Great Outdoors: Smelt Fry

Smelt Are Running and Northlanders are Getting Their Seasonal Fix

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s that time of year. Smelt are running through the waters of the Northland. In this week’s Great Outdoors, we explore the smelting tradition and how much people love to eat these small, silver fish.

“I love smelt and haven’t had any for a long time.”

The smelt are running and Northlanders are casting their nets to catch the fish by the thousands.

“Just like lutefisk is a cultural tradition around here, smelt is the same thing,” says Tara Crosby, a server and bartender at Mr. D’s Bar and Grill in West Duluth. “It’s nostalgic for a lot of people I think.”

We’d get the big bonfire going and the guys would get their net and they would get out into the lake and pull those nets in full of smelt and the next day was spent cleaning and getting them ready for the freezer,” says Nancy Bellinger, who enjoyed the smelt fry at Mr. D’s.

Smelt lovers are flocking to restaurants, like Mr. D’s in West Duluth, to treat themselves to a smelt fry.

“We’ve been getting calls for weeks,” says Crosby. “People have been coming and asking if we had it and when are we going to get it and how long are we going to have it for.”

The seasonal treat is always a big hit.

“People come in, they come in droves,” says Jonathan Williams, a cook at Mr. D’s. “You’ll see just like ticket after ticket. It’s just like smelt, smelt, smelt, smelt, smelt, and it’s just wonderful.”

It’s something customers can’t resist, and many Northlanders love the flavor.

“Came in for one of the other specials, saw that the smelt was available and decided to give that a try,” says Bellinger. “It’s just a real mild fish flavor. It’s not real strong.”

“I’m not a smelt fan but I know that there’s a lot of smelt fans out there and they really do, they love this fish,” says Williams.

Because the smelt only run for a short time, people have to get their fix before the restaurants run out.

“People come here year after year after year for it,” says Crosby. “They always know it’s going to taste the same. We’re going to use the same breading and it’s consistent when they come here.”

The staff at Mr. D’s says they have made more than 100 smelt orders so far this year and they think smelt will be on the menu for about another week.