If you’re mad at the snow, just remember that it benefits your farmers market hauls next year. If you’re mad at the cold, just remember that it keeps out the really big spiders. If you’re properly clothed, you’re happy and looking for snacks. Lace up and get out to Great Northern fun stuff, hit up a Sunday roast as a reward, or tuck some hot wings into your Sorels.
NEWS
\\ Tell me you don’t want some Chili Cheese Beer from Modist and Hormel for the big sipping and dipping sportsball day. Stop lying.
\\ The James Beard Semifinalists have been announced, and we have five names in the bucket (4 of which are women!). Final nominations will be announced on March 29.
\\ Have you also been wondering how THC beverages fit into the Dry January sober movement?
\\ Texas thinks they own Dairy Queen.
OPENS
+ Bricksworth Beer Co. has been busy transforming the former Darby’s space in the North Loop for their second location, the first being in Burnsville. While they officially open next week on February 1, there might be some soft open hours this weekend if you want to check out the Detroit-style pizza and hot wings.
+ On February 1, Wilde Cafe & Spirits will transition into Pivo Riverplace. The new owners are changing up the decor and adding a new dinner menu, with the promise of a new bar in March. The riverfront patio will launch this spring with fresh awnings and windows to better welcome the mighty Mississip. Pivo means beer in some 78 languages, and they are hoping to become your favorite pilsner focused pub.
CLOSES
– Kieran’s Kitchen + Market will close temporarily this Saturday. The social hub of the FOOD Building will rebrand and reposition their business model, while also working with the Red Table Meat transition to Lowry Hill Provisions. They plan to reopen in the spring. OF NOTE: Baker’s Field Flour will still be able to be picked up onsite.
COMING SOON
>> The last name on the Eat Street Crossing roster is out: Sushi Dori is the final counter to be named in the imminently arriving food hall. The counter will offer creative sushi, promising unique styles and ingredients that John Ng and Lina Goh have learned about on their travels abroad. Can’t. Wait.
>> The former VFW in Waconia is about to become Bode Gray’s, a stylish Italian eatery with artisan pizzas. The downstairs has been converted to a speakeasy, known as The Brass Hat Dive Shop, which has its own entrance and membership card (which are still for sale), though it will be open to the public.
>> Remember that blurb in the Jan. 6 Feed about Bogart’s Doughnuts coming to St. Louis Park’s Miracle Mile shopping center? Confirmed.
AGENDA
// The Great Northern has officially kicked off! The dinners have all sold out, but you can still get in on some fun around town at participating restaurants:
- Malcolm Yards has Sauna Villages, an ice shot wall (do the ice shot, hurl the ice glass at the ice wall like a proper Viking). And they host the closing night party with an outdoor screening of Moonage Daydream along with New Scenic Cafe’s food truck.
- Giulia in Hotel Emery is featuring The Northern Hotdish Pizza through Feb. 5th.
- Blue Plate Restaurants (Freehouse, Longfellow Grill, etc.) have a special Winter Wonderland Menu featuring Swedish Meatball Pot Pie and Chocolate Mint French Toast among other things.
- Saint Dinette is offering Pommes de Terre Casserole— a potato skin loaded with tator tot hotdish, along with two cocktails to honor Montreal.
// The Winter Carnival is also tossing good frosty vibes your way!
// If you missed Burns Night this week, Merlin’s Rest will catch you up tonight. The high holiday of whisky and poetry will be celebrated with the readings of Robbie Burns, the eating of the haggis, the sipping of the single malt, and so much dark and brooding wool.
// It’s Winter Fest out at 45th Parallel Distillery in New Richmond this weekend. They’re hosting the 2023 Fat Bike Worlds Championship race, which is very cool. They’ve also got an ice bar, bonfires, a local maple syrup pancake breakfast, plus great pizza in the distillery.
// Go fly a kite = not an insult this Saturday with the Lake Harriet Winter Kite Festival returning to the ice. So many kites dancing through the air, it’s really magic. And there are food trucks and free s’mores, so it fits here.
// And how do you deny the greatness of Art Sled Rally Day? Remember when I made that burger sled? No?
// If you’re better with avoidance, consider Bent Brewstillery’s Winter Luau on Saturday. There’s a whiskey drink called Rip Tide with hibiscus among the tropical drinks being served all day. And Kalua pork, SPAM sandwiches and more to fog your memory on where you actually live.
// Also get in some soothing whydontcha. Sovereign Starts Seedling Co. are hosting a Tea Blending class on Sunday. Using herbs they’ve grown or collected from organic gardens, they’ll show how to blend, talk about medicinal properties of such sippers, and send you home with a tea satchel of your own.
// If you’re out and about any of the Sundays in town, think about popping into The Lynhall’s new Sunday Roast dinner in Uptown. Big hearty main plates like porchetta and prime rib are served with beef fat potatoes, sticky cabbage, and Yorkshire pudding. Don’t skip the mushroom polenta side dish, it’s a healer. Served every Sunday, 4:30-8:30.
// The guest chef series continues at Guacaya Bistreaux with Sean Sherman on deck Tues. The Owamni chef will be joining Pedro Wolcott to throw down a six course dinner combining the flavors of Latin Caribbean and Indigenous cuisine. There are two seatings, for $90/person, for the menu which includes heirloom corn cake with annatto beans, roasted poblano, and spiced pepita as well as bodochi—yellow rice bollo on bijao leaves, coffee-marinated skirt steak, smoked sofrito sauce and roasted cashews.