Got a call from J.D. Fratzke, talented chef at Muffuletta in Saint Paul’s Saint Anthony Park. He gave notice last Saturday, and after 10 years working for Parasole, is about to embark on a new adventure – he’ll be a chef and partner at the Strip Club, the new neighborhood steakhouse that Tim Niver and Aaron Johnson (owners of the Town Talk Diner) are opening in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood just east of Saint Paul. "Tim and I have been friends for a very long time," said Fratzke. "When I was
the salad boy at Pronto he was the general manager there. He showed me the space (the former Pop’s Family Restaurant spot) and I just fell in love with it."
At Muffuletta, Fratzke was known for supporting small farmers and using local, sustainably grown meats and produce, and he says he’ll do the same at the Strip Club. The steaks will be grassfed, from the 1000 Hills Cattle Company in Cannon Falls, and he’ll continue to serve Ledebuhr’s wild rice sausages, made at the meat market in his home town of Winona. Beyond steaks, Fratzke promises some midwestern touches on the menu: Swedish meatballs, walleye fritters and even a Braunschweiger sandwich.
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