The Cream — Restaurant in Duluth

This place recently opened and became popular over social media so I had a decently high expectation for their food and drinks. I went here twice. It's more of a self-serve style place, you would pick up your food when it's ready & grab the utensils/napkins right next to the check-out counter. There's also an area to place your trays when you're finished (sometimes they would come to clear your tables as well but not often).

My first impression about this place was that there was no one greetings the customers (happened both times I went here). I was confused whether I could just grab a table first and someone would assist because I didn't see their menus anywhere. So I decided to wait through the checkout line just to grab a menu and then grabbed a table afterwards (because I was waiting for my friend so we could order at the same time). We tried their Vongole Pasta with shrimp and chicken katsu, Strawberry Nutella Croffle, The Grinch (a matcha latte), Vanilla Iced Latte (in both oat & whole milk). [didn't picture the drinks because we got carried away with our conversations]. The first time they forgot to make one of our drinks, we finished our food and our pager still didn't beep so we asked and they admitted that the kitchen forgot. It can get crowded and you might have to wait for a table some days, given that there were no servers helping with tabling, you might not know how long the wait could be.

Food & Drinks: wait time was 10-20mins, except when they forgot to make our drinks. Vongole Pasta: garlic pasta with bits of clams. If you've had the garlic noodles from Cap't Loui (seafood place), I'd say that this vongole pasta tastes pretty much similar to that: lots of garlic flavor and very balanced in the butter/salt taste. I tried this twice and the flavor was consistent in both times. Strawberry Nutella Croffle: it was smaller than we thought but good in general, a little bit too sweet in my opinion but was probably because of the nutella. Vanilla Iced Latte: don't usually have my coffee with oatmilk but my friend liked it. I enjoyed the whole milk version more (stronger coffee taste). We would rate this 7/10. The Grinch: honestly, it looked good in the pictures, but it turned out to be very bland, no flavor of matcha at all. My friend & I agreed that we were drinking a watered-down milk and we were disappointed in this. Hopefully it only happened to us but not to other people.

This place would be a nice, upscale place for a friends meet-up but probably not so much as a study/food cafe due to the amount of noises. It reminds me of a mix between Poetree Pasta and TwoHas Coffee. There are other items on their menus that I haven't tried which I will come back, but hopefully the service/food quality next time...

Walking into this restaurant, my fiancé and I were greeted by a modern, contemporary space that boasted high ceilings and sleek, minimalistic lighting—an interior designed for an aesthetic appeal as much as it is for dining. We were eager to dive into a meal we’d seen all over social media, with high expectations set by the polished photos and curated posts.

Our first order was the aglio e olio pasta with chicken dressed in a Korean sweet sauce. It arrived beautifully plated, but unfortunately, the taste didn’t match the visual anticipation. The pasta itself was decent; the olive oil, garlic, and cheese flavors all made their presence known, but there was nothing exceptional about it. Then came the sauce: while it had potential, the addition of a “yum yum” drizzle masked the Korean flavors rather than enhancing them. Even the fried chicken, which should have provided a crispy contrast, lacked any satisfying crunch, leaving us wanting more texture and taste.

Our second choice, the chicken and crouffle, arrived as if ready for a photo op. Its presentation was on point and easily “Insta-worthy.” But, again, the excitement faded after the first bite. The chicken—similar to our first dish—lacked a crisp coating and any discernible seasoning. The crouffle and a side of hash browns did add some satisfaction to the plate, but without additional flavors or textures, it felt as though the dish fell short of its potential.

For drinks, we opted for the specialty “Pokerface,” a strawberry kiwi green tea blend, and a blueberry ade. Both were visually stunning and begged to be photographed, but the flavors were, sadly, underwhelming. The syrups didn’t deliver the punch we expected, offering nothing memorable to the palate.

In sum, while this restaurant shines in its modern ambiance and photogenic plates, it lacks depth where it matters most: in flavor. Priced at $50 for two meals and two drinks, it aligns with today’s standards, but for the same amount, you might find dishes elsewhere that leave a more lasting impression on your taste buds. If you’re after a great setting for socializing and capturing moments, it’s a pleasant choice, but flavor-seekers may want to...

Nice cafe with a beautiful ambience and classy feel. Good place to hang out, go for a date, or study and get some work done.

It is not too busy on weekdays, but does get busy on weekends and I have heard it can be difficult to find seating. You can usually find parking in the parking garage (located in the middle of the building, right next to 101 Bagel Cafe). On weekends it might be a little more difficult. Parking is free.

Very comfortable seating with ample outlets, which is nice if you want to get some work or studying done on a day when it isn't too busy.

The menu has so many options. From coffee to mocktails, specialty/dessert beverages, smoothies, floats, ramen, pasta, croffles, gelato, breakfast, snacks, sandwiches - and so much more.

I have tried their iced matcha latte, The Grinch (a specialty drink that is basically their iced matcha latte with cheese foam), bulgogi fries, aglio e olio pasta with shrimp.

Everything I tried was delicious. Loved their iced matcha latte. The Grinch is one of my favorites if I am feeling something more indulgent and sweet. Bulgogi fries were tasty as well. I loved their pasta. I am not sure if they gave me alfredo pasta by mistake because it is a little creamy and cheesy, but I still loved it. The portion is nice and filling, it might look a little small in pictures but there is a little more pasta underneath. The fried shrimp was mildly sweet, savory, and crunchy. My friend got the alfredo pasta with chicken katsu (the pasta looked a little similar to my aglio e olio pasta hence the confusion). She also loved her Eclat de passion bleu drink.

Workers are nice and will answer your questions. Highly...