Appetites: A mini boom of new Twin Cities eateries
Ah, spring. It's a time of longer days, warmer weather and — for those who like to eat out — the possibility of a new favorite Twin Cities restaurant.
Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine's Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl joined MPR News' Tom Crann to chat about the newest options and much more.
What restaurant trends are emerging in the Twin Cities?
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The biggest one without question is: high-end Italian.
Manello, which means sea urchin, will be in the Porter and Frye space inside the Ivy Hotel in Minneapolis. It's brought to you by Mike DeCamp, the long-time chef de cuisine at La Belle Vie. Manello is going to offer a crudo bar where you can get Italian raw seafood.
Parella is going to go into the old Figlio space in Uptown. It's the brainchild of a New York City chef Todd MacDonald. He grew up here, moved back and we've been waiting to see what he's going to do. Figlio had a wood-fire oven, and that's what Parella will be using to prepare everything.
Il Foro is going in the old Forum/Goodfellow's space downtown. The chef is Joe Rolle, and it's overseen by Jack Riebel who used to cook at Goodfellow's. They'll serve classic Italian dishes like porchetta. They want to make it into a classy and friendly gathering place.
Are there other trends worth noting?
Hot dogs. Prairie Dogs is now open at Lyn-Lake in south Minneapolis. Cafe Racer is in the Seward neighborhood. Half Time Rec, located on St. Paul's north side, has a new fancy hot dog menu.
Are there other new restaurants generating a lot of buzz?
Why has Minneapolis-St. Paul never had a "destination" fried chicken place? We raise great chickens. Now, it's happening. It's called Revival, located on the corner of 43rd Street and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. Revival was started by the same people who own Corner Table. Fried chicken photos from Revival are already taking over social media. It's not expensive — because it is fried chicken, after all — but they serve inventive southern-style side dishes.
And it follows another "minor trend," which is heritage American diner classics. A new place called Nighthawks — from the same people who run Haute Dish — is going to be a classic diner on Nicollet and 38th Street.
Plus, Saint Dinette will be the second restaurant from the Strip Club people. It's menu offers classic American food — with Montreal influences — in St. Paul. We're calling it "haute plaid."