The Tap: Restaurant Openings and Closings for Early April

Banner for the Tap: Food and Drink News

This week in the Tap: A look ahead at upcoming restaurants, notes about spots that have closed, and about those that have recently opened.

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 James Norton at editor@heavytable.com.

NOW OPEN

Paige Latham Didora / Heavy Table
Paige Latham Didora / Heavy Table
  • Black Stack Brewing, 755 Prior Ave N, St. Paul | Sharing a complex with Can Can Wonderland (above).
  • Jambo! Kitchen, 1939 S. 5th Street, Minneapolis
  • Rah’Mn, 300 Snelling Ave S, St. Paul | A new Chipotle-style build-your-0wn ramen restaurant by Tryg Truelson, formerly of Tryg’s.
  • Baja Haus, 830 E Lake St, Wayzata  | A second restaurant by Billy Tserenbat of Sushi Fix, focused on Mexican seafood and scratch margaritas.
  • Randle’s, 921 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis | Rooftop bar, Asian fusion, steaks.
  • Bellecour, 739 E Lake Street, Wayzata (former Blue Point Location) | A second restaurant for the much-heralded chef owner of Spoon and Stable. This one is a French-inspired bistro and bakery.
  • Copperwing Distillery, 6409 Cambridge St, St. Louis Park | Distillery and 45-seat cocktail room.
  • Brunson’s Pub, 956 Payne Ave, St Paul
  • Island City Brewing Company, 65 E Front St, Winona
  • Hennepin Steam Room,  116 1st Ave N, Minneapolis | Reboot of the closed Tangiers by the same owners.
James Norton / Heavy Table
James Norton / Heavy Table
  • Bottle Rocket, 1806 St. Clair Ave, St. Paul  | A reboot by the Blue Plate Restaurant Company of the former Scusi space with craft cocktails. Our review here.
  • The Lexington, 1096 Grand Ave, St. Paul | After a years-long odyssey, the newest incarnation of the Lexington has arrived.
  • Bar Brigade, 470 Cleveland Ave S, St. Paul | French-inspired bar from J.D. Fratzke (Strip Club Meat and Fish) and Matty O’Reilly (Republic) in the old Ristorante Luci space.
  • Geno’s, 12 4th St SE, Minneapolis | Italian sandwich shop from the owners of Lyndale Tap House.
  • Zait & Za’atar, 1626 Selby Ave, St. Paul
  • Mercado by Earl Giles, 2904 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis | Jester Concepts taqueria, coffee shop, and cocktail spot.
  • Utepils Brewing, 225 Thomas Ave N, Minneapolis | Large-scale (about 60 percent of Surly’s capacity) new brewery.

CLOSED / CLOSING:

  • Devil’s Advocate (closing April 9)
  • Wong Cafe (had a 94-year run)
  • Tinto Cocina (moving from Uptown to 50th and Penn and expanding)
  • Jerusalem’s (building to be demolished; closing end of August)
  • Sidhe Brewing (reopening as Culhane Brewing in Lowertown, St. Paul)
Isabel Subtil / Heavy Table
Isabel Subtil / Heavy Table
  • The Strip Club Meat and Fish (Closing July 1).
  • Ox Cart Ale House (rebooting with new concept).
  • Evergreen (closing in June).
  • Sunrise Inn (the venerable 3.2 bar will reopen as Bull’s Horn Food and Drink under the aegis of Doug Flicker).

COMING UP:

Minneapolis

Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table
Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table
  • Five Watt (Roastery and Cafe), 2904 Harriet Ave S, Minneapolis | 2017 | Roastery is up and running; cafe still in the works.
  • Mrs. Dumpling, 700 W Lake St, Minneapolis | “Coming Soon,” somewhat delayed | Not to be confused with Dumpling in Longfellow.
  • HeadFlyer Brewing, 861 E Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis | April 22
  • Popol Vuh and Central | Fall | A two-restaurants-in-one (ala Birdie and Nighthawks) high concept / street food with a Mexican emphasis from the team behind the successful Lyn65 in Richfield.
Jamie Malone at Sea Change
Peter Sieve & Justin Blair / Heavy Table
  • Grand Cafe | May | Reopening under new ownership (Jamie Malone [above] and Erik Anderson).
  • Burrigato, 314 15th Ave SE, Minneapolis | April | The sushi + burrito trend kicked off by SotaRol refuses to die.
  • The Cove, 1320 5th St SE, Minneapolis | Soon | Can poke succeed where crudo failed? Let’s find out.
  • Cardigan Donuts, 40 S 7th St, Minneapolis | May | More action within the “fancy doughnut” sphere.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

St. Paul

Nick Fay / Heavy Table
Nick Fay / Heavy Table
  • Barrel Theory Beer Company, 248 E 7th St, St. Paul | 2017 | As per the Growler: “A partnership between Surly Brewing Company’s former director of technology Brett Splinter, former Surly brewer Timmy Johnson, and CPA Todd Tibesar.” Our preview is here.
  • 12welve Eyes Brewing, 141 E 4th St, St. Paul | Summer | Opening in the Pioneer Endicott Building.
  • J Selby’s, 169 Victoria St N, St. Paul | Any week now? | Vegan restaurant that prefers to call itself “plant-based.”
  • Keg and Case revitalization of the Schmidt Brewery, 928 W 7th St, St. Paul | Summer 2017 | Featuring restaurants by the teams behind Corner Table, Hola Arepa, and Five Watt, plus Sweet Science ice cream.
Katie Cannon / Heavy Table
Katie Cannon / Heavy Table
  • 11 Wells, Millwright Cocktail Room, Historic Hamm’s Brewery, St. Paul | Postponed to “at least 2018” | Multi-state distribution is keeping them busy.

Greater Twin Cities Area and Beyond

  • Deconstructed, 705 Century Ave N, Suite B, Maplewood | Soon | A new pasta and pho spot by the owner of :D-Spot.
  • Oakhold Farmhouse Brewery (formerly Oude Oak) Midway Township | 2017 | Construction on this new sour beer-only brewery just south of Duluth is under way.

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 the Heavy Table. If you have tips for The Tap, please email James Norton at editor@heavytable.com.