When Solera opened on Hennepin Avenue in 2002, it was a BFD in the local restaurant scene. Tim McKee and Josh Thoma were basking in the early critical glow of then-Stillwater-located La Belle Vie, and the tapas they installed next to the Orpheum were a revelation. It was a foundational restaurant for many in the … [ Read more]
Tim McKee announces Market House Collaborative, a new food hall for Lowertown St. Paul
Chef, restaurateur, and current fishmonger Tim McKee, flanked by chef Lenny Russo, and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, chatted Wednesday afternoon with a group of reporters about McKee’s upcoming Lowertown project, Market House Collaborative. “I grew up in St. Paul. I’ve always had a special affinity for St. Paul,” McKee said. “I’ve been watching the … [ Read more]
La Belle Vie Closing October 24
La Belle Vie, the lauded upscale restaurant and cocktail lounge, will close October 24 after over 17 years in business, including a decade in their current Groveland Avenue location. Chef Tim McKee has cited a number of factors in the closing—rising costs, increased competition, changing dining habits, and road construction, among others. Speaking to Rick … [ Read more]