The South Shore of Lake Superior is shockingly underrated. Its scenic beauty rivals that of the more popular North Shore. Visitors to the South Shore can expect a more laidback experience, sandy beaches and an array of unique eateries running the gamut from traditional Wisconsin tavern to farm-to-table bistro.

In the interest of giving kudos to the eateries of our underappreciated neighboring region, Perfect Duluth Day is running the Perfect South Shore-area Restaurant poll.

The first step is to establish a list of nominees. What qualifies as a South Shore-area restaurant? For the purposes of this poll, we’re focused not just on restaurants within Frisbee-tossing distance of the lake, but anything in the six-county area of Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, Burnett, Washburn and Sawyer.

Our additional gerrymandering rule: The establishment must be at least 16 miles away from the Aerial Lift Bridge — a rule we impose to eliminate Superior and South Range eateries for this particular poll because they are eligible for PDD’s more general array of awards.

The focus here is on places that are at least a minor road trip from Duluth but still roughly within 100 miles. Examples of towns where eligible restaurants are located: Ashland, Hayward, Minong, Iron River, Solon Springs, Washburn, Cornucopia, Cable, Herbster, Port Wing, Bayfield and LaPointe (Madeline Island). Any food-serving establishment in that vicinity is eligible.

What’s the perfect South Shore-area restaurant? Leave a comment below to nominate your favorite. We’ll round up the nominees and launch a poll next week.