that never got produced and send it to us? We ate it up without question, of course, just like those ghastly structures in the immediate vicinity, the dayglo-warehouse aquarium and the lake view-blocking concert stage. But we got ‘em now, so we love ‘em to death.

Best Public Park

Lester Park
Next door to Brighton Beach, Lester Park features nine-plus miles of hiking and mountain biking trails between Amity Creek and Lester River. Seven Bridges Road follows along Amity Creek. Lester Park Rendezvous takes place in the park every September.

Best Skateboarding Spot

Heritage Skate Park
Located at 2828 Hammond Ave. in Superior, the park features a variety of ramps, pipes, rails and boxes for skateboarders, inline skaters and BMX/trick bikes. The park is open until 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. In 2025 it underwent nearly $1 million in renovations. The grand re-opening is scheduled for May.

Gary New Duluth Rec Center

Best Ski Shop

Ski Hut
The Ski Hut has been serving the people of Duluth for more than 60 years. The Ski Hut’s long history in Duluth is a big part of why they are an area favorite.
While the age of the store is important, the time staff have devoted to the sport of skiing while inside the store or outside on the snow makes for good customer service. “Our staff is very experienced and we love to ski,” said owner Scott Neustel. “When people come in we teach them to love the sport and get them into the right gear.”

Continental Ski and Bike

Best Sporting Goods Store

Northwest Outlet
Northwest Outlet has been a fixture in the Twin Ports and the upper Midwest for more than 60 years. Family-owned and operated, they sell a full line of sporting goods including fishing and hunting items, camping gear, footwear, clothing and outerwear.
Runner up: Duluth Gear Exchange

Best Yoga Studio

Yoga North
Located in Duluth, Yoga North provides classes in a variety of styles including Somatics, SomaYoga, Therapeutic yoga, Hatha, Vinyasa, Kundalini, Restorative, Yin and Ayurveda, as well as specialized classes and workshops on yogic thought and eastern philosophy. With more than 20 weekly classes and over a dozen instructors, there is a class to serve everyone, from pain resolution to athletic performance.

Best of Services

Best All Ages Hangout

Duluth Folk School
The Duluth Folk School was created in 2015 to fill a need in the Duluth Community to help people learn how to make things. It was also created to be a “third place” where community could actually happen — where folks could gather to learn, network and enjoy. It Bought and refurbished 1917 W Superior St. in 2017.

Runner-up: Lake Walk

Best Auto Repair
Best Car Dealer
Best Large Employer (21 or more)

Kari Toyota
When Edwin Kari and his sons started a bicycle repair shop from their home in the 1920s, they probably did not have the slightest notion that it would transform into one of the leading businesses in the Twin Ports a century later. The Kari family has transformed much over the years and have used the wealth of experience to bring the Northland a great car dealership that is truly appreciated by their many loyal customers.

Runner-up (Best Auto Repair): Foreign Affairs
Runner-up (Best Car Dealer): Benna Ford

Best Cab Company

Allied
Allied Taxi has been serving the Northland area for more than 50 years. We offer fast response times from multiple locations for your convenience. Providing dependable, prompt taxi service is our priority. We know how important your time is, and that is why we strive to go a step further. We not only want to meet your expectations, but to exceed them.

Best Catering

Kurtz Catering
Kurtz has served thousands of guests at weddings, family reunions, graduation parties, funerals, corporate banquets, and holiday events since Al Kurtz founded the company in 1979. But they prepare the food at a location that is kind of hidden, in a building blending into a quiet Billings Park neighborhood that you might just think is an oversized garage.

“We are in a building behind a house,” said owner Paul Kurtz, Al’s son. “We pay commercial property tax on the building. I rent the house out to one of my employees.”
People driving by might be surprised how much business is going on in this particular block of Ohio Avenue. “I have 16 commercial ovens in my kitchen, nine doors of refrigerator, a walk-in cooler, and five doors of freezer space,” Paul said.

Best Chiropractor

Roth Chiropractic
Located in Moose Lake, Dr. James Roth has been providing chiropractic services for nearly 30 years. They offer complimentary no-obligation consultations. Dr. Roth will discuss with you the specifics of your case and will tell you if yours is or isn't a chiropractic case. If not, he will help you in finding the health care professional best suited to help you. They offer a partnership in attaining your health goals, respecting your decisions in how you want to proceed.

Best Dentist

Gregorich & Matack Family Dental
The dental practice goes back to 1953, when it was founded by Dr. Marc Chart. His son Dr. Kim Chart carried it on and Dr. Joe Gregorich joined in 2011. Dr. Nick Matack joined in 2011. Located in downtown Duluth, the practice aims to demonstrate unwavering support, compassion, honesty, and care for their patients.

Best Doctor

Dr. Sarah Astorga, Essentia
Dr. Astorga is a member of the Essentia Integrative Health provider team. She values the integrative health model of utilizing lifestyle and functional medicine to identify root causes of symptoms and improve resiliency. She has special interest in gastrointestinal, menstrual and mental health concerns and is certified to provide MORE (Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement) group classes for chronic pain management.

Best Florist

Engwall
Ulysses S. Grant was president when Engwall began providing flowers and floral arrangements for Duluthians way back in 1876. In addition to a large inventory of fresh flowers, you can also get tropicals, plants, high-style arrangements, silk or dried arrangements, wedding consults, funeral designs, as well as carrying an extensive gift line, gourmet and fruit baskets and candles.

Runner-up: Flora North

Best Golf Course

Nemadji
The views throughout Nemadji, a public golf course, offer panoramas not found anywhere else near Superior. Nemadji Golf Course is a 4-star Golf Digest-rated championship golf facility featuring 36-holes with five sets of tees catering to all skill levels. Designed by world-renowned course architects Stanley Pelcher, Don Herfort and Roger Packard, you will be sure to test your skills.

Best Hair Salon

Great Clips
Great Clips is known for convenience and affordability. Founded in 1982 in Minneapolis, there are now 4,280 locations in the U.S., all of them franchised. Locally there are salons in the Mount Royal Shopping Center, Miller Plaza, Superior and Cloquet.

Best House of Worship

Outdoors
This a perennial winner (alternating with Lake Superior) and while it’s a creative answer, it’s not a house, readers! You can say a church is not a house, either, except in the Bible a place of worship is referred to “God’s house,” like it’s His living room. Outdoors is more like His un-mowed back yard. Can y’all pick an actual building next time?

Best Local Bank

North Shore Bank of Commerce
A perennial winner not to be confused with another perennial winner, National Bank of Commerce. NSBC is a locally owned and managed, independent community bank founded in Duluth in 1915, it offers a full array of personal and business banking products, mortgage services, insurance services, and a full selection of trust and investment services. It’s also a patron of the local arts, with works exhibited at its four locations.

Runner up: Superior Savings Bank

Best Local Credit Union

Superior Choice Credit Union
SCCU started with 26 members and less than $100 in a grocery store in Superior 90 years ago and has since grown to 30,000 members and 13 branches across Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Runner up: Members Coop

Best Optometrist

Dr. Beth Fischer
Fischer, who works at Vision Pro Optical in Cloquet, is the perennial favorite in this category, having won four times in the last five years (and runner-up in one). She graduated from North Dakota State University in Fargo and got her Doctor of Optometry at the Pacific University College of Optometry in Oregon.

Best Photographer

Joe Polecheck
Polecheck is a Superior-based photographer who produces an annual calendar, wall prints and other merchandise and has a gallery at Empire Coffee. He writes, “For me photography is a medium through which to experience and share the wonder of this planet.”

Best Real Estate Agent

Lynn Nephew - REMAX
Lynn moved to the Twin Ports to attend the University of Minnesota Duluth and then could not imagine living anywhere else. In addition to her career as a real estate agent, she is active in several Duluth charities. She served on Neighborhood Housing Services board as vice chair in 2009 and as president in 2010. She also served on the committee to merge the Northern Communities Land Trust and Neighborhood Housing to create One-Roof Community Housing. Currently she serves as a commissioner for the Duluth HRA and on the board of Common Ground Construction.

Best Retirement/Assisted Living Facility

Benedictine Living Community
Benedictine Living Community-Duluth offers a full continuum of living options and care services in the region. From independent living and assisted living to memory care, skilled nursing and senior rehabilitation, the faith-based organization aims to provide an enriching senior living environment for older adults.

Best Service (non-restaurant)

Vision Pro Optical
Their team of eye doctors and staff are dedicated to creating an exceptional experience and that starts in the exam lane. Optometrists will thoroughly evaluate your eyes for any diseases or conditions and update your eyewear prescription to ensure that your glasses and contacts provide crystal-clear vision.

Runner up: Kari Toyota

Best Ski Hill

Tie: Mont du Lac
Spirit Mountain
Built on top of a natural rise on a region carved by glaciers retreating at the end of the last ice age, Mont du Lac was founded in 1948 by Tony Wise, the founder of the American Birkebeiner ski race​​. For many years Mont du Lac was the only place to downhill ski in the region. In 2008 it transitioned to a four-season resort. Currently owned and operated by Larry and Donna Pulkrabek, Mont du Lac has been given new life through extensive renovation.

Spirit Mountain was proposed and designed by former Olympic skier George Hovland, opening in 1974. Today it has 22 Alpine runs, 175 acres of skiable terrain, 700’ vertical drop, five chair lifts and three surface lifts. The two Nordic centers feature 2.5 km of Nordic specific trail and 22 km of groomed cross-country ski trails (classic tracks and skating) through dense hardwood forest.

Best Use of Taxpayer Dollars Last Year

City parks
Duluth has significantly more greenspace than most American cities,with around 11,000 acres of open and wooded land within its city limits. The network includes 129 parks and has earned the city a reputation as an "urban wilderness."
Superior park land includes the Superior Municipal Forest, at 4,400 acres the third largest municipal forest in the U.S.

Best Veterinarian Clinic

Happy Tails
Owner Dr. Justin Dahl graduated from Superior High School in 1995 and got his veterinarian degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He worked 13 years with Grand Avenue Veterinary Clinic in West Duluth, then moved back to Superior to open his own full-service clinic in 2015. His goal was not only good service but affordable service. They note only treat cats and dogs, but rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils and rats and farm animals, namely sheep and goats.

Runner-up: Duluth Veterinary Hospital

Best of the Material World

Best Antique Shop

Father Time Antiques
Here’s a typical question messaged by Facebook to Father Time Antiques in Canal Park: “Have any Star Wars stuff?” The answer, of course, is, “You bet.” You can explore more than 10,000 square feet of antiques from more than 50 vendors in one location.

Best Architectural Treasure

The Depot
The second train depot built on the site, the current building was completed in 1892 after two years of construction at the now-quaint cost of $615,000. Many local materials were used in the French Norman-style building, including granite, sandstone and yellow brick. Rail service ceased in 1969 and the building was threatened with demolition, though it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It reopened in 1973 as the St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center.

Runner up: Aerial Lift Bridge

Best Art Gallery

Siiviis
In 1995, Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais expanded to a Duluth location when Siiviis (named after Severin Sivertson’s retired fishing boat) opened in Duluth’s Canal Park waterfront district. Amanda Clark took ownership in 2022.
Runner up: Tweed

Best Bookstore (new and used)
Zenith Bookstore
Both new and “gently used” books can be found at this West End gem. Bob and Angel Dobrow opened the store in 2017 and in February of this year sold it to store manager Sarah Brown.
Runner up (new): Barnes & Nobles
Runner up (used): Chester Creek Books & Antiques

Best Bowling Alley

Incline Station
This popular family-owned bowling center provides birthday parties, group events, open bowling times, arcade games, atomic bowling (with glow lights) and competitive league play. Bit of history: It’s named after the Incline Railway, a streetcar that ran up the hillside 1891-1939, though the bowling alley is actually east of the original station.

Runner up: Skyline

Best Fashion (men)

Mainstream Fashions for Men
They call it the “Mainstream experience” – delivering the image you want to present in clothing. This downtown Duluth store has been serving the men of the Twin Ports since the early 1990s Customer service is their point of pride, as their goal is to help men find the perfect look in suits, sport coats, shirts, sweaters, jeans, outerwear and accessories.

Runner up: Duluth Trading Co.

Best Fashion (women)

The Sass Boutique
The boutique has been a longtime vision of founder Emily Veno, who opened the store in 2023 in downtown Cloquet after operating it as an online business since 2008. Her mission is to bring out “the sass within us” through unique pieces from everyday to occasion wear.
​Runner up: Maurice’s

Best Fine Jewelry

Security Jewelers
When the original Seiler founded the company almost a hundred years ago, he did more than choose a great name for the store that would be in his family until it was sold in 2018. He started a diamond dynasty in Duluth that would be loved by generations of customers for their quality products and reliable and friendly service. They have won this category for many years.

Nummi's

Best Hotel
Best Romantic Getaway

Pier B
One of the most impressive hotels in town with its unique location overlooking Bayfront and Canal Park. Although the hotel is relatively new (as of 2016), the silos built on the property by Huron Portland Cement Company are more than 100 years old. Its opening was a sign of the tourism boom in Duluth, but it’s the kind of high-end modern hotel that locals want to stay at.

Runner-up (Bet Hotel): Fitger’s
Runner-up (Best Romantic Getaway): Tie: Larsmont, Oldenburg

Best Movie Theater

The West Theater
The West first opened on Christmas Day in 1937 as a streamlined modern variation of Art Deco, with seating for 595 people. The building closed as a theater in the mid-1950s. It housed several other businesses as well as spending some time vacant, until Bob Boone, owner of The Reader, purchased the building in late 2016 with the dream of restoring it to its Art Deco glory as a theater. The grand opening took place in 2019 and it has gained a reputation as an excellent concert and convention venue and movie theater. It has since reopened another (even older) historic theater next door, The Alhambra.

Best Music Instrument Store

Music-Go-Round
The world’s largest musical instrument resale franchise, so no surprise that it wins in this category again. A lot of their instruments and equipment are used and in excellent condition. The store is filled with great-playing instruments and gear that can be “taken for a test drive,” making it a better bet than picking up something off the internet.

Runner up tie: Christian Eggert, Schmitt

Best Public Restroom

Kwik Trip
So clean they advertise it on their billboards, their bathrooms are cleaned by the staff every 30 minutes and if that’s not good enough, there’s a button you can press to let the employees know it needs to be attended.

Best Record Store (new)
Best Record Store (used)
River City Records & Books
A robustly spacious store with incredible inventory and a welcome remedy for anyone bummed about the future of vinyl after Electric Fetus closed in 2021. Hayward resident (originally from Superior) and record collector Todd Hanson opened the store in the Lincoln Park Craft District in October 2023 with manager Dury Nelson. They also carry new records, compact discs, DVDs, books and comic books.

Best Second-Hand Store

Duluth Gear Exchange
Formerly Great Lakes Gear Exchange, Duluth Gear Exchange is an outdoor gear consignment and repair shop founded in 2021 by Nils Anderson. This past January he had some sage advice when quoted by the Associated Press about catastrophic winter storms: “When the weather forecast says, ‘feels like negative 34,’ it’s just a matter of covering skin and being prepared for it.”

Best Shoe Store

Tortoise & Hare
The shoe-buying experience is not what it used to be. At Tortoise and Hare, you get a computer gait and arch analysis to help put you in the best pair of shoes for your particular needs. “We focus on a lot of attention to detail,” said owner Jim Stukel. “We aren’t very particular about what your pace is. We are going to take care of your footwear needs wherever you are whether you have sore feet, are a fast runner, or a slow walker.”

Runner-up: Benders

Best of People & Media

Best Album in the Last Year

Tie:
Entheos Enclave, “Eschaton”
Berzerk Blawndz, “Go Berzerk This Christmas!”
Entheos Enclave is a Duluth-based original band fronted by Inga Weis. This Nordic fusion of indie/crossover prog and world music comes from both deep love and deep grief, while embracing the joy of artistry. “Eschaton,” release in November, draws inspiration from below the surface: emotion, spirituality, and the school of life, complete with classically influenced guitar, jazz-influenced piano, bass, drums, mandolin, backup vox, and Inga’s unique style, a language of its own is created.

Berzerk Blawndz is the comical music duo of Steve Solkela and Kaylee Matuszak. Here they’ve added Pete and Joe Anderson on drums and sax, respectively. Their Christmas album has 24 tracks with original songs like “Santa is Injured (Get to Work!)” and parodies and classic covers, ranging in length from 30 seconds to two and a half minutes.

Best Band / Musician
Best Concert in the Last Year
Best Band Name

The Northwood's Band
Not the most imaginative name, but do you need a fancy label so long as people show up for the music? This variety band from Two Harbors played its first gig in 2014, with brothers Hunter McCullough, then 16, and Colton McCullough, then 14. Original member Dennis Pearson graduated from UMD last year and now attends graduate school in music. Dalton Hanson joined the band in the fall of 2018. Hunter and Colton have an acoustic side project called, naturally, The McCullough Brothers.

The McCullough Brothers and “Friends with Horns” staged a Blue Brothers tribute with Hunter as Jake and Colton as Elwood at UMD Marshall Performing Arts Center Nov. 28, which readers chose as best concert. They are scheduled to do it again May 2.
Runner-up (Best Band): Big Wave Dave and the Ripples

Best Community Activist

Robert Kosuth
Robert Kosuth, Ph.D., Vietnam veteran and retired University of Wisconsin-Superior professor, has been active in numerous progressive organizations including Veterans for Peace and Democratic Socialists of America. He spent 30 years teaching English to international students from around the world. He has often been seen at local demonstrations along with his wife, PoLin.

Runner up: Joan Peterson

Best Community Festival (Last 12 months)

Homegrown
Annual community celebration of the original and diverse music of Duluth and its surrounding communities. What started in 1999 with 10 acts has matured to an eight-day community-wide local music, arts and cultural extravaganza.

Best Dance Club

The Flame
Readers didn’t specify which Flame they were voting for, Duluth or Superior, so if you want to decide, you’ll just have to check them out for yourself. Alvin Berg and Vince Nelson launched the Superior location in 2006. They opened the second location in 2012 as Duluth’s first gay bar, which was later purchased by Justin Vranish in 2020.

Best Free Event (last 12 months)

Bentleyville
Twenty acres at Bayfront Park are covered with 5 million lights and nonstop Christmas music. Over 300,000 attend, many of those repeat visitors coming back for more.
Runner up tie: Half Eaten Donut at Fortune Bay Resort Casino, Superior Porchfest

Best Live Music Club

Bent Paddle
Bent Paddle functions as a year-round live music venue featuring two primary performance areas: the indoor Cosmic Stage and the outdoor Lollygagger Stage. The taproom hosts rotating musicians throughout the week, ranging from acoustic sets to high-energy bands.

Best Local Elected Official

Minnesota State Senator Jennifer McEwen, District 8 (Duluth)
McEwen caught some flack last summer when she complained on her Facebook page about fighter planes from the Duluth Air National Guard Base flying overhead, calling them an “onslaught of killer war planes.” Naturally that comment was jet fuel for every political douchebag who questioned her patriotism. But this year, as U.S. increases military action on multiple fronts and bombs an elementary girls’ school, those jets sound increasingly ominous.

Best Local Play in the Last Year

"Frozen" at the Norshor
Duluth Playhouse’s production of the Broadway musical based on the Disney animated film ran Nov. 21-Dec. 21. It included all the songs you know and love, including “For the First Time in Forever,” “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” (no, not that song from “Cannibal! The Musical”) and “Let it Go,” along with new music written exclusively for the stage.

Best Local Website

Perfect Duluth Day
Combining magazine-style journalism with the crowdsourcing abilities of modern social media, PDD stands as Duluth’s Duluthiest website. It was founded in 2003 and became a limited liability company in 2009. It is a worker-owned operation; current partners are Lawrence Lee, Cory Fechner, Brian Barber and Paul Lundgren.

Best Newspaper Columnist

Jill Fisher
If you go to music shows around here you’ve probably seen her in the audience – she’s the one in the beret who looks kind of like Joni Mitchell, usually in the company of a guy whom she refers to in her articles as “the Curmudgeon” and who looks kind of like Jerry Garcia. She’s been covering local music (with occasional forays to the Twin Cities and more far-flung areas) for the Reader nearly every week since 2022.

Runner up: Harry Welty

Best Open Mic

Wussow's
It’s all ages, sign up starts at 6 p.m. Wednesdays. All talents are welcome to share in 15 minutes of entertaining the crowd. Guest hosts rotate in running this very fun and long-lasting open mic.
Runner-up: Moose Lake Brewing Company

Best Radio Personality

Jason Manning
The morning host at 95 KQDS has spent over 25 years behind the mic. He used to be a dairy farmer, truck driver, dish washer, grocery store clerk, semi-pro bowler, golf hustler, professional ring announcer and fishing guide. He and his wife also own the Fredenberg Minno-ette, a bait shop and convenience store.

Scott Savage

Best Radio Station

KQDS 95
KQDS has been No. 1 for classic rock for more than 40 years.
Runner-up: KUMD 103.3

Best Reporter

Dan Wolfe Northern News Now
Wolfe started at Northern News Now in June 2016, winning two individual Emmy Awards and two individual Edward R. Murrow Awards in his time at Northern News Now. His award-winning stories include in-depth investigations into Duluth's housing crisis, an investigation of Minnesota's dwindling moose population, and an adventure story that put Dan in the middle of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for several days and nights in the dead of winter.

Runner-up: Dave Anderson

Best Small Employer (20 or less)

Footprint Promotional Advertising
Located on London Road, Footprint Promotional Advertising has over 26 years of marketing experience, specializing in custom printing, embroidery, screen printing, logo branding and other materials. The business is owned by Briana Manning, who also owns Pearson & von Elbe Advertising.
Runner up: Duluth Playhouse

Best Story Swept Under the Rug

Stauber votes to increase cost of health care
Rep. Pete Stauber has cast several high-profile votes on healthcare legislation that critics and nonpartisan analyses indicate could increase costs for millions of Americans, particularly those using the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid. While Stauber characterizes his votes as efforts to reduce "waste" and "ripping the American people off," experts and advocacy groups point to significant potential increases in insurance premiums and service cuts resulting from these policies.

Runner up: Moving the Duluth library.

Best TV Commercial

No Poop Fairy
This is a public awareness campaign by Duluth’s Regional Stormwater Protection Team starring local actor Jody Kujawa at his slovenly best, reminding residents to "do their civic doody" and pick up their dogs’ waste to prevent bacteria from washing into waterways. The ads were created in 2019, so this is choice is getting old even though the message remains relevant. But with everyone switching to streaming, TV ads are fading into memory, and maybe this is the ad most people remember. Which leads to the runner-up choice in this category: “People still watch TV?”

Best TV News Station

Northern News Now
In 2022, KBJR (Channel 6/CBS 3) and KBJR-DT2 (formerly KDLH) merged their news departments under the branding Northern News Now. Its morning and 10 p.m. newscasts are simulcast by both the NBC and CBS subchannels, while the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts are exclusive to KBJR.
Runner up: WDIO

Best TV Personality
Person of the Year

Hunter McCullough
The Northern News Now weatherman grew up in Brimson, graduated in 2015 from Two Harbors High School, and graduated from Saint Cloud State University with a major in Meteorology and a minor in Mass Communications in 2019. When he isn't checking up on the weather, he's probably out with his band, The Northwood’s Band (see Best Band) as lead singer, drummer and keyboard player.

Runner-up (TV personality): Cosmo the Weather Lab

Best TV Program (local)

Northern Life
Briggs LeSavage, Hunter McCullough and Ryan Haff host a lifestyle television news show airing weekdays at 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Northern News Now.
Runner up: The Lift

Best of Food & Drink

Best American Restaurant
Best Breakfast
Best Vegetarian Friendly Restaurant
Best Serving Staff

Duluth Grill
For breakfast there is a variety of omelets with house-made "egg" nutritional yeast and French toast cooked with vegan batter. For lunch there are Buddha Bread tacos (Handmade Chinese fry bread laced with leeks, topped with gochujang, kimchi, avocado, green onions, cilantro and bang bang cucumbers) and the “Bhaji Bowl” (Coconut rice, coconut potato curry, fresh lime, brined onions and sweet potato quinoa latkes). You can buy the Duluth Grill Cookbook with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meal plans. The Grill is well‐recognized for its efforts to support a local, sustainable food system.

Runner up (Best American Restaurant): Bridgeman’s
Runner up tie (Best Breakfast): Aces on 29th and At Sarah’s Table/Chester Creek Cafe
Runner up (Best Vegetarian Friendly Restaurant): At Sara’s Table/Chester Creek Cafe
Runner up (Best Serving Staff): Sir Benedict’s

Best Asian Restaurant

PhoHolic Taste of Vietnam
PhoHolic opened on Central Entrance in 2019 in a former Domino’s Pizza Hut and quickly became a town favorite. They now have a second location on London Road. Besides the title dish, they offer a full menu including rice platters, vermicelli noodle salad, curry chicken, Vietnamese steak and eggs, and exquisite appetizers. 

Runner up: Golden Inn

Best Bakery

Johnson’s Bakery
Johnson’s is like an old dependable and familiar lighthouse. It has been a place of enjoyable food and community for more than 70 years. The Lincoln Park building was built in 1916 and Bill and Lillian Johnson started the bakery in 1946. Johnson’s is the last bakery left of an active community of local startup bakeries from that time period.

Runner up: Duluth's Best Bread

Best Bar & Grill

Fitgers Brewhouse
Since 1995, Fitger's Brewhouse Brewery & Grille has been a Duluth favorite, a regional destination and a statewide source of pride. Awarded numerous times for high-quality small batch brewery releases that helped shape the craft beer revolution in Duluth and in Minnesota, and recognized consistently for its pub food, it's no wonder that Minnesota's oldest brewpub is a favorite.

Runner up: Anchor Bar

Best Bartender
Best Martini
Lindsey Graskey - Spirit Room
Graskey is not just a bartender, she’s the co-owner, with Jeff Heller, of this classy, historically renovated joint in the Trade & Commerce Building at Hammond & Broadway, the Old Superior City Hall. She also represents the 10th District on Superior City Council.
Runner up (Best Martini): Vikre

Best Beer Selection on Tap

Bent Paddle
Bent Paddle Brewing is a 30-barrel production craft brewery and taproom located in the Lincoln Park Neighborhood. Using Lake Superior water, Bent Paddle brews the freshest and most dependable craft beer possible. The goal is to produce beers that “bend the tradition” of classic styles, striving to make balanced beers with an edge of inventiveness.

Runner up tie: 7West TapHouse Superior & Sir Benedict’s

Best Brewery

Tie: Bent Paddle (see also Best Beer Selection)
Castle Danger
Brewed with Lake Superior water by hearty souls who embody the North Shore. Wherever or whenever you enjoy a Castle Danger beer, you can taste a little bit of the North Shore in every sip. Plus, a Peter Gunn-type theme song runs through your head whenever you say the words “Castle Danger.”
Runner up: Ursa Minor

Best Bloody Mary

Doc's Sturgeon Lake
Winning third year in a row even though it’s located 45 minutes south of the Twin Ports, where so many other bars compete in this category. But Doc’s outrageously delicious drink is one its big attractions, a meal in itself loaded with pickles, cheese, meat and spices.
Runner up: Boat Club

Best Burger Joint

Anchor Bar 
Adam Anderson credits his late father with the Anchor’s success. “My dad started the establishment in 1977,” he said, “and we’re just trying to keep it going. It’s been successful, and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! We put out a fresh product at a reasonable price.” They’re special in the hearts of Northlanders.

Runner-up: The Breeze Inn

Best Business Lunch

Pickwick
A landmark since 1914, Pickwick is natural for business lunches due to its size, proximity to downtown and both private and open areas. Mostly it’s the relaxed gravitas lent by the distinguished atmosphere. The food won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2007. 
Runner up: Silos at Pier B

Best Coffee House

Duluth Coffee Co.
Eric Faust, founder & owner, fell in love with coffee at a young age. Eric began roasting coffee out of his garage on a 3-kilo roaster, as he distributed coffee out of an old, white Ford F-150. The truck, “White Lightning,” distributed coffee to local farmers markets and restaurants. In 2012, he opened a small coffee house on Superior Street. Due to demand, the 3-kilo roaster was soon replaced with a 12-kilo roaster that still operates in the cafe today. 

Runner up: Wussow's

Best Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Northern Harvest
Rick and Karola Dalen graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2003 and have been running Northern Harvest Farm since 2005. Family farms have become a nostalgic notion and our economy has become dependent on an unhealthy, unsustainable agribusiness system. CSAs like the Dalens’ are rebuilding a vibrant local and regional food system. 

Best Desserts

The Rustic Inn
For more than 30 years, each of their pies have been individually hand crafted using their own recipes. Each crust is hand rolled to be flavorful and flaky. Fillings are made from scratch in the kitchen, never using fillers or preservatives. Cream pies are made with gourmet cream, fresh eggs and real butter. never any shortcuts.

Runner up tie: At Sara's Table, Love Creamery

Best Dining Worth the Drive (20+ miles from Duluth)

Gordy's High Hat
Native Duluthians Gordy & Marilyn Lundquist built the first A & W Root Beer Stand in Eveleth in 1950 and the London Inn Drive Inn on London Road in 1955. In 1960 they built Gordy’s Hi-Hat in Cloquet, which is now in its 59th season. Everything is done the same way – fresh hand-pattied hamburgers, home-made onion rings, fresh hand-dipped fish and fresh blended shakes. Gordy and Marilyn, both in their 80s, are still active. They live six months in Sarasota, Florida and return every spring to the Hi-Hat for another season.

Runner up: Rustic Inn Cafe

Best Fish Fry

Dubh Linn
This was an odd choice. The Dubh Linn Irish Brew Pub has a great menu, great drinks and great live comedy, but not the traditional Friday fish fry this category was intended for. Probably readers are thinking of the fish and chips, a staple of their classic Irish menu. It is available in small or large portions, with the large order typically including five pieces of fish served with tartar sauce and highly-rated beer-battered seasoned fries.

Best Grocery Store
Best Green Business

Whole Foods Co op
Whole Foods Co-op has served the area since 1970, when an ambitious group of friends created a buying club to purchase and share whole foods and organic items not readily available in regular stores. It’s grown to include more than 13,000 owners, 150 employees, two locations in Duluth and more than $21.5 million in annual sales. They invest and partner with regional food producers and farmers to strengthen the local food systems.

Runner-up: Cub Foods

Best Happy Hour

The Other Place Bar
Located on the northern outskirts of town on E. Calvary Road, The Other Place serves breakfast, lunch and dinner (breakfast all day Friday through Sunday) and offers a full bar. If you enjoy watching sports and kicking back for live entertainment, you’ve come to the right place.

Best Late-Nite Grub
Best Pizza Place

Pizza Luce
This bar/restaurant/music venue, part of a Minnesota chain with nine locations otherwise around the Twin Cities, quickly became the go-to place for hipsters when it opened in 2000 and it never lost that status. Maybe it’s because the food is deliciously unusual (pizza creations such as the “Fire Breathing Dragon”), the staff is great and the atmosphere is lively, funky yet relaxed.

Runner up (Best Pizza Place): Shamrock Pizza

Best Liquor Store

Keyport
Keyport usually wins this category for several reasons. One is the very wide variety of wine, whiskey and other liquors. Two is the excellent craft beer selection. Third is the very friendly employees, and fourth, their location at the end of the Bong Bridge, conveniently next to Super One. And, oh yeah, the prices. In 2023 they opened another location in Duluth at the site of the former Lake Aire Bottle Shop on London Road.

Runner up: Cashwise

Best Mexican Restaurant

Guadalajara
“We do everything homemade from original recipes from Mexico,” said owner Rebeca Mata. “We brand our family recipes from grandma and my mom. They are very authentic and traditional recipes.” Another important ingredient in making a successful restaurant is the environment. Guadalajara is an environment where people feel at home.

Runner-up: Pedro’s Grill and Cantina, Superior

Best Outdoor Dining

Sir Benedict's
Sir Ben’s has an authentic English Pub atmosphere with a great lake view and a patio suitable for spring, summer and fall. (Even winter, during this warm spell.) They have live music six nights a week, including the popular bluegrass jams, Celtic jams and open mics. (Teague Alexy Mondays!) Their tap list is ever changing with the seasons and their choices draw the people in. There are multiple choices of fresh sandwiches (options like “Chicken Bacon Art” and “The Tropical Pig”) or you can build your own. Plus excellent soups and appetizers.

Best Place for a Romantic Dinner

Va Benne
A spectacular view of Lake Superior sets the mood, when seen from the enclosed solarium or the enclosed grotto. There’s indoor dining for large and small groups, a private dining room upstairs and in warm weather, sidewalk seating facing Superior Street. From-scratch Italian meals seal the deal.
Runner-up: Dreamland Supper Club

Best Place for Gourmet Dinner

New Scenic Cafe
A dinner at the New Scenic café is virtually guaranteed to impress, both in taste and presentation. With an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, New Scenic features masterful entrees such as duck with root vegetables and fried sage, and starters like curried blue mussels.
Runner-up: Lake Avenue Restaurant

Best Really, Really Cheap Food

Anchor Bar
Owner-operator Adam Anderson credits his late father with the Anchor’s success. “My dad started the establishment in 1977,” he said, “and we’re just trying to keep it going. It’s been successful, and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! We put out a fresh product at a reasonable price.”
Runner up: The Kitchen

Best Ribs

Eddie's World Famous Ribs
Ben and Mary Anderson purchased the restaurant in the summer of 2022. Since taking ownership, they have renovated the establishment while maintaining its long-standing "low and slow" rib recipe, which dates back to the 1940s.
Runner up: OMC Smokehouse

Best Sandwiches

Sir Benedict’s
There are multiple choices of fresh sandwiches (options like “Chicken Bacon Art” and “The Tropical Pig”) or you can build your own. Plus excellent soups and appetizers. 
Runner up: Northern Waters Smokehouse

Best Steak

Hammond Steak House
The Hammond Steak House has provided the very best in steaks and seafood for over three decades. It has built its reputation on providing a genuine American steak house experience. This is an old-style establishment similar to the old supper clubs in the area. Just looking at the style of the signs on the building, you can tell this place is from an earlier time.

 

Worst of the Northland

Most Obnoxious Local TV Commercial

Fond du Luth “old couple”
Fond du Luth has different ads featuring different people walking into the casino, one with an elderly couple, another with three younger guys. Neither are particularly more obnoxious, but maybe it’s that relentlessly cheery song – “Have a great time out at Fond du Luth!” – that grates. But if you remember it, it’s done its job.

Worst Local Elected Official

Pete Stauber
Okay, Pete, we’re getting pretty doggone tired of seeing you win this category year after year. Of course it’s going to keep happening as long as red voters outside of Duluth keep putting you in office and blue voters in town here keep filling out this survey.
Runner up: Keith "Neanderthal" Nelson

Worst public restroom

Miller Hill Mall food court
Perennial winner. They don’t seem to be listening, but people take notice.

Worst Road

All of the uncontrolled intersections in Superior.
Many residential intersections in Superior (and Duluth) are uncontrolled, meaning they lack stop or yield signs, requiring drivers to yield to the vehicle on the right and pedestrians. Drivers must slow down, check both ways, and prepare to stop, particularly in residential areas.

Bike lanes
Why do people hate bike lanes? They won’t when it gets too expensive to drive.

Bad cop

ICE
‘nuff said.