Sunday, February 3, 2013
Three words: delicious pie "flights."
The Grand Cafe, long a neighborhood fixture in Kingfield, recently celebrated National Pie Day with a delicious-sounding mix of pie tasting "flights" and a prix fixe meal. The $25 per person dinner featured seared pork tenderloin and braised pork belly served with escarole sautéed with garlic and guanciale, roasted squash puree and kumquat marmalade, and a salad. The pie flights featured Chocolate Chess, Honey Bourbon Apple w/ Rosemary Whip, Salty Honey. Local food journalists from The Heavy Table were there. While some parts of the main course got mixed reviews, they were bowled over by the pies: We quickly forgot about the pale pork when the servers brought out the pie flights. The wait was over, and it was well worth it. All six …
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Patrons get relief from construction.
According to a post on the Linden Hills Dunn Bros. Facebook page, patrons are finally able to enjoy the fruits of January's construction. The hammering, drilling, and general racket that filled the shop will now be replaced by the sounds of baking. Fresh salads, sandwiches, and pizzas will be on offer, along with house-made baked goods. Dunn Bros. locations across the country have been adding similar bakeries since 2011, under the label "Provisions Bakery Cafe." The chain of coffee franchises had launched the project in an effort to help franchisees expand their business, according to a news release from the company. The project's first test store, next to the former Azia restaurant on Nicollet Ave, earned praise from Star Tribune food …
Monday, January 21, 2013
Kingfield's Grand Cafe offering flights of, well, pies.
When National Pie Day rolls around on Jan. 23, Kingfield's Grand Cafe is planning on celebrating with gusto. The eatery is offering a $25 prix fixe menu, served once at 6 p.m. and a second time at 8 p.m., created and baked especially for this event by local "style maker and pie baker" Christine Hoffman. From the restaurant's invitation: The pie flight will include:Chocolate Chess, Honey Bourbon Apple w/ Rosemary Whip, Salty Honey, and other delectable varieties to be announced. Preceding the pie, and offering the perfect counterpoint to their flaky goodness, Chefs McIntosh and Schroeder will prepare a Duroc Pork Duo: seared pork tenderloin and braised pork belly served with escarole sautéed with garlic and guanciale, roasted squash puree …
Owners confident they'll beat corner's run of bad luck.
When the Sparrow Cafe opened at the corner of 50th and Penn at the start of this month, you may be forgiven for feeling worried for owners Sheila and Jasper Rajendren. The coffee shop is the third such establishment to open on that corner in as many years, and its predecessor, Adagio Cafe, closed after just one year in business. To top it all off, a Bruegger's Bagel Bakery sits across the street from the store, purveying some of the same kinds of products—coffee and breakfast food—as Sparrow, but with the backing of a large corporation. In an interview with Patch, Jasper Rajendren was all smiles about the cafe's prospects. He dismissed the idea that this corner of Southwest Minneapolis was over-saturated with coffee offerings with the easy…
Monday, January 14, 2013
Sparrow Cafe opened Jan. 1
Lynnhurst's new Sparrow Cafe has a lot to offer. Maple-bacon doughnuts and other locally-made pastries. Organic, fair trade house blend coffee. Friendly staff and owners. But there's one other thing visitors can stop by and see: a giant mural done by Minneapolis graffiti artists Broken Crow. (Disclosure: Co-owner Jasper Rajendren gave me a maple-bacon doughnut to try while I was taking photos. However, that did not influence my decision to photograph said pastry)
Saturday, January 12, 2013
A rustic apple tart and a Pȃté en Croûte, among others, get praise.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Food journalist names two eateries among his favorite food moments of 2012.
James Norton, editor of local foodie website The Heavy Table, was on The Current's Morning Show on Wednesday to discuss some of his favorite food moments of 2012. Not so surprisingly, he mentioned two Southwest Minneapolis restaurants on-air. The Lynn on Bryant The Lynn's "rustic" apple tart was top on his list. "It was like edible art, it melted in my mouth," he told the hosts, praising the different textures and the house-made ice cream that tops the dessert. "It was beautifully balanced," he said. "So elegant. You put it in your mouth and you're—boom—taken away." Corner Table At one of the Heavy Table's North Coast Nosh events this year, chefs from Kingfield's Corner Table brought what Norton thought to be a delicious Pȃté en Croûte…
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Sun Street Breads gets love from hip men's magazine Details.
Step inside Sun Street Breads on most mornings, and you likely won't get very far—there's typically a huge line of hungry customers snaking almost to the door. With a fan base like that, it's safe to say that Sun Street is probably one of the more well-loved bakeries in Minneapolis. But, according to the rather hip men's magazine Details, those fans are queuing up for some of the best bread in America. In the magazine's most recent issue, Sun Street Breads was named among the six best gourmet bakeries in the country. It shares that lofty perch with peers from New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and, Austin, TX. Here's what they had to say about Kingfield's delicious gem: Solveig Tofte's fan-swarmed farmers'-market stand is all grown up, …
Friday, January 4, 2013
Sparrow Cafe takes space vacated by now-closed Adagio Cafe.
Wednesday morning, local residents Sheila and Jasper Rajendren unlocked the front door of the Sparrow Cafe to let in customers for the first time. The new coffee shop has taken up residence in the former Adagio Cafe space at the corner of West 50th Street and Penn Avenue South. The late coffee shop closed last year. Adagio had itself replaced the former Dragonfly Coffee, which closed in 2011. “It’s been our dream to create a beautiful space where people can savor life while enjoying delicious, healthy food and drink. We will seek out the best artisan roasters who share our commitment to fair trade and eco-friendly practices, and source our baked good and other food items from local suppliers who share our vision,” Sheila Rajendren, wrote …
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Eight homes lost in Dec. 28 blaze.
Uptown restaurant Amore Victoria is trying to help victims of Dec. 28's condo building fire on Lake Street, according to the Star-Tribune. The three-alarm fire cast eight families out of their homes in the brown-and-white stucco building next door to a Dunn Bros. coffee shop, and kitty-corner from Amore Victoria and fellow restaurant Barbette. We feel like we're a part of this community," said [restaurant co-owner] Jenna Victoria. "And being so close to that particular building made it feel that much more real. It really made us feel like we have to do it. We're all neighbors here. We knew many of them; they're our customers. And it's just something you do in a time of need. The Victoria family are offering free meals to the fire's victims…
Diana W
1:20 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
I heard that the Bayer’s Hardware Building is going to be a restaurant. But the building is in such poor shape it will be cheaper to tear the building down and build a new one, rather than remodel it. I heard that it is expensive to remodel and get up to code. I haven’t heard if someone purchased the space or if they are leasing. I also would like to get some solid information on all the changes … more ›