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Minnesota Monthly A SUPERIOR DRIVE-IN From its beginnings as a seasonal, fifties drive-in, the New Scenic Cafe–now in its fifth incarnation–has kept pace with the times. Gone are the baked beans and potato salad of its once-signature “picnic plate,” replaced by healthful cooking with a global flair and an attention to local ingredients. That suits the café patrons—increasingly sophisticated locals, professionals from nearby Duluth who don’t balk at a $60 dinner, and Twin Citians wooed by northern waters specialties like smoked salmon and pistachio-crusted walleye—at this year-round “casual fine dining” restaurant. The wine list leans toward Italy, California, and France with Chilean merot and an Australian riesling thrown in for budget sippers. You know children are welcome just by glancing at the “other beverages” list, which includes blackberry lemonade and chocolate milk. There is also chai iced tea and soy milk for grownups who want a sober trip home. [Top] New Scenic Café [Duluth] You can take the expressway to Two Harbors if you must, but you’ll miss this gem some 8 miles outside of Duluth. Come hungry and abandon your expectations of lakeside cuisine—this is gormet stuff worthy of uptown digs. Start with a steamed artichoke with garlic aioli and drawn butter, or fall for the wild mushroom paté with baby greens and chioggia beets. Graduate to a salad of pistachio-encrusted goat cheese coins, grape tomatoes, and field greens in roasted garlic vinaigrette. Sandwiches are extraordinary: filet mignon with freshly ground mustard on onion rosemary bread for one; marinated apples, pecans, cheddar, Monterey Jack and chicken on cranberry pecan bread for another. Not-to-be missed entrées: 40 garlic-clove kosher chicken with peanut molé; salmon with brown sugar and thai broth, and red vindaloo curry with jasmine rice. The wine list is small and tasty, the beer list includes ales and hard ciders, and the garden in spring and summer is brilliant and welcoming. [Top] Scenic’s scallops help keep menu fresh BY TOM WILKOWSKE A twist on the old “Sesame Street” song -- “three of these things are not like the other” -- was running through my head as I listened to Ann Harrington describe her latest favorite dish at the New Scenic Cafe. Let me get this straight, I said. Scallops and asparagus on top of mashed yellow vegetable that could be squash? ANN'S ANSWERS “That's kind of his thing,” Harrington said, referring to Scott Graden, the cafe's owner and head chef. “Putting things together that you wouldn't think would go together, and it tastes wonderful.” Harrington discovered the scallops entree only a few weeks ago while dining with a friend. They ordered different entrees but wound up nearly fighting over the unusual dish.Harringon and I met on a Monday evening and found the restaurant fairly busy. Harrington asked me to pick a white wine, and we settled on a 2003 Kris Pinot Grigio. While we waited for our scallops, Harrington explained that where she likes to dine depends upon whom she's with. A family favorite has always been Duluth's storied Pickwick Restaurant, where in fact Harrington had her first scallops. The Scenic was added to the list when one of her daughters started working there while still in high school. When our entrees arrived, we simply had to regard them for a few moments before digging in. Then Harrington explained why she likes the dish so much. “I really like the contrasts,” she said. “There's kind of a small, medium and large, on several levels. The yams are soft, the scallops are medium and the asparagus is a little crunchy.” Harrington said that hierarchy also applies to the flavors: The yams and scallops are dominant with the sauce as a secondary flavor and the sprinkling of herb sprouts providiing points of contrasting flavors. TOM'S TAKE Our plates revealed an earth-toned stack of richness. At the base was a swirl of orange-yellow mashed yams. Layered like timbers, emerald green asparagus spears provided support for the scallops that rested on top. A swirl of chicken stock, flecked with drops of green herb oil, and a sprinkling of tiny-leaved fresh herbs completed the look. The scallops were the best I can recall eating in a long time. They were large and thick. The pan searing imparted a micro-thin, caramelized coating on the outside, all the better to contrast with the tender meat inside. They were done to perfection. They weren't gelatinous, as is the case when they're undercooked, nor were they rubbery nubbins reminiscent of miniature white hockey pucks that you sometimes get at restaurants that crank things out a little too fast. I worked my way through this structure by spearing a scallop, cutting off a bit and dipping it in the sauce swirled around the plate. I followed that with a bite or two of yam and some sections of asparagus. A burst of herbal greenness, almost with an anise hint, came through on some bites. The overall effect was a warm, rich dish that offered some flavor surprises along the way. The unusual combination of ingredients worked for the most part, but I think yams, scallops and asparagus have some inherent sweetness that tipped the scale a bit past my sweetness preference. However, the light crispness of Kris Pinot Grigio ($6) provided a perfect foil for a nearly perfect meal. ABOUT THE DISH, RESTAURANT The idea for the New Scenic's scallops entree came directly from the head of Graden, who has been developing menus for 15 years. The scallops, Graden said, are “dry-packed,” meaning they're not injected with saline solution, and they're the best quality he can find. The sauce swirled around the bottom of the plate is largely chicken stock dotted with herb oil. The herbal sprinkling is what's termed “microgreens” -- essentially a mix of baby beet greens, baby cilantro, China rose, baby basil and other herbs. As for his restaurant's ingredients, Graden said he buys organic and local products whenever possible. In 1998, Graden bought the restaurant with Rita B, his aunt and business partner who has since retired from the cafe. The restaurant added its garden and expanded parking in 1999; in 2001, seating, preparation and serving areas were expanded in an addition Graden built largely by himself. The expansion effectively allowed the restaurant to seat guests who had been waiting outside, but there are still waits, especially in the summer. “I change menu so frequently that I think I'm creating that re-interest,” Graden said. © 2005 Duluth News Tribune and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.duluthsuperior.com From our guest book... "We've been trying to get here for almost a year...it was well worth the wait!" "" Wonderful! A perfect beginning to our weekend away!" P.
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