The Tap: Restaurant Openings and Closings for Early May

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.

“THE SUMMER OF THE YEAR I TURNED 45”

Jeanne Carpenter, creator of Cheese Underground and the curator of Cheesetopia, has posted a beautifully written essay that’s like a juicy slice of a memoir. I won’t spoil the content by trying to summarize it, but it’s personal, and moving, and reflective of the way that many of the people who spend their time documenting and working within the culinary community feel about their work. — James Norton

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).
  • Colossal Cafe, 2403 E 38th St, Minneapolis| New, larger cafe in the former Pilgrimage location.
  • La Costa, 194 Cesar Chavez St., St. Paul  | Billed as the first Mexican sports bar in Minnesota.
  • Burrigato, 314 15th Ave SE, Minneapolis | The sushi + burrito trend kicked off by SotaRol refuses to die.
  • J Selby’s, 169 Victoria St N, St. Paul | Vegan restaurant that prefers to call itself “plant-based.” (Opened, but is now temporarily closed to retool for larger-than-expected crowds.)
  • The Early Bird, 1612 Harmon Pl, Minneapolis | Formerly Bearcat, formerly Third Bird, still a Kim Bartmann joint. Sometimes referred to just as “The Bird,” further muddying the waters.
Brianna Stachowski / Heavy Table
Brianna Stachowski / Heavy Table

CLOSED / CLOSING:

WACSO / Heavy Table
WACSO / Heavy Table
  • Arnellia’s (closing at the end of the month, after 25 years; we had a blast at Arnellia’s during our Green Line Checklist crawl).
  • Mrs. Dumpling | “Coming Soon,” for many months, now not to open (perhaps ever, as per their Instagram presence.)
  • Tinto Cocina (moving from Uptown to 50th and Penn and expanding).
  • Trotter’s (changed owners, re-opening as Tillie’s Farmhouse)
  • Tanpopo (closing May 23; one of our favorite spots, going offline just as the promising Kado no Mise and Kaiseki Furukawa come online, sunrise sunset)
  • Birdie (the restaurant within a restaurant at Nighthawks closes later this month, May 20).
  • 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.
  • Tenant4300 Bryant Ave S, Minneapolis | May 11 | A tasting-menu-only restaurant in the former Piccolo space.
  • 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).
  • NOLO’s Kitchen and Bar and The Basement Bar, 515 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis | September
  • Hai Hai, 2121 University Ave NE, Minneapolis | Early Fall | New Southeast Asian restaurant by the team behind Hola Arepa at the former Double Deuce.
  • The Cove, 1320 5th St SE, Minneapolis | Soon | Can poke succeed where crudo failed? Let’s find out.
  • Cardigan Donuts, 40 7th St S, Minneapolis | May | More action within the “fancy doughnut” sphere.
  • Rebel Donut Bar, 1226 2nd St NE, Minneapolis | May | More action within the “fancy doughnut” sphere, but in this case miniaturized.
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.
  • Funky Grits, 805 E 38th St, Minneapolis | Late Summer | A soul food spot in the home of the short-lived Hell’s Chicken and Fish.
  • Gray Duck Tavern, 345 Wabasha St, St. Paul | Late May
  • New Matty O’Reilly Spot Name TBD, 1341 Pascal St, St Paul | At the former Como Park Grill location. Eater reports possibly a pizzeria.
  • Waldmann Brewery and Wurstery, 445 Smith Ave, St. Paul | September | “A craft brewery specializing in German lagers and a wurstery offering a variety of house-made sausages.”
  • 12welve Eyes Brewing, 141 E 4th St, St. Paul | Summer | Opening in the Pioneer Endicott Building.
  • 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

  • Back Channel Brewing Collective, 4787 Shoreline Drive, Spring Park | Summer
  • Portillo’s, 8450 Hudson Rd., Woodbury | July 11 | First Minnesota outpost of the famous Chicago hot dog empire.
  • B-52 Burgers and Brew (expansion), 5639 Bishop Ave, Inver Grove Heights  | June | Opening a new rooftop patio with full bar.
  • 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.