Thursday, March 14, 2013
Sparrow Cafe, Paperback Exchange to get facelift.
Anyone passing through the intersection of West 50th Street and Penn Ave South in the last few days couldn't help but notice that the front of one of its buildings is missing. Instead, construction workers are giving a facelift to the storefronts housing Sparrow Cafe, the Paperback Exchange, and the future home of a wine bar run by the Broder family. "They started early, which caught us a little off-guard, but we're really excited. It should look great when finished and the sooner, the better," Sparrow Cafe owner Jasper Rajendren wrote in an email to Patch on Wednesday. "We are very excited: the (larger) windows will give the space a more modern and open feel and a better presence on corner, as well as better visibility from the street. …
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…
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Rincón 38 opened at 4 p.m. on Feb. 27.
After holding on for the better part of a year, Kingfield finally has its tapas bar, helmed by the chef also behind the popular Cafe Ena, Hector Ruiz. Tuesday afternoon, Rincón 38's Facebook page announced it was opening at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27. The restaurant was originally slated to open in early 2012, but problems with securing licenses from the city delayed the opening for almost a year. It finally secured a wine and beer license late last year. As Patch first reported last year, the restaurant will focus on traditional Spanish fare: “Rincón” means “little corner” in Spanish, and little it will be, with only 35 seats and plenty of little tables and a counter of single stools. The inspiration, Ruiz said, was the Spanish habit of…
Friday, February 22, 2013
James Beard award is top accolade of the foodie world.
Southwest Minneapolis is well-known as a top foodie destination in Minnesota, but who knew it might be in the running for a nationally-important food award? Earlier this week, the James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for its 2013 awards, to be presented in May. Among the scores of candidates are three of Southwest Minneapolis' own—Chefs Steven Brown (Tilia) and Doug Flicker (Piccolo), and Restaurateur Kim Bartmann (Gigi's, Bread and Pickle, Barbette, Bryant-Lake Bowl, Red Stag Supper Club, Pat's Tap). Brown and Flicker will face off against 18 of their fellow Midwestern chefs for a shot at the "Best Chef: Midwest" title, while Bartmann is up against 19 peers from across the country in the "Outstanding Restaurateur" category…
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, February 15, 2013
The Bayers' Hardware building has been vacant since fall 2012.
With construction work evident within the walls of two once-bustling storefronts in the Linden Hills village, speculation is rife over just what exciting new businesses might be in store for the neighborhood. Rumors fly that Zumbro Cafe is expanding into the former home of Linden Hills Florists, although the building's owner refused to comment on the space's new tenant when contacted by Patch. As of publication time, Zumbro's owner has not returned our call seeking comment. Given the brisk business Zumbro does, an expansion of the breakfast-and-lunch eatery might seem only natural. What might not seem quite as self-evident, though, are rumors that downtown staple Brit's Pub is planning to open a branch in the Bayers' Hardware building. …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The much-hyped Lynn on Bryant wins over Star Tribune food critic Rick Nelson.
So far, reviews of Lynnhurst's four-month old restaurant have come back a mixed bag. Many laud certain dishes at the Lynn on Bryant, like its rustic apple tart or its breakfast sandwich. One Patch reader even said of his food "every bite was a slice of heaven." At the same time, professional and amateur reviewers alike have called out the prices at a place that bills itself as a neighborhood restaurant and cited somewhat uneven service. Count the Star Tribune's Rick Nelson among The Lynn's converts, however. In a 1,000-word review published Wednesday afternoon, he gushed compliments like a severed artery, cooing over everything from the restaurant's burger to the paint job. Chief among his compliments: Chef Peter Ireland and pastry chef …
Friday, February 8, 2013
Hello Pizza received approval for a wine and beer license from the Edina City Council Tuesday night.
Look out, Linden Hills: you're about to get a slice of heaven, courtesy of Pizzeria Lola's Anne Kim. The owner of Armatage's most famous pizza establishment—a favorite of local and national food critics—let slip that she aims to open her new restaurant, Hello Pizza, on the site of the former Franklin Street Bakery at 44th and France in March. Kim, who also lives in Edina, spoke before an Edina City Council wine and beer license hearing on Tuesday evening. Kim said the restaurant will have 32 seats in total, with a focus on by-the-slice sales during lunch and family-oriented traffic in the evenings. "We expect people picking up whole pies to go or coming in for a quick bite to eat before a movie or something," Kim said. "Our pizzas are …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Heavy Table calls Sparrow Cafe "zen.'
Several weeks ago, we asked whether Lynnhurst's new Sparrow Cafe had what it would take to survive on a corner where its two predecessors had failed. We were optimistic but the proof, as ever, is in the pudding. Local foodie website The Heavy Table popped by the Sparrow recently, and came back with an early review. The pudding, it seems, is looking tasty. (W)hat a relief it is that the new Sparrow Cafe, open since the beginning of the year across the street from Broders’ Pasta Bar, lives up to the ideal, a tiny corner of zen in the middle of South Minneapolis. Find out just what they liked about Sheila and Jasper Rajendren's new coffee shop at HeavyTable.com. If you want to add your own review, check out their listing in our directory and…
Monday, February 4, 2013
Second annual Empty Bowls event brings together local artists, chefs, and needy.
For the second year in a row, the Kingfield Neighborhood Association is bringing the Southwest Minneapolis community together to support those in need. Thursday night, volunteer chefs, potters, and diners will come together for a dinner of gourmet soup and bread, designed to raise money for Kingfield's Nicollet Square, home to 42 formerly homeless youth. Here's the deal, according to the KFNA: “Empty Bowls” is an event where we share what Kingfield Neighborhood does best: hosting events, being friendly, creating community, and serving great food! And then we give the proceeds away to help an organization in our neighborhood. At this one-night event, we collect handmade bowls and invite the community to join us for a soup dinner. For a …
James Sanna
12:21 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
Those poor construction workers! more ›