Photo via Hamburguesas El Gordo Facebook
Updated January 17, 2019
Order Up! is the Growler’s ongoing biweekly account of noteworthy Minnesota restaurant openings, closings, and future openings. Please send any tips to [email protected]
All dates are approximate based on best information available; opening dates, in particular, tend to shift around a lot.
THIS WEEK’S GIST: The biggest news this week comes not out of the metro area but out of Duluth. The team behind the remarkably successful and diverse Duluth Grill / OMC Smokehouse / Corktown Deli group of restaurants is adding yet another eclectic concept. It’s called Taco Arcada, and it will combine fresh-Mex food, arcade games, and cocktails at the new Frost River Marketplace. It’s difficult to overstate the importance of thoughtful, carefully executed concepts like OMC and Corktown Deli to the Duluth food scene—like Northern Waters Smokehaus and Duluth Coffee, they’re competing at a level that would flourish in the metro, or just about any city in the country for that matter.
Chalk it up to the ferocious undertow of the Uptown / Lyn-Lake marketplace, but The Hasty Tasty couldn’t eke out a living despite getting consistently good marks for its combination of smoked meats and craft cocktails. We wrote about their Of the Northern Fashioned cocktail just a few days before they shut their doors, and despite their closure, the recipe is still something you should add to your arsenal.
The finer part of fine dining is experiencing some noteworthy growth right now with the opening of P.S. Steak in the former La Belle Vie location and the imminent opening of the latest Gavin Kaysen spot, Demi. Demi promises to be new school, offering a locally-focused, chef-curated tasting menu; P.S. Steak is notably throwback, with a focus on big, beautiful steaks and classic desserts such as Baked Alaska.
We were both bummed out and confused when the excellent and popular Hamburguesas el Gordo, purveyors of Mexican-style burgers and tacos, closed in St. Paul last spring after losing its lease. Happily, it has been announced that the restaurant will resurface on Robert Street in West St. Paul. Meanwhile, Minneapolitans have been able to enjoy their food at their second location, at intersection of 42nd Street and Cedar Avenue, for about a year.
RECENTLY OPENED (Up to 2 Months)
The interior of P.S. Steak // Photo via P.S. Steak Facebook
Market BBQ (moving from current location), 220 Lowry Ave. NE, Minneapolis ■ The venerable Eat Street BBQ joint has picked up stakes and moved into a fresh new location in trendy Northeast. Opened January 9.
P.S. Steak, 510 Groveland Ave., Minneapolis ■ The former La Belle Vie space will see an injection of culinary ambition with this new, steak-focused concept featuring high-flying talent including Mike DeCamp of Jester Concepts (who spent a decade in La Belle Vie’s kitchen) and Wyatt Evans (formerly of Heirloom). Opened January 7, 2019. Read our thoughts on their Baked Alaska.
Ziadi’s Mediterranean Cuisine at Midtown Global Market, 920 E. Lake St., Minneapolis ■ A major expansion of the popular Moroccan Flavors stand into the former Rabbit Hole location in Midtown Global Market, Ziadi’s features lunch and dinner service. Opened January 2, 2019.
Union Kitchen at Sociable Cider Werks, 1500 Fillmore St. NE, Minneapolis ■ Yia Vang’s Hmong-cooking-meets-Minnesota-fare concept moves from pop-up to medium-term residency, kicking off the Sociable Cider Werks on-site food truck program. Opened December 31, 2018. Read our profile of Yia Vang and our coverage of the Sociable residency program: “The Very Visible Yia Vang” and “‘Chef Incubator’ food trailer coming to Sociable Cider Werks”
Bus Stop Burgers and Brewhouse, 620 S. 4th St., Suite 130, Minneapolis ■ Blended burgers and craft beer from the team behind Target Center’s Cargo Food Authority. Opened December 30, 2018.
Pizza Karma, 8451 Joiner Way, Eden Prairie ■ Naan-based pizza created by James Beard winner and chef Raghavan Iyer. Opened December 17, 2018.
Piggy Bank, 2841 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis ■ The latest in a long, fast-moving string of restaurants to try their hand at the Old Chicago location on Hennepin Avenue. Menu is a mix of burgers, flatbreads, vegan fare, and wings. Opened December 14, 2018.
Willard’s, 135 Main St., Cambridge, MN ■ High-flying chef Erick Harcey’s ambitious new Scandinavian-inspired spot, opened in his hometown of Cambridge. Opened December 11, 2018.
Guavas Cuban Cafe, 5607 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis ■ Cuban fare in the former Xavi location in South Minneapolis. Opened November 21, 2018. Read our Bite of the Week on their Cubano.
Boludo Empanadas, 3749 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis ■ Empanadas and pizza from Martina alum Facundo De Fraia and Teddy Kordonowy of Lowry Hill Meats. Opened November 20, 2018. Read our Bite of the Week on their empanadas.
Lucky Cricket, 1607 West End Blvd., St Louis Park ■ Chinese-inspired fare and tiki bar by international food personality Andrew Zimmern. Opened November 19, 2018. Read our review: “[Un]Lucky Cricket.”
RECENTLY CLOSED (Up to 2 Months)
An assortment of dishes from The Hasty Tasty // Photo via The Hasty Tasty Facebook
Hasty Tasty ■ Well-received smoked meats and craft cocktails weren’t able to keep the lights on for this newly arrived Lyn-Lake resident. Closed January 10, 2019. Read our “Craft Cocktail: Of the Northern Fashioned at The Hasty Tasty.”
Pearl & the Thief ■ This popular Southern-themed spot in Stillwater has closed to relocate to downtown Minneapolis. Closed December 31, 2018. Read our “First Look: Pearl and the Thief brings Southern comfort to Stillwater.”
Blue Moon Coffee Cafe ■ A 24-year-old stalwart of East Lake Street wraps up its long run. Closed December 31, 2018.
Dalton and Wade ■ A lovingly curated whiskey menu couldn’t keep the doors open for this North Loop-located, Southern-focused Minneapolis spot. Closed December 31, 2018.
Draft Horse ■ The Food Building’s resident tavern-style, local fare–fueled eatery has called it quits. Closed December 30, 2018. Read: “Embracing Limitation at the Draft Horse.”
Prime 6 ■ This sprawling behemoth of a concept, opened in Minneapolis’ City Center in February 2018, never fully clicked with diners. Closed December 18, 2018.
UPCOMING (Most Imminent to Furthest Out)
Beast BBQ // Photo via Beast BBQ Facebook
Dogwood Coffee NE, 1209 Tyler St. NE, Minneapolis ■ The latest cafe to open from the Minnesota-based, third wave coffee roaster Dogwood. Opens January 29, 2019.
Demi, 212 N. 2nd St., Suite 100, Minneapolis ■ The latest from Gavin Kaysen’s restaurant group, which includes Spoon and Stable and Bellecour. Demi is small (20 seats) and focused on locally derived tasting menus. Opens mid-February 2019.
Hamburguesas El Gordo (reopening), 1731 S. Robert St., West St. Paul ■ The St. Paul location of the popular Mexican hamburger restaurant shut down after losing its lease; it will reopen in a larger location early this year. Opens February 2019.
Beast BBQ, 825 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis ■ Another new barbecue spot, owned by the Eli’s crew and located in the former Legends. Formerly announced as Lipstick Pig BBQ. Opens early 2019.
The Copper Cow, 5445 Eden Prairie Rd., Minnetonka ■ A new eatery from the Copper Hen team. Opens early 2019.
Mon Petit Cheri, 310 Main St. S., Stillwater ■ The Seward, Minneapolis-based cafe and bakery famous for its orange rolls has picked up stakes and will reopen in Stillwater. Opens March 2019.
Taco Arcada, 1910 W. Superior St., Duluth ■ The latest new concept from the Duluth Grill / OMC Smokehouse / Corktown Deli team, combining a bar, arcade, and “fresh-Mex” food. Opens Spring 2019.
Minnesota BBQ Co., 816 Lowry Ave. NE, Minneapolis ■ A mostly catering- and takeout-focused BBQ spot by the team behind Travail. 2019.
New Vestalia Hospitality Concept [Name TBD], 1432 W. 31st St., Minneapolis ■ A new spot from Ann Kim’s restaurant group focused on tacos wrapped in handmade, traditional tortillas. 2019.
Dayton’s Food Hall & Market, 700 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis ■ Major new 40,000-square-foot food hall curated by Andrew Zimmern. 2019.
The Sioux Chef Restaurant at Water Works, On the Mississippi River, behind the Mill City Museum ■ A restaurant focused on American Indian cuisine as imagined by Sean Sherman, The Sioux Chef. 2019.
Malcolm Yards Market, 501 30th Ave. SE, Minneapolis ■ A food hall that will capitalize on its proximity to Surly’s massive brewery/restaurant complex. 2019.
