The Wallaby.
Avocado has finally arrived at Northern Waters Smokehaus, for a limited time, on a brand new sandwich called The Wallaby—haus-baked Prince Myshkin rye topped with half an avocado, tomato, lemon pepper, balsamic reduction and locally-sourced ramps.
Flo makes great signs
While supplies last, you can add avocado to any sandwich for an additional $2.30. Clubhaus with avocado? Yum. Pork Loin D-Luxx with avocado? Decadent. Hedonist with avocado? I wouldn't, but you do you.
The Wallaby is available in our deli and via delivery for $6+tax (or $9+tax with crispy smoked pancetta) through June 3rd, and like all Sandwich Lab specials, earns you two stamps on your sandwich card.
Homegrown Music Festival came to a close.
The eight day-long local music festival is hard to avoid, if you're living in Duluth. Thousands of individuals attend shows throughout the week. Hundreds of local artists and supporters of the arts take part in putting it on. Dozens of local businesses participate in some capacity, whether they're a full-fledged venue, hosting a concurrent unofficial show, or offering sales & specials to participating artists. Typically there is some variety of controversy in the news.
Photo by Leif Hinkel
Among our staff, I count (at least) eight people who played some type of role in the week. Flo painted the Chicken Shack (HGMF HQ) mural; the Prøve Gallery (co-operated by our own Flo & TK, among others) was a venue for one of the shows; between Jacob, Cedar, Tyler, Brian, Leif, and myself, we touted at least eight performances throughout the week, official or otherwise.
Look at this picture Emily took of the Latelys
And now that it's over, I hope everyone has taken a few nights to stay in and get some sleep. I know I needed it.
Ribwiches and chocolate chip bacon cookies.
We love to snack here. It's where we find many of our best ideas. It's how we test recipes in development. All opinions are considered, and anyone who wants to contribute gets a taste.
I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a major perk of the job.
On Wednesday, Patricia left behind a stack of chocolate chip bacon cookies after an early baking shift. Since she joined our team, we've grown accustomed to finding new varieties of cookies waiting for us on a weekly basis. It's a new territory that we're happy to be exploring.
*not actually a photo of the bacon cookies pictured.
Wednesday in the deli featured a smoked rib special in the deli, with baked beans on the side. This special did not come as a sandwich, but we're an odd bunch, so a handful of us made rib&beanwiches—on white bread with butter, and on Johnson's Bakery rolls without butter. The rib special was a surprise to those of us working in the deli, but not an unwelcome one. It is, however, a great teaser to an upcoming (circa-Memorial Day) never-frozen smoked rib sale. Keep your eyes and your tastebuds peeled for that announcement.
It snowed.
And then the sleet began to pack itself onto vertical surfaces. Really what did we expect? The bit about April showers and May flowers rarely applies in Duluth. Sometimes there are still ice cubes in Lake Superior come June.
Snowball and snowperson enthusiasts had a lot to be excited about. The rest of us, not so much.
The snow doesn't bother Tyler Much
We almost went back to Hemlock Preserve.
Then the weather happened. While Hemlock Preserve is a lovely place all through the year, we're trying to catch it on a sunny day full of bustling foliage and flora—and not tear apart the wet ground with our idle steps. Here's a gallery of some smartphone camera-quality photos I took during one of our recent excursions.
Hemlock Preserve is a magical place full of beautifully curated vignettes of landscaping and design that is best observed in person, but still photographs charmingly. Everywhere your eyes may fall, there is something that begs a closer look.
We're looking forward to catering events in this space during the Summer and Fall (exciting announcements forthcoming!). If you can't wait, get in contact with our Catering Captain, Hannah ((218)724-7307 and ask for Hannah, or e-mail catering@nwsmokehaus.com) and book your own event!
One more Thing™ before you go.
We just stocked the deli with Salamini, Spanish-style Chorizo, and Saucisson Sec. As far as dry-cured salted meats go, this is about as fresh as it gets. For those who prefer salumi on the softer side, this weekend is a great time to grab some. If you're in a hurry and want to bypass the line, place your order for pick-up.
