East Lake Top Ten, Food on the Fly and Cedar & Sage in Green Bay
The Churn for Friday, June 6, 2025
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Ten Must-Try East Lake Street Eats
By James Norton
East Lake Street isn't just a place where various militarized police agencies can get together and stage a heavily armed raid on a taco restaurant. It's also a living, breathing community of people, and one of the most distinguished culinary corridors in the state of Minnesota.
With that in mind: We went back into our archives (both the archives of our extensive East Lake Checklist and the East Lake Checklist Revisited features, and the flavor archives of our minds) to unearth the ten tastiest things we've eaten on East Lake Street.
Even though there's a ton of turnover on Lake, we've checked to see that all of these tasty foods are still available, and the restaurants still open.
#10 Lengua Taco at La Alborada | 1855 East Lake Street
The antojitos (small street foods) counter at La Alborada offers a broad range of Mexican eats, but we naturally gravitate toward the street tacos. They’ve all historically been good, but the lengua (beef tongue) may be our favorite - it’s surprisingly delicate despite being rich and full-flavored. A dab of fiery salsa, a squeeze of lime juice, and the standard cilantro and onions set the meat off beautifully. (Read more: our review of La Alborada)
#9 Carne Asada Pizza at Marsu | 1509 East Lake Street
Warm, soft, flavorful crust is the base for a food concept whose time has surely come: Mexican taco toppings repositioned as pizza toppings. Chipotle sauce with a real herbal kick and tangy, crispy asada play beautifully with the overall pizza concept, touched off and finished with onion and cilantro. This is bar food at a whole ‘nother level. (Read more: Eli Radtke’s collection of local late-night dining triumphs)
#8 Double Burger at Logan's Burgers and Chicken | 1405 East Lake Street
The laundromat-proximate location of Logan’s doesn’t naturally instill a lot of confidence, but this place punches way out of its weight class with elegantly constructed and tasty burgers and chicken sandwiches. The smashburger-style Double Burger is nothing fancy: just two properly grilled patties (smashed while you watch), fresh-tasting lettuce and tomatoes in perfect proportion, and a classic burger bun. Its neat simplicity and by-the-books flavors are a recipe for happiness. (Read more: the East Lake Checklist Revisited)
#7 Atole and Tamale Rojo at La Loma (Mercado Central) | 1515 East Lake Street
We’d never started the day with a tamale before coming to La Loma at Mercado Central, but it turns out to be a fantastic breakfast, particularly when accompanied by the hot, creamy, ground hominy beverage known as atole. The atole leans sweet; the tamale rojo is bright and spicy. Sweet and savory, united by masa, together at last. (Read more: Mercado Central in the East Lake Checklist)
#6 Half Roast Chicken at Pollo Movil (Plaza Mexico) | 417 East Lake Street
There’s something about a Mexican style chicken and rice and beans platter that warms the soul - it’s food that seems simple on the face of it, but it packs a tremendous amount of seasoning and subtlety. Pollo Movil’s charcoal grilled chicken is some of the best on East Lake Street, which has no shortage of the stuff. (Read more: Lake Plaza in the East Lake Checklist)
#5 Carne Asada or al Pastor Taco at La Poblanita | 1617 East Lake Street
La Poblanita makes its own tortillas and the results are terrific: expect tortillas that are chewy and full-flavored, complemented by the steakily full-flavored chunks of asada or pebbly, citrus-infused pieces of pork al pastor. (Read more: the East Lake Checklist)
#4 Strawberry Paleta (Fresa con Crema) at La Michoacana Purépecha | 701 East Lake Street
This might be the platonic ideal of a summer popsicle, perfect for kids and adults, those craving sweets and those loving the fresh, natural taste of fruit - the popsicle revolves around the light, clean, dreamy dairy supporting the delicate flavor of sliced strawberries. (Read more: the East Lake Checklist Revisited)
#3 Tacos al Pastor at Taqueria La Hacienda | 334 East Lake Street
These might be our favorite tacos on East Lake Street, which makes them our favorite tacos anywhere - the pebbly pineapple-marinated al pastor meat, which comes off a gyro-like spit (no accident, since tacos al pastor have their origin in the Middle East), is diced finely and served with onions, cilantro, and a squirt of lime juice. The onions do a lot of work here, and the meat has a delicious char to it, and the texture and flavor combination is impeccable. (Read more: the East Lake Checklist)
#2 Torta Hawaiiana at Manny's Tortas (Midtown Global Market) | 920 East Lake Street
Huge emotional baggage (in the best sense) here - we’ve been eating this torta for more than a decade, and it’s still a reliable banger of a sandwich. It includes ham, pineapple, and melted Swiss cheese, with the sweet fruit and salty, thinly sliced ham contrasting one another, all in a warm cheese embrace. (Read more: Midtown Global Market in the East Lake Checklist)
#1 Torta Birria at Las Cuatro Milpas | 1526 East Lake Street
Easily a top five sandwich for the state of Minnesota, the Torta Birria at Las Cuatro Milpas has a tender, crackling bread that absorbs a tidal wave of saucy beef consomme and cradles the richly flavored meat. Cilantro and avocado lend herbal intensity and creamy texture, and pickled jalapeño brings much needed acid and heat to complete a culinary masterwork. (Read more: the East Lake Checklist Revisited)
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)
Red Coral Coffee, 4457 42nd Ave. South, Minneapolis ■ Specialty coffee from Taiwan dominates the menu of this cafe-inside-a-restaurant that shares space (but not operating hours) with Okome House in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis. Opened May 27, 2025.
Hey Y’all Tipsy Taco Bar (formerly 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. Opened May 3, 2025. Reviewed in the May 30, 2025 edition of the Churn.
Kinsley’s Smokehouse Deli, The Market at Malcolm Yards, 501 30th Av. SE., Minneapolis ■ The former Revival Smoked Meats is now an East Coast-style deli offering a Reuben on rye, corned beef, a cold pastrami sandwich, and more. Opened April 28, 2025. Reviewed by Jeanne Lakso in the May 16, 2025 edition of the Churn.
Pizza Karma (Dinkytown), 409 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis ■ The well-regarded Indian-meets-pizza chain that has racked up a series of suburban locations has moved into the heart of the metro with a new shop in Dinkytown, Minneapolis. Opened April 16, 2025.
Karol Coffee Company, 1503 Hamline Avenue North, Saint Paul ■ Fresh, locally roasted coffee and specialty drinks anchor the menu at this shop, which is named for Pope John Paul II. Soft opening March 25 (6:30am-2pm), grand opening March 29 (8am-4pm). Profiled in the May 9, 2025 edition of the Tap.
Tres Bandidos Asadero Grill, 143 Snelling Ave. North, Saint Paul ■ Carnita, barbacoa, and rotisserie chicken are the titular bandits that give this restaurant by the owners of Taco Libre its name. Plated meals with slow cooked meats are the foundation of its menu, and it may open for breakfast in the near future. Opened April 1, 2025.
Khue’s Kitchen, 693 Raymond Ave., St. Paul ■ Khue’s Kitchen Chef/Owner Eric Pham is the grandson of Lung Tran, who opened the locally legendary Quang on Nicollet Avenue. Opened March 6, 2025 after a fire-related delay. Profiled in the April 11, 2025 edition of the Tap.
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. Opened March 4, 2025. Reviewed in the March 28, 2025 edition of the Tap.
CLOSED AND CLOSING (Up to 3 Months)
Indigenous Food Lab (moving) ■ The NATIFS-run Indigenous Food Lab market will close its Midtown Global Market location tomorrow in preparation for a move into the upcoming Woyute Thipi Building at 2601 Franklin Avenue South. Closing June 7.
Apostle Supper Club ■ The owners of this Xcel-adjacent upscale dinner spot controversially tied its closure to crime rates in Saint Paul. See our column in the May 9, 2025 edition of the Tap. Closed June 1.
U Garden ■ The family-run U Garden shut down after 32 years of business as a restaurant and events center. The space will be leased to tenants who plan to open a Korean barbecue and hot pot restaurant. Closed May 31.
Terzo ■ A Feb. 13, 2025 flood ultimately knocked out this well-loved outpost of the Broders’ empire. Closed May 31 (announced).
Dan Kelly’s Pub ■ A downtown mainstay since opening back in 1997, Dan Kelly’s closed abruptly and with little fanfare. Closed May 29.
Hey Bear ■ The eight-month tenure of this counter-service cafe reached an end after a dispute with the building’s landlord. Closed May 14.
North Loop Galley Food Hall ■ While the now Travail-run Graze Food Hall appears to be booming, the nearby North Loop Galley has called it quits, closing with just four remaining tenants. Closed May 10.
Lago Tacos (Lyndale) ■ This Lyndale Avenue gringo taco mainstay is moving to Saint Louis Park. Closed in May.
Chip’s Clubhouse ■ A Saint Paul neighborhood pub with a rep for solid culinary chops has called it quits. Closed April 30.
The Sonder Shaker ■ This remarkably good (but almost aggressively low-key) joint is calling it quits. The owners plan to reinvent it as an Italian restaurant (name to-be-determined) in early May, as per Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. Closed April 19.
Cafe Ceres (all four locations) ■ A statement sent to staff cited a desire by the Daniel del Prado group to leave “the cafe space” and focus on restaurants. A Southwest Voices story about the closing notes that 30 Cafe Ceres baristas voted to unionize in August of 2024. Closed April 13.
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 closed March 30, but production of the team’s vegan chicken for wholesalers will continue.
Iron Door Pub ■ A mainstay of the Lyn-Lake intersection for nearly 10 years, the generally reliably busy Iron Door Pub shut its doors citing decreasing foot traffic. Closed March 23.
Saint Dinette ■ The Saint Paul stalwart Saint Dinette, a Tim Niver joint much loved for its sense of hospitality and warmth, has closed. Its sister restaurant Mucci’s will remain open. Closed March 22.
UPCOMING (Most Imminent to Furthest Out)
North Star Deli, 315 W. 46th St., Minneapolis ■ The owners and team behind the recently closed North Loop restaurant Guacaya Bistro are giving it another go in Kingfield, serving “serious” sandwiches including a muffuletta. Opening early June.
Nokko, 4747 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis ■ The former Fast Eddie’s location is set to become a Japanese bistro focused on hand roll-style sushi, owned in part by Hide Tozawa of Okome House. Opening early summer.
Matriarch, 1601 West Lake Street, Minneapolis ■ The recently closed Pinoli will become home to a low-dose cannabis lifestyle brand called Jane plus a plant-based restaurant called Matriarch, owned by Michelle Courtright (owner of the now-closed Fig + Farro at Calhoun Square.) Opening early July, 2025.
Dark Horse (reboot), 250 East 7th Street, Saint Paul ■ The ownership group behind Can Can Wonderland and St. Paul Brewing are reviving this popular Lowertown spot with chef Shane Oporto helming the kitchen. Opening early July 2025.
Arya Cafe, 4605 Minnehaha Avenue, Minneapolis ■ Restaurateurs of Ethiopian heritage are opening a cafe featuring “coffee drinks, pastries, and snacks, with an East African bent,” in a former Cafe Ceres reports Longfellow Whatever. Opening midsummer.
Silverbird Roasting Co., 4237 Nicollet Avenue South, Minneapolis ■ The former Kruse Markit space will be taken over by a cafe run in part by Tony Querio, who is a U.S. Coffee Roasting champion and the former head roaster for Spyhouse. Opening midsummer.
Stock and Bond ■ Steak, whiskey, private dining rooms and space for 250 diners mark this ambitious new steakhouse in the former Farmers and Mechanics Savings Bank in downtown Minneapolis. The restaurant’s original location is in Oklahoma City. Opening midsummer.
Shiki and Mirabelle ■ A ramen and dumplings concept (Shiki) and a steakhouse (Mirabelle) will share a building in downtown Excelsior with the already-open Parlour location. All three restaurants are owned by Jester Concepts, and the two new spots will debut midsummer.
Liliana, 10060 City Walk Drive, Woodbury, Minn. ■ Italian-inspired small plates are coming to Woodbury via the owners of Estelle and Mario’s. As per the Star Tribune, the restaurant’s kitchen will be headed up by Kenzie Edinger, who had a good run at Saint Dinette. Opening midsummer.
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.
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 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 August 2025. Star Tribune has a story on the mall and its tribulations.
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.
CORN PALACE
Cedar & Sage Grill House brings Indigenous flavor to Green Bay, Wisc.
By Stacy Brooks
Cedar & Sage Grill House is only a 10-minute drive from Lambeau Field, but it’s a place apart from the rest of Green Bay—literally. The restaurant is located within the borders of the Oneida Nation at the tribe’s sprawling hotel and casino complex. The muted green, red, and blue color palette sets a soothing tone, and the cuisine highlights Indigenous ingredients, especially Oneida white corn, which has been part of the tribe’s traditional diet for over 2,000 years and is part of the Oneida creation story.
The menu includes cornbread with a crisp, caramelized crust and a lovely apple-sage butter (I downed an entire order solo) and the nourishing white corn soup loaded with chicken and venison sausage was especially welcome on a snowy March evening. Many familiar items get a Native American-inspired twist: cheese curds are Oneida white corn-crusted, the spinach dip is served with fry bread, and bison pot roast is paired with Oneida white corn polenta.
On the dessert menu, the Oneida apple crisp is topped with a corn-based ice cream.
Following my trip to Green Bay and the Oneida Nation, I spoke with Cedar & Sage Chef de Cuisine Fabian Martinez by phone to learn more about how he incorporates Oneida ingredients into the restaurant’s menu.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
HEAVY TABLE: Can you give us some background about yourself and what brought you Cedar & Sage?
FABIAN MARTINEZ: I'm originally from San Antonio, Texas, that’s where I was born and raised and where I got started cooking when I was around 22 or 23. I moved to Austin and decided to go to culinary school, that's where I got a lot of my fine dining training. I worked at some really cool restaurants.