The Tap: The Lowry, Bull Run Roasting Co., Bread & Pickle, and more

The Tap by Jason Walker

The Lowry (opening this July)

2112 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis | blueplaterestaurantcompany.com

Blue Plate’s foray into Uptown has a name: The Lowry. Company VP Stephanie Shimp said the new bar and restaurant would stick to the breakfast-lunch-dinner template of its siblings (Edina Grill, Highland Grill, Groveland Tap et al) but add a few twists like the keg wine of Scusi and an Uptown schedule.

“It’s a thriving neighborhood, so we feel there’s a need for late-night cocktails,” Shimp said. “We’re looking at 24 or 30 taps, and we’ll focus on craft beer, like we do at Groveland Tap or Longfellow Grill.”

Blue Plate’s neighborhood-vibe mold ain’t broke, and The Lowry won’t fix it. The interior, though, will have unique features. “The seating package and interior design is like nothing else I’ve seen in Minnesota,” she said. “We’re going to put all the tap handles on the back of the bar so the bar top will remain open, which we think provides for better conversation, better engagement and interaction with your bar staff.”

The food will be about half of Blue Plate’s popular standards, like turkey burgers, pierogies, and sweet potato fries, and then half chef’s specialties.

“We want to do some fun stuff there that makes us not like every other restaurant in Uptown,” Shimp said. “We really want to be that neighborhood place. I grew up in a small town, and my dad went downtown at least three days a week. And if he didn’t have breakfast, then he’d have a cup of coffee. And if he didn’t have a bowl of oatmeal, then he had a cup of coffee with the men who sat at ‘that table’ … that’s part of the fabric of the community. We like to do that and be a little bit fashion-forward, but you’ve still gotta be something that people aren’t afraid to wear or try on. I think we’re pretty good at it.”

The Lowry is set to open in late July.

Bull Run Roasting Co. (now open)

3346 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis | 612.545.5972 | bullrunroasting.com

The old Cars-R-Coffins space quickly reopened as Bull Run Roasting Co., and the well-respected St. Louis Park-based coffee outfit has already found a friend in John Kraus of Patisserie 46. The swoon-worthy South Minneapolis bakery will provide sandwiches and treats at Bull Run, giving manager Gordon Bellaver’s shop a one-two punch of quality.

“Likely we’ll have one meat and one veggie (sandwich) per day,” Bellaver said. “It’s quite remarkable stuff, really.”

Bellaver said the shop would offer pourover-brewed coffee using single-origin beans from places like Papua New Guinea and Burundi. He also described some of the shop’s specialty drinks, including “The Breakfast Latte,” which uses pepper bacon-infused maple syrup.

“My goal for the shop is to have fun while providing coffee prepared well,” Bellaver said. “I want to have fun, and in doing so I’ve gotten creative with some special coffee drinks and asked the staff to do so as well.”

Bread & Pickle (opens this month)

4135 W Lake Harriet Pkwy, Minneapolis | breadandpickle.com

A menu is up at Bread & Pickle, the new Kim Bartmann eatery at the Lake Harriet Bandshell. Open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., B&P will offer a basic menu of sandwiches, like a grass-fed beef burger, ham and cheese, and chicken and egg salad as well as breakfast egg sandwiches, snacks like deep-fried pickles, fries, and cheese curds, and concessionaire favorites like ice cream, popcorn, and cookies. Organic coffee and espresso are available, as well as a picnic menu for box lunches or groups.

It’s an interesting project given the small kitchen, long hours, and seasonal crowds, and Bartmann’s concept was chosen from several vying for the space. With solid coffee and affordable, high-quality food, Bread & Pickle will likely be a gold mine, especially if beer and wine are eventually permitted. No walk around Lake Harriet will ever be the same — the old food service was a glorified concession stand with little more than basic junk food.

NOW OPEN

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
  • Sopranos Italian Kitchen, 5331 W 16th St, St. Louis Park | sopranosmn.com
  • American Burger Bar, 800 LaSalle Pl (8th St and Hennepin Ave), Minneapolis | americanburgerbar.com
  • Pizza Ranch, 1220 Highway 25 S Suite 104, Monticello | 320.250.8095 | pizzaranch.com
Breads at Sun Street Breads in South Minneapolis
Katie Cannon / Heavy Table
Katie Cannon / Heavy Table

CLOSED / CLOSING:

  • Stabby’s Cafe, 4159 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis
  • Steamworks Coffee & Tea, 2201 44th Ave N, Minneapolis
  • Porky’s, 1890 University Ave W, St. Paul
  • A&W, 3006 Rice St, Roseville
  • Bullwinkles, 1429 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis
  • Cars-R-Coffins, 3346 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis
  • Kozy’s, 3220 Galleria, Edina
  • Tillie’s Bean, 2803 E 38th St, Minneapolis
  • Dragonfly Coffee, 5001 Penn Ave S, Minneapolis
  • Willie D’s Southern Style, 3801 Chicago Ave S, Minneapolis
  • Le CrazyTaste Bakery, 1316 SE 4th St, Minneapolis
  • Applebees, 600 Hennepin Ave (Block E), Minneapolis
  • Rosen’s Bar & Grill / The Refuge Bar & Grill, 430 1st Ave N, Minneapolis
  • The Tea Garden, 101 E 5th St, St. Paul | teagardeninc.com
  • Aperitif Restaurant & Bar, 772 Bielenberg Dr, Woodbury
  • Ansari’s Mediterranean Grill, 1960 Rahn Cliff Ct, Eagan. Closed temporarily due to fire. | 651.452.0999 | ansarisgrill.com
  • Amore Coffee, 917 Grand Ave, St. Paul
  • Lily’s, 3301 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
  • 20.21, 1750 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis | 612.253.3410
  • West Indies Soul Food, 920 E Lake St #114, Minneapolis (Midtown Global Market)

COMING UP:

  • Masu Sushi & Robata, 330 E Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis. Opens April 18. | 612.332.6278 | www.masusushiandrobata.com
  • Tin Fish, 3000 Calhoun Parkway East, Minneapolis. Opens for season April 23. | 612.823.5840 | http://www.thetinfish.net/LC-MN/index.htm
  • Bread & Pickle, 4135 W Lake Harriet Parkway (at bandshell), Minneapolis. Opens this month. | breadandpickle.com
  • Wuollet Bakery, 200 S 6th St (U.S. Bank Plaza skyway), Minneapolis. Opens this month. | www.wuollet.com
  • Brasa Viva Brazil, 913 W Lake St, Minneapolis. Opens this month.
  • Goda Cafe, 3400 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis. Opens this month. | 612.823.3535
  • The Lowry Cafe, 2207 Lowry Ave N, Minneapolis. Opens this month. | 612.284.7087 | Find it on Facebook
  • Modern Times Cafe, 3200 Chicago Ave S, Minneapolis. Opens this month. | 612.886.3882
  • The Nicollet, 1931 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis | 612.424.5513 | Find it on Facebook
  • Humble Pie, 822 W 36th St, Minneapolis. Kim Bartmann’s revamp of Gigi’s; opens spring 2011. | 612.825.0818
  • The Bullfrog, 1111 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis. Opens this spring.
  • Turtle Bread, 4205 E 34th St, Minneapolis. Opens spring 2011. | turtlebread.com
  • Chilango Cantina, 212 E 7th St, St. Paul. Opens late April / early May.
  • Pizza Ranch, 16995 Kenyon Ave, Lakeville. Opens early May. | 952.898.3333 | pizzaranch.com
  • Gather, 1750 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis. Opens in May.
  • Pat’s Tap, 3510 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis. Opens spring 2011. | 612.822.8216 | patstap.com
  • Crave, 825 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis (former Palomino). Opens this spring | craveamerica.com
  • Blue Point, 4400 78th St, Bloomington. Opens this spring.
  • Las Tortillas Mexican Restaurant, 15051 Crestone Ave, Rosemount. Opens this spring. | www.lastortillas.net
  • Little Szechuan, Shops at West End, St. Louis Park. Opens in May. | littleszechuan.com
  • Burger Jones,1617 County Road 42, Burnsville. Opens in May. | burgerjones.com
  • Wise Acre Eatery, 5401 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis (in former Liberty Frozen Custard). Opens in May. | www.tangletowngardens.com
  • Maeve’s Cafe, 300 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis. Opens spring 2011. | 612.379.1033 | maeves.com
  • Rosa Mexicano, 6th and Hennepin, Minneapolis (in City Center next to Fogo de Chao). Opens this summer. | rosamexicano.com
  • Cranky’s Bicycle Bar, E Lake St, Minneapolis. Opens summer 2011. | crankysbicyclebar.com
  • The Lowry, 2112 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis. Opens in July. | blueplaterestaurantcompany.com
  • Pig & Fiddle, 3808 W 50th St, Minneapolis. Opens this summer.
  • Mill Valley Kitchen, 3900 Excelsior Blvd, St. Louis Park. Opens this summer.
  • Eat Street Social, 26th St and Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis. Opens this summer.
  • Blue Door Pub, 26th St and Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis | thebdp.com
  • Betty’s Pies, Mall of America | bettyspies.com
  • La Crepe Nanou, Huey’s 24 / 7 Diner, The Wine Loft, Shops at West End, St. Louis Park | lacrepenanou.com | hueys247diner.com | thewineloft.net
  • Pittsburgh Blue, 3200 Galleria (former Kozy’s), Edina. Opens this fall. | pittsburghbluesteak.com
Jill Lewis / Heavy Table
  • Five Guys, 230 7th St, St. Paul | fiveguys.com
  • YO!Sushi | Company says five metro locations coming, first in Minneapolis in 2011. | yosushi.com

The Tap is The Heavy Table’s guide to area restaurant openings, closings, and other major events. The Tap is compiled by Heavy Table writer Jason Walker, and will be published biweekly. If you already subscribe to our newsletter, look for an emailed version of The Tap every other week — otherwise, you can find it on the website on alternating Tuesdays.

If you’ve got tips for The Tap, please email Jason Walker at jason@heavytable.com. Follow The Tap on Twitter at @jasonwalkermpls.

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