Sunday, March 3, 2013
Edina plans third new garage where retail once stood.
When real estate professionals talk about the 50th and France area as being a regional destination, they mean it—and a recent decision by the Edina City Council shows just how much of a draw it is. According to the Star Tribune, the city plans to tear down the Edina Realty building at 3930 West 49½ Street, and build a new parking ramp in its place. The ramp would be the third such structure on that block 49½ Street. The new ramp would add over 100 new spaces, after business owners complained that the number of parking stalls wasn't up to snuff, and the city's own plans showing it falling short of its parking targets by over 100 spaces. The Star Tribune did not say whether Edina had considered using mass transit to reduce the demand for …
Friday, March 1, 2013
The Red Cow opened Feb. 18.
Usually, a new restaurant needs a few weeks or months to truly hit its stride. Fulton's new Red Cow, though, seems to be an exception. The burger and wine bar has already scored some warm reviews from the Twin Cities foodie publications. Some highlights: Thrillest, which also snapped some mouth-watering photos, had this to say: The heifers served in Red Cow probably wouldn't be so embarrassed if they knew that they'd one day be eaten in a stylishly industrial comfort-food haven. *** Their fifteen burgers (which range from bison to lamb to duck) include the Manchego/ prosciutto/ piquilllo/ smoked aioli Barcelona, which you'll pronounce with a lisp, but only because your mouth is full of delicious burger. Meanwhile, The Heavy Table had these…
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The Red Cow promises gourmet burgers and a wide selection of wines by the glass.
Minneapolis' newest restaurant opened Monday, Feb. 18, promising gourmet burgers and a wide selection of wines by the glass. Follow us on Facebook | Sign up for our free daily email newsletter The Red Cow, located in the former Blockbuster storefront at 50th and France, will serve lunch, dinner, and late-night fare until 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and until midnight on Sundays. Wine list is quite long, ringing in at 30-plus different reds and whites and a few kinds of bubbly to boot. Most on the list are available by the glass, with a few more available by the bottle. Beer lovers won't feel left out, either, with around 40 taps on offer, around half of which are from Minnesota or Wisconsin. The menu is burger- and sandwich-heavy, with…
Friday, January 25, 2013
50th and France cupcake maker launching fund for research into Minnesota's high moose mortality rate.
Usually, a visit to the Sweet Retreat Cupcake Boutique on the border of Minneapolis and Edina at 50th and France involves a certain amount of guilt, depending on how far away swimsuit season is. But on Feb. 9, Sweet Retreat owner and Eden Prairie resident Robin Johnson wants to give your conscience a bit of a relief. For every cupcake sold at Sweet Retreat that day, Johnson will donate $1 to efforts to understand why Minnesota's moose are dying in record numbers. Every day for the rest of 2013, a donation kettle will also be on hand at the store for any of Thidwick to give their spare change to the same challenge. "As stewards of Minnesota's wildlife, we all need to pitch in because there is not adequate funding to provide more scientific …
Thursday, October 25, 2012
A remastered classic, Edina-based documentary and a look at a Canadian Indian reservation made the cut for this year's festival.
Local film aficionados are in for a treat this week, as the second annual Edina Film Festival runs Oct. 25-27 at 50th & France's historic Edina Cinema. Coming off the success of 2011's maiden voyage, this year's Film Festival is a three-day event designed as a fundraiser for the Edina Art Center. John Swon, chair of the Art Center Board's Film Festival Committee, said this year's slate of films includes everything from powerful documentaries to snappy shorts to golden oldies. "We were very fortunate to have such a variety of films showcasing local filmmakers, including students," Swon said. "We hope this event will become Edina’s newest tradition as it continues to grow." A documentary film about high school bullying called "Minnesota Nice…
Friday, October 19, 2012
City cut deal with New China Wok—if it cleans up its act.
After Fulton take-out restaurant New China Wok barely survived an attempt by the Minneapolis City Council to shut it down over $17,000 in unpaid health code fines, some readers wondered aloud why the establishment was allowed to continue operating after it paid off its fines. “This is a public threat and no amount of finally paying up on his fines is going to make me feel better about eating there. What if a person got severely ill from this restaurant? There are health codes for a reason,” wrote commenter “Leah.” Health inspectors had discovered mouse droppings in the kitchen and storage areas, and numerous other health code violations during repeated visits this summer and fall. An administrative judge ordered the restaurant closed on …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Funding through the federal Bike Walk Twin Cities pilot program made the new bike racks possible.
The 50th & France area is becoming a lot more bike-friendly, with the installation of 29 new bike racks throughout the commercial district. Each of the new racks can hold two adult-sized bikes, offering space for nearly 60 bicycles. Racks were also recently installed on the Edina side of 44th & France. The Bike Edina Task Force proposed the project, which is made possible through funding from a federal pilot program known as Bike Walk Twin Cities, a program through Transit for Livable Communities. Rachel Thelemann, executive director of the 50th & France Business and Professional Association, said she has been trying to get more bike racks installed in the area for a while now. "We want visitors and employees in the area to be able to walk…
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Owner had until Friday to come up with $17,100 in health inspection fines.
Embattled Fulton take-out restaurant New China Wok will get to stay in business, after the Minneapolis City Council dropped its attempt to revoke its license on Friday. New China Wok’s owner Xiu Ben Lan was staring at $17,100 in unpaid fines for health code violations that stretched back to 2008. To put that in perspective, most city fines start at $250, and each repeated violation in any 24-month period incurs a fine double the original, up to $2,000 per violation. According to documents provided to Patch by the City of Minneapolis (posted at right), Lan’s restaurant was forced to temporarily close on Aug. 27 after two inspections that month discovered mouse droppings in the kitchen and storage areas, and numerous other health code …
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
New China Wok is facing allegations of serious health code violations.
Monday afternoon, the Minneapolis City Council's Regulatory, Energy, and the Environment Committee voted to revoke the license of a takeout restaurant at 50th and France for an extensive list of unpaid fines stemming from health code violations over the last four years. According to city inspectors, New China Wok owed the city over $17,000. In an interview with Patch, a city spokesperson said some of the fines dated back to 2008. In 2009, city inspectors and New China Wok's owner Xiu Ben Lan agreed on a deal to bring the restaurant back into compliance with city regulations after it racked up nearly $9,000 in fines for health code violations. The agreement's findings of fact start off noting that after "several violations were noted in …
Friday, September 21, 2012
Minneapolis says restaurant has not paid food inspection fines going back four years
Update 12:30 p.m. 9/25/12: More details about New China Wok's health code violations, including the presence of mouse feces around its to-go containers and slimy kitchen equipment, emerged on Monday. A restaurant at 50th and France is in hot water with the City of Minneapolis, and could lose its license Tuesday over what the city says are years of unpaid food inspection violations. New China Wok owes more than $17,100 in fines, the city says. To put that in perspective, most city fines start at $250, and each repeated violation in any 24-month period incurs a fine double the original, up to $2,000 per violation. "These violations include some going back to 2008," said city spokesperson Matt Laible. A full accounting of New China Wok's …
James Sanna
8:48 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
We've been chatting about this over on our Facebook page. Here's what a couple readers had to say, but I'm still wondering if any of you readers have a sense of what one might need to do to use mass transit to soak up some of this traffic coming in from outside the neighborhood. Jeannie Granaas: "Oh, silly reporter/editor/everything, this IS Edina, for the most part, that we're talkin' about -- … more ›