The thing about the Minnesota State Fair is that it sort of sucks all the wind out of other food and drink coverage—over the last week and change at Racket alone, we’ve reported on the 30+ new foods, the work that goes into developing each year’s Signature Sips, the money you’ll spend on a typical day at the fairgrounds, the iconic Midway Men's Club, and the uh… risks you’ll take ordering State Fair oysters.
So while there is some non-fair food and drink news to report this month—two high-profile closings, a few exciting announcements we’ve been watching—this is, as always, one of the lighter Racket Restaurant Roundup editions of the year. Enjoy!
Open
1881 by Lake Elmo Inn
St. Paul’s Union Depot has a restaurant again with the arrival of 1881 by Lake Elmo Inn, “where the echoes of the past harmonize with the flavors of the present,” according to the website. As you might expect from the name, John and Christine Schiltz, owners of the Lake Elmo Inn, are behind the new spot. The menu’s made of up salads, steaks, and other classic appetizers and entrees. (I love that the kids’ menu here is for “young adults.”)
Lynette
Now open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is Lynette, a neighborhoody restaurant at 3753 42nd Ave. S. in Minneapolis. The Longfellow newbie is “whatever you want it to be,” Racket’s Jessica Armbruster wrote after a visit earlier this month, with a coffee bar, a nice wine list, and everything from a burger to pizzas to pan-seared scallops that are “a miracle of a dish.”
Cross Bridge Noodle
Eat Street’s newest restaurant is Cross Bridge Noodle, which is now open in the (2 E. 26th St., Minneapolis). It takes its name from “Crossing the Bridge Noodles,” a Chinese dish with a charming mythology you can read on their website, and the menu is full of stir fries, fried rice, and all kinds of noodle soups.
Tender Lovin’ Chix
Need a little TLC? Head to Tender Lovin’ Chix, a Lyndale Ave. tendie and sandwich shop that’s combining Southern and Asian flavors in a way I’m really excited to try. They’re open daily at 11 a.m. at 2700 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis, if you’re looking for a new lunch spot.
Dexter’s
The latest from prolific local restaurateur Daniel del Prado is Dexter’s, which is bringing bar snacks, a bunch of burgers, and cheffier fare (osetra caviar shoestring potatoes, beef tongue pastrami) to 50th and France (3717 W. 50th St., Minneapolis). They’ve been billing it as "a refined dining experience for sports enthusiasts," but can you actually watch sports here? We’ll report back.
Forepaugh’s
After a period of dormancy, everyone’s favorite haunted St. Paul restaurant has reopened in the spooky and elegant 19th century mansion at 276 Exchange St. S. Following two years of renovations, Forepaugh’s 2.0 serves up classic cocktails and bar snacks, plus small plates, pastas, and meaty entrees.
Closed, Closing, or Changing
Saint Dinette
Don’t panic—you have a long time yet to say goodbye—but yes, Lowertown’s Saint Dinette will “likely” close when its lease runs out in March of 2025. Owner Tim Niver told the Star Tribune he’s been thinking about the closure for a while now; he’s not been shy about publicly mulling over the state of the restaurant industry broadly (and Lowertown’s future specifically) on his podcast or on social media. “It’s beautiful,” Niver told the Strib. “This is another good story I got to write. And you know, we want people to come into the restaurant and have a great meal and enjoy this.”
Third Space Cafe
Bummer: Third Space Cafe, which opened in Lyn-Lake back in 2021, will close when their lease runs out at the end of October, according to a social media post. I liked Third Space a lot when I visited the first time, and I’ve been back to plug away on my laptop several times since then. But “it’s an increasingly challenging time for small businesses in the industry, the neighborhood, and the city,” their farewell announcement reads. “We are confident that we gave it our best.”
Ouro Pizzeria
More changes are underway at Eat Street Crossing. Ramen Shoten closed in April to make way for Staff Meeting, and then Sushi Dori shuttered to make way for PinKU omakase. This month, Ouro Pizzeria—the Brazilian pizza place from Bebe Zito owners and Eat Street Crossing co-owners Gabriella Grant-Spangler and Ben Spangler—also closed. "This isn't goodbye forever, just goodbye for now,” their Instagram farewell says. “We are still dreaming about Brazilian food in Minneapolis, so this isn't the end." A Vietnamese noodle shop called House of Hue is planned for the space—more on that below.
Kim’s
You know the story: In 2021 Ann Kim opens the acclaimed Sooki & Mimi in Minneapolis’s beleaguered Uptown neighborhood; she closes it in 2023 to open Kim’s in the space. Kim’s workers announce they’re going to form a union this summer; Kim strongly opposes that union; they unionize anyway. Following the union win, Kim cuts lunch service and closes the basement’s Bronto Bar. Then this month, on the first day of the State Fair, Kim announces Kim’s will close on August 30. It closes abruptly on August 27. Those are the facts—but feel free to discuss the implications of those facts amongst yourselves, and you can donate to a GoFundMe to support Kim’s former workers here.
Italian Eatery / Un Dito Building for Sale
Yes, these neighborhood favorites closed in June, but at the time there was a lot of hopeful speculation that maybe its owners would do… something else in the space? Doesn’t look like it: The building at 4724 Cedar Ave. S. hit the market in mid-August. "When we announced the closing, we got so much interest and potential buyers that we thought it was best to put it out to the public instead of the leasing direction," co-owner Eric Carrara told Bring Me the News. "I'm always a fan of restaurant operators controlling their destiny and would like to pass it on to the next operator serving the neighborhood."
Tori Ramen
St. Paul’s Tori Ramen hasn’t closed, but it is in danger of closing, according to chef and owner Jason Dorweiler. “I'm going to keep this short and simple,” Dorweiler wrote in a GoFundMe to help save the ramen shop. “When I bought an old train car in 2019, it came with a stipulation called a balloon payment 5 years later.” He’s trying to raise $120,854 to help pay off the loan to buy the building; you can donate here.
Just Announced and Coming Soon
Tono No. 7
In 2022, I wrote a story about Tono’s “growing pizza and cheesesteak empire”—at the time, they’d opened four locations in three years, with a fifth in the works. Now, they’re opening their seventh location (the first in Minneapolis), and owner Shaz Khan tells Racket there are three more on the way before 2025. We truly love to see it. The grand opening in south Minneapolis (3002 50th St. W.) is scheduled for Saturday, September 14.
Francis No. 2
Fun! Vegan burger joint Francis, which has a hoppin' spot in northeast Minneapolis, will head for East Lake Street soon, according to a scoop from Longfellow Whatever. It'll have a similar menu focused on meat-free burgers, chicken, fries, and milkshakes, and it could open up as soon as next month.
Animales Brick and Mortar
This is the one we’ve all been waiting for, folks. After… oh, a year? of copy-pasting Animales’ tentative plans for a brick-and-mortar restaurant into the Racket Restaurant Roundup’s “In the Works” section month after month, we got confirmation that it is in fact happening! Founder and co-owner Jon Wipfli announced on August 6 that Animales will head for the former Royal Foundry Distillery in the Harrison neighborhood (241 Fremont Ave. N, Minneapolis), with a 300-seat, family-friendly restaurant; a full bar; a patio; and even a dedicated play area for kids. HYFR. Look for it to open in 2025.
House of Hue
As mentioned above, Ouro Pizzaria at Eat Street Crossing is no more. But that’ll make way for House of Hue, which the Strib reports will be “the first restaurant [in Minnesota] specializing in bun bo Hue,” according to ESC partner Marshall Nguyen. His relatives, Henry and Pamela Tran, ran a bun bo Hue restaurant in Houston before moving to Wisconsin; now, after a successful ESC pop-up earlier this year, it’ll become a fixture at the food hall.
Mothership Pizza Paradise
The former Arezzo Ristorante space (5057 France Ave. S., Minneapolis) has been empty since that Italian restaurant closed in early 2023, but it’ll come back to life soon as Mothership Pizza Paradise. From the folks behind Mr. Paul’s Supper Club in Edina and Mr. Paul’s Po Boy's and Jams at Malcolm Yards, it’ll have pizza, salads, sandwiches, and the like, with a neighborhood vibe and televisions, according to Bring Me the News.
In the Works
As previously reported in the Racket Restaurant Roundup…
Lagniappe / Du Nord Social Spirits
The newly renovated Coliseum building at 2700 E. Lake St. in Minneapolis reopened on Juneteenth after undergoing renovations from the protests following the police murder of George Floyd. Today, the Coliseum is a Black-owned business incubator, and it will soon house Du Nord Cocktail Room and the New Orleans-style restaurant Lagniappe, both set to open in late summer or early fall, according to Sahan Journal.
Le Burger
Le Burger 4304, which will open in Linden Hills at 4304 Upton Ave. S. later this year, is what you’d get "if a couple American guys went to Paris and opened a burger place," chef Jonathan Gans tells the Star Tribune. That means family friendly with high-quality ingredients and Frenchy flavors, like chicken cordon bleu and French onion soup. He and co-creator Josh Hoyt are both Bachelor Farmer alums; look for their south Minneapolis burger spot to open this fall.
Tiny Diner
Tiny Diner closed “for the season” in September, with its ownership announcing plans at the time to reopen in March. But March, you may have noticed, has come and gone, and although Bring Me the News reported in February that the Southside restaurant would reopen despite hitting the market, it… has not. A message on the TD website reads “Hoping to open Summer 2024."
Khue’s Kitchen
Eater has the scoop on Khue’s Kitchen, a new St. Paul Vietnamese restaurant from chef Eric Pham, which’ll open in the former Ngon Bistro space on University Avenue this summer. Pham’s grandmother opened Quang, where his mother still works; Pham you might know from his Khue’s Kitchen pop-up at Bar Brava. The brick-and-mortar should open in August.
Hola Coffee
Say hello to Hola Coffee, a Latina-owned business that’s heading for 326 Central Ave. SE in August, according to Downtown Voices. Vanessa Palestino has a mobile coffee cart that rolls all over the North Loop right now, and this brick and mortar will be “built for grab-and-go convenience,” she tells DTV.
Saturday Dumpling Co.
Saturday Dumpling Co. is going brick and mortar. After years as one of the area’s most successful pop-ups, owners Peter Bian and Linda Cao announced in a release this week that they’re heading for the former Glam Dolls Donut shop at 519 Central Ave. NE in Minneapolis. They’ll have dumplings, rice bowls—and, of course, that scallion pancake breakfast burrito. They’re planning to open early this fall.
Bubble Line Brewery
You’ll have to wait until 2025, but Brittney Mikell—currently the assistant brewer at La Doña Cervecería—is readying to open the state’s first Black-owned brewery in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul. Bubble Line Brewery is currently in the crowdfunding stage, and you can chip in (and watch their very cute campaign video) here.
KFC
Normally, no, we wouldn’t report on the moves of a national chain like KFC. This one’s noteworthy for two reasons: For one, as the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports, the just announced franchise-owned fried chicken spot will be the chain’s only Minneapolis location, and for two, it’ll open in the ol’ White Castle building on Lake Street.
Walkin’ Dog
Downtown Minneapolis skyway staple Walkin’ Dog is (kinda) coming back! Northstar Center shared the news on LinkedIn (LinkedIn!), saying you’ll soon be able to “enjoy dogs, malts, sides and camaraderie in an updated version of this Minneapolis classic that honors Dave & Cindy Magnuson’s legacy.”
Jade Dynasty Restaurant and Bar
Not far from the new NY Gyro, there’s finally good news for the old Fuji Ya space at 600 W. Lake St. Southwest Voices reports that a new hot pot and dim sum spot called Jade Dynasty Restaurant and Bar is planned to open there sometime this winter. The new Minneapolis restaurant comes from Chuen Sai “Paul” Wu and Eric Zeng, and will specialize in Cantonese dishes and authentic Asian cuisine.
Small Hours
A new “hi-fi wine bar” from sommelier Sarina Garibovič of Ženska Glava and songwriter/musician Sam Cassidy is in the works, according to the Star Tribune. Small Hours (2201 NE Second St., Minneapolis) will have wine-adjacent snacks like bread and tinned fish, and what sounds like a very fun selection of vintage audio equipment. Look for it to open this summer.
WildChld
Stepchld will soon get a next-door sibling: Wildchld, a cocktail bar that’s headed for 24 University Ave. NE. The Strib reports that the new Minneapolis bar is a collab between restaurateur Kamal Mohamed of Stepchld—which just got a full liquor license of its own to boot—and Bridgit Loeffelholz at Dampfwerk Distillery in St. Louis Park.
Minari
No, not the tear-jerking, critically acclaimed film about the struggle for the American dream—this Minari comes from Daniel del Prado student Jeff Watson, per the Star Tribune. It’ll open in the old Erté & the Peacock Lounge space (323 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis), with a focus on Korean food, this summer.
Sculpture Garden Eats
A restaurant for the Walker’s Sculpture Garden? Total no-brainer. Kind of can’t believe there isn’t one already. Mpls.St.Paul Mag’s Stephanie March had a great scoop on the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Walker’s teaming up to bring this new concession stand to life.
Saffron
Just know this news has the foodie in your life all a-tingle: Saffron, Sameh Wadi’s popular, groundbreaking, and much-missed Middle Eastern fine-dining restaurant, which closed in 2017, will make a return. That’s according to this scoop from Mpls-St.Paul Mag, whose Stephanie March caught up with Wadi earlier this month to talk about opening Saffron, closing Saffron, and the yearslong process it’s been to bring it back. (Did you know he was just 23 when Saffron opened? Wild stuff.) No lease yet, but it’s reportedly in the works.
Razava Bread Co.
A new bakery will open on Grand Avenue in St. Paul later this year, according to the Biz Journal, with “old-world” sourdoughs, bagels, challah, and coffee. Razava Bread Co. comes from owner Steve Baldinger, whose family has been in the bread business for more than 130 (!) years, and baker Omri Zin-Tamir, formerly of The Bakery on 22nd Street.
Mad Chicken
Is that like mad cow? Downtown Voices reports that chicken chain Mad Chicken, which got its start in Wisconsin and has locations in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Maryland, will open its first Minnesota location in the vacant building at First Avenue North and Fourth Street North that formerly housed American Army Navy Surplus Store.
Russell’s Bar & Grill
So Tavern on Grand still plans to close in June—that’s the bad news. The good news is that the restaurant at 656 Grand Ave. in St. Paul won’t be empty for long: Russell’s Bar and Grill, from owner Todd Russell (who also owns the building) will open there this fall, according to the Pioneer Press.
Hope Breakfast Bar North Loop + Salt & Flour
The new North Loop Green development (that’s the big one you could watch going up from Target Field) is welcoming residents, and soon, according to the North Loop neighborhood org, it’ll have a pair of new restaurants, both from chef Brian Ingram of Purpose Restaurants. One will be another location of his already popular Hope Breakfast Bar; the second is an Italian eatery, Salt & Flour.
La Madre
The Vicinity, a mixed-use building on the corner of Washington Street and Park Avenue in the Mill District, is getting a bar and restaurant specializing in Mexican street food, per The Development Tracker. La Madre comes from Abe Ponce Delgadillo of La Tapatia in Roseville, and is aiming to open in late August or early September.
Barcelona Wine Bar
For Downtown Voices, Brianna Kelly has the skinny on Barcelona Wine Bar—a national chain with 22 locations in 11 states—which will open its first Midwest location this year at 508 Washington Ave. N. in Minneapolis.
Sip Society Cafe
Uptown’s Inspire Apartments will soon get a coffee shop called Sip Society, according to the Business Journal. Expect coffee drinks, Somali tea, wraps, breakfast sandwiches, juices, and smoothies, and look for it to open in June.
Asia Village
Here’s some news that has the North Metro friend in your life ecstatic: The group behind Asia Mall in Eden Prairie has announced a similar concept called Asia Village slated for the Northtown Mall in Blaine (301 Northtown Drive NE). They’re teaming up with the folks behind Pho Mai and Keefer Court to bring the 130,000 square foot space to life, with hot pot, all-you-can-eat sushi, a Korean BBQ, and a grocery store. Renovations will start this August; it’s scheduled to open by late 2025.
Catzen Coffee Bar & Den
A cat cafe and coffee lab is heading for Grand Avenue (1416 Grand Ave., St. Paul, to be exact). They’ll have lots of local treats: Dogwood Coffee, pastries from Hot Hands Pie and Biscuits, and snacks from Re-Mix Popcorn and Soul Grain granola. They'll open this fall, according to the latest update on their website.
New North Loop Project from Tim McKee
James Beard Award-winning chef Tim McKee (La Belle Vie, Sea Change, Octo Fishbar) has his eyes set on the North Loop for a new project inspired by the Basque region of Spain. He's being tight-lipped about the new Minneapolis endeavor for now, but has revealed that it'll be somewhere on First Street and open sometime... sometime. Read more via the Strib.
