Movable Feast: Labor Day Weekend: North Shore Guide - Duluth

This month, there was a big feature on the North Shore for the magazine, so the next few weeks we'll work our way north, starting with Duluth for today. Duluth has lots of classic attractions: the Glensheen mansion, the William A. Irvin Freightliner, the aquarium, the train museum. Plus, it has great food and drinks. We've talked about some favorites before: Vikre Distillery, Bent Paddle Brewing, Northern Waters sandwich shop and restaurant.

There are a few newcomers worth noting. First, start with a pastry at Duluth's Best Bread. The shop doesn't look like much, but it's a great bakery turning out buttery croissants, cinnamon and caramel rolls, homemade Pop Tarts, as well as artisan loaves — try the cranberry wild rice, it has a chewy texture and rich flavor. For happy hour, the brand-new Hoops Brewing beer hall has been getting a lot of attention. It was founded by Dave Hoops, the longtime head brewer at Fitger's and is situated in a pretty old Canal Park warehouse. There's no restaurant (you can order in food) and the beers don't even have names (just numbers), but that way all their attention is focused on making great beer in a wide variety of styles.

Lastly, fans of Duluth Grill should check out the owners' new OMC Smokehouse. It's a BBQ joint doing meats from animals that "oink," "moo," and "cluck" and it's some of the best in the state. Our favorite was the ultra-tender grass-fed brisket with Alabama white sauce, a kind of mayonnaise/vinegar/horseradish sauce you don't see everywhere.