My friend Jenna Burgmaier is many things: a talented photographer, a charming host, an at-home skincare expert.
She also loves Italian Eatery more than any other person I know, and that's saying something.
When Eric and Vanessa Carrara announced last April that their Northrop neighborhood Minneapolis restaurant, open since 2016, was going to close its doors, people freaked out. Here at Racket, we got multiple messages from folks who wanted us to get to the bottom of it—why was this successful, beloved, and always bustling neighborhood restaurant closing? What could possibly take its place?
Jenna was the first person to text me, relieved, when reports started swirling that the team behind Travail in Robbinsdale was going to resurrect the restaurant last year. And when the soft opening invite landed in my inbox in late January, there was only one person to bring.
We sat down for dinner at the "new" ie by Travail last week (in the very booth where Jenna shed a few tears into her final plate of pasta here, coincidentally) and breathed a sigh of relief that while some things are different—there's a whole menu of Negronis now, for example—lots of things are still the same. Afterward, we sat down to chat about her thoughts, her feelings, and the food at the reborn restaurant.
Racket: So Jenna, it’s no exaggeration to say you’re the biggest Italian Eatery fan I know. Can you talk a little about your relationship with this restaurant?
Jenna: Sure thing! My husband and I have lived in the neighborhood since ie opened. We’ve spent lots of special occasions and random date nights there with each other and friends, and it became our favorite standby restaurant pretty quickly. Just a perfect addition to the ‘hood, and like many others we were extremely bummed when it closed.
Yeah I definitely saw a big, bigger than normal, outpouring of sadness and sharing of memories when they announced their closure last year. For folks who maybe haven’t been, or don’t know it as well, what made Italian Eatery such a meaningful place for so many people?
It really feels like there’s nothing like it on our side of south Minneapolis. The food is consistently comforting and delicious—a mix of reliable standby favs and new seasonal dishes—but I’d say equal to that is the environment and energy of the space. You can always expect amazing service from familiar faces, plus a generally warm and cozy atmosphere. It just feels great to be there!
Yeah, I’ve had fewer meals there than you, but I would say that lines up with my experience. There are some great bars and good burgers in the neighborhood, but in terms of something that feels a little more special occasion-y… Italian Eatery is kind of in its own class.
Definitely. Not quite so fancy that you can’t just swing in for a beverage and comforting meal at the bar, but also great for bigger celebrations and milestones.
I know you visited a few times in the lead-up to its closure last summer. Did you ever imagine it would come back to life? Or, what was your feeling when you were saying your goodbyes?
We definitely experienced and saw lots of tears when we visited during their closing month. I think many folks in the neighborhood hoped it would become another beloved restaurant/community staple, but it felt like a long shot for it to come back in essentially the same form.
You were also the first person I knew who got wind of its potential return—like, I feel like Travail had been to exactly one neighborhood meeting and you were instantly texting me about it, so it's safe to say you were keeping an eye out for what was going into that building.
Yes, lots of us were! One day my phone blew up with multiple neighborhood pals who had the inside scoop right away—shoutout Stacy and Abby. There was also excited chatter in the Standish-Ericsson neighborhood Facebook group.
It’s always such a relief to like, a.) learn that a place you loved isn’t getting turned into ugly condos, and b.) in this case, that it's being taken over by a pretty well-respected local restaurant group. I will say, and I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but I feel like the concern then turns to: What are they going to change? Are the prices going to go up? Is it going to be all molecular gastronomy, or something, or is my comfort food still going to be here?
One-hundred percent. Just so happy to see that the building will remain a restaurant in any form, but then, of course, everyone becomes curious to see what will be done with such a cherished space. The Carraras make a mean restaurant—ie was a success by all measures—and my main hope was that the warm and cozy vibe, and relative affordability, would still be there.
When we walked inside last week, I think the first thing you said was, “It smells the same!”
Indeed it does! It felt like a warm hug to walk back in there. Then, to see some of the same faces and a very similar menu felt surreal but so happy.
Recognizing our server, sitting in a familiar booth—I don’t think the decor is any different, or anything. It was really just like: We’re back! Although I do think my Negroni Pepperoni ($14) was a new addition…
The Negroni Pepperoni was indeed a delightful surprise—so fun to say AND to drink.
Not as pepperoni-y as I expected, to be honest, though I do love a smoked meat garnish. You ordered the spaghetti ($15), which is something you’ve had here countless times in the past—how did it hold up to your memories?
Yes! Many of the new additions sound delicious. We’ll be back to try them, but I just had to go for the simple classic I’d missed most. It was perfect before, and I’m thrilled to report that it still is. Our server let us know that the new chefs had done a fair bit of recipe testing to get things just right with the previous favorite dishes—and IMO they nailed it with this one.
And that’s high praise, too, because I feel like you were very attuned to differences. We also ordered the ricotta (which rocked, $12), and you were like, “Oh, there’s grated garlic on here now.”
Yes! That was a very tasty addition. Of course we trust Travail to make great food, but it was equally nice to see some of those comfort staples untouched. The menu looks refreshed, but the core is very much still there.
Yeah some crudos and things that looked new, but overall the menu will be really recognizable to regulars. Along those lines, I saw some folks were upset with Travail’s “membership” options at the new ie—that you can pay a certain amount for early access, or some perks, stuff like that. Do you have any Feelings about that?
I see both sides. I understand that there will likely be a large demand for reservations in their first couple of weeks open, so it’s a way to control that flow a bit and bring immediate income to a new venture. But: We love accessibility, and I do hope that more folks will be able to get in soon without having to opt in for the membership option.
Yeah, I always try to take a position of, “Hey, if people are willing to pay it, more power to them,” but also that’s never gonna be me. I’m curious to see how that’ll play out in the coming months... I saw on Instagram that at least one membership tier sold out, so clearly at least some people are into it, and if it’s limited, hopefully it won’t end up making it super exclusive.
Totally. There are some good perks with it, so if the superfans with the funds want to go for it then hell yeah! Once the early rush dies down a bit, I’m sure it’ll go back to the more casual neighborhood hang vibe—walk in on a whim to sit on the patio or a snag high top.
Agreed. Anything else you think folks should know about the new ie before I let you get back to your life here?
Just that from what I can tell, it’s back baby!!! A very welcome bright spot during a rough start to 2025. Thank you to the Carraras for creating something warm and joyful for us, and to Travail for keeping it alive. *Negroni cheers.*
ie by Travail
Address: 4724 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis
Opens: February 10; snag a reservation here.
