Everyone’s Announcing Cool New Restaurant News This Month!

You folks like radio? I was on Drive Time with DeRusha this week to talk about some of the very news you’ll read below. But if you want to use your eyes and not your ears, just keep reading!

Now Open

Alma Provisions

In mid-September, Alma opened a cute little shop and deli next to the Brasa at 46th & Bryant in Minneapolis. In its teeny-tiny 15 x 15 square-foot space, they’re serving up breakfast and deli sandwiches, soups, salads, and snacks, and offering an array of grab-and-go cheeses, meats, crackers, and more. Open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily; read more via Mpls. St. Paul Mag.

Boiler Room Coffee Co.

After a big-bummer shut-down earlier this summer, Boiler Room is up and running again thanks to new owners John Kiel and Andrew Clarkson. They’ve made some light renovations—new floor, better AC—but mostly, it’s the coffee shop you know and love. “It’s not quite Boiler Room 2.0, I’d say Boiler Room 1.1,” Kiel told us last month. They’re open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m daily at 1830 Third Ave. S. in Minneapolis.

Keiko’s Alkaline Bodega & Herbs

Tiktok-famous local vegan Mykela Jackson—aka Keiko—has been bringing her tasty meat-free eats to pop-ups around Minneapolis for the last few years. After honing her skills at Breaking Bread Cafe, and eventually becoming head chef at Trio Plant-Based, she’s opened a super-colorful vegan bodega at 904 W. Lake St., Minneapolis. We’ve got the full story here.

HEAL Mpls Cafe

Speaking of Black-owned, woman-owned vegan eats: HEAL is now open in north Minneapolis. The plant-based cafe, herb shop, and smoothie bar comes from Sierra Carter, who founded the wellness space the Zen Bin. “Her work prioritizes Black wellness in the ‘hood’ of North Minneapolis, which is lacking in health and wellness resources,” reports BLCK Press, which has the full scoop. 

Stalk & Spade

Three’s a trend! Elsewhere in vegan eats (owned by a white dude this time), Stalk & Spade—the MN-based chain that bills itself as the "first plant-based franchise"—brought huge lines to the North Loop for its September 23 grand opening. It’s the third Stalk & Spade to open here in Minnesota, joining locations in Wayzata and Edina, but the plant-chise has nine in-the-works locations listed on its website, including spots in Florida, New York, and Iowa. 

Unidos Food Co.

Now that Francis is bringing its vegan burgers to a brick-and-mortar, the food incubator space at Sociable Cider Werks has a new tenant. Unidos Food Co. takes traditional Mexican recipes and gives ‘em an American flair—think tostadas topped with pork tinga and spicy roja chicken, but also gourmet hot dogs. Find ‘em at Sociable seven days a week.

Edina Theatre Bar

Man, those moviegoing olds have it good! The redesigned, freshly reopened Edina Theatre looks great in this Fox 9 preview, and not only are the auditoriums updated with bigger screens and heated recliners, but the third-floor “Gold Room” bar is modeled after the one in The Shining. Can’t wait to check it out.

Closed or Closing

Mama’s Pizza

What… is actually going on at Mama’s? The beloved St. Paul pizzeria, which opened in 1964, announced earlier this month that it would quote: “never reopen for dine-in.” That led to a lot of tearful farewells on Facebook, in the Star Tribune and elsewhere… except that a few weeks later, the owners wrote that “Mamas will continue to serve the N End for years to come with take out only for now” (emphasis ours). Insert Oprah “so what is the truth?” meme here. 

Misfit Coffee

Known for their oddball drinks and impeccable vibes, Misfit Coffee’s brief and wonderful run on Lyndale Avenue has come to a close. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say we did too much, too often,” their farewell post read, and while that may be the truth, dammit if it wasn’t also part of the fun. We’ve got the full story here. 

Able Seedhouse + Brewery

In the second significant brewery closure of 2022 after Tin Whiskers, Able announced this week that they were calling it quits. As for what will take over that big, beautiful, indoor-outdoor space? We’ve heard it’s going to be a kombucha hard seltzer joint. Seems niche, but OK! Find the full story here. 

Darby’s

RIP to Darby’s, the longtime weekly trivia spot for City Pages staffers. Owner Marcus Dorn said his farewells on Facebook “with very bittersweet emotions and a few tears in my eyes.” The last day will be October 22—scroll down a little ways for some great news about what’s coming to the space. 

Kyatchi Lowertown

No more Kyatchi for St. Paul—the Lowertown location, which opened a few years after the Minneapolis one debuted back in 2014, announced it would close due to “underperforming sales.” Tough to argue with that! Details on that closure (and the one that follows) here. 

Q Fanatic Minneapolis

This one really stinks: Q-Fanatic BBQ closed down its 60th & Nicollet location in Minneapolis, citing staffing issues. The Champlin location is “open and recovering,” owners say, but am I going to drive out to Champlin just for some good barbecue? (I might.)

QC Pizza

Another two-location local that went down to one this month (bummer of a trend IMO), QC Pizza closed its Minneapolis spot this month after their landlord sold the building, according to BMTN. The Mahtomedi location is still open, but am I going to drive out to Mahtomedi just for some good pizza? (I… no.)

Just Announced and Coming Soon

Vegan East

The old QC Pizza location won’t be vacant for long—it looks like Vegan East is moving in. That would make it the vegan bakery’s fourth location in the Twin Cities metro, joining spots in Uptown and northeast Minneapolis and White Bear Lake.

Indigenous Food Labs

Coming this fall to Midtown Global Market: a retail, restaurant, and tea bar from Indigenous Food Labs. Like Owamni, for which Indigenous Food Labs does a lot of the prep work, everything here will be made with Indigenous ingredients—no chicken, pork, wheat, dairy, or anything that came from colonizing countries. We’ve got the full scoop here. 

Dahlia

A longtime Travail trio—chef Alex Althoff, creative director Sarah Julson, and pastry chef Nat Moser—just announced their next big project, and it’s a good’un. Dahlia, which’ll operate on a pop-up basis for now, is going to be a daytime-oriented spot emphasizing pastries and savory delights. “I think breakfast and lunch especially are thought to be really light meals… and not that heavy’s the right word, but we want it to be much more bold,” Julson told us earlier this month. 

Bricksworth Beer Co.

Burnsville’s Bricksworth Beer Co. is taking over the ol’ Darby’s spot at 315 N. Fifth Ave., bringing brews and Detroit-style pizza to the North Loop. Helmed by BlackStack Brewing co-owner Cooper Johnson, Bricksworth has been a big hit out in Burnsville, so this seems like a big win for the space. The Biz Journal has the scoop.

Spring Break

Chef Brian Ingram is already working on The Apostle Supper Club, which takes its inspiration from ‘60s Palm Springs. Now, he’s announced another era-themed eatery will open next door: Spring Break. The ’80s-themed restaurant will lean heavily into the music of the time, BMTN reports, and there might be a beach for volleyball—so get ready to do Top Gun stuff.

Milly’s Wine Bar & Bistro

A Mill District wine bar called Milly’s? Can’t help it, I love this. Owner Brandon Witzel, whose design firm is reimagining and restoring the cool old building, told us this’ll be a laid-back neighborhood spot with snacks, cheese boards, and wines from around the world—plus a second-floor giant free library with “thousands” of books on display. Find the full story here. 

Vincent Francoual Concept

Remember Bacon Social House, the bacon-themed restaurant that opened at 700 S. Third St. in Minneapolis a few years back? After making a short run of it, the space will get a slightly more timeless concept from renowned chef Vincent Francoual, who helmed Vincent A Restaurant for 14 years. Details are still semi-scant, but the Strib reports that it’ll embrace Francoual's roots in the countryside of southwestern France.

BreakfastKlub Minneapolis, Fire House

After Hammer & Sickle and The Fremont went dark this summer, “The red door to Soviet-themed vodka bar Hammer & Sickle has been painted purple ahead of the debut of BreakfastKlub Minneapolis, an all-day-breakfast eatery celebrating Minnesota culture, namely Prince and the Minnesota Vikings,” the Biz Journal reports. Jesus Christ. Next door, Fire House Uptown is taking over The Fremont space, with happy hour, “upscale” bar food, and 19 TVs. Both are reportedly owned by the same restaurateur behind H&S and The Fremont, Gene Suh.