I recently spent the day exploring some of the Lincoln Park Craft District in Duluth. And honestly, is there any better place to spend the day than LNPK?  This incredible area of downtown Duluth is undergoing a beautiful revival. While this area is part residential and part industrial, it offers such a wide assortment of local artisans and a true Duluth experience! Among its many restaurants, micro-breweries, coffee houses, and galleries, you’ll find Love Creamery. 

You might be wondering, what makes Love Creamery ice cream different from all the others? And if you’ve visited a Love Creamery location – you already know. Love Creamery prides themself on using real ingredients and makes every flavor in small batches to ensure that you get the perfect scoop every time. They offer dairy and vegan ice cream options and churn the ice cream on site daily to offer you the freshest treats! Love Creamery was voted the 2022 Best Ice Cream Parlor in the Midwest by Midwest Living Magazine, and they fully live up to that name every day. 

Where is Love Creamery Located?

Love Creamery has two locations in Duluth, MN. You can visit Love Creamery at their flagship Lincoln Park location at 1908 West Superior Street, Duluth MN or at the Canal Park location at 366 South Lake Avenue, Duluth MN.

Love Creamery Lincoln Park
1908 West Superior Street, Duluth MN

Love Creamy Canal Park
366 South Lake Avenue, Duluth MN

You can also pop online for each location to find out what the current flavors are before heading in! Some of the tried-and-true flavors you will find are buttermilk vanilla, dark chocolate, strawberry, butter pecan and mint chocolate chip. But, if you’re ready to take a true flavor journey, try one of their unique fan favorites such as goat cheese honeycomb, mascarpone apricot, blueberry lemon curd or spicy honey crunch. And for our vegan friends, enjoy a variety of tasty frozen flavors made with their amazing coconut base.

With so many choices and new options weekly, trust me when I say you will never get bored exploring the deliciously complex flavors of new creations or making your own multiple scoop combinations. 

Maybe you’re not really in the mood for a scoop? Well, don’t let that keep you from Love Creamery! They offer sundaes, ice cream puffs, bars, shakes, malts, floats and freezes! They also have a lovely espresso, coffee and tea menu. As if this isn’t all enough to tempt anyone, you can order custom ice cream cakes, seasonal pies and gift cards online! You can also find Love Creamery pints at local retailers such as Whole Foods Co-op, Vitta Pizza, Ursa Minor Brewing Company, Great Lakes Aquarium and Island Lake Inn just to name a few!  

Some History about Love Creamery

Love Creamery was founded by Nicole Wilde, who grew up in DairyLand, WI. Nicole is very passionate about the environment and sustainable farming. She found a way to combine her loves by crafting ice cream on her hobby farm and began by selling scoops out of a mobile ice cream cart at farmers markets and events.

Today, we’re able to enjoy her sweet treats and innovative flavors at two brick and mortar locations in Duluth. Love Creamery’s continued passion for ice cream and sustainable farming have allowed them to partner with many local farms, businesses and people in their effort to bring responsibly sourced sweet treats to the community.

Love Creamery has proudly set the standard for sustainability in the area and created a path for other ice cream companies to follow. Some of their sustainability partners include Northwind Organic Farm, Positively 3rd Street Bakery, Duluth Coffee Company, David Rogotzke Family Sugarbush, Zeith Tea Works, Saltless Sea Urban Farms, Glensheen Mansion Gardens, Farm Lola Northern Soda, Bar Bell Bee Ranch, and Autumnwood Family Dairy.

With a trip to Love Creamery you are not only supporting sustainability, a local woman-owned business, and the Lincoln Park Craft District, but you are also supporting your beloved community.  Love Creamery is an active community partner. Working through the Community Heroes program, they support local organizations making a direct impact on the community with a special focus on people and the environment.

Sampling the Love Creamery Flavors

My first experience at Love Creamery was with my sister, Laura and will always be a treasured memory. First of all, because I don’t think any of us get nearly enough sibling time together as adults, and secondly because Love Creamery has opened my mind about exploring new flavors and ingredients that I may have a preconceived notion about.

There’s definitely something so special about sharing childhood memories with the ones who was there with us through it all. The experience instantly transported us both back to the excitement of peering over the counter at the vast array of tempting treats and exploring all of the delightful flavors together. We decided to go with the Flight, which allowed us to each choose 3 flavors, for a total of 6 flavors to share. 

After a good amount of deliberation and samples, we decided on dark chocolate, milk chocolate, salted caramel, honey lavender, buttermilk vanilla and Nutella. Oh, my goodness, we were not disappointed with a single flavor choice!

The milk chocolate was so smooth and creamy with just the right amount of chocolate flavor. The dark chocolate was definitely made for the hard-core chocolate lover as it contains 100% organic dark chocolate. Wow!

The salted caramel was the perfect combination of sweet and salty, containing raw cane sugar and sprinkled with French grey sea salt. It’s easy to see why this one is a fan favorite!

The honey lavender…oh my. This is the ice cream flavor that really got me thinking. I am not a huge fan of lavender. I’ve tried it in different cookies, teas and coffee drinks and I could honestly never understand all the rage over lavender. Until now, their use of lavender in combination with the wildflower honey transported me into a magical ice cream heaven. It was truly a treat for my taste buds and has opened my mind to trying new flavors and new flavor combinations. 

The buttermilk vanilla was a tribute to how a simple flavor can be absolute perfection. Love Creamery uses organic Madagascar vanilla and Tahitian vanilla beans to bring out the most incredible vanilla flavor. And of course, the Nutella, which is smooth, silky and rippled with Nutella giving it an explosive chocolate hazelnut flavor.

We enjoyed every last bit of our ice cream. What a wonderful ambience to sit and chit chat about life and all of the incredible flavors we were tasting. We seemed to melt right into our cozy surroundings as we laughed, reminisced and fought playfully over the last bite of our very favorite flavors. I highly recommend Love Creamery for a lady’s day out, date night, or a place to reconnect with your children. The atmosphere is light, whimsical and very inviting. 

Get your Love Creamery Ice Cream on the Go!

Need your Love Creamery fix but can’t get to one of their shops? Well, my friends, you’re in luck!

Love Creamery ice cream is available at select retail outlets, eateries, and even some tourist attractions. The team here at On Lake Superior has definitely enjoyed a cup or two of Love Creamery’s flavors at places like Cedar Lounge / Earth Rider Brewery in Superior, WI.

For a complete list of outlets that serve Love Creamery ice cream, visit the Where to Buy Love Creamery ice cream page on their website.

But Wait, They Cater?

If you’re hosting an event and want to have the coolest (pun intended) catering option around, then Love Creamery’s Ice Cream Cart catering is the hot ticket. Better act fast though, the ice cream cart books up quick for the year. Good news though, they can also cater your event individually packaged ice cream cups, bars, and sandwiches as an alternative to the ice cream cart if it’s not available. The goodies are stored in coolers with dry ice and are available for pickup or delivery for an additional fee.

The Final Scoop

Personally, I am always on the lookout for impactful local businesses to support, and this is an extraordinary example. So, whether you’re in the mood for a scoop of creamy deliciousness, a freshly brewed cup of tea or a cake for a special occasion, add Love Creamery to the top of your list. You’ll be so glad you did! 

There is new splendor to be found every time I gaze out the window and study the vast shoreline and stop to explore at the little rest areas along the way. Spending a lazy Saturday afternoon skipping stones, hiking a short trail to see a beautiful waterfall and finding creatively painted rocks along the way is always at the top of my list, especially if I get to share it with my family. There’s something so special about Lake Superior, it just feels like home; always has and always will.

Once we reached Two Harbors, we decided it was time to grab a bite to eat, and my cousin suggested what turned out to be an incredible little gem, Madeira Bistro.

Being the Lake Superior historical enthusiast that I am, I knew I had heard the name Madeira before. Once I walked through the doors of this quaint little Bistro, the story behind the name “Madeira Bistro” quietly unfolded as it was tied into the decor of the restaurant itself.

Here we learn that the Madeira was one of 20+ ships that were shipwrecked during the terrible Mataafa Storm back in 1905. The Madeira was a schooner barge in ballast and undertow of the steamer ship, the William Edenborn.

After being separated during the storm, the Madeira struck ground and broke in two. One of the ship’s crew, Fred Benson, managed to grab onto a line, jump to the rocks and climb to the top of a 60-foot cliff, where he then pulled all but one of his crewmen to safety. With such a great loss of life and property, a campaign was launched to erect a lighthouse.

In 1910 this resulted in Split Rock Lighthouse being built within sight of the Madeira shipwreck, which currently lies off Gold Rock Cliff. I was so touched by this tragic narrative and costly legend of Lake Superior, what an incredible way to honor the memory of those lost in the storm and to carry on the history of this beautiful small town.

The Madeira Bistro opened its doors in June 2022 with a mission to share their love of food. And let me tell you…they know a thing or two about good food! Not only is the menu full of fresh and fun items, but it is also always evolving and changing.

Madeira Bistro takes pride in offering locally sourced produce, as well as house made soups and sauces. They also offer the freshest sliced meats and a variety of Minnesota made bakery breads. Because of their seasonal menu and innovative thinking, you can expect to see exciting new menu items often!

It’s important to Madeira Bistro’s mission to keep food waste low as a part of their sustainability goal. If ordering take out, you can expect to see paper and bamboo products being used, and if you’re fortunate enough to enjoy a meal at the Bistro engulfed in its playful atmosphere, you may enjoy your meal on dishes that were sourced secondhand. I love this so much as a statement of sustainability and also personally as an avid thrifter, and it certainly adds so much more character and whimsy to the experience.

This quaint, cozy and heavenly-smelling dining room features order-at-the-counter service. They serve a variety of beer, wine and house-made specialty drinks. They also offer call ahead service take out and encourage customers to pop across the street to enjoy their lunch with a delicious brew at Castle Danger Brewery’s beautiful taproom.

Upon entering the establishment, the foodie in me was awakened and I knew instantly that we were in for a true culinary treat. The air was filled with the scent of yeasty bread and an assortment of herbs and spices. The tables were filled with cheerful patrons who were lost in conversation, food and drink.

As we approached the counter and dove into the palate pleasing menu, which featured a delectable variety of sandwiches, bowls, soup, chili and of course a special section for the kiddos, we were quickly greeted by a lovely woman at the front counter. There is something so special about a small town; the charm, the quaint feel and the overwhelming friendliness.

We placed our orders at the counter, I personally went with the Knife River Roast Beef sandwich. I was instantly so thankful that I was there with a large group of family members, which allowed me to taste, smell and see so many incredible dishes! My beef sandwich was tender, juicy and smothered with gooey melty cheese and savory onions. The horseradish mayo added a splendid kick, and the bread was incredibly fresh. Some of the other reviews from our trip included:

The Harvest Grain Bowl at Madeira Bistro

A hearty grain bowl featuring MN wild rice, quinoa and maple-roasted sweet potatoes served warm over fresh arugula, shredded carrot and red cabbage. Topped with scallions, dried cranberries, pecans and slices of green apple. Served with our house made curry – spiced apple dressing.

“The curry sauce was incredible – I had to ask for extra because it was so delicious! All of the vegetables were very fresh and well balanced.”

Matt (a vegan) Son-in-law

Thai Peanut Bowl at Madeira Bistro

Warm jasmine rice, steamed broccoli, carrots and edamame served beside fresh shredded carrot, red cabbage and sliced bell peppers. Topped with cilantro, scallions, crushed peanuts, a lime wedge and a side of our Thai peanut sauce.

“This bowl was the perfect combination of ingredients and flavors. The Boylan root beer was a great addition to my meal!

Corey, Cousin

Pastrami Reuben

Freshly sliced pastrami, sauerkraut, swiss and 1000 island dressing served warm and melty on toasted pumpernickel.

“Hands down the best pastrami I have ever eaten!”

Jairo, Brother-in-Law

Hibiscus and Tea Lemonade at Madeira Bistro

“Wonderfully refreshing, just the right amount of sweetness!”

Briah, Daughter (also a vegan; shared the Harvest Grain Bowl with husband Matt)

Knife River Roast Beef Sandwich at Madeira Bistro

Warm roast beef, swiss and sauteed onions drizzled with horseradish mayo on a toasted baguette.

“Bread was so soft and the horseradish sauce gave the sandwich a tasty kick! The perfect sandwich!”

Laura, Sister

Where is Madeira Bistro Located?

Located in the lovely little town of Two Harbors, MN, Madeira Bistro is just across the street from Castle Danger Brewery and the The Tipsy Mosquito Wine And Spirit Room.

Madeira Bistro Address:

632 1st Ave, Two Harbors, MN 55616

Wrapping Up Our Visit to Madeira Bistro

If you’re looking for a quick bite to pick up for carry out on your travels along the North Shore, or you are looking for a deliciously balanced, locally sourced sustainable meal to enjoy in a playful wholesome atmosphere, add Madeira Bistro to the top of your list. My friend, you will not be disappointed!