That’s your word for the weekend. Crisp air, crisp leaves, crisp apple, crisp blue skies stretching above while you check off your autumn list. The leaves popped, like yesterday, and you are racing against that peak peeping timeline. Maybe don’t race, just plan some apple and cheese strolls, drive to a herring fry, or tuck into a cozy dark basement booth.
NEWS
\\ That cagey coming soon Tim McKee Spanish restaurant project ballyhoo that we weren’t allowed to know the address of? Knowledge has been dropped. It will be housed in the new hotel currently being built across from the former Bachelor Farmer space. The West Hotel will be the first property from boutique Salt Hotels in the state: The West will feature 123 luxe guest rooms and an expansive lobby housed in a former brass foundry, including communal workspaces, fireside lounge, library and bar, creating a vibrant new social hub for Minneapolis. The property will also feature a stone cellar cocktail bar, a rooftop bar with an outdoor terrace featuring sweeping views of the city, an outdoor dining patio and six unique and highly flexible event spaces perfect for meetings, social events and special occasions.
OPENS
+ Billy After Dark (B.A.D) opened this week. The underground lair is a bartender’s bar, serving innovative drinks in a dark and cool basement beneath Billy Sushi in North Loop. Can you get in? I don’t know, can you?
+ 2Pink Squirrels is now open in the Northtown Mall in Blaine. The newly-fangled soda fountain features both regular and boozy milkshakes and a full bar. They’ve got it all from a Salted Bourbon Caramel milkshake, to a Mall Walker Pina Colada made with Jonnie Walker Black, to a nice roster of 90’s cocktails including the Cosmopolitan 2.0 with Aperol. The NA milkshakes are no asides, from Peanut Butter Brownie to Strawberry Shortcake.
+ Shanghai Market is now open again in SLP. The little Asian market which lived on Blake Rd was demolished to make way for new construction. But the shop has relocated to a former Dollar Store on Cedar Lake Rd., in the same strip mall as Ariana’s Kabob & Bistro (love). So now I can go get Guilty Greek Fries and stock up on sesame oil and quail eggs at the same time. Win.
+The new food truck in residence at Sociable Cider Werks is Unidos Co. They’re cooking traditional Mexican recipes mixed with modern takes on U.S. staples. They are open 7 days a week with tostadas, rice bowls, smoked pork tinga, hotdogs and tamales if you’re lucky!
+ I know you’ve seen the new Gold Room Bar open at the Edina Theaters, I’m just asking: Do all the bartenders have to wear name tags that say Lloyd? Can they please?
COMING SOON
>> Zen Box Izakaya is INDEED opening a ramen shop at Eat Street Crossing just like we all shut our eyes and wished hard for. Well done, everyone. Ramen Shoten will use the world famous (and best) Sun Noodle brand ramen for an East meets West menu.
>> Bellecour Bakery is coming to 50th & France. Finally those haunting SoulCycle wrappings can be taken down as we opt for chocolate croissants over sweaty bikes. Is that what they do there?
AGENDA
// Next week is FALL RESTAURANT WEEK! The last one of the year, and the only one with harvesty goodness like pumpkin gnocchi and smoked beet Wellington. Monday through Sunday!
// We are winding down the Oktoberfest season and since it’s ended in München, so should it here. Final party stops if you’ve yet to inhale some pretz + beer: Twin Cities Oktoberfest kicks off tonight on the state fairgrounds. New Ulm is just getting started with their pro-level town-wide festing. Omni Brewing will be Harvest-tober Festing this weekend with craft marketeers and beer.
// While I don’t normally put a lot of stock in non-local out of town traveling fests like Grilled Cheese Fest or Ham Sandwich Fest, I do like this weekend’s Bloody Mary Fest in St. Paul. Local Grey Duck Vodka is sponsoring, my fave Lovejoy’s will be there, and you can bet you’ll find whacked and stacked bloodies topped with garnishes-a-go-go. Fun and vitamin C all at once.
// Owamni isn’t just an incandescently hot restaurant, it’s also Owamni: Falling Water Festival which happens on Saturday. Free and open to everyone, the festival at newly fashioned Water Works park will bring together Indigenous music, art, and food to celebrate the people of the land. Then celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day this Sunday at Midtown Global Market. The free family-friendly event includes food demos and samples from the NATIFS team, Sean Sherman and Dana Thompson from Owamni the restaurant will be honored with quilts, and you can watch ceremonial drummers and dancers through out the day.
// Do you feel like your orchard trips have been missing something? Same. It’s probably cheese, right? Come down to Sweetland Orchard next Sunday the 16th for a walk through the trees with owner Gretchen Perbix, cheesemonger par excellance Benjamin Roberts from France 44, and me! We are going to eat apples, pair with cheese, throw witticisms, and just complete each other.
// You could go from apples to chili and round out your karma wheel on the 16th if you show up for Chef Jack’s Memorial Chili Bowl. The chili cook off will be held at the Saint Paul College as a tribute to our Jack Riebel who passed last year. Bring your crockpot and measure up against some rising stars, or just come and sample and get real judgey. Proceeds and donations go to benefit the college’s culinary scholarship fund.
// If there was ever a reason to hit up Beaver Bay for North Shore leaf peepin (who actually cares what color they are by then), it’s the Beaver Bay Octobeerfest & Herring Fry on Oct 22. Legendary bar The Green Door is hosting along with Baptism River BBQ and it’s just gonna be a whole day of live music, good drinks, and fried fish. Go.