Jeremy Iggers The old curmudgeon is at it again. Michael Morse, crusty former owner of the late, lamented Café Un Deux Trois and a schmoozer extraordinaire, now presides over the Landmarc Grill in the Normandy Inn and Suites in downtown Minneapolis. It’s the kind of comfort-food joint that Morse has talked about opening for years, serving roast … Read more
It’s a lesson that generations of Twin Cities restaurateurs have learned the hard way: The number of haute-cuisine restaurants that locals are willing to support at any given time is extremely small. Like, around two. When the number gets much higher, you have too much foie gras chasing too few gullets, and the population crashes … Read more
The more traditional Somali cafés, with their sex-segregated seating and all-Somali clientele, can feel a bit uninviting to outsiders, but owner Sade Hashi makes everybody feel welcome at Safari Restaurant, just south of downtown Minneapolis. The original location, a few doors away, was friendly but frumpy; the new space is downright stylish, with an espresso … Read more
Gene “Big Daddy” Sampson, is back at the pit – at least one day a week. Sampson, a legend on the local barbecue scene, got his start selling ribs and chicken next to Tiger Jack’s shack on Dale Street, near the I-94 entrance ramp, with his buddies Ron Whyte and Bob Edmond. Sampson gradually worked … Read more
Enterprising chef Lenny Russo, back at his Heartland Midwestern Restaurant after a stint at Cue, is working with the Saint Paul Growers Association to create a new retail store and distribution center next door to the Lowertown Farmers Market. The retail store will feature locally grown foods — fresh, canned, or frozen — year-round, while … Read more
Oh boy! A sushi tsunami in downtown Minneapolis! We’ve already got Origami, Nami, and Koyi Sushi in the warehouse district, sushi at Martini Blu at the Grand Hotel, Ichiban on the Nicollet Mall, Wasabi on Washington Avenue near the Metrodome, Tensuke Sushi in the skyways… and now, joining them in mid-August, in the former Olive … Read more
I stopped for Happy Hour by at Harry’s Food and Cocktails, 500 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis, last week, about 15 minutes after they opened for business, and found lots on the menu that I would like to try, including starters of grilled beef ribs with garlic and ginger ($11) and braised pork ribs with lentils … Read more
Poutine will be on the snack menu at Harry’s Food & Cocktails, which opens this Thursday at 500 Washington Ave. S. in Minneapolis. The restaurants of Montreal offer interpretations of poutine made with everything from foie gras to pineapple, but chef Steven Brown will feature the classic version of this Quebec specialty on his snack … Read more
I usually avoid pre-opening parties and opening night events, but last night I stumbled into one by accident. Riding down Bryant Ave.in south Minneapolis, I saw that the Opening Soon facade had been torn away from the former Caribou Coffee storefront at 815 W. 50th, so I parked my bike and entered. The host informed … Read more
The waiters at Picosa wear black t-shirts with a sleek dancing nymphette logo on the front, and a legend on the back that says either “He hopes she’s dirty” or “She hopes he’s rich.” So, it’s a safe bet that the clientele isn’t coming to the new restaurant/bar in Riverplace in search of gastronomic thrills. … Read more