Casual Menu, Tap Beer Coming to New Broders’ Wine Bar

The Tap by Jason Walker

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The Tap loves restaurant tips from readers, so we’re awarding a Heavy Table pint glass to the best tipster each month. The Tap is the metro area’s comprehensive restaurant buzz roundup, so if you see a new or newly shuttered restaurant, or anything that’s “coming soon,” email Tap editor Jason Walker at jason@heavytable.com.

October’s winner: John Champe of Minneapolis

Broders’ Wine Bar (opens spring 2013)

2221 W 50th St, Minneapolis

It didn’t take long for the former Pierre’s space to find a new tenant, and it’s a familiar one: Broders’. Owner Molly Broder said her Italian juggernaut planned to open a wine bar in the small 50th and Penn building next spring that will have a food and wine menu similar to the patio menu at Broders’ Pasta Bar, as well as more tap beers.

This development is interesting on several levels. Broders’ is deservedly one of the most popular restaurants in town, as its Pasta Bar and Cucina Italiana already occupy two sides of the 50th and Penn intersection in South Minneapolis. The wine bar will make it three, injecting not just a much-needed neighborhood place to grab drinks but also a convenient place to hang out while waiting for a table at the Pasta Bar.

The new wine bar should open next spring and serve a casual menu of Italian wine and food — ”not pasta per se, it’s going to be totally different,” according to Broder — as well as charcuterie. And then there’s the aforementioned tap beers — a perk unavailable at the other Broders’ locations.

The delay in opening stems from the building needing a facelift. Pierre’s Bistro was a homey place but certainly one that could use some TLC, and Broder said the wine bar would open when those concerns were addressed.

“It needs some love, so we’re going to put that into it and when we’re done, it’s going to be great,” she said.

In a fun side note, Broder said Pierre had tired after decades in the restaurant business and had become a long-haul trucker. C’est la vie.

Union (now open)

733 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis | 612.455.6690

No longer home to Shinder’s and its back-room-porn crowd — thankfully? — 733 Hennepin has undergone a complete makeover and is now open as Union, a multi-floor restaurant and bar. Its food is apparently so good-sounding, it was receiving raves even before it opened, and its craft cocktails were created by Johnny Michaels.

But the real draw here is the rooftop patio, which is fitted with a retractable roof and should offer a pretty decent view. Union’s owned by the company that created the Crave chain, so suburban theater-goers will likely march en masse there.

QuickFire Pizza (now open)

116 S Main St, Stillwater | 651.439.7009

Want a wood-fired pizza in 90 seconds? That’s what just-opened QuickFire Pizza offers, either made-to-order or specialty pies like Thai chicken, salami with kalamata olives, or macaroni and cheese. A few salads and Italian-style desserts round out the menu.

Assuming the ingredients are decent, the colorful menu and quirky speed may make QuickFire worth checking out if you’re down Stillwater way.

NOW OPEN

  • Republic, 3001 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis | 612.886.2309
  • Union, 733 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis | 612.455.6690
  • Beacon Public House, 615 Washington Ave SE (in the Commons Hotel), Minneapolis | 612.379.8888
  • Nuff, 2851 Johnson St NE, Minneapolis |
  • People’s Organic, 12934 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka | 952.938.4140
  • Louis, 211 7th St W, St. Paul. Cossetta’s new rooftop restaurant | 651.222.3476
  • QuickFire Pizza, 116 S Main St, Stillwater | 651.439.7009
  • Ultimate Cafe, 11111 Greenbrier Rd, Minnetonka | 952.241.8500
  • Yogurt Lab, 5007 France Ave S, Minneapolis; 309 SE Oak St, Minneapolis | 612.315.3651
  • Steak America, 2400 Cliff Rd, Burnsville | 763.258.6881
  • Chez Arnaud, 1085 Grand Ave, St. Paul | 651.330.4453
  • Solomon’s Bakery, 2827 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis | 952.261.3534
  • Insert Coin(s), 315 First Ave N, Minneapolis | 612.564.4016
  • Johnny Tequila’s Drinking Taco, 430 1st Ave N, Minneapolis | 612.333.3864
  • Fresco’s Pasta Bar, 920 E Lake St, Minneapolis (Midtown Global Market) | 952.239.0860
  • Sabbai Cuisine, 920 E Lake St, Minneapolis (Midtown Global Market) | 952.233.5662
  • Hard Times Cafe, 1821 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis. Open again after remodeling. | 612.341.9261
  • Mai Ly Asian Cuisine, 14410 60th St N, Stillwater
  • Taqueria El Primo, 3909 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis
  • Avenue Eatery, 1101 W Broadway Ave, Minneapolis. Re-opened under new management. | 612.767.6278
  • The Lynn on Bryant, 5003 Bryant Ave S, Minneapolis | 612.767.7797
  • New Bohemia, 233 E Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis | 612.275.3972
  • The Belmore, 25 4th St N, Minneapolis
  • Sole Mio, 1750 Weir Dr, Woodbury | 651.789.3220
  • Panini Grill, 15092 Claret Ave W, Rosemount | 651.423.2355
  • Betty’s Cafe and Pies, 1981 Silver Bell Rd, Eagan | 612.227.6999
  • Nightingale, 2551 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis | 612.354.7060
  • Butter Bakery Cafe, 3700 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis. Moved from old location. | 612.521.7401
  • Summit Brewing Taproom, 910 Montreal Circle, St. Paul | 651.265.7800
  • Bread, Coffee & Cake, 750 Minnesota 110, Mendota Heights | 651.688.0798
  • Maya Cuisine, 1840 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis | 612.789.0775
  • Cakewalk, 303 Division St S, Northfield | 507.786.9255
  • Cool Cups Yogurt, 120 S 6th St, Minneapolis | 612.338.5044
  • The Gray House, 610 W Lake St, Minneapolis | 612.823.4338

CLOSED / CLOSING:

  • King and I Thai, 1346 LaSalle Ave S, Minneapolis. Closing Dec. 17. | 612.332.6928
  • The Public House, 700 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis. Closed for remodeling. | 612.455.1213
  • Kikugawa, 43 Main St SE, Minneapolis
  • Tii Cup, 6521 Nicollet Ave, Richfield. Closing end of 2012. | 612.594.6521
  • Southeast Asia Kitchen, 406 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis
  • Axel’s Bonfire, 3000 Harbor Ln N, Plymouth
  • Pierre’s Bistro, 2221 W 50th St, Minneapolis

COMING UP:
Minneapolis

  • Northgate Brewing, 3134 California St NE, Minneapolis | 612.234.1056
  • World Street Kitchen, 2743 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis. Opens late November.
  • Origami, 1352 Lagoon Ave, Minneapolis. Moving from Minnetonka location; opens Dec. 1.
  • Malabari, 406 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis | 507.351.6683
  • Smack Shack, Washington Ave N and 6th Ave N, Minneapolis.
  • Blue Door Pub, 3448 42nd Ave S, Minneapolis. Opens this fall.
  • Dangerous Man Brewing, 1300 2nd St NE, Minneapolis | 612.209.2626
  • One Two Three Sushi, 80 S 8th St (IDS Center Skyway), Minneapolis. Opens early 2013.
  • The Original Just Turkey Restaurant, 3758 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis
  • Rincon 38, 3801 Grand Ave S, Minneapolis | 612.408.7063
  • Burch, 1942 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis. Isaac Becker’s planned steakhouse in old Burch Pharmacy; opens in late 2012 / early 2013.
  • 612 Brew taproom, 945 Broadway St NE, Minneapolis. Opens late 2012. | 612.217.0437
  • Seward Cafe, 2129 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis. Opening for dinner service. | 612.332.1011
  • Broders’ Wine Bar, 2221 W 50th St, Minneapolis
  • Parka, 4023 E Lake St, Minneapolis. Opens early 2013.
  • Morrissey’s Irish Pub, 913 W Lake St, Minneapolis. Opens early 2013.
  • Rocky and Shem’s Ice Cream Shoppe, 56th and Chicago, Minneapolis. Opens late 2012 / early 2013.
  • Sandcastle, Lake Nokomis, Minneapolis. Doug Flicker’s concessionaire restaurant at the lake. Opens spring 2013.
  • Unnamed Kim Bartmann restaurant, 1014 E 38th St, Minneapolis
  • Town Hall Tap, 5019 34th Ave S, Minneapolis

St. Paul

Greater Twin Cities Area

The Tap is the Heavy Table’s guide to area restaurant openings, closings, and other major events. The Tap is compiled and published biweekly by Heavy Table writer Jason Walker. If you have tips for The Tap, please email Jason at jason@heavytable.com.