Dueling Supper Clubs and Saturday Dumpling Company
The Tap for Friday, February 28, 2025
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Editor’s note: This week we’re making The Tap available to all our paying subscribers as a special thank you for your ongoing support… and an excuse to share some particularly terrific stories with a larger audience.
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)
Hikari Hand Roll Bar, Eat Street Crossing, 2819 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis ■ The rapidly evolving Eat Street Crossing food hall turns over another space as a sushi hand roll spot opens up. Opened January 31, 2025.
EGGFLIP/SUSHIFLIP, The Market at Malcolm Yards, 501 30th Ave SE, Minneapolis ■ Korean-inspired egg dishes and sushi anchor the menu at this new restaurant under the roof of the Market at Malcolm Yards. The egg dishes skew rich and meaty, the sushi side of things includes poke bowls and plenty of sauced up and modernized roll options. Opened January 20, 2025.
Las Delicias de Frida, 2904 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis ■ Tortas, tacos, ice cream, paletas, and more, from the same owners as the nearby and delightful Iconos Gastro Cantina. Opened January 17, 2025.
Hendrix and Siena, 1601 Mainstreet, Hopkins, Minn. ■ Pizza, pasta, and a full wine list define this upscale but approachable new spot on Mainstreet in Hopkins. Opened January 9.
Catzen Coffee, 1416 Grand Avenue, St. Paul ■ Half cafe, half cat snuggle zone, Catzen is using its four-footed friends to lure in customers of the two-footed variety. When we swung by on opening day, the line out the door was literally a block long. Opened January 1, 2025.
Razava Bread Company, 685 Grand Avenue, St. Paul ■ A partnership between Steve Baldinger (whose family ran Baldinger Bakery in St. Paul) and Omri Zin-Tamir of the Bakery on 22nd St. Features challah, bagels, pita and more. Read our interview with Omri Zin-Tamir in the May 13, 2022 edition of the Tap. Opened December 11, 2024.
Jade Dynasty, 600 West Lake Street, Minneapolis ■ A former owner of the well-regarded Hong Kong Noodles restaurant has teamed up with a former Mystic Lake Casino restaurant manager to open a dim sum, hot pot, and Cantonese restaurant in the former Fuji Ya space on Lake Street. Opened December 1, 2024.
Saturday Dumpling Company, 519 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis ■ The popular subscription-based dumpling company has moved its production operation to a space with 45 indoor and 10 outdoor seats, in the former Glam Dolls Donut shop space. The restaurant serves dumplings in three styles (steamed, pan fried, and deep fried) with pork, beef, chicken, and vegetarian fillings, plus a filling of the month. The menu also features scallion pancake burritos and rice bowls. MSP Mag is followed their opening process in detail. Opened November 30, 2024.
CLOSED AND CLOSING (Up to 3 Months)
Herbie Butcher’s Fried Chicken ■ The vegan fried “chicken” joint by the owners of Herbivorous Butcher lasted four years, a solid run for an untested concept. It closes March 30, but production of the team’s vegan chicken for wholesalers will continue.
Saint Dinette ■ The Saint Paul stalwart Saint Dinette, a Tim Niver joint much loved for its sense of hospitality and warmth, will close later this year. Its sister restaurant Mucci’s will remain open. Closing March 22.
The Dock ■ This Stillwater, Minn. mainstay for waterside patio dining is calling it quits after a (mostly uninterrupted) run since the late ‘80s. Closed February 23.
Dark Horse ■ The popular, eclectic Saint Paul eatery called it quits after nearly a decade of service. Its closure comes during a rough time in the culinary history of Lowertown, which is also losing Saint Dinette. Closed February 14.
Terzo ■ Flooding did extensive damage to Terzo (part of the restaurant group with Broders’ Cucina and Broders’ Pasta Bar), shutting it down for the foreseeable future. Closed February 13.
Revival (all locations) ■ The upscale fried chicken / smoked meats mini-empire of Thomas Boemer and Nick Rancone closed overnight, leaving more than 100 people unemployed and changing the face of local casual independent dining. Closed January 20.
ALT-BuRGEr ■ The metro lost one of its most intriguing burger spots, which featured "plant-based burgers that are actually made from plants: a blend of legumes, ancient grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, herbs, and mysterious umami flavor," as per our June 9, 2023 profile in the Tap. Closed January 4.
Kruse Markit ■ The chic cafe and market on Nicollet has shut its doors for good. We profiled them in the April 7, 2023 edition of the Churn. Closed January 1, 2025.
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. Closed December 2024.
Hi Flora! ■ This Lyndale Avenue THC tinctures bar and vegan restaurant is closing as it faces changing regulations and upcoming construction. Closing December 5, 2024.
UPCOMING (Most Imminent to Furthest Out)
Khue’s Kitchen, 799 University Ave. W, St. Paul ■ The former Ngon Bistro will see life again as pop-up restaurant Khue’s Kitchen, formerly at Bar Brava, takes over the space. Chef Eric Pham is the grandson of Lung Tran, who opened the locally legendary Quang on Nicollet Avenue. Opening March 6, 2025 after a fire-related delay.
Cafe Yoto, 548 North Washington Ave., Minneapolis ■ A casual, counter service-driven Kado No Mise spinoff by Chef Yo Hasegawa, riffing on that restaurant’s internal pop-up concept Yo Monday Cafe. Opening early 2025.
Animales BBQ and Burger Co., 241 Fremont Ave. North, Minneapolis ■ The two well-regarded Jon Wipfli food trucks, Animales BBQ and Animales Burger Co., will unite in a bricks-and-mortar effort located in the former Royal Foundry Distillery in the Harrison neighborhood of Minneapolis. Opening early 2025.
Tres Bandidos Asadero Grill, 143 Snelling Ave. North, Saint Paul ■ Carnita, barbacoa, and rotisserie chicken are the titular bandits that give this upcoming restaurant by the owners of Taco Libre its name. Plated meals with slow cooked meats will be the foundation of its menu, and it may open for breakfast in the near future. Opening March 1, 2025.
Pizza Karma (Dinkytown), 409 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis ■ The well-regarded Indian-meets-pizza chain that has racked up a series of suburban locations is moving into the heart of the metro with a new shop in Dinkytown, Minneapolis. Opening March 2025.
Big Star Tipsy Taco Bar, 2501 Marshall Street, NE, Minneapolis ■ The sprawling, Ferris wheel- and mini golf-bedecked site of the former Betty Danger’s will become a Tex-Mex and barbecue spot with a special emphasis on cocktails. Owners include Joe Radaich, formerly a partner at the Como Tap in Minneapolis. Opening late spring 2025.
Ledger & Ladle, 16 NE 3rd Street, Grand Rapids, Minn. ■ An ambitious new restaurant coming to Grand Rapids, Minnesota by Eric Halverson, who did some strong work at Rapids Brewing Company. Opening 2025.
Ate Ate Ate, 1178 Burnsville Center, Burnsville, Minn. ■ Yet another Asian-focused food hall is coming to the metro, anchored by the Asian food store Ensom Market. The spot is giving some Market at Malcolm Yards vibes. As per the press release: “The 13,320 square foot location will be home to a diverse roster of nine food vendors, plus a bar and beer pull wall, an event space, and regular entertainment offerings.” The project is spearheaded by Akhtar Nawab, a Michelin-awarded chef, cookbook author, and TV personality. Opening delayed, possibly early 2025.
ŠHOTÁ Indigenous BBQ by Owamni, 2601 Franklin Ave., Minneapolis ■ Sean Sherman is branching out from Owamni - in a big way - this summer by opening a combination restaurant, commissary kitchen, and office headquarters in the former Seward Co-op Creamy space on Franklin Avenue. The restaurant, ŠHOTÁ, will focus on Indigenous barbecue concepts, which means (in part) pre-colonial meats such as venison, turkey, and bison taking the place of mainstays such as pork, chicken, and beef. Profiled in the January 10, 2025 edition of the Churn. Opening summer 2025.
Tim McKee Restaurants at The West Hotel, 167 N. First St., Minneapolis ■ A basque-inspired charcoal-driven restaurant and a Mediterranean bakery will be part of a new North Loop hotel in the former Commutator Building operated by Salt Hotels. Opening 2025.
The Market at Malcolm Yards Food Hall (Second Location) ■ The rampantly popular Malcolm Yards food hall is set to open in the not-so-distant future at a soon-to-be-disclosed location in St. Louis Park.
NATIVE FLAVOR
The annual EATSS event at the Guthrie Theater supported Native scholarships by sharing stunning food.
By Stacy Brooks
Native chefs from North Dakota, Colorado, and Vancouver recently visited the Twin Cities for EATSS, an annual event to benefit the American Indian College Fund. According to the College Fund, only 15 percent of American Indians have a college degree, less than half of the national average rate of nearly 40 percent. The College Fund seeks to boost that number through scholarships for American Indian and Alaskan Native students (since 1989, they’ve awarded 159,652 scholarships), as well as providing students with the programs and support they need to succeed.
Held at the Guthrie Theater on February 18, this year’s Twin Cities EATSS featured a concert by Rufus Wainwright, an art sale, and a reception with food from four featured chefs as well as passed appetizers and desserts including bison meatballs with juniper mustard glaze, polenta with raspberry jam, maple chestnut cookies, and sunflower seed truffles.
We started with a dish by Chef Paul Natrall of the Squamish Nation, who launched Mr. Bannock, Vancouver’s first Indigenous food truck, in 2018. Chef Natrall prepared a bannock cornbread (traditionally, bannock is wheat-based) topped with slow-roasted duck shredded with maple barbecue sauce and a fresh apple and cranberry slaw. It was a wonderfully balanced dish—the crumbly, biscuit-like bannock was an ideal foil for the rich, fatty duck. The slaw added a punch of freshness and a tart contrast to the sweetness of the barbecue sauce.
Next up was a Native charcuterie board prepared by Chef Nathan Davis of Turtle Mountain, founder of North Dakota’s A’Wiisinin food truck. Chef Davis’ game-focused charcuterie board included sous vide bison roast seasoned with natural herbs and apple pie moonshine, several varieties of flavored bacon, a smoked venison and pepper jack sausage, fresh fruit, cheese, and miniature fry breads. The bison stole the show: it was so tender that it fell apart into melt-in-your-mouth shreds, and the herbs subtly enhanced the gamey notes.
Chef Anthony Bauer of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa serves as the Economic and Workforce Specialist with the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission and also owns Traditional Fire Custom Cuisine. Chef Bauer prepared two dishes, a smoked pheasant wild rice chowder and a walleye cake. He explained that his intention was to take staple Minnesota ingredients—wild rice and walleye—and interpret them in a distinctive way.
The wild rice chowder included two different types of wild rice (one from a family farm in Wisconsin and one from Red Lake Nation), three types of mushroom, and a lightly creamed stock. Instead of being cream-forward, the soup celebrated the earthiness of the mushrooms and the nuttiness of the wild rice, with the smokiness of the pheasant adding another layer of flavor. The walleye cake was accented with a vibrant raspberry chipotle cream sauce and bacon relish, and the heat from the pepper paired especially nicely with the fish.
Dessert was by Chef Andrea Condes Murdoch, founder of Colorado-based Four Directions Cuisine. She explained that she is a transracial adoptee from Venezuela and spent the first 29 years of her life disconnected from her Indigenous Andean culture. Her dessert—a corn cake topped with wojapi (a Plains tribe mixed berry sauce), popped amaranth, and puffed wild rice—was created in honor of Colorado’s Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, as well as Minnesota’s Lakota and Ojibwe peoples.
The care and intention that went into this dessert was apparent even before hearing Chef Condes Murdoch’s explanation. It didn’t merely work on a technical level; it was the rare dessert that also felt nourishing, thanks to the hearty corn flavor and delicate sweetness. The vegan, gluten-free cake was delightfully moist thanks to a sage-infused agave syrup brushed on when it came out of the oven, and the wojapi’s dark berry notes hinted at the joy of warm summer days ahead.
As College Fund president and CEO Cheryl Crazy Bull noted in her opening remarks, this is an especially challenging time for Native people. Events like EATSS and organizations like the College Fund provide us all with opportunities to support the Native community, celebrate Indigenous cultures, and help create a more equitable future.
American Indian College Fund: collegefund.org
SUPPER TIME
Aster House and Russell’s are both working to bring new life to a traditional format
By Jeanne Lakso
Whether your family’s favorite haunt was a funky waterside log building with a Friday fish fry or a suburban red-carpeted steakhouse, it’s likely my fellow Midwesterners have some embedded supper-club memories: a favorite item the relish tray, how dad liked his steak cooked, your first icy-sweet Brandy Alexander. [1] Supper clubs are accommodating spaces for date nights, family meals, heart-to-hearts with neighbors, or a solo night at the bar with some pickled herring and crackers. “Supper club” might be more of an atmosphere than a specific menu, maybe even too nebulous to pin down. Still, when you describe a restaurant in those terms, it sets some expectations.
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