I have been here three times over the last three years and have been quite impressed. I have to say, we were a bit disappointed on our last visit. The service was slow. There was a small swarm of flies hovering around our table and one actually flew into my son's glass of crispin and drowned. Ew. The response by our server, "yeah, it's that time of year". Ever heard of a fly swatter? The food seemed to have been prepared with a little less care. My moms egg sandwich had been over peppered to the point she couldn't eat it. Some of the other dishes were hit or miss. We probably should have complained, but didn't want to focus on the negative since my dad was treating us all. Would like to give it another try, but not sure if we will back. :(
Review Source:Top 5 meals of my life (I'm 50, so that's lots of meals)!  Traveling north for the day, we used Yelp to find the New Scenic Cafe.  With construction it was a bit difficult to figure out how to get there, but call their number and there's a recording telling you how to get there.  We had the French onion soup, blue cheese & fig appetizer, sashimi tacos, lobster rolls, asparagus & egg sandwich, and creme brûlée.  We took three other desserts for the trip.  Everything was amazing!  In fact, we plan on driving back through Duluth and stopping for lunch again tomorrow.
If you are in the area, you absolutely MUST stop here...it is worth it.
Incredible food and service: Went here with a large group of work colleagues, and our waiter was totally flexible and friendly about accommodating our needs. I had butternut squash ravioli; flavorful and just the right consistency, i.e., not too heavy or rich as this dish has been at other restaurants I've visited. Â We ordered a bunch of desserts and passed them around--all great, but I especially liked the seasonal berry pies. As for price--yes, on the higher side, but more than reasonable for the high quality of food you receive! I give this 5 stars.
Review Source:Yummy lunch here once a year when passing through on our way to teach at North House Folk School up in Grand Marais. After it was recommended we now schedule our trip to pass by during lunch hours every year.
This year it was asparagus and fried egg on ciabatta for me, Molly had the day's special, a grilled lake fish sandwich. Sides were fresh pineapple chunks and mulberries, a delightful first!
It was a beautiful August day when I manned the old Versa through Duluth on the way to Tofte, Minnesota. A coworker of mine insisted that my car full of North Shore bound travelers needed to stop at New Scenic Café for lunch. And we're glad that we did.
New Scenic Café is nestled along North Shore Drive/Hwy 61 on the cusp of Lake Superior.  Our party of four ended up waiting about twenty minutes for a table, which didn't bother us too much as we enjoyed lounging in their garden area overlooking the lake.  Once we were seated, the service was a little on the slow side. In all, from seating to receiving our food, it took about forty minutes, which was much longer than we were expecting to wait for soup, salads, and sandwiches.
The food, however, helped us forget about the long wait time. Their menu seems to change frequently with what's in season. For around $13, my roasted beet salad and cauliflower pepper soup were equally delicious, fresh, fulfilling, and savory. Two of my travel companions had sandwiches - the asparagus and egg sandwich and the chicken breast sandwich - which they claimed were quite tasty but not as incredible as I felt about my salad. Each sandwich was around $10 and came with a side of fresh fruit, a nice deviation from chips or fries. Peering at the table behind us made us wish we would've ordered one of their desserts for they looked fantastically delectable and large enough to feed a table of four.
The restaurant itself is quaint and cozy, a true North Shore feel. Our stop at New Scenic Café was the perfect lunch kickoff to a weekend on Lake Superior. Whenever I'm in the Duluth area again, I will definitely consider another lunch trip back to New Scenic and will just have to order two desserts in order to make up for lost dessert time.
The food was great but the service we received was embarrassing from beginning to end. The server was rude, rushed us to order and still took over 10 minutes to get us our coffee. Of course the drinks came after we were tired of waiting and had to ask another server for them. One of my friend asked if they had fries or anything like that and he replied immediately with a no. Later we find out they do indeed serve sides of tater tots! Before our food arrived he also accused us of swapped places at the table and was very openly irritated at us. How crazy is that!!! Â We just stared at each other in awe of his craziness. My friends and I are really easygoing folks. (I can understand this if we were a bunch of teens goofing about but we're not.)
So after all his rudeness he still had the balls the charge us 20% gratuity! Mama Mia!! Â So at the end of this non-sense one would think that he would be in a hurry to cash us out and push out the door. Nope, we had to sit and wait a while for him to return and grab our payment after we told him we were ready to pay. We left very disappointed with the experience.
So words of caution to any groups of 4 or more that wants to dine here. "Beware of the older server dude!" Unless you like a mean server that scoffs at you non-stop and ignores your dining needs.
Had a great experience here with a group of girlfriends. Â Everything was perfect, especially the tuna tacos. Â This beats most of the great restaurants I've been to in Los Angeles. Â We tried many different items and they were all amazing. Â I can't wait to go there again next time I'm in northern Minnesota.
Review Source:My wife and I went to the New Scenic Cafe for our 48th Wedding Anniversary. Â We were definitely not disappointed. Â Everything from our starter (artichoke slather) to the blackberry/peach pie was well prepared and presented. Â I had the lamb and my wife had the duck breasts. Â Both were cooked perfectly. Â We will definitely be back again.
Review Source:Such a mixed plate. Food was fantastic. Service was deplorable. If you are the owner and you are reading this, fire dane. We sat for 20 minutes without anyone even acknowledging us..and this was after waiting 30 minutes for a table.. We were watching the.server in our section simply fail with his 7 tables. Two of them flat out walked out durung that 20 minutes. A woman who wasnt even working our section came over and ended up taking over three of the 7 tables..she literally saved the day. The food was phenomenal, but we won't be back for a long time because he was simply so horrible..
Review Source:Really great place to dine. Everything was perfect. I am not sure why yelp has it listed as a vegetarian restaurant as it is not. They use lots of seaseonal and local ingrediants as well as organic when possible. I had a bacon sandwich on.cranberry sunflower seed bread that included delicious heirloom tomatos. Â There was also herring that was freshly caught right out of Lake Superior and our server even knew the name of who caught it. Make sure to leave room for desert. Not fast food its prepared fresh to order. Will be back.
Review Source:This place is everything that I look for in a restaurant. Â High quality. Â Personal. Â Natural. Â Emphasis on quality (wine and food). Â Relaxed.
I can measure my life by trips to New Scenic Cafe: the years I lived in Duluth and the pennies I'd pinch to indulge in the curried mussels...the summer OMG meal enjoyed after a long camping trip...sharing an endless summer eve with the inlaws (do you remember that Sauvignon Blanc? we still talk about it)...French Onion soup after a long xc ski a few years ago.
Luckily the nostalgia does not outshine the quality of the experience. Â Treat yourself and go there. Â Make your own memories.
First off, visitors to the New Scenic Cafe's website will note that the owners list every employee, each with a short bio. They will also note that this includes the restaurant's dishwashers(!), who also happen to all be women(!!!). As a one-time disher, and long-time appreciator of women, this simple act spoke well for the cafe before I'd even tried a bite of the food, and pretty much accounts for one of my four assigned stars.
The food here is quite nice. There were a couple of execution issues with the starters my girlfriend and I chose, but they tasted good. The main issue was their sheer size; I suspect that New Scenic is attempting to counter culture/sticker shock on behalf of people who aren't used to smaller appetizer courses, or smaller courses in general. We had ordered two dishes to share, and found ourselves a bit overwhelmed. Our beet salad benefited from the addition of slivered haricot vert, which provided a pleasant alternate sweetness to the earthy roasted beets, and our pheasant confit was tasty (if way too plentiful for the supplied bread).
She had the pheasant as her main course, while I tried the lamb meatloaf. Both dishes were presented in what has become standard "New American" style; unpretentiously, but with attention to contrasts of color and flavor. Mine came complete with an expertly plated egg yolk, which added a nice extra dimension to the mild lamb. Her dish was a bit tough, but well seasoned and paired nicely with a julienne of pear. We both thought our food was on par with some of the spendier joints in the Cities, and reasonably priced.
However, the real shining moment of our meals came in the form of dessert. This is a course that I often feel kind of let down by at most finer-dining establishments. Too often, pastry chefs try too hard to impress. Perhaps they'll like us better if we combine four different (yet basically identical) kinds of cookies with 6 random, paint-daubed sauces, I imagine them fretting... But New Scenic Cafe impresses through simplicity. Girlfriend got the creme brulee, which was generous. She was thoroughly pleased. I had a bite, and agreed; most of the sweetness came from the caramelized surface, instead of the creamy part (which was more concerned with real vanilla beans). My  millefeuille was excellent, as well. Again, not overly sweet, with the lemon curd studded with little flavor surprises in the form of candied blueberries. Really, really nice.
On the night of our visit, the service seemed to be a bit chaotic. One group arrived to find their reservation had been misplaced. For our part, when we called we were advised to not bother making reservations, and that we would likely only have a 20 minute wait. It was closer to 45 minutes, but the restaurant does have several dedicated waiting-for-tables tables, and we were able to enjoy beverages in the meantime. Other than those glitches, the servers were natural and warm, and our food arrived promptly when ordered. If you are looking for some real higher-end cooking in the Northshore region, get out of Duluth's overpriced mediocrity and head to the New Scenic Cafe.
Hubby and I have eaten here many many times over the years. Â We have also invited many friends and family members here through the years. Â We have NEVER had a bad, or even "average" appetizer, main course or dessert. Â Their beer and wine menu are excellent as well. Â One has to appreciate the whole package here. Â The personality of the restaurant, the amazing service and superb menu are top notch. Â Scott's culinary expertise brings amazing things to your palate, tastes that you never knew existed. Â We have eaten at restaurants all over the country and New Scenic Cafe is right up on the top of our list. Â If you don't appreciate or understand the true meaning of excellent cuisine.. then you will not appreciate this restaurant. Â One word sums up New Scenic Cafe.. AMAZING... Our daughter has traveled 165 miles to come here just for lunch...
Review Source:I thought the New Scenic Cafe was a little pricey; hence only four stars. Â But I was impressed by the chef. Â When we told the waiter that we didn't eat animal products (including sauces with dairy), he told the chef who "simply" whipped up a fabulous wine sauce for the dish we requested. Â I was quite taken with their flexibility.
The food is impressive, but a little out of our price range.
New Scenic Cafe once again lived up to some pretty high expectations. After a drive from the Twin Cities, stopped in for lunch on NYE. What a lovely way to close out 2012. I would suggest making reservations, I made them for lunch, and although it was busier than expected, we had a table no problem with a beautiful view of Lake Superior. They have a small but unique list of craft beers but I chose the Chardonnay; after the first visit I absolutely knew Ahi Tacos were on course for the meal! Also tried some of the beet salad; I'm not a huge beet fan but after this dish they are definitely growing on me! The french onion soup was amazing, too!
I am excited to plan yet another trip to Duluth and the North Shore, and to make New Scenic Cafe part of the tradition!
Absolutely gorgeous; the food, the atmosphere, the view; wow.
Make a special outing and come to New Scenic Cafe for a treat that is sure to delight all of your senses. The service is a bit slow, but put away your phone and savor each bite, take in the view, look at the beautiful decor and artwork throughout the restaurant, and enjoy the company you are with.
From start to finish every bite was incredible. Everything is seasonal and the menu changes frequently so listen for the daily specials.
I started with the french onion soup; incredible! Resist your temptation to dive in and wait a few minutes for the piping hot soup to cool down. Each bite was savory and warming with the cheese, bread, and onions. My entree was the seared suck breast with seasonal vegetables and fruit; boy was this a mouthful of different flavors. The sweetness of the figs and reduction sauce combined with the duck and bed of sliced sweet potatoes potatoes was outstanding.
Don't leave without trying some amazing dessert. Being a pumpkin fan I tried the pumpkin bundt cake; the butterscotch sauce and the crunchy candied pumpkin seeds sent this dish over the top. The only downside is I didn't want my meal to end!
Sure, the prices are higher than average, but so is the quality of the food! The plating was beautiful and portion sizes were enough to fill up on in a healthy way. The staff is extremely knowledgeable about the food and is wiling to offer up recommendations. Make the short trip to the outskirts of Duluth and enjoy a fantastic meal.
The best things about this place are that it's pretty and it has an awesome view and location for a relaxing lunch. You must be aiming for slow and relaxing, though, because the service will NOT be fast. Â
We had to wait a while for a table (for lunch on a weekday) but they have a nice patio you can wait at while having a drink. This place is beautiful and in a quiet place by the lake. Enjoy the quiet time outside though, the inside is not so quiet at all.
It seems to me that this place outgrew their expected popularity too fast for them to keep up. Service will be ok since they are not very fast.
Their food is really good, they clearly put a lot of thought into it and take pride in their good food. It might be slightly overpriced for what it really is, but the place is worth it.
I'm always put back a little at the start because of the acoustics in this place. But after a few glasses of wine I'm slightly numbed to the noise. After about 1 hour into dinner I told the host that it was getting uncomfortably warm, so she opened 3 windows to the delight of everyone around. Â
The French Onion Soup was INCREDIBLE. I should have stopped there. My wife and I had the Sea Bass special, which to our surprise was just OK, and it was $35. Â The flavor was good, nothing to write about, but the fish seemed slightly rubbery to me. Dessert of chocolate terrine and pumpkin bundt cake was a good ending to the meal.
Overall, the price was too high (our mistake for not asking how much the sea bass was), atmosphere too loud and a bit steamy. No problems with the server, but the food could have come a bit quicker.
I tried the walleye sandwich lunch special (pistachio encrusted walleye filet topped with aioli, mixed greens and sandwiched between slices of toasted multigrain cranberry pecan (or was it walnut?) bread. Served on the side was a slice of musk melon, pickle spear and salad greens. I only wished that the bread was sliced just a smidge thicker. It would have held up a bit better aganist in the sandwich fillings that kept trying to ooze out of the crevices of the toasted bread.
The group also ordered white bean and cabbage soup (a bit on the peppery side which was tasty) that was served with a nice hunk of ciabatta bread, an egg and asparagus sandwich served on ciabatta bread, and the grilled chicken breast sandwich. The grilled chicken breast was kinda plain jane, but done in good fashion with surpringly good flavor. The egg and asparagus sandwich seemed like a sleeper on the menu, but was quite exceptional. The only personal issue I had was that the egg yolk wasn't kept runny (personal preference). However, the bread was toasted golden brown and the sandwich itself was quite large. The only drink we tried was the blackberry lemonade. However, for some reason, the blackberry flavor wasn't as prominent. It was quite sugary strong, but we ended up watering it down a bit, which suited our tastes more.
The outside and even interior looks can seem misleading here, but the sandwich meals here are done in much higher fashion. So, this is definitely a nice place to stop by if you happen to be in the area, enjoying the scenic view of Lake Superior. This isn't too far of a drive from Duluth.
"Woohoo!"
Every bite amazing!
Had the walleye sandwich special for lunch. Â It was no ordinary fish sandwich!
Baked and crusted in pistachios between two cranberry walnut pieces of toast. Â But that's not all. Â It had greens in there too that were lightly dressed in some vinaigrette so that when one slipped out and you ate it alone it was a delicious surprise! Â There was also an aioli sauce lightly spread on one of the pieces of toast. Â (I peeked.) Â I didn't know what to expect with the strange choice of bread, but it worked perfectly! Â Rich fish and sweet bread! Â The sandwich also came with strawberries and a large slice of an unusual yellow canary melon that was lovely!
The rose wine from France was a perfect accompaniment... I know it's not so popular here, but if you are a wine drinker, don't pass it up!
I am a huge rhubarb fan, so for dessert I couldn't pass up the rhubarb raspberry pie. Â Wow! Â Sweet, yet still had the tartness that I love. Â I am not a fan of pie crust and usually like a crisp or crumble better, but this crust was like a cookie! Â I could eat a gob of it by itself!
Besides the food, there is local art displayed on the walls that you can buy. Â They played great old time classic music too, which I love. Â And of course there is a view of Lake Superior and the beautiful gardens in front of the restaurant.
Attentive service, unique food and great environment.
"As good as it gets!"
With the exception of some good places in Grand Marais, the North Shore of Lake Superior is not known for its food. Most eateries have some variant of "Bar and Grill" in their name, and place no emphasis on fresh ingredients. Diners resort to ordering pasties in hope of getting a carrot.
Thank goodness for the New Scenic Cafe, an oasis of freshness and creativity. Over the course of 5 lunchtime visits over the last two years, I have been deeply impressed by the attention this restaurant pays to fresh and seasonal ingredients, locally inspired dishes (call it Minneapolis-North Shore fushion), and service.
Ahi tuna tacos in light wonton shells make a crispy, piquant appetizer, and are almost outdone by the accompanying Asian cole slaw. Fresh wasabi, hard to find even in the big city, really makes the tacos hum.
Heirloom tomato BLTs come on fantastically fresh and perfectly toasted sourdough bread from The Ashland Baking Company. Earlier in the season asparagus stars in a ciabatta sandwich with egg, gruyere, frisee, butter and lemon basil aioli. Both rival sandwiches at Birchwood in Minneapolis, or Olive et Gourmando in Montreal.
Bringing your kids? Suggest the waffles, savory and artistically stacked, accompanied by whipped cream and berries that burst with flavor.
Food writers often suggest that one should order a dish that sounds strange, because a restaurant will likely only risk putting such a dish on the menu if it is really good. So try that tempeh reuben with gruyere on double dark raisin rye. It has the complex layering of flavors and textures of a traditional version with none of the pit-in-your-stomach after effects. Wash it down with blackberry lemonade, which starts out yellow with deep purple streaks and becomes bright pink with a gentle stir.
Fresh, healthful, innovative, and Minnesotan. Right on Old Highway 61. Make a reservation for your way up, and while there, I bet you'll make another for the way back.
Stopped by because of the Yelp reviews and it was good, but different than I thought it was going to be. It is a little on the pricey side and the menu is fairly limited. You have two main options - sandwiches for $10-$12 or entrees for $22-$26. If you like classic pub sandwiches with fries, this is not the place for you. If you like trendy California gourmet style then this will be a home run for you.
We ordered the prime rib sandwich and the chicken sandwich. The chicken sandwich was good but the prime rib was just average.
Service was pretty good.
We probably won't be back only because we would want to try different places but also it's not our kind of place. Give me the classic pub sandwich with fries...
Nestled in a small off road cabin; it is a hidden gem of northern Minnesota...
I was skeptical when I first saw the place, but was wonderfully surprised at the food!
The best part of the restaurant is that they use local ingredients that are fresh and in season. Â I have always visited their restaurant every time I visit North Shore, but their menu changes every time I am there to reflect the ingredients that are in season.
The food presentation is also very delicate and fantastic. Â It reminds me of a 5 star restaurant in the cities, but at a reasonable price.
I highly recommend this place to everyone!
When I first read the overtly-gushing reviews of this restaurant on Yelp I was a bit skeptical. But now that I've eaten there I am joining the ranks. This restaurant is fantastic, and I never expected to be so impressed. The options are creative and interesting and simple enough that the actual taste of the food shines through. Great micro-brew and independent beer menu ranging from $3.50-$4.50. My date and I indulged with two appetizers, two entrees, two desserts, a bottle of wine, coffee and beer and walked out having spent under $150. This is unheard of for restaurants of this caliber.
For appetizers we had a steamed tamale with shrimp, chorizo and mole, and pate au pain which was chicken & duck liver, pistachios, cognac, mustard and wild swedish lingonberries with bread. The masa of the tamale was a little on the dry side (maybe some lard or butter in there would have helped), but otherwise both appetizers were excellent. Neither my date and I would usually order anything involving liver, but we both had an inkling that it would not be a mistake. And it was not. It was absolutely stunning.
The entrees were a 1) cumin-scented pork tenderloin with port-fortified cherries over yukon potato puree and rutabaga and 2) a duck breast lightly rubbed with garam massala served over haricot verts, sweet potatoes, and port-soaked cherries. Both of the meats were done rare, which was absolutely perfect. In both of the dishes, the seasonings were perfect to compliment the flavors of the meats.
For dessert we had 1) a goat cheesecake with port-fortified cherries and fried basil and 2) profiteroles filled with ice cream and topped with caramel and hazelnuts. By this point I was really, really full, but I did. not. care. The goat cheesecake was decadent, but not sweet, which my date polished off - and he does not like goat cheese, as a rule. I was partial to the profiteroles with a cup of french press coffee (which is the only kind of coffee that they serve).
The server was excellent. He was laid back, but knew a ton about the food (and when we stumped him about the seasoning on the duck, he found out for us).
I can't wait to go back to this place!
A foodie's delight!
Strange...we drive into the parking lot and see the building is a dressed up tailer...go figure.  When you get inside and read the menu the experience begins.  Wonderful menu variety.  Great pricing and knowledgeable service.  Excellent value.  There were so many items I wanted to try.  The special of the day...the locally caught herring sandwich was difficult to pass on.  I had the seared chicken breast sandwich with brie, asparagus, lemon basil aioli, on cranberry pecan sourdough toasted bread.  Amazing!  My wife had the asparagus and egg sandwich with gruyere, frisée butter, lemon basil aioli, ciabatta bun.  Terrific!
We will make this a regular stop when we come back to the north shore.
(By the way, we found this place via Yelp - thank you!)
Absolutely fantastic.
I can say with relative certainty that this is the best restaurant I've ever been to. Â I don't get up to the north shore too often, but I'll probably be making a stop here every time I do from now on.
The wife and I were in Duluth for our 7th anniversary and we decided to take a scenic evening drive northward from our hotel. Â We ate a late lunch and thus, we were not overly hungry. Â When we passed this place, we decided that we would go in and have some dessert, but then we sat down and read the menu and decided that we needed to order some food too. Â We are sure glad we did!
Everything we ordered was delicious. Â The prices were cheap (on par with Applebees). Â The presentation was fantastic. Â And we ended up staying a little past close, but our waitress was still super friendly and helpful.
Think you'll find nothing but chains and supper clubs when you get this far north? Â Wrong! Â New Scenic Cafe delivers on a level on par (if not surpassing) most of the locally sourced food movement type restaurants that dot the Minneapolis/St. Paul landscape.
We spent a cozy NYE here with good friends. Â The menu is everchanging so it's somewhat worthless to rave about certain selections, but I can say that the rabbit confit and seared elk appetizers were superb. Â It is a tidge pricey, but you get what you pay for and you can taste the quality of ingredients that go into every dish here. Â The portions (as in most high end restaurants) are somewhat small so big old men looking for big old entrees will likely fare better elsewhere. :)
If you go and they happen to have the goat cheese cheesecake on the menu - order two! Â Best cheesecake I've ever had, light and creamy and topped with orange blossom flavored spun sugar (cotton candy-esque stuff that looks oddly like hair).
Check it out. Â I'll betcha you'll like it.
I know everyone who has Yelped this place has loved it (or liked it alot), but i have to say that it was kind of a let down. Â
I went to the New Senic Cafe a few weeks ago and had their chicken and brie sandwich and a cup of french onion soup. Â The soup was good, but the sandwich needed salt - i.e. bacon or some other form of pig to give it flavor. Â Normally, I wouldn't let a sandwich reduce a rating down to 2, but one would think that a good basic sandwich should be a no-brainer - for the New Scenic Cafe it showed that there were no brains in its construction.
Our first time to Duluth, we wanted to find the best Duluth had to offer. Driving up to New Scenic Cafe, you're not sure what to expect. In the end, NSC gave us exactly what we wanted, amazing food in a humble environment.
We had Mussels in a beautiful curry sauce. Best mussels I've ever had, ever. The Mrs. had the Walleye Sandwich, crusted with pistachios, uber delicious. I had a breakfast sandwich with ham, tomatoes, and gruyere cheese, also scrumptious. Â Prices were also super reasonable, being around 10 each for starters and entrees at lunch.
If you're ever in town, please stop by. You won't regret it.
This is probably my favorite restaurant around, maybe due to the fact that we first saw it after it opened (and thus had no expectations) and that I'm always on vacation when I eat there.
The atmosphere is great, I Â spend much of the time lusting after the original artwork and mentally calculating if I could smuggle a piece out in a doggy bag. Oh, and the view of Lake Superior is nice, too.
I always have their simple soup and salad when I'm there, because really, a quality soup is hard to come by. It is always unique and obviously fresh. Their salad is obviously not just an iceberg-afterthought (which is why vegetarian restaurants are so great, they know that people actually like their salads to be tasty).
We always go to the New Scenic Cafe when we're in Duluth now, and it is honestly one of the reasons Duluth is a favorite vacation spot.
Who would have thought that Duluth would house such culinary delights. Â I came here with my parents, my sister and her fiance (who are both foodies from Manhattan). Â And we were all impressed. Â The food here rivals any big city cuisine.
The food was fresh, innovative, and authentic (they weren't masked with heavy sauces - as some places tend to do). Â As Bony's review stated, its very much like Napa or Sonoma Valley.
Quite possibly the best restaurant in Minnesota. Don't let the yawn-inducing label "contemporary American" fool you. This is real food cooked and presented with amazing care and skill. I've never had a bad meal here (I've forgiven a too-salty vegetarian risotto as a fluke mistake), and the view of Lake Superior really makes this wildly romantic at dinner. Reservations are required on weekends. You should plan several weeks ahead in the summer. I've known people to drive 200+ miles just to eat here, and I don't think that's at all insane.
One small gripe is that the menu remains somewhat static. This is usually offset by nightly specials (and they are often really special), but as a frequent diner I would like the chef to mix it up a little more.
I should have proposed here. It's really that wonderful.
The New Scenic Cafe really is the best place to eat for MANY miles around!
Don't be put off by the non-descript building or the modest decor inside, the food is unbelievably good. My husband and I make a point of eating here every time we visit Duluth. They've got plenty for me (a vegetarian) and enough for him (a non-adventurous meat-and-potatoes person) to keep us both VERY happy.
Even the garnishes on the plates are delicious! Last time it was a perfectly ripened strawberry, a sliver of sweet melon, and a forkful of greens dressed with a wonderful balsamic vinaigrette. All fabulous! And that was just the GARNISH.
I went here for lunch on a weekday on the way to do some hiking in Gooseberry, this place reminds me alittle of being in Napa or Sonoma Valley, it has that feel of the wine country ambiance. The menu is seasonal using mainly organic ingredients, I had the braised pork sandwich, which was quite tender & flavorful.
Other people had the salad/soup/bread combo for $9, which was quite a bit of food. So stop by here if you're going to do some hiking or outdoor activity on the way or even I would consider this place for dinnertime since they had an interesting wine selection.
WOW.
This was without a doubt one of the best meals I have ever had. This is especially surprising because I was not expecting this place to be in Duluth (no offense), and the restaurant, from the outside, kind of looks like a place where you could stop to get waffles on your way to Palisades. Â
I'm going to talk about the food now, and forgive me if it sounds gushy. The appetizers are big, which is great. My boyfriend and I split a pistachio-crusted goat cheese salad and it was superb.
For the entrees, he had lamb with mascarpone spinach (I will never be able to have it any other way again) and I had the duck with onions, blue cheese, and apricot chutney. Both meals were phenomenal and not too big or small.
Dessert was a very refreshing, inventive key lime panna cotta with huckleberries and mint. We also had their very strong coffee, which was delicious.
The service is great. They have their timing down pat, and our server was really sweet. She figured out what our food allergy situation was based on what questions we asked about the appetizer, and then told us what we could have for dessert.
On top of it all, the prices are extremely reasonable. My boyfriend said that he thought they had left off a dish when he got the bill. Overall, this restaurant was a perfect end to the evening. I will definitely be coming here again.
Double Wow. Â Wow!
No offense to the North Shore, but I never expected to find such a fabulous and inventive restaurant along Hwy 61. Â In the same vein of California cuisine with simple, stellar ingredients (a la Chez Panisse, IMO), New Scenic has mastered North Shore cooking. Â
Although it's been several months, I still remember my perfect roast chicken with vegetables, cherries, and a cream sauce gravy. Â The salad we split was awesome and included grapes, cheeses, baby greens, and delicate, crunchy pieces of phyllo dough. Â It was one of the best salads I've ever had. Â I was also favorably impressed by the wine list, the unobtrusive service, and the dessert, a panna cotta trio, full of fresh, fresh berries.
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