Stuff we like: Satisfy all your cravings at Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist Arts Café, with its exposed brick, windowed storefront and mod quarter-twist of a staircase is, without a doubt, the sexiest restaurant in Duluth.

Rounded mirror light fixtures dangle over the bar, with stools covered in an almost acid-washed looking red fabric. The second level is cozy, and it is lit in such a way that every corner begs for a couch.

Not to mention it is always fun when a Duluth native comes home, you go to dinner at Zeitgeist Arts Café, and at some point over the smoked gouda stuffed dates appetizer, you set down your fork and say:

“So … remember when this place was the Red Lion?”

(Zeitgeist does. They pay homage to the former bar by giving a vegan burger its name).

My pick is the prosciutto and fig sandwich, which is the answer to all of my internal “Hm … salty or sweet?” menu debates. It is the best of both. The sandwich, served on soft focaccia bread, has a hearty hunk of prosciutto topped with Gruyere, both bringing out the salty. It is slathered in a generous amount of caramelized onions. This is bound with a fig jam that seeps into the bread and adds sticky sweetness. This is a mix of tastes that builds a pretty serious crave that could hit whenever.

Appetizers and desserts also deserve more than an afterthought. They stand alone as interesting and a worthy snack.

Last week I had what appeared to be a plate filled with whipped cream, but included bits of banana and graham cracker crust just half a spoon deep into the fluff: Zeitgeist’s take on the banana cream pie. Awesome. The people a table away enjoying cookies and milk looked pretty happy, too.

Eat there

Where: Zeitgeist Arts Cafe

What: Proscuitto and fig sandwich, a sweet and salty sandwich served on focaccia bread, $10.

Also recommended: the dessert menu.

Where: Zeitgeist Arts Café, 222 E. Superior St.

Online: www.zeitgeistartscafe.com

Tags: stuff we like, arts and entertainment, life, food, restaurants, reviews, duluth, entertainment