JJ Astor Restaurant, Lounge, and View and Chef Ryan Zander Win Outstanding Review by MN Monthly

JJ Astor Restaurant, Lounge, and View (JJ Astor) in Duluth, Minnesota has received another thumbs up from foodies, this time from Minnesota Monthly. Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, Senior Editor, Food, recently visited and stated, “There’s no question in my mind that JJ Astor is the best restaurant in Duluth—and I’ve eaten in them all.” JJ Astor was also an Open Table Best Pick for October by foodie reservation site, Open Table.

According to Matt Barningham, restaurant manager, “we couldn’t have asked for a better review.” “Minnesota Monthly readers are loyal, and react to what they read. We invite everyone to come in and give us a try. We are nearing our six-month anniversary Chef Ryan Zander and his team are listening to our diners by providing excellent service, and unique menu items while enjoying a one-of-a-kind view of Duluth.”

JJ Astor serves breakfast at 6:30 am, Lunch from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Dinner from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm and has a lounge open until 11:00 pm. A variety of signature drinks are available in the Lounge including J’s Martini, Superior Sunset, and Cocotini, to name a few.

Dann Gets a Suit

Welcome Maribeth!

Bill Nelson, President of Nelson & Company Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations (NCO)—announced today that Maribeth Mark has been hired as New Business/Account Manager, and has joined the team at their office in Canal Park’s historic Endion Station.

Maribeth will be responsible for increasing brand awareness for Nelson & Company, building relationships with advertising agency search firms, developing a referral network, and account development and planning among other duties. According to Nelson, "Maribeth's caliber of expertise will have a tremendous impact on the agency's ability to continue to deliver on a promise of excellent service and results for existing and future clients in our area and beyond.”

Prior to joining Nelson and Company, Maribeth worked at American Express where she spent time in Trust Services, Client Service, National Relationship Management, and ultimately Marketing and Business Development. She spent the last six years of her corporate career with Wells Fargo in Minneapolis.

Nelson & Company, which celebrated five years in June 2010, blends sound marketing fundamentals with alternative methods to provide clients with creative, budget minded, and results-oriented work rooted in strategic thinking.

Here We Go to Bentleyville!

We saw an article one morning about the search for a Bentleyville jingle. We decided to give it the old NelsCo try and come up with something fun. Dann let his creativity run wild, and with only a few random ideas from the rest of us, he came up with this masterpiece.

We did not make the top 6, but here is the auto-tuned masterpiece:

http://www.nelson-company.com/herewego.mp3

Enjoy.

JJ Astor Restaurant to Host Breakfast with Captains

JJ Astor Restaurant, Lounge, and View is now open in Duluth in the former Top of the Harbor location and is the perfect location to visit with the Tall Ships Captains. The Captains of four ships will attend breakfast and visit with guests—answering questions and having photos taken. Reservations are being taken by calling (218) 722-VIEW (8439). For more information you can also check out www.visitduluth.com/tall-ships.

JJ Astor will serve breakfast starting at 6:30 am, and The Captains are expected to arrive between 7:30 – 8:00 am before departing to the Canal for tours on their respective ships beginning at 9:00 am. The featured Captains are:

· Captain Robin Walbridge of the HMS BOUNTY, Greenport, NY

· Captain Patrick Vermandel of the ROALD AMUNDSEN, Germany

· Captain Jamie Trost of the PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II, Baltimore, MD

· Captain Rob Vos of the EUROPA, The Netherlands

Authentic portraits, blueprints, and photography from Duluth’s shipping history adorn the teak panels located throughout the restaurant. While the most stunning feature is undoubtedly the BEST view of Lake Superior, the interiors also paint a captivating picture of their own. Appointed with vibrant pops of color and pattern, alongside an array of worldly treasures, guests are encouraged to both explore and relax.

JJ Astor Restaurant, Lounge, and View opened June 11, 2010 in the former Top of the Harbor Restaurant—Duluth’s 40-year old landmark restaurant with a 360-degree view. Full of old world character and spirited tradition with a fresh modern irreverence, JJ Astor is a lively place to share old stories, create new memories, and savor signature dishes made from sustainable local food. Located at 505 W. Superior Street, Top Floor, Duluth, Minnesota. For more information call 218-722-VIEW (8439). Visit us at www.JJAstorRestaurant.com or on Facebook at JJ Astor Restaurant. Hours: Breakfast 6:30-11:00 am; Lunch 11:00 am – 2:00 pm; Dinner 5:00 -11:00 pm.

Bowery Bros. Opens in Former 5th Avenue Lounge

Located across Superior Street from The Radisson—where the Duluth Public Library now stands—once stood the Bowery District in Downtown, which served both rail passengers and port travelers. Hotels, bars, restaurants, and ‘dens of vice’ welcomed visitors and locals alike. When it was time to blow off steam, indulge, imbibe, exchange stories, and share opinions, this is where you came. Oftentimes, brothers and family reunited in this area, as it was the city’s travel center of the time period.

Named after the infamous District—Bowery Bros. Cocktails and Pub Fare, will open in the former 5^th Avenue Lounge at 505 West Superior Street on Friday, June 11 at 4 pm. Diners to the pub will find signature menu items created by Executive Chef Ryan Zander like The Astor Burger (named after JJ Astor – the Fur Trader turned NY Real Estate Mogul and namesake of the top floor restaurant with a 360 degree view), an original and smoky Pulled Pork Sandwich, Walleye Sliders and much more pub fare.

Paul Leisner, hotel general manager, pointed out, “The outdoor patio is also being remodeled. Our goal is to serve a casual dinner to busy downtown office workers and make it as comfortable and convenient as possible.”

The décor is comfortable too, antique Minnesota sports portraits and artifacts fill the walls along with reclaimed lockers. “We want this to be a place that folks gather for a game and great pub food,” said Leisner. The menu is fresh and original and offers draft beer, wine, and original cocktails.

Hours are Monday – Friday 4 pm to Midnight, Saturday 11 am to midnight, and Sunday 11 am to 10 pm. For more information call 218-727-8981. Located at 505 W. Superior Street, street level Duluth, Minnesota.

New Name. New Look. New Chef. Same Breathtaking View. JJ Astor to open June 2010 in former Top of the Harbor space.

After 40 years of serving a variety of guests and hosting numerous family celebrations, the Top of the Harbor Restaurant closed quietly in March and the renovation of a new brand began. When the doors open to the public June 2010 – new memories will be made at JJ Astor Restaurant, Lounge and View. The only remaining component in Duluth’s newest signature dining experience will be the breathtaking view the location has become famous for.

JJ Astor Restaurant, Lounge, and View, has been named after John Jacob Astor (JJ Astor) – the late 19^th Century owner of The American Fur Company, a Fond du Lac, MN—based business. JJ Astor also had a Lake Superior trading ship, “The Astor” that was used to supply the early outposts around the Lake. In 1844 after unloading at Fort Wilkins, a storm blew the Astor up on the rocks where she remained enclosed in ice throughout the winter. The sunken ship was retired, but JJ Astor went on to use his fur monies for a number of business investments including real estate. He died the world’s richest man in 1848 at the age of 84.

JJ Astor will not only celebrate the legacy of JJ Astor, but of many Lake Superior and Great Lakes ships, industries, and legends. The inland-sea, nautical themed restaurant will display historical photographs, beautiful architecturally inspired furnishings, and degree markers as the restaurant makes it way around 360 degrees every 72 minutes. As part of a national investment in Radisson properties, owner Trinity Hotels of New York have invested in the restaurant and lobby, and have scheduled additional updates to the 5^th Avenue Bar/Lounge and the guest rooms.

General Manager Paul Leisner explains, “The Top of the Harbor was ready for a re-do. The food was tired, the décor was out of date, and a total face-lift was needed.” And that’s what the space is getting. San Francisco Restaurant Design Firm, The Puccini Group, was hired to design a new space within the same revolving restaurant – incorporating the area’s history and visionaries. A new Executive Chef, Ryan Zander, has been hired to inspire the menu utilizing sustainable produce from local farmers and fresh fish from local fishermen for signature menu offerings such as Fresh Catch of the Day. “The staff will also go through extensive training with our consultants and new chef to make sure that each guest has the best service, food, and experience available in our area,” said Leisner.

JJ Astor Restaurant Lounge, and View will open June 2010 in the former Top of the Harbor Restaurant—Duluth’s 40-year old landmark revolving restaurant with a 360-degree view. Full of old world character and spirited tradition with a fresh modern irreverence, JJ Astor will be a lively place to share old stories, create new memories, and savor signature dishes made from sustainable local food. Located at 505 W. Superior Street, Top Floor, Duluth, Minnesota. For more information call 218-727-8981.

OOPS! They Did it Again! BGRMods Debuts IntensaFIRE for PS3 Is it possible to out-do yourself?

Our client, Coy Christmas, President of BGRMods, LLC—home of the IntensaFIRE rapid-fire device for the Xbox 360 wireless controller—announced the debut date of the much-anticipated PlayStation 3 version of the popular IntensaFIRE gaming product.

According to Christmas, “We saw a need in the gaming market which inspired the creation of the IntensaFIRE for Xbox and we are excited to bring the same level of gaming to PS3 users. Console and accessory personalization is a large part of the gaming world. The problem was that gamers buy kits for their controllers only to find out they were too complex to assemble themselves. So we had our engineering team to create an engineering marvel, and get a product to the gamers that eliminates the technical curve. The PlayStation 3 version of the IntensaFIRE is even easier to install. It just clicks into place. No glue. No solder.” The product, which measures 9/16”x 9/16” has a suggested retail price of $69.95. Similar products sell for as much as $199.

The IntensaFIRE modifies PlayStation 3 dual shock 3 wireless controllers, allowing them to transform to a rapid-fire controller. Benefits include: Rapid-fire R1, R2, L1 and the “X” button, along with dual-rapid fire, 8-mode sleeper, works in all PS3 controllers, easy installation, 3-customizable user programmer-mode, does not require a more powerful battery, easy to program for all future games. “This one is so easy to install,” says Christmas. “If you can use a screwdriver, you’re over halfway there.”

Usable in all PlayStation games, including gamer favorites: Modern Warfare 2, Killzone 2, BattleField Bad Company 2, and all other current and future First Person Shooters or Fighter games, the IntensaFIRE promises to bring your play to a new level.

The product will be released exclusively at consolesource.com or BGRMODS.com beginning May 21 and will formally premier at the E3 Conference in Los Angeles, CA (BOOTH 2647) June 15-17. BGRMods will also be unveiling the NoScope—a self-illuminating screen-applied decal that increases shooter accuracy; the HubCap—a set of Disc hub reinforcement washers that prevent cracking and repair small cracks; and the BGRMods GAM3R$ TOW3L at E3. For locations and more information visit BGRMODS.com.

Duluth Artist, Tim Cortes, Commissioned to Create Murals for Target Field.

Our client, Tim Cortes, announced that he was commissioned to create three murals for the Minnesota Twins to commemorate the professional baseball team’s three World Series appearances. The 36-inch by 72-inch hand-drawn colored pencil murals will be on display in the Champion Club at Target Field. The unveiling was Opening Day, April 12, 2010.

The Twins selected Cortes in December of 2009 following a national search. The project took approximately three months for the Duluth native to complete. “I am proud to have been selected to produce the three illustrations commemorating the 1965, 1987, and 1991 World Series appearances,“ said Cortes. “As an athlete, coach, and sports fan, I felt very comfortable working on this project. Collaborating with the Minnesota Twins organization has been great and I appreciate the opportunity to create pieces that will be on display for Twins fans to enjoy for years to come.”

Known for impeccable detail and due to the scale of the illustrations, over 500 colored pencils were required to complete the three murals. They were created on mat board.

One of the nation’s premier photo-realism artists, Tim Cortes uses color pencil as his preferred medium. Hundreds of his limited edition lithographs have been sold all over the world, and his clients are a venerable who’s who of American sports. From Wayne Gretzky to Dale Earnhardt and from Shaquille O’Neal to Troy Aikman, Cortes has been commissioned to create countless commemorative works of art over the last decade.

The Cortes Studio is located in Duluth, Minnesota. Phone: 218-525-3383; Email: mitcortes@aol.com; Web: timcortesart.com

Nelson & Company Receives National Recognition for Logo Design

Bill Nelson, President of Nelson & Company Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations, announced yesterday that we won a Diamond Award for the Eco Plus logo that was designed for Members Cooperative Credit Union.

“We are proud to have received national recognition for creative excellence and strategic effectiveness by the CUNA in Washington DC. Additionally, we appreciate the opportunity to work with Robbin Ongaro, VP Marketing and Business Development and Members Cooperative Credit Union on this project,“ said Nelson.

The announcement was made at the 17^th Annual CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council Conference, for credit union marketing. The awards ceremony took place March 23 at the Hilton in Washington DC. The CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council was created to raise the level of professionalism among CU marketers, and the Conference and Diamond Awards are an annual opportunity to recognize the marketers.

Plaidinum

Our award-winning graphic designer, Dann Matthews, keeps himself busy by designing t-shirts in his spare time. It seems like just about every other week he's sold a new design. His latest piece is titled, Plaidinum. You can view his designs at danndesigns.com or check out his latest sale at teextile.com/plaidinum.

The view from here. 2/19/10

I am going to start what I can only hope will be an ongoing article for the Nelscolicious blog;

The view from here.

If anything interesting passes by my office window here at our new location on the beautiful Lakewalk of Duluth, I'll snap a picture and post it here to share.

The Big NelsCo Move

Bill Nelson, President of Nelson & Company Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations (NCO)—announced today that the company has relocated to Canal Park’s historic Endion Station building.  “We are thrilled the city selected Nelson & Company as the tenant of the Endion Depot.  We couldn’t be happier to move our growing agency to a building that’s such an important part of Duluth’s history.”   The Depot, built by the DM&IR in 1899, was located at 15^th Avenue East & South Street and was moved to Canal Park in 1985 due to the expansion of I-35. 

 

“While we loved our space in the Wirth Building, we outgrew it,” said Nelson.  The new space is an investment in both clients and staff, and offers NCO the opportunity to entertain clients and inspire creativity in a beautiful new location on the shores of Lake Superior.

 

Nelson & Company, which celebrates five years in June 2010, blends sound marketing fundamentals with alternative methods to provide clients with creative, budget minded, and results-oriented work rooted in strategic thinking. Offices are located in the historic Endion Station, 100 Lake Place Drive, Canal Park—Duluth, Minnesota. Office: 218-722-7575; Fax: 218-722-1705; Web: nelson-company.com.

2010 Updates

Although 2009 was slower than normal for just about every industry, the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 have been going strong for Nelson & Company.

A few of the bigger projects that we have been working on include: the IntensaFIRE, No Scope, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northland website, and the ever-growing Downtown Duluth Dining Directory, the pet project of Nelson & Company.

The IntensaFIRE and No Scope are two products created by BGR Mods, a national gaming modification company. The IntensaFIRE modifies XBOX 360 wireless controllers (CG and Matrix), allowing gamers to control 5-mode sleeper settings, including a customizable user programmable mode. It uses the existing Sync button to toggle modes on and off. Advanced users have the option of adding a button to a prefabricated area on the IntensaFIRE.

Usable in all XBOX 360 games, including gamer favorites: Left 4 Dead, the Call of Duty series, the Halo series, the Gears of War series, Street Fighter, and any other future first person shooter or fighter games. The IntensaFIRE promises to bring your play to a new level. The product is made and assembled in the USA, is lead-free and 100% recyclable, and retails for $29.99.

The No Scope is a removable and reusable cling/decal that is applied to your TV screen without leaving residue. It is used for first person shooter games. The No Scope replaces the scope of your gun and allows the gamer to increase headshots, hurl grenades with accuracy, and run freely without having to scope in. One package includes 5 clings and retails for $4.99.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Northland will be launching their new and improved website in the upcoming weeks. We have completely redesigned the site so it is user-friendly, interactive, and contains the most up-to-date information. Club members, parents, donors, and partners will greatly benefit from this project. Details about the launch will be announced via press release.

In May 2010, the second edition of the Downtown Duluth Dining Directory will be available. The Downtown Duluth Dining Directory was created in the Spring of 2009 as a result of us (Meagan, Dann, Cheryl, and Bill) trying to decide where to eat lunch. And so the DDDD, as we like to call it, came to be.

The DDDD includes all dining locations in the Downtown area. It is distributed to all Downtown offices, tourist attractions, and hotels. Each restaurant receives a free line listing with the option to purchase an ad. A portion of ad proceeds is donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank.

We have begun selling ads and are anxious about this year’s launch. Check back for more details.

Duluth Festival Opera takes a fascinating visual approach to Augusts concert performance of Puccini's La Boheme

Our client, Duluth Festival Opera, is planning an innovative approach to their upcoming concert production of Puccini’s perennial favorite, La bohème. In an effort to remain cutting-edge, artistic director Craig Fields sought an innovative approach to this concert presentation, which is a departure from the full productions of the past three years. It was important to Fields that this concert-style production contain a beautiful visual component, since it would be staged without the sets and costuming that are used in fully-staged productions.

Fields began exploring ways to introduce dramatic visual excitement and along came a fortuitous discussion with talented illustrator, Mike Reed. A fascinating idea emerged: to have Reed draw the performers, their gestures and his impressions of their work during the performance. Seated on stage, calling on his quick eye and imaginative hand, Reed’s impressions of the artists would be projected onto a large screen, providing a visual commentary for the audience during the performance.

Fields believes that the effect of the changing visual images will reinforce the dramatic momentum of the music and that the loose style and sparsely detailed nature of quick sketches will give the audience a chance to compare their own impressions with those of the artist. The work of the musicians, the singers and the visual artist will all be channeled into the same time and space as each responds to the powerful music of Puccini’s score. It may even be an exciting new way to solve an age-old problem by creating ‘musically-inspired’ visuals for opera presented in concert.

For tickets or information call 1-800-628-8385 or 218-727-4344 or go to www.ticketmaster.com

BGRMODS- Bringing Mods Mainstream with IntensaFIRE

Stick this in your controller and smoke ‘em!

Duluth, MN (08/10/09) – Coy Christmas, President of BragGame Rights, Minnesota’s only licensed console gaming host location, has revealed a new company – BGRMODS, LLC, which will offer gamers the latest in mods. The first product to come out of BGRMODS is IntensaFIRE.

According to Christmas, “We saw a need in the gaming market. Console and accessory modification is a large part of the gaming world. The problem was that gamers buy mod kits for their controllers only to find out they were too complex to assemble themselves. So we partnered with an engineering team to get a product to the gamers that eliminates the technical curve, and offers more than the standard mod kit does.” The product is made and assembled in the USA, is lead-free and 100% recyclable, and retails for $29.99.

The IntensaFIRE modifies XBOX 360 wireless controllers (CG and Matrix), allowing them to control 5-mode sleeper settings, including a customizable user programmable mode. It uses the existing Sync button to toggle modes on and off. Advanced users have the option of adding a button to a prefabricated area on the IntensaFIRE.

Usable in all XBOX 360 games, including gamer favorites: Left 4 Dead, the Call of Duty series, the Halo series, the Gears of War series, and Street Fighter, and any future First Person Shooters or Fighter games, the IntensaFIRE promises to bring your play to a new level.

“4-mode sleeper mod kits exist. Dual rapid-fire mod kits exist. The IntensaFIRE mod kit has both. There are pre-fab controllers on the market, that do some of what the IntensaFIRE offers, each controller going for well over $100. We offer a 5-mode kit that is extremely simple to install, taking no more than 3 minutes with minimal tools, for about a quarter of the cost. Other mod kits require drilling, wiring, and deconstruction of your controllers. The IntensaFIRE only needs a few existing points of glue to connect the IntensaFIRE flex board to the controller and you're ready to go! You also get blue and red LED’s to identify which mode you’re in, at no extra cost,” says Christmas.

The product will be available at local independent dealers beginning September 7, 2009, but will premier at Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), in Seattle, WA September 4-6. For locations and more information visit BGRMODS.com.

Volunteering in the Northland

With the recent interest in volunteering surrounding Extreme Make Over visiting the Twin Ports, it's worth mentioning some of the other year-round volunteer based organizations. Keep the love coming! One organization in particular, Western Lake Superior Habitat for Humanity, could use your help. Recently, our own account manager, Meagan Campbell, volunteered with faculty, current students, fellow alumni, and friends of UW-Superior.

The group spent a Saturday helping with a variety of projects at a current Habitat for Humanity site in Cloquet, Minnesota. Daryl Yankee, Director of the Western Lake Superior Habitat for Humanity, worked with the UWS group and taught them a thing or two about building homes. He is a firm believer in Habitat’s mission and demonstrated his commitment by digging the trenches alongside the volunteers. Check out the website to find ways to be involved.

https://www.habitat.org/cd/frame/frameset.aspx?url=www.habitatduluth.org

Cheryl & Audrey on Fox21

Senior Account Manager, Cheryl Zupec, and her daughter Audrey were featured in a segment on Fox 21 news at 9. The story focused on Chery'ls kid-centric yoga class that spawned from her days doing yoga with her infant children at her side.

Audrey does a fantastic job showing how she helps her mom's class out in the segment, and almost steals the show from Cheryl.

The clip and corresponding article can be found here:

Welcome Ted Koszuta

Blogs, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, Wikipedia, Linkedin, newsvine, and hundreds more, as the list of social networking sites continues to grow at amazing speeds. Not only are consumers curious about which one to ‘join’, but business owners are seemingly overwhelmed as well.

Nelson & Company, a locally owned advertising agency, has hired a Social Media Manager, Ted Koszuta to provide clients with experienced advice, rounding out their marketing plans.

After earning his BFA in technical communication at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Ted went on to pursue Information Architecture and Knowledge Management at the certificate level. His expertise is lengthy and includes having worked for clients such as T-Mobile, Google, Jim Beam, Wrigley, Bayer, and Orbit.

Prescribing to the theory that all media is inherently social, Ted delivers big thinking and smart execution to all current and future clients. Ted has spoken at various conferences and seminars including: What teens want: Marketing to teens.
Creative Case Study: T-Mobile & Publicis in the West Present "Tony's World".

Join us on Twitter!

Technologically Impaired Design.

There are countless reasons to be upset about the constantly evolving technology. Your hardware is outclassed and unsupported mere moments after your 90 day warranty is up. You need a broadband connection to update your daiquiri blender before you can use it. Or how the latest technology is so tiny you've lost it in your couch with countless Skittles and pet hamsters before you can sync it to include the latest Hannah Montana album you secretly adore.

I'm personally glad we've just stepped out of an era of technologically impaired design. Blu-Ray cover art. It has happened before, DVD cover art fell victim to technologic impairment as well. And I was too young, but I'm sure the VHS v. Beta Battle fell victim as well.

What am I going on about? Look at any Blu-Ray case from the previous 2 years. You may notice that the front is littered with swooping banners and invasive stickers selling the technology more than the star of the movie is selling the flick (the star is the person peeking out from behind the "1080p Brilliant image!" sticker). Turn to the back and there is, literally, a 2 sentence synopsis of the movie.



I'm not one to purchase a movie without having seen, and enjoyed it first. But if I were one of the millions of consumers who keep egging Ashton Kutcher on to "hone his craft" by buying his movies, sight unseen, off the WalMart racks; I really doubt 2 lines help anyone decide to spend the $30 they ask for Blu-Ray movie.

One company that does it right (full disclosure, I'm typing this up on my iMac) is Apple. Even though they crank out innovative technology besting themselves year after year (and causing a number of the problems I mentioned in the first paragraph) they never fall victim to Technological Impairment. Their packaging is always very minimalist, and they sell like hotcakes (provided hotcakes start making 100 Apps. a day for free download)

I'm just glad I didn't have to design any of these covers. With everything but the kitchen sink being included (and NONE of it has anything to do about the movie or it's plot) I would have lost my mind. Instead I sit, mind intact, noticing every bit of stubble on Seth Rogen's mug. Thank you technology.