The Tap: Restaurant Openings and Closings for Early January 2017

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This week in the Tap: local restaurant openings and closings in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area and beyond.

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

  • Pajarito, 605 W 7th St, St. Paul | Via Dara: Opened by Tim McKee acolytes “Tyge Nelson and Stephan Hesse, most recently of Chino Latino and Libertine, respectively.” Receiving early accolades.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
  • Revival, 525 Selby Ave, St. Paul (former Cheeky Monkey space) | A second location for the popular fried chicken spinoff of Corner Table. The original location will also be expanding and offering takeout.
  • Jellybean and Julia’s, 530 W Main St, Anoka | Barbecue and breakfast!
  • Khun Nai Thai, 2523 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis | A new spot in the old Krungthep Thai space, opened by former Krungthep employees.
  • Esker Grove, Walker Art Center | A Doug Flicker / Culinaire project is the latest crack at a dining solution for the finicky Walker space.
  • Red Rabbit, 201 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis | Red Cow owner Luke Shimp’s new spot offers “a variety of dishes including handcrafted pizzas, oysters, pasta, fresh salads and more.”
Lucy Hawthorne / Heavy Table
Lucy Hawthorne / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

CLOSED / CLOSING:

WACSO / Heavy Table
WACSO / Heavy Table

 

  • Green Spoon

 

Joshua Page / Heavy Table
Joshua Page / Heavy Table
  • Piccolo
  • Green Mill (Uptown location) | Closing after 38 years, being replaced by a Red Cow location.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

COMING UP:

Minneapolis

Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table
Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table
  • Five Watt (Roastery and Cafe), 2904 Harriet Ave S, Minneapolis | 2017 | Former Uptown Imports location.
  • Mrs. Dumpling, 700 W Lake St, Minneapolis | Early 2017 | Not to be confused with Dumpling in Longfellow.
  • The Cove, 1320 5th St  SE, Minneapolis | Late January | Can poke succeed where crudo failed? Let’s find out.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
  • Brut, Location TBD | 2017? | With all the culinary firepower of Erik Anderson (above) and Jamie Malone, Brut promises exciting things, but the lead-up has been disturbingly long. And now Jamie Malone is cooking at Grand Cafe, so there’s that.
  • Crisp and Green, 428 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis (former Sapor space) | Spring 2017 | Owned by restaurateur Ryan Burnet (Burch, Bar La Grassa); menu will feature salads and grain bowls. A Wayzata location, at 755 E Lake St, just opened.
  • Utepils (formerly Bryn Mawr) Brewing, 225 Thomas Ave N, Minneapolis | Winter

St. Paul

Nick Fay / Heavy Table
Nick Fay / Heavy Table
  • Barrel Theory Beer Company, 248 E 7th St, St. Paul | Early 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.
  • The Lexington | Early 2017? | After a years-long odyssey, the newest incarnation of the Lexington seems to be forthcoming based on recent hires.
  • Rah’Mn, 300 Snelling Ave S, St. Paul | February | A new Chipotle-style build-your-0wn ramen restaurant by Tryg Truelson, formerly of Tryg’s.
  • Brunson’s Pub, 956 Payne Ave, St Paul | Early 2017
  • J Selby’s, 169 Victoria St N, St. Paul | “hoping to open by January 2017” | 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.
  • Bottle Rocket, 1806 St. Clair Ave, St. Paul | Soon | A reboot by the Blue Plate Restaurant Company of the former Scusi space with craft cocktails. Now hiring, which means open doors may be imminent.
Katie Cannon / Heavy Table
Katie Cannon / Heavy Table
  • 11 Wells Millwright Cocktail Room, Historic Hamm’s Brewery, St. Paul | Winter | From the website: “We’ll have a full fledged cocktail room as well as a restaurant so come hungry and thirsty.”

Greater Twin Cities Area and Beyond

  • Copperwing Distillery, 6409 Cambridge St, St. Louis Park | February
  • Station Pizzeria13008 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka | Feb. 17 | The latest from restaurateur Ryan Burnet (Barrio, Bar La Grassa, Crisp and Green).
  • Baja Haus, 830 E Lake St, Wayzata | January 2017 | A second restaurant by Billy Tserenbat of Sushi Fix, focused on Mexican seafood and scratch margaritas.
  • Bellecour, 739 E Lake Street, Wayzata (former Blue Point Location) | Spring 2017 | A second restaurant for the much-heralded chef owner of Spoon and Stable. This one will be French-brasserie style as per Rick Nelson.
  • Oakhold Farmhouse Brewery (formerly Oude Oak) Midway Township | 2017 | Construction has started for this new sour beer-only brewery planned for just south of Duluth.

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.