Best Northern Restaurant is aptly named; it's hands down the best restaurant on the north shore of Lake Superior that the beau and I had an opportunity to try during our summer vacation.
The restaurant is on-site at a charming resort with cabins and attached motel rooms, all situated on a downward slope that faces a wooded valley. Large windows overlook a mixed patchwork of trees and the glimmering sheet of a lake, a beautiful slice of the north country framed behind a scattering of square tables. Almost every seat in the restaurant gets a great view, and you may have to fight for who faces the wall or the door.
Best Northern Restaurant isn't very large with probably 10 tables and a bar, which lends it a pleasant intimacy. You feel like a guest at a friend's rather than just another customer in a generic cafe. We enjoyed watching the Summer Olympics opening ceremonies on the large flat screen television as we waited for our orders to be placed. The menu splits between outstanding Polish and Slavic entrees, and more typical Canadian fare. We came specifically for the Polish food. My best friend's mother and father are both first generation Pole-Canadians and I spent many an afternoon eating homemade pierogies and sipping down borscht soup that was nearly ultraviolet. My standards and expectations were high, and Best Northern delivered with flying colours.
The beau ordered a selection of pierogies and I went for the hunter's goulash. We started with summer borscht, a lighter variation of the classic beet soup made with golden beets. From the first spoonful I was blissed out on a delicate array of balanced flavours. Our server was the wife of the couple who run the restaurant, and she bustled in and out of the kitchen delivering all sorts of morsels. We tucked into our entrees with zest, and they did not disappoint! The pierogies were crisp and moist, the cheese practically melting on the tongue. I nearly stole the plate from the beau, if he weren't so intent on enjoying each bite.
Goulash gets a bad rap sometimes for being bland or overly spiced on paprika to disguise the mushy veggies underneath. Not this. It came out with a bit of a crisped crust and the filling sang with just the right balance of paprika. I nibbled on the carrots for a few seconds, then plowed through it as though I spent hours paddling Lake Superior. I finished approximately half and conceded defeat, taking the rest back to our cabin. The hunter's goulash is hearty and decadent, delicious and so very Hungarian. I loved it, and I'm going to reminisce for a few minutes on a great meal.
We finished with a dessert of apple crumble, served up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and two spoons to share. Having fronted the selection of delectables, I assure you this is the way to go. Warm, sweet, and oozing with creamy tartness, we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and then direly needed a nap. read more
