Go Out, Cheaply!

The best entertainment bangs for your buck

Andy Bennett

The days are getting longer, the weather’s getting warmer, and you’re feeling the itch to get out and have some fun. But, if you’re like me, you can’t turn on the nightly news or read a stock report without the urge to hug your wallet to your chest and shout “MINE!” at anyone who gets too close.

Not to worry: Duluth~Superior has lots of options for the budget-minded fun-seeker.  Here are a few of my personal favorites:

Great Meal, Great Price
Visit Restaurant 301 in the lobby of the new Sheraton Hotel on Superior Street on Sundays for chef Bob Bennett’s $15 prix fixe menu. “Prix fixe” is French for “fixed price” and means a pre-set menu at a pre-set price. At 301 you get three stellar courses of fine dining cuisine. The menu changes every week, and with that low of a price, you can afford to visit again and again.
www.restaurant301.com

Bottle of Red, Bottle of White
Hit up Burrito Union or the Brewhouse on Tuesdays and imbibe on their half-price bottles of wine. Pair the vino with a two-fisted burrito or the Brewhouse’s classic fish-n-chips for a meal to remember. No worries if you don’t finish the bottle. You can cork it and take the rest home.
www.burritounion.com, www.brewhouse.net

Cheap Treats
There must be something about Tuesdays that makes area businesses offer up the deals. Head to the Duluth 10 to catch a flick and stop by the concession stand. On Tuesdays they offer $2 pop and popcorn. They’re not the mammoth, jumbo-sized versions, but you still get plenty.  And then you don’t have to worry about using the bathroom midway through the movie. Catch a matinee for extra savings – ticket prices for any show before 6 p.m. are $5.50 for kids and seniors, $6 for adults.
www.marcustheatres.com

Teeny, Tiny Ticket Price
The itty bitty cine is a new venture to our fair city, and its reputation has been growing steadily. Every two weeks, the folks behind this love note to film screen an undiscovered, unheralded or forgotten cinematic gem at the Teatro Zuccone. This is the kind of art house cinema you’d normally need to travel hundreds of miles to see. Now, all you need to do is head down to Superior Street and fork over a measly $5.
www.teatrozuccone.com

Five Buck Funny
Also offering their wares for the low, low price of $5 are the talented gang at the Renegade Comedy Theatre. In their new satellite space above Hell’s Kitchen in Canal Park known as the PeasantWorks Porch, they offer live improv, stand-up and sketch comedy every Friday night that there isn’t a regular Renegade Production playing at the Teatro Zuccone. The show starts at 8 p.m. and the performance changes every week. Maybe you’ll catch a rising stand-up comic, maybe some of the good ol’ Comedy Olympics. Heck, you might even catch a sneak preview of some new sketches from local group Dink Tank. Before or after the show, browse the aisles of PeasantWorks, a local answer to Pier One. Buy something if you find something, but window shopping is free.
www.renegadecomedytheatre.com