Potter’s Pasties Plans Permanent Minneapolis Digs

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Readers: Win Heavy Table pint glasses

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.

December’s winner: Paul Schadewald of St. Paul

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

North Coast Nosh VII tickets now available

The staff of The Heavy Table and the crew at Peace Coffee are proud to announce the seventh edition of The North Coast Nosh. This local food sip-and-sample gathering features purveyors such as brewers, cheesemakers, coffee roasters, and more sharing tastes of their products with our food-loving guests.

The Nosh will take place 5:30-8:30pm on Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Peace Coffee roastery in Minneapolis.

Potter’s Pasties (opens this spring)

1827 Como Ave, Minneapolis | 612.819.3107

Another example of what will hopefully be a continuing trend in 2013, Potter’s Pasties, a well-known local food truck, is opening a brick-and-mortar storefront in the Como neighborhood of Minneapolis.

The store will operate out of Joe’s Market in a spot formerly occupied by Broadway Pizza and will have no seating: Customers will head downstairs to the entrance, grab their pasties and head out, which owner Alec Duncan said was the way traditional English pasty shops operate.

Potter’s will sell both fully and partially baked pasties and will have delivery available, while still operating the regular food truck around the Cities. The store will be open 5-10pm weeknights and until at least midnight on the weekends.

“To be honest, I was getting phone calls constantly for pasties after hours, par bakes, ‘where is your truck for dinner?,’ deliveries, etc.,” Duncan said. “The store was kind of a no-brainer.”

The current Potter’s menu will be available at the restaurant as well as some specials that may include seasonal British treats. Duncan said some specials that had proven popular, like a jucy lucy and curried pork pasty, could be added to the permanent menu.

“Seeing how so many late-night delivery establishments offer the same old shit in different ways, we thought, ‘Let’s change it up,’” he said. “And the product seems to be perfect for it. I mean, it’s a versatile food. Comes in its own pocket, easy on the go, not messy unless you’re completely shit-faced or have never been taught how to close your mouth when chewing. I can literally do most food I would present on a plate in the pocket, hence the specials we have done.”

Potter’s Pasties is shooting to be open March 1, but Duncan said he hoped to park the food truck near the new store and be open prior to that to establish a presence as soon as possible.

Smoke in the Pit (opens next month)

3733 Chicago Ave S, Minneapolis

Owners Dwight and Ivy Alexander are hoping to open Smoke in the Pit barbecue sometime next month at 38th St. and Chicago Ave. The barbeque joint, which uses an all-smoke method of cooking, used to operate on East Lake St.; now, the Alexanders are opening a new place closer to their home. This corner is really expanding food-wise, as Kim Bartmann’s Tiny Diner is being built just down the street while Mi Sinaloa and the terrific Blue Ox Coffee Co. have opened in the past couple years.

A must-see photo from the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association’s Facebook page shows the Smoke in the Pit building from the late ’70s. Then, it was a polka-dotted dive called The House of Breakfast that apparently would be well-described as “unconventional.” Check it out.

Becca Dilley / Minnesota Lunch
Becca Dilley / Minnesota Lunch

Blue Door Pub (opens this month)

3448 42nd Ave S, Minneapolis

The saga over the long-delayed Minneapolis Blue Door Pub seems to be finally culminating in an opening date: The Star Tribune says it’ll be open by the end of the month.

Sounds like construction and licensing issues kept pushing back the Blue Door’s progress. No surprise there, but given the fact it’s been on The Tap’s list since August 2011 you have to give its owners a high-five for tenacity.

Expect the cheese-stuffed burgers and craft beers of the St. Paul location, only with a few more seats.

NOW OPEN

CLOSED / CLOSING:

  • Pandolfi, 3922 W 50th St, Edina | 952.928.3000
  • D’Amico Kitchen at the Chambers Hotel, 901 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis
  • Pardon My French, 1565 Cliff Rd, Eagan, and Mall of America
  • River Room (inside Macy’s), 411 Cedar St, St. Paul. Closes Jan. 31. | 651.292.5174
  • Nokomis Grill, 5406 34th Ave S, Minneapolis
  • Takk for Maten, 11 E Superior St, Duluth
  • Origami, 12305 Wayzata Blvd, Minnetonka
  • Italianis, 3508 E Lake St, Minneapolis
  • Adagio Cafe, 5001 Penn Ave S, Minneapolis
  • The Donut Cooperative, 2929 E 25th St, Minneapolis | 612.353.6089

COMING UP:
Minneapolis

  • Smack Shack, Washington Ave N and 6th Ave N, Minneapolis. Opens Jan. 22.
  • Dangerous Man Brewing, 1300 2nd St NE, Minneapolis. Opens Jan. 25. | 612.209.2626
  • Zeke’s Unchained Animal, 3508 E Lake St, Minneapolis | 612.720.9878
  • Northgate Brewing, 3134 California St NE, Minneapolis | 612.234.1056
  • Blue Door Pub, 3448 42nd Ave S, Minneapolis. Opens this month.
  • Glam Doll Donuts, 2605 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis. Opens Feb. 15.
  • Smoke in the Pit, 3733 Chicago Ave S, Minneapolis. Opens in February.
  • Burch Steak, Burch Pizza Bar, 1942 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis. Isaac Becker’s planned steakhouse in old Burch Pharmacy; opens in February.
  • Parka, 4023 E Lake St, Minneapolis. Opens early 2013.
  • One Two Three Sushi, 80 S 8th St (IDS Center Skyway), Minneapolis. Opens early 2013.
  • 612 Brew taproom, 945 Broadway St NE, Minneapolis. Opens early 2013. | 612.217.0437
  • Potter’s Pasties, 1827 Como Ave, Minneapolis. Opens this spring. | 612.819.3107
  • The Nicollet Diner, 1428 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis.
  • The Original Just Turkey Restaurant, 3758 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis
  • Tangiers Eatery and Lounge, 116 First Ave N, Minneapolis.
  • Rincon 38, 3801 Grand Ave S, Minneapolis | 612.408.7063
  • Red Cow, 3624 W 50th St, Minneapolis. Opens in 2013. | 651.336.2179
  • Origami, 1352 Lagoon Ave, Minneapolis. Opens in 2013.
  • Seward Cafe, 2129 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis. Opening for dinner service. | 612.332.1011
  • Broders Wine Bar, 2221 W 50th St, Minneapolis
  • Tiny Diner, 1014 E 38th St, Minneapolis | 612.822.6302
  • Spill the Wine, Lake and Bryant, Minneapolis. Moving from downtown location in April 2013. | 612.339.3388
  • Morrissey’s Irish Pub, 913 W Lake St, Minneapolis. Opens early 2013.
  • Rocky and Shem’s Ice Cream Shoppe, 56th and Chicago, Minneapolis.
  • Sandcastle, Lake Nokomis, Minneapolis. Doug Flicker’s concessionaire restaurant at the lake. Opens spring 2013.
  • Town Hall Tap, 5019 34th Ave S, Minneapolis
  • Marin, 901 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis. Replaces D’Amico Kitchen at the Chambers hotel. Opens this summer.

St. Paul

  • Daily Diner Frogtown, 615 University Ave, St. Paul. Opens this winter. | 651.789.7661
  • Las Sirenas, 199 Plato Blvd, St. Paul. Opens this winter. | 651.888.2233
  • Bang Brewing, 2320 Capp Rd, St. Paul. Opens in 2013.
  • French Meadow, 1662 Grand Ave, St. Paul. Opens in 2013.

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.

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