Suburban Closings, Nighthawks, Brewery Openings, and More

The Tap by James Norton

Banner for the Tap: Food and Drink News

This week in the Tap: Our columnist mulls a wave of suburban closings, Nighthawks, and brewery openings … and a foraged food dinner at Heyday.

shepherd-song-tap-logo-final-keylineThe Tap is a biweekly feature created by the Heavy Table and supported by Shepherd Song Farm. “We raise 100 percent grass-fed lambs & goats traditionally, humanely, and sustainably.”

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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.

Editor’s note: We’re trying out a columnist voice here in the Tap; if you’ve got thoughts (positive and / or negative) about this vis-a-vis the normal neutrally framed news item format, let us know.

Curry N Noodles in Hopkins MN
Katie Cannon / Heavy Table

The Suburbs in Flames, a Brewery Blitz, and Nighthawks

There has been a bit of a SUBURBAN MASSACRE taking place, and it has gotten largely lost in the shuffle of flashy urban opening after urban opening. We’ve lost Curry ’n’ Noodles in Hopkins (above), Pairings in Minnetonka, Umbria Pizza in Eden Prairie, and School II Bistro in Chanhassen, all of which (to some degree) brought independent pride and ambition to their respective corners of the metro. I wouldn’t have connected the dots were it not for Heavy Table writer Amy Rea, who tirelessly patrols the outer metro (and the countryside) in search of stories and hidden gems.

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

Getting back to that list of high-profile urban openings: sitting at the top is NIGHTHAWKS (along with the entry for Revival). There’s no denying the talent of Chef Landon Schoenefeld (above) — really, there isn’t — so there’s no reason not to eagerly flock to this newest attraction in the booming Nicollet and 38th Street gastro-district.

That said, there are a couple of reasons I’ll be cautious about what he’s serving up. Our last visit to Haute Dish featured some great bites and some overpriced ones, and service that varied between “politely distracted” and “rude.” The stress of opening a second place can do that, but if hospitality flags, the whole ball of wax is in jeopardy. I quit dining at Cafe Maude years ago, after a series of run-ins with eye-rolling, hyper-styled hosts and hostesses; it’s probably time to get back over there and reconnect.

The second reason to be cautious is the prices, which are reasonable but aggressive — meatloaf is $16; a hot turkey sandwich combo is $14; the foie gras omelet is $18. Hot dogs are $10, but they come festooned with excellent-looking toppings. If the food’s consistent and delicious, Nighthawks will be golden at these prices and will make some real money. If not, it may struggle six months out.

Lars Swanson / Heavy Table
Lars Swanson / Heavy Table

Mostly unrelated, but appetizingly: BREWERIES ARE OPENING like crazy, a thing that will continue to happen for months to come. 56 Brewing, a hyper-ambitious, custom-tailored-for-Northeast brewery that touts its “garden to growler” approach, has kicked open its doors, and we’re curious to taste what they’re serving. Their Kickstarter went down in flames ($3K out of $20K raised), so they may be wading into a market that’s approaching saturation … or maybe they’re great brewers who don’t excel at crowdfunding. If the throngs at Dangerous Man, 612, and Bauhaus are any indication, there should be plenty of clientele to go around.

Sidhe Brewing is now open, and I’ve managed to mangle the name every time I’ve said it — it’s easy to overthink. (It’s actually pronounced “She,” but I’m thrown by the “d.”) It’s a personal quirk that if a name baffles me (ala Mysore or Zeke’s Unchained Animal), I need to try twice as hard to give the food and drink a fair shake — branding is a tough nut to crack. Also open: Grand Rounds in Rochester. Soon to follow: everything from the eccentric but promising Valhalla Nordic Smoke and Ale House in Willernie to Angry Inch in Lakeville to St. Croix Brewing Company in Stillwater, among others. Expect the flood to stop … never. But we may hit “one in, one out” saturation two to three years out.

— James Norton

Isabel Subtil / Heavy Table
Isabel Subtil / Heavy Table

Foraged food dinner at Heyday
2700 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis

Slow Food Minnesota and Heyday are heading into the woods, and on Tuesday, May 19, at 6 p.m., they’ll present a four-course diner built around their finds … morels included. Each of the Heyday chefs will create one course — spring greens and vegetables, lake fish, sustainable meat (or a vegetarian option), and dessert.

Between courses, Jim Christansen, Heyday’s executive chef, will talk about slow cooking at Heyday; and Mike Phillips of Red Table Meat Co. and Tracy LeTourneau, a mushroom forager and former proprietor of Terra Waconia, will relate their experiences at Terra Madre, Slow Food’s international gathering in Italy.

Tickets are $35 for Slow Food members and $45 for non-members (tax and tip, but not beverages, included). Reservations are available on Slow Food’s website.

NOW OPEN

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
James Norton / Heavy Table
James Norton / Heavy Table

CLOSED / CLOSING:

  • Pairings in Minnetonka
  • El Burrito Mercado (Midtown Global Market location)
  • Umbria Pizza in Eden Prairie
  • Sapor (closing June 2015)
  • School II Bistro in Chanhassen
  • Bars Bakery (both locations)
  • Campus Pizza
  • Curry ’n’ Noodles | Our review
  • Modern Cafe
  • Twisted Fork | Our review
  • Nye’s Polonaise Room (closing 2015)

COMING UP:

Minneapolis

  • Able Seedhouse and Brewery, 1121 Quincy St NE, Minneapolis | Winter 2015
  • Lakes and Legends Brewing Company, 1368 Lasalle Ave, Minneapolis | Summer 2015
  • Q Fanatic, South Metro, Minneapolis | Summer 2015 (second location)
  • DiNoko’s Pizzeria, 4457 42nd Ave S, Minneapolis | Summer 2015
  • Eggy’s Diner, LPM Apartments, 1369 Spruce Pl, Minneapolis | Summer 2015
  • Bryn Mawr Brewing, 225 Thomas Ave N, Minneapolis | Winter 2015
  • Eastside, 301 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis | August 2015
  • Monello and Constantine, Hotel Ivy 201 S 11th St, Minneapolis | June 2015
  • 4 Bells, 1610 Harmon Place, Minneapolis | Summer 2015
  • La Ceiba Bistro, 3500 Bloomington Ave S, Minneapolis | 2015
  • Seward Co-op Creamery Neighborhood Cafe, 2601 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis | July 2015
  • Parella, Calhoun Square | July 2015
  • Hi-Lo Diner (working name), 4020 E Lake St, Minneapolis | Summer or Autumn of 2015
  • Tattersall Distilling | Summer 2015
  • St. Genevieve, 5003 Bryant Ave S, Minneapolis | Mid-2015
  • Il Foro, City Center, Minneapolis | June 2015
  • Seward Co-op Friendship Store, 317 38th St E | Summer 2015
  • Upton43, 4312 Upton Ave, Minneapolis | September 2015
  • Urban Forage Winery and Cider House, 3016 E Lake St, Minneapolis | Fall 2015
  • Lost Falls Distillery, 1915 E 22nd St, Minneapolis | Early 2015
  • Bradstreet Neighborhood Craftshouse, 1930 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis | Early 2015
  • The Herbivorous Butcher, Minneapolis | Late Spring 2015
  • Pizzeria Lola concept TBD, 165 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis | 2015
  • The Bachelor Farmer Cafe project to be named, 200 N 1st St, Minneapolis | 2015

St. Paul

Katie Cannon / Heavy Table
Katie Cannon / Heavy Table
  • 11 Wells Millwright Cocktail Room, Historic Hamm Building, St. Paul | Spring 2015
  • Lexington (new ownership), 1096 Grand Ave, St. Paul | Spring 2015
  • Saint Dinette, 280 E 5th St, St. Paul | Early 2015

Greater Twin Cities Area and Beyond

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.

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