PLATED

MARTHA’S DAUGHTER JOINS A NEW ERA OF NEW AMERICAN IN DULUTH

By Dennis Kempton

It wasn’t all that long ago that downtown Duluth was pockmarked with the likes of McDonald’s. And legend says — since this was before I moved here from the East Coast — there was also a Burger King. In the past 15 years, the culinary profile of the Zenith City has matured. The latest surprise to take up residence is Martha’s Daughter, in the Historic Arts and Theatre district, in a resurgent and increasingly cosmopolitan downtown. Nearly impossible to remember as soon as I walked into the restaurant was its former life at 107 E. Superior St. as the Original Coney Island, where sleepy, red-eyed locals soaked up omelets, eggs and toast in the early morning hours and where one could drop in for fries and a coney. Martha’s Daughter’s chef de cuisine, Nyanyika Banda, took the leap to remodel brick and mortar in an urban style that gently urges Duluth off the gritty trail and on to modern sleekness. I won’t say it’s done up in a New York state of mind because those comparisons are overcooked. The luminous orbs suspended from the tin ceiling reflect a dramatic cool calm that’s still comfortable enough for locals mingling among the inevitable tourists coming in due course. And the soothing beats of world music would take down any “you betcha!”- marinated Northlander’s anxiety about the decor and the cuisine. And it is cuisine. New American. And that brings with it all it’s meant to imply — diversity and adventure.

I was seated quickly in the lively and full restaurant when I walked through the door and immediately felt a communal vibe the row of tables for two inspired. Dining is a social experience. Embrace it.

My server was eager to tell me about the specials without me having to ask. She was passionate about the food, as if she’d pulled me off the street herself to eat there. I had planned to ask her for recommendations but got the sense she’d recommend all of it. I settled on the corn cake and then the lake trout. “Are there any dietary restrictions or allergies I should tell the kitchen about?” my server asked. It’s the first time I’ve ever been asked. I liked it so much, I almost wished I’d had an allergy.

She returned moments later with pickled carrots and hummus for an amuse-bouche, both house-made. Sweet and vinegary with a hit of heat, the carrots and hummus gave me that thing food should: flavor that builds and lingers until you notice it’s gone. Arriving on the heels of my highkicking carrots was the corn cake. I’m a native southerner. I expected something akin to my beloved cornbread. I was wrong. This savory Latin-American dish is made from masa de maiz, a corn flour that is a LatinAmerican workhorse ingredient for the things we love about that cuisine, including tortillas and tamales. The cake was moist and rich; not dense, but substantial. Complimenting the rich familiarity of the corn were the earthiness of black beans and pinto beans. In a small dish, balance of flavors is a requirement. The cake avoids being a one-note experience. The zing of pickled red onion, the brightness and freshness of queso fresco — a creamy unaged white cheese, and a tomatillo crema — a foamy cream with what is essentially a Mexican tomato, brought together a pleasantly composed dish that marries comfort food with bold, southern-border adventure.

The key to cooking lake trout is having a screaming-hot oiled pan and a dry fish with skin side down. Fish is easy to ruin in the wrong pan and with any moisture on the surface. My trout was seared to a delicious doneness with crisp skin. It was a beautiful consistency and opacity and flaked effortlessly. The fish was served on a flavorful bed of celeriac, swiss chard and fried capers. Celeriac is the unsung hero of this dish, with its distinct notes of celery and parsley composed with that superhero of Mediterranean cooking, swiss chard. The heartiness and earthiness of these big, leafy green vegetables is balanced with the intensity of capers. Fried capers in olive oil intensify in their saltiness, seasoning the entire dish in layers. continued on page 32