For years, the historic Knox house sat vacant on Duluth’s Town Green. Come December, the 127-year-old building will reopen. Instead of the private home of the city’s first mayor, John Knox, it will be a restaurant named in his honor. During the day, it’ll serve as a deli, selling both premade and made-to-order sandwiches, plus ice cream and wine. In the evenings, it’ll focus on table service with small plates and a full bar.
“We’re trying to be a one-stop shop,” Smith says. “You just want to go to one place to snag everything you need for a picnic on the green.”
The Knox sits within Duluth’s open-container district, making it possible for that to include drinks from the bar. There will be 18 taps, featuring a house red and house white wine, alongside a mix of beers, from Creature Comforts’ Tropicalia and Terrapin’s Hopsecutioner to Michelob Ultra. Bottled beer and a full bar are also planned. The cocktail list boasts 12 to 16 drinks, mostly classics, with about a quarter of the selections changing seasonally…