Russ Kendalls Smokehouse Review – French River, Minnesota

Russ Kendalls Smokehouse Review

Writing about Russ Kendalls Smokehouse Review, I can’t pin down how long they have been in business, but I certainly remember stopping there with my dad 60+ years ago.  Long an institution on the north shore of Lake Superior, about 15 miles north of Duluth, Kendalls smokes and sells herring, walleye, lake trout, ciscoes, cheese and other goodies, as well as selling locally produced preserves, honey and craft beer.

I went for the ciscoes, because it’s what we always used to purchase, and just like back then, the fish come wrapped in newspaper and freezer paper.  What’s a ciscoe? Sometimes called small lake herring, they are actually a member of the Salmonidae family.

They are lightly smoked, it’s easy to pull out the entire spine intact, but watch for small bones the size of hairs. Not really a “fishy” taste, but the flesh feels a little oily, just an FYI.

Russ Kendalls Smokehouse ReviewBest eaten with your fingers, atop a cracker if you wish, Kendalls offers a number of different kinds, including Scandinavian flatbread, which would be ideal, but we didn’t need that kind of quantity, so we just got a sleeve of saltines.

Parked ourselves along the lake on an agate-strewn beach, and polished off the fish and crackers in no time.

Glad I got back there, glad they were open, they had a pretty severe fire a few years back but were able to rebuild after some time and difficulty.  Imagine they’ll be there still 65 years from now!  Far down below, you’ll find last year’s shipping menu, if you’re inclined to dine, but not to drive!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Russ Kendalls Smokehouse Review


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