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Ice Cream Cheersing
Maybe it feels like the blood bath version with all the news of restaurant closings, but remember that there are still lots of locals churning out tasty plates! We've hit peak summer, and that means celebrating with fresh burgers and ice cream, hitting up a pasta pop-up across the river, maybe sneaking into a weeknight record bar party to sip some Japanese whiskey then taking the rest of the week off.
NEWS
\\ RIP Tobie Nidetz. Over a 50+ year career, the chef and restaurateur helped shaped our dining scene.
\\ Congrats to both Red Rabbit and Spoon and Stable which were named as two of the Top 50 independently owned restaurants in America by FSR Magazine.
\\ And congrats Wisconsin! You are the location for the next season of Top Chef! Let's get that cheese shined up for your close up! If they don't have Charlie Berens on the show in some form, I'm not watching. Also Kwik Trip. Props to former winner Kristin Kish who is taking over Padma Lakshmi's role as host—you know she'll be in town at the end of the month for the Synergy Series, but it's waitlist city now.
\\ Red Wagon Pizza announced that they've hired Alex Dayton of Aliment Pasta Co. as Executive Chef. Dayton continues to work on his pasta company, but will add to the menu at RWP, expanding lunch, adding a private dining menu, more desserts, and obviously: pasta.
OPENS
+ Cult-favorite burger truck Station No. 6 has found a new home. Now open W-Sa in the Rosetown American Legion in Roseville, the burger smashers have taken over the kitchen to sling meat and chicken. The legion menu has all the messy favorites, plus a full bar, a huge patio, and pull tabs.
+ Toma Mojo Grill is now open with a second location in Richfield. They are hosting a big ol' Grand Opening party all weekend long with 50% off everything! Chicken, bowls, sandwiches, snacks, beer, sangria, allllll of it!
+ Luna & The Bear, which took over the former Eat Street Social space, is opening tonight. Beside the fact that they've lightened up the space and given it a zshoosh, I have to applaud the idea of gin and jam. The menu also has a roasted pear burger, plus an Italian beef, grilled steak sandwich, pesto linguine, all sorts of things with no descriptions currently so we're just going in like: whut.
+ Union Hmong Kitchen is now open as the final and perfected installment of the Hilltribe Kitchen space in Uptown. They are keeping their location at Graze in North Loop, but expect an expanded menu on Lake Street to include new specials, shareable platters, and desserts. Open W-Sa from 11am-8pm, and Su from 11am-3pm.
+ Collectively owned Seward Cafe is opening for brunch for the first time in three years this weekend! They are offering a limited version of the old menu with complementary drinks for $15 a plate.
CLOSES
— Foxy Falafel has announced that after 13 years, they will end service as of July 22. Erica Strait is one of the OG farmers-market-to-food truck-to-restaurant kids, and she brought a new zip to falafel and gluten-free cheese curds that we didn't know we needed. RIP Foxy.
— Ngon Bistro is also hanging it up after 16 years of French-Vietnamese-Minnesotan food. Hai Truong's dedication to local ingredients with his heritage cooking was something we found amazing and maybe now take for granted. And man, I love that bar. Raise a glass until July 22.
— Bark and the Bite will officially not be returning. The barbecue shop in Merriam Park has been "closed temporarily" for a long while. But I'd heard one of their key business partners had passed away recently, and then founding chef Noah Miller sent me a note to say he was moving to Paris to help a friend's restaurant.
— Wineside Wine Bar near Ridgedale has announced that it is closing temporarily to re-concept. The wine bar and eatery from the Top Ten Liquor guys parted ways with opening chef JD Fratzke some time ago, and are now re-focusing on becoming a cheese and charcuterie market with take out or dine-in options.
COMING SOON
>> Killer news that Daniel del Prado's re-do of The Bachelor Farmer space is getting super close to open! Porzana and the Flora Room will launch mid-August. You can expect Porzana to be a modern-Argentinian wood fired steakhouse with both prime and wagyu beef, ranging from an accessibly priced hangar steak to a more eye-popping 3-pound wagyu tomahawk to share. But they're also promising a large vegetarian menu as well as pastas and small plates. Flora will take over the Marvel space, and will be a no-reservations drinks bar without food. There are some big hitters on this team, including wine pal Bill Summerville, former somm of TBF Paul Hennessy as GM, plus bar director Megan Luedtke has brought on Marvel alum Keith Mrotek as bar manager. Dinner only for both spots, open at 5pm, rezzies for Porzana should open soon.
>> The former Wilder Scratch Kitchen in Bayport won't be vacant long, the team behind Hudson's popular Olio pop-up will be taking over the space to formally launch their restaurant.
>> ALL THE NEW FOODS AT THE STATE FAIR ARE COMING SOON! You gotta hold for the specialty bevs.
AGENDA
// Oh, you want to support local restaurants??? Summer Restaurant Week is still kicking throughout the weekend!
// It's the Hopkins Raspberry Festival all weekend long. Find a small town fest with bingo, street fairs, ice cream social, hot cars, parades and more. You'd think there'd be more raspberries, but.
// Get Frenchy with all the fun around town. Start with Bastille Day at Alliance Francaise today for Citroen cars, puppet shows, food and drink and THE Marie Antoinette. Find a Frenchy pastry at Marc Heu, along with a newly opened patio! Get 14% off French cheese and grocery items this weekend at France 44 Cheese shop. And then dance your derriere off at the Bastille Party at Barbette. There will be cake.
// The inaugural Taste of Rondo Block Party kicks off this Saturday. Food from the Taste of Rondo restaurant will be hot and ready (looking for Slim's wings tbh), but also look for other community food vendors, local makers, tons of music, drum and drill team performances, and all the good times.
// Time to test your fire. Get out to Hot Sauce Fest at Lift Bridge brewing in Stillwater on Saturday. There will be tons of local hot sauce companies daring you to cross their lines, a special release of Barrel Aged HOT Silhouette Imperial Stout to do some quenching, a little music, a little La Cochinita food truck.
// The Mid-Summer Food Truck Extravaganza at Harriet Island happens on Saturday, and there are more than 30 trucks for the snacking. Then, North Loop Food Truck Fair is on Sunday and that's usually a big and chaotic fun way to spend an afternoon.
// Sunday is National Ice Cream Day which is shockingly on one day and not 365 days to some people? Anyhoo. Hit up your fave shop, or visit the genius collaborative efforts of Bebe Zito and Sweet Science who have teamed up to make a super ice cream: Neapolitan Sandwich! BZ's Strawberry Fields 4ever and dark chocolate ice creams are mixed with tiny gluten-free ice cream sandwiches from SS. A portion of the proceeds from this special flavor benefits Appetite for Change.
// Milk Carton Boat Races are back! Sunday, Thomas Beach, oat milk cartons allowed. This event originated in 1971 and was a publicity stunt by Campbell Mithun for the Milk Foundation. Some 50 years later we'd call it an activation.
// On Monday, head up to Gori Gori Peku for "Call it Anything." The whiskey bar at Kado no Mise hosts a night inspired by the record bars of Japan with jazz, records, cool sips, and loose vibes and great snacks. Doors at 5pm, DJs and music starts around 7pm.
