A taste of Duluth hospitality at the Lyric — the gold standard for downtown dining

By HOWIE HANSON

DULUTH — Todd Fedora was just making his way back to the office Tuesday afternoon when he found himself in the kind of scene that reminds you why Duluth’s brand of hospitality is something special.

Fedora, a longtime community leader and banker whose workplace is tucked neatly inside the Holiday Center, had parked his car in the Transportation Center ramp, cutting across Michigan Street like he’s done countless times. But what he spotted on the sidewalk gave him pause.

“There was a trio standing there in front of the DTC, staring at their phones,” Fedora said. “Clearly tourists — you can spot that look a mile away. They needed some help.”

So Fedora did what any true Duluthian would. He walked right up and asked.

It turned out to be a family from Germany: mom, dad and a lanky teenage son, spending a perfect summer day on a quick getaway up from Minneapolis. The father was the only one who spoke any English — and even then, it was halting. But he managed to get across the most urgent request in any language: “restaurant.”

Fedora grinned. He knew exactly where to take them.

The Lyric: where locals, travelers and stories meet

“I simply asked them to follow me up 3rd Avenue West to Superior Street,” Fedora said. “As we walked, I asked what kind of food they wanted. Dad says, ‘hamburgers.’ I told him, I’ve got the perfect place — the Lyric.”

If there’s one place that’s earned the reputation as downtown Duluth’s gold standard for casual dining, it’s the Lyric Kitchen and Bar. Perched right at street level in the Holiday Center, the Lyric is that rare combination of consistently excellent food, easygoing atmosphere, attentive service and a location that makes it the obvious choice — whether you’re a family in from Bavaria or a local banker needing a quick bite between meetings.

Fedora guided the visitors through the bustling front doors and straight to the hostess stand. “I mentioned they were visiting from Germany, looking for some great food,” he said. “The hostess cracked a quick smile and said she’d absolutely take care of them. It was such a Duluth moment.”

He shook hands with the family, thanked them for coming to his city, and watched them get seated. “It felt good. That’s just who we are here.”

A centerpiece in the Holiday Center’s heart

The Lyric isn’t merely a restaurant inside the Holiday Center. In many ways, it is the public living room of this landmark downtown complex. Since the 1980s, the Holiday Center has served as a key hub connecting everything from hotels to banks, professional offices to boutiques, and of course the sprawling skywalk system that’s been a lifeline for patients and families making their way to Essentia Health and St. Luke’s.

The Lyric ties it all together. It’s where hospital visitors come to decompress with a bowl of chowder after tense hours in waiting rooms. Where business travelers — or college teams in town for a tournament — gather around big tables for burgers and pints. Where Duluthians who’ve been walking the skywalk for decades keep returning, knowing the staff will recognize them and remember what they like.

Walk through at lunchtime and you’ll spot a vivid cross-section of the city: suits and scrubs grabbing wraps on break, old friends lingering over Bloody Marys, and out-of-town families with maps spread on the table, plotting their next stop along the Lakewalk.

What’s on the menu? More than just food.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the Lyric’s actual menu stacks up with the best. Fedora told his German visitors to try the burgers, but the kitchen goes far beyond — with an ever-changing slate of fresh salads, crisp fish tacos that taste like summer on Park Point, and hearty entrees like pot roast, creamy pastas and walleye that might’ve been pulled from the big lake that morning.

Brunch crowds descend on weekends for overstuffed burritos and cinnamon swirl French toast that’s every bit as decadent as it sounds. Meanwhile, the bar stays busy pouring local brews, playful cocktails and solid pours of whiskey that keep conversations loose and spirits high.

But ask regulars why they come back, and you’ll rarely hear them mention just the plates. It’s the energy, the hum of conversations bouncing off tall windows that let Superior Street pour inside, the genuine greetings at the door. It’s a place that feels less like a business and more like a community kitchen — where visitors can, for an hour or two, feel like they’re honorary locals.

Still the gold standard — one handshake at a time

That’s why Fedora’s little Tuesday encounter sticks. A family landed here, halfway around the world from home, and their impression of Duluth will forever include the easy friendliness of a stranger who took the time to walk them up the block and make sure they landed in the right booth. And the Lyric, true to form, did the rest.

“Just to see the hostess light up, to know they were in good hands — that’s what makes me so proud of this city,” Fedora said. “That family will go home talking about more than just the view of the lake. They’ll remember how people treated them here.”

In a downtown that’s constantly evolving, where we still crave more retail, more foot traffic, more spark, the Lyric stands as proof of what’s possible. It’s the model: a place woven into the daily fabric of Duluth, serving locals and strangers alike with the kind of grace that leaves a lasting taste.

If you’re looking for the benchmark of what downtown dining should be, it’s right there under the Holiday Center’s roof — where burgers, fish tacos and friendly handshakes come standard. That’s Duluth. That’s the Lyric.