I Finally Tried Corktown Deli and It Is “So Duluth” [REVIEW]

The Craft Beer District in Lincoln Park has been in a welcomed rejuvenating business boom in West Duluth. A lot of that is thanks to Tom Hanson, who started off with Duluth Grill and grew his businesses and kept them in Lincoln Park. My wife wanted to go to Corktown Deli for lunch yesterday. I had heard good things, but I never found myself giving it a shot.

We got there at about 11:30 and I sat at a table. My wife rolled her eyes at me and walked up to the counter. Oh, it's this kind of place. I looked at the menu that is sheets of colored paper above the counter/kitchen that shows what sandwiches there are.  Me, being a simpleton (apparently) had no idea what have the stuff on the sandwiches was. Chow Chow? What's that?  I started to panic a little. I don't know what I'll like!? Lemon-caper chimmichurri, what is that? Is that an animal?

"He'll have the Pastrami Reuben," my wife ordered for me. "Trust me, it's good."

So we sat down at a table and brought our little buzzer that would let us know when food was done. Then, at about 11:45 the hordes of people started streaming in. Our food came quickly, but the line for the counter was wrapping all the way around the craft beer bar.

"Can you believe this place is THIS busy!?" my wife asked. I took a few bites out of my pastrami reuben and I understood why. This was a good sandwich! I had to consciously slow down while I was eating because I could have inhaled it.

It wasn't until I was done eating that I noticed they had special lunch beer portions that were 10oz for $2. Man I wish I had seen that sooner. They had all the craft beers on the wall listed, and I was pleased to see some local cider options as well. I'll definitely have to go back in the afternoon for another sandwich and maybe a few pints. Corktown Deli is a place you're only going to find in Duluth, and that's a pretty cool thing.