News & Articles

Best of The Northland 2012
Another year has gone by and we at The Reader would like to thank you for all of your time and effort spent telling us what you think is the best (and worst) of the Northland. We chuckled at some of your witty and humorous answers and each year we learn a little more about this area from your genuine responses. This year we received a number of single votes; we’d like to gently remind those filling out this survey next year to please include a 15 response minimum or it may result in
your vote(s) being disqualified. Columnists Mark Jeneson and Gwen Hoberg, along with several guest columnists, throw in their two cents on a few of the wins in this years results. Sit back and enjoy the Best of the Northland 2012.

Best of Health & Fitness

Best Health Club
Anytime Fitness
The winner is Anytime Fitness.  We suspect Anytime won because OCD people not only work out at 3:00am, they are more likely to compulsively and consistently fill out “Best Of…” surveys. Okay, the place is clean and it’s open ANYTIME!
2nd place: YMCA

Best Bike Shop
Ski Hut
Once again, Ski Hut takes the win for “Best Bike Shop.” Nestled between Burrito Union and the Co-op, Ski Hut has been an anchor business in central hillside. Truth is, we’ve lost count how many years that Ski Hut has won “Best Bike Shop.” For over a half century though, Ski Hut has been offering great selection and service, we’re sure about that.
2nd place: Twin Ports Cyclery

Best Ski Shop
Ski Hut
A knowledgeable staff, solid products and fair prices once again make Ski Hut the best ski shop of the Northland.  With two locations and a full service repair shop, Ski Hut is your best bet to get out on the slopes in style. They once again take a win.
2nd place: Continental Ski & Bike

Best Hair Salon
Adeline  
Adeline has been hacking away at people’s hair for over 13 years now and it seems fair to say that people love the results. Whether you need a “full foil” or some of that unsightly upper lip hair waxed off, Adeline and her staff will be there to provide quality and friendly service. Have you seen the awesome sign on her shop?
2nd place: Technique Hair Spa

Best Optical
Vision Pro
Vision Pro must be doing something right with another win. They specialize in eyes, offering exams, fashionable glasses and contacts. Vision Pro has locations throughout the region.
2nd place: Relf Optical

Best Place to Rollerblade
Lakewalk
Why do we even include this catagory? Lakewalk wins again. You go Lakewalk!

Best Place to Walk
Lakewalk
See “Rollerblade.”  Hartley Nature Center gained a fair amount of votes for their lovely trails and earned second place. Hard to imagine why Chester Creek or Lester Park trails didn’t rate.

Best Bike Trail
Munger Trail
Ah yes, another win for the famous Willard Munger trail.  With well over a 100 miles of paved and natural surfaces, it’s easy to spend a whole day out in the beautiful East Central Minnesota forests. During winter months, segments of the trail are open to snowmobiling as well.

Best Sporting Goods Store
Northwest Outlet  
It says on their website, “Northwest Outlet has been a fixture in Northwestern Wisconsin and the twin ports of Superior, WI and Duluth, MN for over 50 years. Northwest Outlet is family owned and operated, focusing in great customer service, products and services. We sell a full line of outdoor gear ranging from camping to hunting and fishing, footwear, clothing and outerwear from brand names such as Columbia Sportswear, The North Face and Carhartt. Stop in to check out our kayaks from Old Town or our truck toppers from Century and all of the accessories to outfit them.”
2nd place: Play it Again

Best of Services

Best  Attorney
Peter Greenlee
Peter Greenlee has represented families and individuals in over 2500 bankruptcy cases around the Northland. He takes on the issue of home foreclosure very seriously and has worked with Project Save Our Homes as a volunteer attorney and often volunteers his services for other groups. “Home ownership strengthens our community…if people want to get back on track with making payments and keeping their homes, it’s better for the community than them losing their homes or ending up homeless,” stated Greenlee.
2nd place: Melanie Ford
best response: Jim Carlson’s  

Best Bank
Members Co-op
Credit Union
Duh! With the “too big to fail” Wallstreet criminals driving our country to the brink of financial ruin, why are we all not banking with local credit unions??? It states on the MCCU website,  “It all started in the spring of 1936. A group of eight people from the Cloquet area envisioned a better way of getting the financial services our community needed. Each one deposited $5 and formed the organization with just $40 in capital. On January 1, 2001, the Cloquet Co-op Credit Union became Members Cooperative Credit Union. Today, more than 28,000 members have come together to pool nearly $345 million in assets. We’re proud of our growth, but we’re prouder of the fact that we continue to offer the same personal, responsive service our founders envisioned.”
2nd place:TIE Superior Choice Credit Union and North Shore Bank of Commerce

Best Employer
Duluth Grill
Duluth Grill both serves (and employs) a wide swath of humanity. All for one and one for all!  Tom and Jaima Hanson not only offer free meals (organic soup, salad and fruit) for all of their employees on the days they work, they offer health insurance and a 401k! What does Duluth Grill management request from their staff in return? Be on time, work hard, be helpful and practice sustainability.
2nd place: Grandma’s Grill and Saloon
3rd place: Cirrus

Best Florist
Bella Flora
Each year it’s always a close run between Bella Flora and Engwalls. Last year Engwalls took the win, this year Bella Flora came ahead by just a hair (or should we say a tendril?) Each day a bed of flower petals is placed outside Bella Flora’s front door, a luxury only a king or queen might expect, however you too can be greeted by flower petals, just by crossing their threshold.
When you’re societally mandated to buy flowers for that special occasion, Bella Flora has nice-smelling, capable employees to help the rest of us ignorami choose the perfect arrangement which helps communicate, “I screwed up, will you ever forgive me?”  That said,  she will set you up with flowers and enough brownie points to save your butt the next time you mess up.
2nd place: Engwalls

Best Photographer
Jeff Peabody and
Amanda Kane TIE
Over 30 photographers got at least one vote (there’s a lot of talent in the Northland, doncha know?)

Best Cab Company
Yellow Cab
Whether you need to catch a flight or you’re playing it safe after a night out on the town, Yellow Cab lives up to its name with fast and reliable service. Don’t forget to tip.
2nd place: Allied Cab


Best Place of Worship
Peace Church
This year Peace Church takes the win for “best place of worship.”  According to their website, “Our vision is to be an accessible, open and affirming community growing in Christian faith, committed to peace and justice, and reaching out in healing love to all people, respecting the diversity of people’s sexual orientation, race, culture, gender, age, opinions, and physical and mental abilities.” Seems fine to us.  It might be time to change your diet if that’s the case.
2nd place: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth (lost by 1 vote)

Best Service (non-restaurant)
Vision Pro

When your looking for new spectacles or shades look no further than the people at Vision Pro. They won “Best Optical” but be assured that the service that comes along with the usual things you’d expect of an optical shop is top notch.
2nd Place: Yarn Harbor


Best of the Material World

Best Antique Shop
Father Time
Some things do get better with time, Father Time is no exception.  Father Time once again takes the win for best antique shop. Doodads and doorknobs, clocks and kitsch. Father Time is well-lit and well-liked. There’s a great selection of treasures from the past.
2nd place: Old Town

Best Bookstore
Barnes and Noble
Being a large corporate behemoth has its advantages.  Big fish eat little fish. Barnes and Noble has metaphorically eaten countless small Mom and Pops. It’s bright. It’s clean. It’s well organized. What’s not to like? Once again they take the win for “best bookstore.”
2nd place: The Bookstore at Fitgers’

Best Bookstore (Used)
Amazing Alonzo
Once again Amazing Alonzo takes the win for best used bookstore.  It has a wide selection, is well organized and the prices are reasonable.  They won by a landslide.
2nd place: Gabriel’s  Bookstore

Best Car Dealer
Kari Toyota
They’ve been serving the community for 80 years and their dedication to friendly service has once again paid off for yet another win.  Reader columnist, Marc “The Masked Fan” Elliot had this to say about Kari Toyota, “I have purchased two vehicles from Kari’s and both times the buying experience was quick, smooth and efficient which can mean a lot considering that car buying can be a stressful event for some buyers. I basically told them what I was looking for and how I wanted to accomplish the purchase, and they went to work for me. My experiences with Kari Toyota have both been very positive and I would recommend them to anyone looking to make a purchase, excellent service department as well.”
2nd place: Cloquet Ford and Chrysler  (first time in the finals)

Best Green Business
Duluth Grill  
From beekeeping on the roof to veggies grown in raised beds made of reclaimed wood in their parking lot. Duluth Grill wins hands down as “Best Green Business.”
2nd place: Whole Foods Co-op
3rd place:  Reader and Beaners TIE

Best Fashion (Men)
Mainstream
If you’re a guy and you’re trying to look sharp, Mainstream Fashions for Men will have you looking slicker than a Duluth sidewalk right after an ice storm. Once again Mainstream dominated this category.  
2nd place: Trailfitters

Best Fashion (Women)
Trailfitters
Stylish and sporty, in the heart of the Fitger’s Complex. Trailfitters has a wide and varied selection of quality clothing, footwear and camping gear. They have recently expanded. Experienced and knowledgeable staff stand ready to prepare you for your next Northwoods adventure.
2nd place: Danni Duluth

Best Fine Jewelry
Security Jewelers
For 15 consecutive years, Security Jewelers has won “Best Fine Jewelry”. An impeccable reputation, together with innovative, even zany, marketing has proven a foolproof formula for success. FYI: No mall jewelry store received a single vote. Buy from Security Jewelers! Help keep money in our local economy.
2nd place: Bagley’s

Best CD Store
Electric Fetus
 With a large selection of vinyl, used CDs, oddities and bohemian charm and knowledgeable audiophiles not found at Best Buy, the Fetus is the go-to spot your music.

Best CD Store (used)
Vinyl Cave
The Vinyl Cave in Superior inched its way to first place for Best Used CD and Vinyl store in the region.
2nd place: Electric Fetus

Best Music Instrument Store
Music Go Round
You can buy a brand new guitar or amp and lay down some serious cash, or maybe check out the selection at Music Go Round. There is plenty of new and used gear that will get your band or home studio going and a staff that will be able to find what’s right for you to make it happen.
2nd Place: Northwoods Music
Best Art Gallery
Lizzards
Founded in 1991, Lizzards is the go to place for custom frames. Can’t fit it in the door? No problem. They’ll take on any task from museum to commerical quality jobs and will make that painting or photo at home stand out. The gallery holds several receptions a year and features a variety of talented and seasoned artists.
2nd Place: Tweed Museum of Art
 
Best Movie Theater
Zinema 2
Zinema serves alcohol. This year Zinema wins the Reader’s “best of” award for “best movie theater.” And they serve alcohol there. Movies these days are not the same. The storylines in today’s big pictures lack the substance that movies used to have. Zinema brings in many superb films that would never make it to the “big chain” cinemas. Zinema serves alcohol. It’s hard shelling out wads of moola to watch a movie you may not even like in the least bit. But they serve alcohol there. Zinema offers a classy yet comfy environment to watch a movie in. Zinema had one of the largest margins of victory of any category.
2nd place: Duluth 10

Best New Business
Tycoons Alehouse
Tycoons located in the heart of downtown Duluth offers a relaxed atmosphere, a fully stocked bar, a great lunch and dinner menu and live music. The whole interior of the building was overhauled and everything from the beer tabs to the wood work says classy. For an experience that is unlike any lounge in Duluth, head down the Rathskeller lounge. All three came in very close to each other.
2nd place: Pak’s Green Corner
3rd place:  7 West

Best Second Hand Store
Savers
Savers isn’t just a source of amazing Halloween attire, but that’s certainly where it shines brightest. Its partnerships with local charities make it even more excellent.
2nd place: Earth Exchange



Best Public Restroom
Teatro Zuccone
Teatro Zuccone takes another win for “best restroom.” There’s no doubt about it, it’s pretty nice and we take pride in doing our business there.  We were a little disappointed by the lack of competition in this category.  But Teatro Zuccone came out hard and fierce, splashing away everyone else.

Best Lodging - Romantic Getaway
Bluefin Bay
We had to tally hundreds of votes before a clear winner began to emerge for this category. Apparently there are a whole lot of romantic get away places around the area. We wouldn’t know, we don’t really have days off and even if we did, wouldn’t have the money to be going on some fancy getaway. A few of you felt that Bluefin Bay located on Lake Superior in Two Harbors was the nicest place to get away from it all with that special someone.

Best of People & Media

Best Politician
Don Ness
Nobody even dared to challenge the Don for his second term. His wit, charm and boyish good looks were no match for even the fiercest of opponents. Recently he’s been catching hell via email from racists all over the world for his support of the Unfair Campaign that’s working to stop racism. It’s taken a couple days and a couple hundred bucks, but he has sent roses and home-made cookies to all of them. Don Ness could charm a T-Rex. That’s why he’s been the people’s champ since he’s taken office.

Best Band/Musician
Rachael Kilgour
Rachael Kilgour has been a singer/songwriter in the Twin Ports area for the last seven years. Her primary focus in her music is on social justice but she has plenty of love songs among her work as well. “I like the people of Duluth - we have an awful lot of intelligent, motivated folks who are looking to be inspired - they are my favorite audience,” stated Kilgour. She plans on releasing a new EP in February.
2nd Place Charlie Parr

Best Band Name
Trampled
by Turtles
Trampled by Turtles wins this category again this year. The thought of being actually trampled by turtles is an interesting one to say the least. Turtles don’t seem to roam in packs too often. Perhaps if one were to pass out on a Florida beach right as sea turtles hatched and made their way to the ocean could this happen.
2nd Place Ball Slashers

Best Album in the Last Year
Trampled by
Turtles: “Stars
and Satellites”
As one of Duluth’s most actively touring bands, this album takes on subjects of being on the road. This sixth album from the band holds onto the bluegrass sound that the band is known for while pushing boundaries with their musicianship and meaningful lyrics.
2nd Place: Rachael Kilgour  “Will You Marry Me?”

Best Concert
Charlie Parr &
Black Eyed Snakes
When you take the likes of Charlie Parr and put that with the blues rock of Black Eyed Snakes featuring Alan Sparhawk what you’ll end up with is a great show and your votes pointed this out. The show also featured the 80s synth rock of Glass Elevator and was held in support of Spirit of the Lake Community School on Saturday, December 29 at Pizza Luce..
2nd Place Beaners One Week Live

Best Community Activist
Adam Ritscher
Adam Ritscher goes back over a decade with his involvement with activism and political awareness. He was an integral member of Socialist Action in the area and served on the Superior City Council. In the last year he has been focused on Project Save Our Homes and worked to save three homes and is working on saving two more. Ritscher can be found some days on the corner of Lake Ave. and Superior St. holding signs in support of the Norhland Anti-War Coalition which he also has been deeply involved in. Other issues that he has worked on relates to same-sex marriage, anti-racism and homelessness.
2nd Place: Deb Holman at the CHUM Center

Best Dance Club:
Flame- Duluth
The newly opened Flame in Duluth located at 21 N. 1st Ave. offers a spacious dance floor, cool environment and fun atmosphere. The Flame overwhelmingly took the win this year blowing away the usually strong presence of Superior dance clubs such as The Flame Superior and Stargate.
2nd Place Flame -Superior
Best Open Mic
Beaner’s Central
Beaner’s once again takes this category for their weekly Wednesday night open mic which features talent of all ages. The atmosphere is very welcoming and it consistently runs from 7 through 10 p.m. every Wednesday.
2nd Place Thirsty Pagan

Best Live Music Club
Beaner’s Central
Perhaps one of the reasons so many musicians have found Beaner’s to be a great venue is that it was started up by Jason Wussow who is an active musician in the area. Wussow had been touring with his band Fluxskapacitor for four years and want to do something else. Over a decade later, Wussow continues to book everything from Nationally touring acts to new bands that emerge in the area. Each year he holds the “One Week Live” series of shows which features some of the area’s best acts and he records them and releases a compilation album of some of the performances from the week.
2nd Place: Clyde Iron

Best Local Playin the Last Year
Les Miserables
A junior version of this Broadway Musical was held back in March 2012 at the Duluth Playhouse. Apparently it was so good that a fair amount of you still had it in mind a year later.
2nd Place:  A Steady Rain

Best Actor
Jody Kujawa
Jody Kujawa has starred in plays such as Murderous Crossings at Change of Pace Dinner Theater, Boeing Boeing at the Duluth Playhouse, Fezziwig’s Feast at Wise Fool Shakespeare and performs at Improv with Renegade Theater Company every weekend. “I got involved in theater as a creative outlet because rock and roll bands were too hard to sustain. They implode too easily and I liked the danger,” stated Kujawa. Kujawa also DJs and hosts karaoke at R.T. Quinlan’s.
2nd Place: Zach Stofer

Best Actress
Kat Mandeville
Mandeville played the title role of Kate in William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew at Teatro Zuccone in March 2012. She was also featured in an art installment titled “Infinity Part I” and a short film titled “Post Genderism” in 2012 by local artist/director, Jacob Swanson.

Best Athlete
Anders Broman
Anders Broman from Lakeview Christian Academy in Duluth recently made Minnesota history win he surpassed the record for career scores in boys basketball. The previous record held by Kevin Noreen of 4,086 points was overcome when Broman scored 42 points in his final game putting at 4,122 points. Of course Mayor Don Ness had to do something for such an accomplishment and declared Friday “Anders Broman Day.” Broman is an honor student and volunteers at Union Gospel Mission. Keep up the good work Anders.
2nd Place: Mike Seidel

Best Author
Barton Sutter
Barton Sutter is a true northerner and it often shows in his writing. He is has won numerous awards for his writing including Duluth Poet Laureate in 2006. He spent a number of years teaching full time at UW-Superior and shared his knowledge with many students during that time. It’s fair to say Sutter has found his niche as a poet and author in the Northland.
2nd Place: Danielle Sosin

Best Book in the Last Year
Barton Sutter “The
Reindeer Camps”
If there’s any book that says “Northland,” this compilation of poems and writings definitely hits the nail on the head. The Reindeer Camps ranges from childhood memories, to political humor and satire to haunting and beautiful imagery that pulls upon life, death and nature in a way that is astonishing. Victory by one vote.
2nd Place: Danielle Sosin “Long Shining Sea”

Best Rumor
Last Place
On Earth Closing
There certainly have been better days for Jim Carlson and his downtown business The Last Place On Earth, but that doesn’t mean he won’t continue to fight federal indictments and receive pressure from the city and state to quit selling synthetic substances. Carlson and his attorney continue to uphold that they are legally in the clear but some claim that he is creating a nuisance in the downtown area and wish to see him shut down or at least quit selling the products which Carlson claims is a large amount of his business. It seems likely that there will be a long legal process before we know for sure on this rumor.

Best Story Swept Under The Rug
Kevin Jacobson
DWI
Besides a short Duluth New Tribune article published December 18, 2012, about this incident that happened in June, we did not readily find any other mention in the media about this story. KBJR-TV news anchor Kevin Jacobson pleaded guilty to DWI the day before the DNT’s article.
2nd Place: Tom Kasper Resignation

Best TV News Station
WDIO Channel 10
It’s been awhile since Dennis Anderson’s mustache graced the airwaves at WDIO.  We knew that the anchors, meteorologists, reporters and camera operators have always done a great job at WDIO, but we always figured there needed to be a mustache on board to give it that last special bump. The people are at WDIO are really that good, not a one of them has a mustache and things are being held down great at the station.
2nd Place: Fox 21

Best TV Personality
Dan Hanger
from Fox 21
Fox 21 news anchor Dan Hanger moved to the Northland from his hometown in Chicago in 2006 and took on his first reporting job at KBJR after graduating from Columbia College Chicago with a major in broadcast journalism. He joined Fox as a reporter in October 2010 and was promoted to anchor in August 2011. “I am so interested in people! Always full of questions. Love to find the truth in every story. Love telling stories that nobody wants to talk about. Plus, it’s different every day. I would go nuts sitting in some cubical!” replied Hanger in an email about what made him interested in being a reporter.  
2nd Place Dennis Anderson

Best TV Commercial
Arrowhead
Auto Body
They say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Arrowhead Autobody has won both “best” and “worst” TV commercial since any of us can remember. The infectious jingle has haunted most anyone who has lived in this area for more than a
year or two.
2nd Place: Dahl’s Sunrise Dairy “You’ve Forgotten”

Best TV Program
The Playlist
For the last four years The Playlist has covered this area’s arts, theater and music community. Brought to you by the Minnesota Arts and Heritage Fund and PBS, The Playlist has featured some of the Northland’s most recognized bands and has also shown light on newer up and coming acts.

Best Radio Station
KUMD
Why are we not surprised that the readers of an alternative weekly newspaper would vote for a college radio station? KUMD provides a wide array of programing and shows such as the student run show, “The Basement” and NPR’s “The World Cafe.” The station also provides programming such as “Democracy Now” and Duluth City Council Meetings. When you get tired of listening to the same songs over and over again, KUMD should be first on your dial. Likewise Jeanne can be heard early on “Jeanne & Cooper in the Morning.”
2nd Place Minnesota Public Radio

Best Radio Personality
Lisa Johnson
KUMD/Jeanne
Ryan MIX108 TIE
We count down the votes to the very last ballot and sometimes we end up with a tie. This year Jeanne Ryan from MIX 108 once again received a good number of votes but after adding the online votes to paper ballots, Lisa Johnson from KUMD kept in the race. Johnson has hosted “Northland Morning” since 1991. The show airs from 6 to 9 a.m. on weekdays and offers a variety of music and news.

Best Newspaper Columnist
Sam Cook
Sam always has a strong turn out for votes. We can deal with that. Ummm, which leads us (awkwardly) to the Reader’s Paul Ryan of “Ramblings” notoriety getting a very close second place spot. Please read this issue’s “Ramblings” on what this means.
2nd Place: Paul Ryan
3nd Place: Larry Oakes

Visual Artist
Adam Swanson
For a relatively small city Duluth has a fairly active arts community. There are, however, a finite number of spaces where one can show one’s work, and once you start poking around you will quickly see who’s actively seeking venues to display. One of these is painter Adam Swanson. Before coming to Duluth Swanson spent a year abroad. At one point he lived in Antarctica for a 9 month contract position fixing and working on boats used for science. The contract left him in South America where he spent a few months traveling. He eventually landed in MN.  All these experiences have been absorbed into his themes which include bicycles, penguins and windmills, always splashingly alive with vivid color.
Swanson loves all art forms but it is his paintings on masonite that are most readily recognized. His shows about town have included Lizzards Gallery, Ochre Ghost, The Venue at Mohaupt Block and live painting at Pineapple Arts. But his very cool piece behind the bar at Zeitgeist is one of his most recognized. I mean, if you haven’t been there you haven’t been anywhere.
He’s young and obviously has a following because this year he’s garnered the vote and for this we’re pleased to share that in the same way he so liberally shares the colors on his palette. Congrats, Adam!
2nd Place: Brian Barber

Good Cop
Gordon Ramsay
Whether it be on the fighting crime on the streets, mediating relations with the public or volunteering in the community Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay has once again made it clear this year that he’s all about making Duluth a safe place for it’s residents. He’s not afraid to get out from behind the desk and talk face to face with people when there’s a disagreement and often shows a fair approach in the way he handles things. By engaging the community and reaching out to address their problems and encouraging his officers to do so as well, he has worked to gain people’s trust. Although not every decision that he has to make is an easy one or is cut and dry, he often looks out for the communities interest above all else.
2nd Place: Kelly Lake

Best of Food & Drink

Best American Restaurant
Duluth Grill
No surprises here. Once again, Tom and Jaima Hanson’s nationally acclaimed homegrown eatery has earned the title, “Best American Restaurant.” A rather limiting descriptor given the fact that, in addition to classic American breakfasts (“Can you believe the size of that pancake, Gladys?”) and bacon-cheese burgers that are humbly named, “The Royale,” one can enjoy curried polenta lettuce wraps (what-in-the-heck-is-polenta?), medieval lamb gyros, and ratatouille (did we even spell that correctly?)
The banana cream pie was described by an enraptured guest as, “A Fairy Tale on a Plate.”
Friendly, knowledgeable staff, well versed in culinary terminology like flexitarian, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and yummy are there to help navigate guests through the extensive and ever-changing menu.
2nd Place:  Grandma’s


Best Appetizer
Scenic Cafe:
Tuna Tacos
Word on the street is that these are delectable.
2nd Place: Pak’s Green Corner: Curry Puffs andTrapper Pete’s Trapper Nachos TIE

Best Asian Restaurant
Hanabi
This isn’t your typical asian restaurant. We’d suggest you be courageous when you pick something off the menu. You might be surprised how great Hanabi is. Those who have already been already know. The servers and bartenders may be able to help suggest something you’ll come back for.
2nd Place: Taste of Saigon
3rd Place: Pak’s Green Corner

Best Bakery
Amazing Grace
This is always a close race. Artisan breads and tasty goodies makes Amazing Grace a major contender every year. As they would say, “be brave, be kind, don’t eat bad bread.”
2nd Place: Positively 3rd St.

Best Bar & Grill
Fitger’s Brewhouse
Fitger’s has an outstanding bar menu and they serve it right. It doesn’t hurt that they have some delicious beer to wash it down with.
2nd Place: Anchor Bar
3rd Place: Canal Park Brewing

Best Bartender
Forrest Rieder (Dugout Lounge)
Forrest from the Dugout in Superior wins again this year. His hints of wisdom mixed with zany humor makes him a stand out bartender in the area.
2nd Place: Laurina Siebolds (Canal Park Brewing)

Best Locally Brewed Beer
Fitger’s Brewhouse
Once again Fitger’s grabs the win for “best beer” this time over the newly opened Canal Park Brewery. The two went back and forth pretty competitively and Fitger’s came out on top again. It’s really hard to say which is “better.” Both are great local brews.
2nd Place: Canal Park Brewing

Best Beer Selection
7 West Taphouse
If you like great beer, the Taphouse is a very good bet. They have a ridiculous amount of taps featuring some of the finest beers. They are always changing their selection for something new to try. Come in for a flight and you won’t be disappointed.  
2nd Place: Thirsty Pagan

Best Mexican Restaurant
Mexico Lindo
It was another fierce year of competition between Lindo and Burrito Union and once again Mexico Lindo takes it’s place. With two locations and a great menu of Mexican dishes, it’s pretty easy to see why they are always a strong contender each year.
2nd Place: Burrito Union

Best Burger Joint
Anchor
What are we even going to say on this.  Young adults going to college were knee-high to a grasshopper back when the Anchor in Superior was winning this one. Featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, it even captured the eye of Guy Fieri, the charismatic host of the show. One can become lost in just looking at the unusual maritime objects that adorn most every inch of the Anchor.  That is except for the grill.  While Five Guys has way more than five guys working in a kitchen. Often one hard working soul is flipping up some juicy deliciousness at the Anchor.  With unique kinds of burgers such as the cashew burger and Hawian and the ever tasty fresh potato fries, it’s no real wonder that the Anchor just keeps winning this area.
2nd Place: Gordys Hi-Hat

Best Coffee House
Beaner’s Central
With great coffee and great menu with everything from breakfast burritos to sandwiches and pizza, Beaner’s certainly stands out. If you feel like a beer at one of their shows, they have that too.
2nd Place: Red Mug
2nd Place: Duluth Coffee

Best Grocery Store
Mount Royal
Fine Foods
Mt. Royal boasts a Caribou coffee, first class deli, and extensive sushi, soup and salad bars. Gorgeous housewares, plates and place settings, candles, plants and cut flowers. Let’s face it, it’s more like an Edina shopping experience than anything else in Duluth. More upscale. Clean. Oh! Did we fail to mention it’s a grocery store too. Butchers stand on the ready to custom cut your meat, staff are not put out to share samples of produce, and like the co-op, Mt Royal does a good job showcasing and selling local products.  Clean-cut baggers and drive-up service harken back to the good ol’ days. It says something about our readership that Walmart, Sam’s Club and Target did not garner a single vote in this category.
2nd Place: Whole Foods Co-op

Best Gourmet Dinner
New Scenic
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. Enhancing the dining space are Lou Pignolet’s hand-crafted wooden bowls.
2nd Place: Lake Ave Restaurant

Best Place for Happy Hour
Pizza Luce
Tacos and a full bar with cheap drinks from 3 to 6 p.m. everyday. We didn’t just say that.
2nd Place: Grandma’s
Best Dive
Anchor  
This place has a non-functioning (in the experience of this writer) dentist’s chair, for crying out loud. Add cheap, cheap beer and an appropriately grimy nautical aesthetic and you have all you could want in a dive. We’re talkin’ $4 for a huge burger and fries cut from a fresh potatoes. Wash that down with a $2.50 pitcher of Grain Belt or $7 pitcher of Summit. You’ll be full and pleasantly wasted for less than ten bucks. This is completely impossible to do anywhere else on the planet. Can I get a Hell Yeah? Hell Yeah! DISCLAIMER: The claustrophobic, yet undeniably charming décor may cause unprovoked panic attacks. The prosthetic leg hanging from the ceiling has been known to cause some children (and susceptible adults) to have recurring nightmares.
2nd Place: Thirsty Pagan


Best Liquor Store
Keyport  
(15 years in a row) With prices as low as the Keyport’s, it’s always wise to make the trip across the bridge on a Sunday.  Their selection of wines and microbrews is unmatched. The folks at Keyport take the cake this year with unbeatable value and great selection.
2nd Place: Last Chance
3rd Place: Cashwise

Best Outdoor Dining
Sir Benedict’s
It’s hard to imagine even wanting to eat outside, but summer will come eventually, we hope, and when that happens, there’s nothing like taking in some of that nice weather.  This year Sir Ben’s gets the win. due to their great beer selection, great sandwichs and the coziest deck with a view to be found.  They were the runners up last year, (and have won many times before) so it’s no big secret that they have great outdoor dining that overlooks the lake.  Mexico Lindo took second place by two votes.
2nd Place: Mexico Lindo

Best Place for a Business Lunch
Blackwoods
Who can resist the dark rich paneling and the train running over your head? It’s classy and sure to impress.
2nd Place: Tycoons

Best Place for a Romantic Dinner
Scenic Cafe
It’s romantic to try new things together (you can taste my celeriac if I can taste your Cotes du Rhone Blanc). It’s romantic to eat in a cozy setting that resembles a forest. And it’s romantic to drive out of town along the shore to get somewhere you can experience these things.
2nd Place: Bellisios


Best Really Cheap Food
Anchor  
How cheap is the Anchor? Cheap...real cheap. You can have a full belly and a buzz going for $10 at the Anchor. You can get a shot with bacon in it and guess what? It’s cheap.  You can buy a pitcher and if you’ve never been to the Anchor before, if you’re an honest person and they never told you how much it was, you’d ask if they made a mistake it’s that cheap.  And it’ll keep being cheap as long as this kind of American life style can sustain itself and they’ll keep winning and winning.
2nd Place: Coney Island

Best Place to Eat at 2 a.m. When You’re Wasted
Perkins
I can only imagine the hell their servers go through on a Friday night. When you’re drunk on the east side and McD’s just won’t cut it, Perkins satisfies that hankering. The price or quality isn’t exactly of relevance but neither is anything else at that point. Good portions, easy going night staff and probably some other drunken antics make Perkins a great place to get your munchies on.

Best Pizza
Thirsty Pagan
We declare “ Pizza Wars” .Thirsty Pagan won by one vote over Sammy’s and Pizza Luce; who tied!  One vote. Their pizza’s are to die for, and they have a pretty colorful staff. Pizza Diane is reason alone to venture over the bridge! The brew! The brew! Strawberry Lawnchair, Trippel, and Wild Rice Lager. Has anyone else noticed owner, Steve Knauss’, uncanny resemblance to writer and humor columnist, Dave Barry? I’m just sayin’.
2nd Place: Sammys and Pizza Luce’ TIE




Best Ribs
Eddies  
MMMmmm...Riibbbzz...so yummy, so shamelessly messy. The people that go to Eddies feel no shame when chowing down on some of these ribs.  Eddies has a great collections of automotive collectibles and decor which makes the experience even more cool and enjoyable. Eddies is on a roll, squeezing out their nemesis Famous Dave’s for the third year in a row.
2nd Place: Famous Dave’s

Best Sandwich
Northern Waters
Smokehaus
These two switched places from last year, with readers perhaps deciding to honor the Smokehaus’ creative menu (Cajun Finn, anyone?) over Amazing Grace’s less original but still delicious and hefty sandwiches.
2nd Place: Amazing Grace



Best Steak
The Hammond
I have a love unlike any other for the Hammond. Sunday and Monday nights they have a steak and shrimp special for $10.99 which includes: dinner rolls, salad, a nice sized quality steak cooked to your liking, broiled shrimp on a bed of wild rice or fried with cocktail sauce, and a choice of potato. Can’t beat it. Afterwards, head downstairs to the bar and sip on a $2.50 Jack Daniels Single Barrel or a $2.50 Summit or Newcastle.  
2nd Place: Texas Roadhouse

Best Serving Staff
Grandma’s
You’ll be hard up to find anyone saying that Grandma’s has poor service.  It might be possible that a server anywhere might just be having a bad day, but that’s definitely the exception at Grandma’s.  Expect friendly and prompt service any given day out of the year.
2nd Place: Fitger’s Brewhouse


Best Kept Secret
Lake Avenue Restaurants Late Night Menu
Check it out. It’s worth it.
2nd Place: McKenzies
3rd Place: Eddies

Worst of the Northland

Worst Local Politician
Chip Cravaack
Minnesota already spoke about how they felt about Cravaack during the 2012 Eighth District Congressional Election, but we get it. Some of you felt like you needed to vote one more time against him. Maybe it was his plan to cut financial aid or maybe he was just a little to aggressive on putting mines up in the Boundary Waters. Whatever the reason, there’s plenty of other politicians to worry about now.

Worst TV Personality
Barbara Reyelts
Once again, we’re sorry Barbara. Do you not tip your servers or have a Youtube video floating around of you kicking puppies? We have no why idea why this seasoned broadcast news reporter gets so many votes for Worst TV Personality each year. Maybe Dennis Anderson can give her some tips. Dennis almost won Best TV Personality and he’s not even on air anymore.
Worst Radio
Personality
Brad Bennett
WDSM 710
Apparently Brad Bennett’s show “Sound Off” has some of you turned off. His show airs on weekdays from 8-11 a.m. According to his bio on WDSM710.com he is known by some as the “Commandant of Common Sense,” just maybe not everyone.

Most Obnoxious TV/ Radio Commercial
Arrowhead Autobody
You get home from work and you’re dead-ass tired. You are finally home and ready to make love to your television- the only object to offer you brain-dead serenity just when you need it most. And the first thing you hear is?? “Arrowhead Autobody don’t just go to anybody, Arrowhead auto body’s gonna fix it right.” This is the moment that pushes a  bad day into the suicidal realm.  Now you have this horrifyingly catchy  commercial monochromatic beat in your head.  Inevitably, this tune will remain infested in your mind into tomorrow, making the next day terrible too. Refer also to Best TV Commercial.

Worst Government Boondoggle
The Nuisance at Last Placeon Earth
Several years ago one could walk into the Last Place on Earth and readily point out a pipe or martial arts item without much of a wait. Customers came and went and although some may not agree with some of the products that the store carries, the store was like any other in Downtown Duluth. At some point in time the popularity of synthetic drugs ended up putting the shop on the map between people loitering and panhandling outside the building, questionable police raids and the specific legality of the products being sold. The current situation has resulted in lines of people out the door waiting to purchase the synthetic products and at least one or two Duluth Police officers monitoring the block while the store is open. There is no clear answer to how the situation will be resolved as the lawfulness of the actions taken by both sides is up to interpretation.
Taking second place for this category was the “Free Speech Zone at Bentleyville.” Again, a sticky situation where those expressing first amendment rights clash with what is supposed to be the fun and relaxing nature of Bentleyville. Tensions rose even more when news came out that one of the preachers, Steve Jankowski, was a registered sex offender.

Worst Public Restroom
Curly’s
Maybe there’s a few too many curlys on the toilet seat. We don’t know, we just tally the votes.

Bad Cop
Richard Jouppi
Jouppi is no longer a police officer with the Duluth Police Department after footage of him beating an intoxicated and uncooperative man in a wheel chair at a detox center. On top of his assault of the man, he threatened the staff member who was there to admit the man into the center. When the Reader talked to a former employee of the detox center it was revealed that it is not uncommon for officers to treat staff workers at the facility unprofessionally.