While gazing at fall foliage, head to Duluth's Canal Park neighborhood for lunch or brunch.
At the lively, great-looking Canal Park Brewing Co., the something-for-everyone menu naturally includes fare that pairs with the brewery's beers (celebrate the season with the robust dark German lager), including chewy pretzels with a beer-infused mustard, a well-stocked meat-and-cheese platter, beer-battered fried cod with fries and a long list of burgers. There's plenty for vegetarians; the kids' menu features eight options that youngsters will actually want to eat, and the patio boasts Lake Superior views.
300 Canal Park Dr., Duluth, 1-218-464-4790,
canalparkbrewery.com
Weekend brunch at Lake Avenue Restaurant & Bar (served 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) covers all kinds of delicious bases: cornbread smothered in slow-roasted bison, tangy pico de gallo and a pair of runny eggs; a golden skillet pancake dressed with candied walnuts; Parmesan-enriched scones bathed in a savory mushroom (or house-made pork sausage) gravy; a colorful plate of shrimp and grits, and a half-dozen well-constructed brunch cocktails.
394 S. Lake Av., Duluth, 1-218-722-2355,
lakeavenuerestaurantandbar.com
Get in line (it seems as if there's always a line) at Northern Waters Smokehaus and get your sandwich on. The bison pastrami is not to be missed, nor is the roast lamb, the house-smoked turkey or the kitchen's version of the classic banh mi. An a.m. favorite (doors open at 10) is the terrific bagel — it's baked across the harbor at Red Mug Coffeehouse & Bake Shop in Superior, Wis. — piled high with house-smoked salmon and a generous schmear of green-onion-packed cream cheese. Owner Eric Goerdt's second outpost — Northern Waters, featuring sandwiches, a small plates menu, a beer/wine roster and table service — is tentatively scheduled to open by the end of the month at 1608 Woodland Av., Duluth.
394 S. Lake Av., Duluth, 1-218-724-7307,
northernwaterssmokehaus.com
RICK NELSON
