When it comes to Duluth, I have my "must-stops." First of all, I'll hit Duluth Coffee Company if I'm rolling into the city in the early morning. It's the city's only real coffee-geek coffee shop with high-end brewing equipment and house-roasted beans.
A little later in the day, I like to stop at Bent Paddle brewing's tap room, or pick up sandwiches at Northern Waters Smokehouse and bring them over to Vikre Distillery's swank cocktail room in a historic brick building in Canal Park.
There are a few new things to check out this summer, as well. Northern Waters has a new full-service restaurant (near UMD), and near Bayfront Park, the Pier B Resort has a trendy eatery called The Silos.