Dalton and Wade // Photo by Kevin Kramer
Updated January 3, 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: A couple of jumbo-sized closings in Minneapolis mean that an otherwise booming 2018 ends on a bit of a down note. Prime 6 went big in its City Center location in downtown, offering sushi, steak, pasta, and burgers. But its high gloss, high overhead formula proved unworkable, and it shut its doors on December 18, 2018.
The North Loop’s Dalton and Wade quickly established a reputation as one of the most ambitious purveyors of craft whiskies in the state, but that wasn’t enough to tide the place over—it shut its doors December 31, 2018, after about a year-and-a-half of operation.
Chef Raghavan Iyer is right on the cusp of celebrity status, with a highly regarded book (“660 Curries”) and several high-profile restaurant projects to his name. His hat is back in the restaurant game as of late last month with the opening of Pizza Karma, an unusual fusion of pizza technique with scratch-made Indian tandoor flatbreads. Chef Iyer walked me through the process of sourcing, grinding, and toasting spices back in 2011, and those lessons have stuck with me ever since—the culinary power of carefully handled spices is practically limitless.
We’ve been fans of chef Yia Vang for years—his bold fusion of contemporary cuisine and Hmong home cooking makes him one of the most visible champions of soulful, Minnesota-based Asian cuisine in the state. Now his Union Kitchen pop-up concept has found a (slightly more) permanent home, as it kicks off the first 6 to 12 months of Sociable Cider Werks’ new food truck residency program.
RECENTLY OPENED (Up to 2 Months)
The interior of Lucky Cricket // Photo by Becca Dilley
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.
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)
A charcuterie plate at Draft Horse // Photo by Aaron Davidson
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)
Nixtamalized Flint Corn with Trout and Dried Apples // Photo via The Sioux Chef Facebook
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). Opens January 7, 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.
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 early 2019.
Market BBQ (moving from current location), 220 Lowry Ave. NE, Minneapolis ■ The venerable Eat Street BBQ joint is picking up stakes and moving to trendy Northeast. Opens early 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.
