Written by Brad Iwen
The Fisherman’s Daughter. The name caught my attention while doing research for stories about smoked fish on the North Shore of Lake Superior. I had travelled this region back in April researching ideas for a new short film and the name intrigued me to dig a little deeper. What did I find? For one, amazing fish and chips. They take locally-caught Herring, Whitefish, Lake Trout, and Menominee, give it a light coating of love, and then fry it to perfection. Served with a side of slaw and some delicious fries, it’s best enjoyed on their back deck overlooking the Big Lake. I suppose you could also get it to go, but I doubt you would make it to your destination with a full order. It’s that good. Their menu is perfectly simple and changes frequently based on what’s being caught that week. And second, this is a fantastic story of two female entrepreneurs that have taken eclectic life experience and passion and turned it into a wonderful story about food, hard work, and living in Grand Marias, which is sometimes referred to as the “coolest small town in America”. Simply put, they serve fresh, amazing food made with local ingredients and they love doing it.
Grand Marais, on the shores of Lake Superior, is a beautiful little town that is super fun to explore. The deck at The Fisherman’s Daughter looks out towards the lake.
Menominee Fish and Chips basket at The Fisherman’s Daughter in Grand Marias, Minnesota. The fish used for this dish is caught in Lake Superior by local fishermen.
Kate, one of the two co-founders, has a storied culinary background and said that this place is a perfect culmination of all of her past restaurant experiences. The key is the product and the freshness of the product. ‘We source it all out of the lake and we do very little to because it tastes so good. It tastes like fresh, sweet water, so we’re just putting a light breading on it, fry it, and serve it like traditional fish and chips.” On the day we were there, they also had a Menominee chowder, fish burger, a smoked Salmon salad, and some delicious looking bagel sandwiches as well.
The view from the deck at The Fisherman’s Daughter.
Fishing vessels in the Grand Marais Harbor.
They also operate as a market and have a fantastic variety of smoked fish that comes from across the lake from Everett’s Fisheries located in Port Wing, Wisconsin. Get there early to get your hands on some candied Salmon. This was probably my favorite: Alaskan-caught Salmon rubbed with brown sugar and smoked to perfection. We made a trip over to Everett’s to meet the team behind this amazing product.
We arrived in the small hamlet of Port Wing just after sunrise and were met by an older gent in a red minivan. This turned out to be Eric Johnson, the patriarch of the Johnson clan. Eric took over the business from his farther and ran this smoke house for many decades before handing it over to his two sons. Currently, one of his sons catches the fish and the other son smokes the fish. The history of the Johnsons fishing the Great Lakes goes way back to 1889, when Alick Johnson arrived in the region from Sweden. Ponder that for a minute. For over 130 years, the honored tradition of fishing for a living has been handed down time and time again- and that’s just in this country- I imagine their history of fishing goes back a lot further. Alick’s son Everett began the tradition of smoking Lake Superior fish in Port Wing in the early 1950’s and that business is now being taught to a 4th generation.
The smoke house at Everett’s Fisheries.
Eric Johnson standing in front of the smoke house in Port Wing, Wisconsin. Eric’s father started the smoking business in the early 1950’s and now his sons run it.
Mountain of wood ready for the smoker at Everett’s Fisheries, a smoke house in Port Wing, Wisconsin.
As you can imagine, this is a smoke house that does everything the right way. And every week, Eric or Jeff make the 6 hour round trip journey to hand deliver this precious cargo to Abby and Kate at The Fisherman’s Daughter. This is what it’s all about for me as a food documentarian. I love finding and exploring these types of connections. Speaking of 4th generational family businesses, Kate’s partner in crime, Abby, comes from a long line of commercial fishermen. Like way back to Scandinavia. Her great grandfather and his twin brother came over to America in the 1800s and founded the town of Tofte, Minnesota. Tofte, also happens to be her last name. I told you this was a fantastic story.
Lake Superior fish hanging in the smoker at Everett’s Fisheries in Port Wing, Wisconsin.
“We source it all out of the lake and we do very little to because it tastes so good. It tastes like fresh sweet water, so we’re just putting a light breading on it, fry it, and serve it like traditional fish and chips.”
Back to Grand Marais…Abby and Kate also have wide range of local cheeses, charcuterie, sauces, jams, and just about every type of tasty beverage you could want. I was really really impressed with the assortment of products in their market. It was all so beautifully arranged and expertly curated. Their gift shop is exactly the same. Such a great selection of locally-sourced products that will get you thinking pretty quickly about how much space you have in your luggage or trunk for extra goods. All of this adds up to The Fisherman’s Daughter being a definite stop on your trip to the North Shore. Plan accordingly as you are gonna want to spend some time at this spot.
Abby and Kate, co-founders of The Fisherman’s Daughter in Grand Marais, Minnesota.
While you’re in Grand Marais, Minnesota, be sure to check out these other spots:
• Kate and her husband own a very unique hostel and campground called the Hungry Hippy Hostel AND, wait for it, a delicious taco joint that serves up Northern tacos.
• Abby also owns an art gallery in town (just a few short blocks from The Fisherman’s Daughter) that also sells unique local wares and clothing. Definitely worth the walk!