The Grater Good in Norwood Young America and The Buckboard of Lakeville
The Tap for Friday, September 27, 2024
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BACK TO BASICS AT THE BUCKBOARD
By James Norton
If there’s one thing wrong with breakfast and brunch places in general, it’s that they often overthink it. It’s yet another example of hotel restaurant-think taking over otherwise approachable and inviting concepts. Rather than, say, three pieces of French toast for $9, you get house-made challah French toast stuffed with bourbon sauteed bananas, studded with raw honey oat-and-amaranth clusters drizzled with a passionfruit coulis. For $19. And while nothing in the world can taste as good as that first mouthful of sweetened passionfruit and bourbon sauteed bananas, you’ll finish half of it before realizing your eyes have once again betrayed your stomach. Once again, the classics have it over the high-gloss, high-production alternative.
Diner-forward breakfast fundamentalists would be well advised to get down to Lakeville, Minn. and break their fast at The Buckboard. It’s all skillets and scrambles, pancakes and bacon, potatoes and simulated commercial-grade syrup here. Despite the intense commitment to nothin’ fancy breakfast - or, more likely, because of it -
The Buckboard was packed to capacity when we popped by last Sunday morning. It had all the hallmarks of a Serious Operation - the hostess greeted most of the diners by their first names, tables were cleared and reset with military precision, and the waiting list snapped along smartly. We were told we’d need to wait 10 minutes for a table; 7 minutes later, we were threading our way through a packed-to-capacity dining room to slip into a round booth in the back corner of the restaurant.
The food at The Buckboard is workmanlike, in every sense of the term. No boundaries are pushed; nothing is redefined. But everything functions and breakfast is exactly what you wanted and hoped for, right down to the good-enough-to-the-point-of-perfect diner coffee.
The Breakfast Special emblazons the front of The Buckboard’s menu, and it couldn’t be more on point: 2 pancakes, 2 crispy strips of bacon, and 1 egg your way, $12. If I have one objection to most pancakes out there, it’s that they’re bready and huge and gross. Not so with The Buckboard pancakes; while they’re not Al’s “transcendental ladder to heaven” grade delicious, they’re tasty, nicely sized, and emblazoned with a bit of crispy exterior that plays nicely with the fluffier interior.
The kid’s pancakes are hella cute, too.
The Farmer’s Skillet ($15) suffered from its use of right-outta-the-plastic-bag shredded cheese, but Becca and I grew up in Madison, Wisc. eating scramblers at Mickey’s, so we’re a tough crowd. And the other elements worked and made for a hearty start to the day: a meat trio (ham, bacon, sausage), plus hash browns, onions, green peppers, melted cheese (or gravy), 2 eggs, and toast because why not?
In a world that’s gone terminally cute and generally overpriced, The Buckboard offers an unvarnished time warp into simpler food. It ain’t fancy. But it works.
A SUTHERLAND STONEWALL
The developer Sherman Associates refuses to comment on its two restaurant-deal with Chef Justin Sutherland, who faces a felony charge for making threats of violence.
By Stacy Brooks
In early June, Sherman Associates announced Chef Justin Sutherland’s new restaurants at the O2 Luxury Tower: a reboot of Pearl & the Thief, formerly located in Stillwater, and the third location of Big E, Sutherland’s fast-casual egg sandwich shop.
Sutherland’s next round of media coverage had nothing to do with his restaurant projects. On July 1, he was charged with making threats of violence, a felony offense. The criminal complaint alleged that Sutherland allegedly placed his hands around his girlfriend’s neck while telling her: “I want you dead,” smashed her phone on a kitchen counter, and pointed a handgun at her while threatening to shoot her. The complaint also alleged that this was not an isolated incident, referencing previous domestic abuse. Sutherland both apologized and denied the allegations in a public statement.
Since Sutherland was charged, there have been two subsequent court hearings. On August 16, Sutherland’s attorney, John Daly of Daly Defense PLLC, made a motion to have the Domestic Abuse No Contact Order issued on July 1 lifted; the motion was denied. Based on publicly available court records, it appears that the September 12 hearing was a formality. Sutherland’s next hearing is set for today, September 27.
It seems unlikely that Sherman Associates is proceeding as if none of this happened—a large part of Sutherland’s value is his national reputation as an affable TV personality. However, there haven’t been any subsequent updates about the O2 Luxury Tower restaurant. In contrast, Mpls. St.Paul Magazine ended its longstanding Smoke Out barbecue festival partnership with Sutherland and the nonprofit Rondo Community Land Trust canceled a planned partnership to revive Golden Thyme Coffee and Cafe.
We reached out to Sherman Associates multiple times for comment and didn’t receive a response. Restore Restaurant Holdings, which is mentioned in the press release as a partner in the project, didn’t respond to our inquiries either. We also reached out to Sutherland for comment via various channels and didn’t receive a response.
A visit to the O2 Luxury Tower at 250 Portland Avenue revealed that the street-level restaurant space on Washington Avenue isn’t anywhere close to completion, with cement floors, cinder block walls, and exposed electrical and plumbing systems. No exterior signage was present, and there weren’t any posted building permits.
THE TAP
The Tap is the Heavy Table’s ongoing biweekly account of noteworthy Minnesota restaurant openings, closings, and future openings. Please send any tips to editor@heavytable.com. All dates are approximate based on best information available; opening dates, in particular, tend to shift around a lot.
NOW OPEN (Up to 3 Months)
Momo Korean Egg Drop, 405 14th Ave. SE, Minneapolis ■ A franchise of the international Momo Korean Egg Drop chain has opened in Dinkytown, serving specialty egg sandwiches on milk bread. Opened September 25, 2024.
Small Hours, 2201 NE 2nd St., Minneapolis ■ A new bar built for wine drinkers and music lovers, operated by a sommelier and a songwriter. Small plates and conservas round out the menu. Opened September 21, 2024.
Hey Bear Cafe, 791 Raymond Ave., St. Paul ■ The former Foxy Falafel spot on Raymond will become a biscuit-driven breakfast and lunch spot. Opened September 18, 2024.
Kinzo Udon, 802 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis ■ A self-service Japanese-inspired cafeteria focused on hand-crafted udon noodles made by a Kagawa, Japan-trained chef. Opened September 14, 2024.
Dexter’s, 3717 W. 50th St., Minneapolis ■ The latest Daniel del Prado restaurant has arrived at 50th and France, offering a “casual yet refined” concept including burgers and wings. Opened August 19, 2024.
Forepaughs, 276 Exchange St., St. Paul ■ The venerable Saint Paul institution has returned this summer after five years of hibernation. Jeremy Wessing (Pau Hana, Baldamar, Sea Change) will run the culinary side of things. Opened August 19, 2024.
Tender Lovin’ Chix, 2700 Lyndale Ave S., Minneapolis ■ We didn’t dig Fire and Nice Ale House when we visited it on our Lyndale Avenue Checklist; it has since shuttered its doors, to be replaced by the bricks and mortar location of a popular local fried chicken truck with support from Billy Tserenbat of Billy Sushi. Opened August 19, 2024.
Cross Bridge Noodle Restaurant, 2 E 26th Street, Minneapolis ■ The former Bad Waitress on Nicollet has become a new spot from Sushi Train co-owner Kevin Ni, serving crossing-the-bridge-noodles, a pho variant native to China's Yunnan province. Opened August 18, 2024.
Lynette, 3751 42nd Ave S., Minneapolis ■ Ben Siers-Rients, a mainstay of the well-regarded Lyn65 restaurant, has opened a new spot in the former Riverview Cafe and Winebar in South Minneapolis with partner Travis Serbus. Opened August 16, 2024. We checked out one of their soft openings.
Vinai, 1300 NE 2nd St., Minneapolis ■ After years of anticipation, Yia Vang’s Hmong restaurant will make its debut in the former Dangerous Man taproom in Northeast. Opened July 28, 2024.
Black Duck Spirits and Hearth, 2900 Johnson Street NE, Minneapolis ■ Smoked and/or wood-fired fare will be the driving culinary influence for this new spot by Fare Game food truck chef/owner Jason Sawicki. Opened July 22, 2024.
Local Rumor, 1811 Selby Ave., St. Paul ■ The COO of the now defunct Keg and Case food hall is trying out some much smaller digs: the former founding location of the Blue Door jucy lucy burger chain. Opened July 19, 2024.
Restaurants at North Loop Green (Hope Breakfast Bar, Salt & Flour, Bassett Hound), 350 North 5th Street, Minneapolis ■ A new partnership between restaurateur Brian Ingram and the upcoming North Loop Green development features three new restaurants, including a new location of Ingram’s Hope Breakfast Bar and his new Italian classics concept Salt & Flour, and the North Loop Green-operated bar and casual restaurant Bassett Hound (named for nearby Bassett Creek). Bassett Hound opened July 5, 2024; Salt & Flour and Hope to open this fall.
Asian Duck, 4010 E 46th Street, Minneapolis ■ Lao/Thai favorites served up with joy and aplomb in a tiny little space at 46th Street and Minnehaha. Opened July 3, 2024. Reviewed in the July 26, 2024 edition of the Churn.
Oh Crêpe!, 4408 France Avenue South, Minneapolis ■ Claire Corvaisier has converted her mobile Breizh Crepes project into a bricks-and-mortar serving classic sweet crepes and savory crepes, plus some ice cream concepts and crepe cakes. Opened June 26, 2024. Reviewed in the August 5, 2024 edition of the Churn.
CLOSED AND CLOSING (Up to 3 Months)
Tattersall Distilling, Minneapolis ■ After a controversial rent dispute / possible scam, this foundational craft distilling company is shutting down its Minnesota location at the end of the year. Its River Falls, Wisc. location remains open. Closing December 2024.
BernBaum’s ■ One of Fargo’s hottest restaurants closed abruptly over the weekend after a physical altercation. Closed September 23, 2024.
Chicago’s Taste Authority ■ Rent increases doomed one of the metro’s leading Chicago dog meccas. Closed September 21, 2024.
Vellee Deli (Northeast location) ■ The Northeast Minneapolis location of this local Asian-Mexican chain has shut down; the downtown location is set to reopen. The fate of its Brooklyn Park location is unclear. Closed September 10, 2024.
Barrio (Lowertown, Saint Paul) ■ The once popular outpost of a local Mexican-inspired chain has called it quits amid a general struggle for foot traffic and life in downtown Saint Paul. Closed September 6, 2024.