La Estancia, Lagniappe, and Leaving X Behind
The Tap for Friday, November 22, 2024
Welcome to the Tap, Heavy Table’s biweekly guide to restaurants and culinary industry news for Minnesota and beyond. This newsletter is available in full to all of our $10/month subscribers. We’re here doing this work only because of your support - thank you for your support of this independent journalistic enterprise.
X-ODUS
by James Norton
We try to keep it pretty food-focused around here at the Heavy Table. But every once in a while, circumstances allow for a digression. Today it's an opportunity to talk briefly about our departure from Twitter (fine, "X") and our arrival on Bluesky.
Heavy Table likely wouldn't exist without Twitter. We rocketed from complete obscurity to statewide visibility in a matter of months thanks to our rapidly acquired following, which peaked at around 16,000 people. In the prime of the network, we could post something delicious and see dozens of people re-share it, and hundreds of people like or otherwise interact with it. It was a killer way to win new fans, share news, and talk with peers, colleagues, and industry bigshots. There was nothing else quite like it, and it was instrumental in getting us off the ground.
Then Twitter changed. Even before Elon Musk's acquisition of the site, we watched as the site got less useful and less fun in real time. It was harder and harder to reach our followers and friends, and our feed filled up with more and more commercial and political noise. Still, we stuck it out - we'd prospered with Twitter once, and it was still the best way to connect and talk out interesting things in public.
Then came Musk. Under the X regime, our metered reach became strangled, and our feed became a tacky cesspool of grifters and engagement farmers. Our struggle to be crowned "The Last Raccoon in the Garbage Can" became increasingly difficult, and about a month ago we finally bailed. We came back to the perfectly nice but semi-derelict Bluesky social network on the theory that a pleasantly deserted wasteland was preferable to an actively hostile one covered in burning toxic trash.
But it turns out that we weren't alone in our thinking. Bluesky's membership is surging by the millions, and a site that was polite but sparse is becoming a hub of conversation and a marketplace of ideas. Our people - other food writers, chefs, servers, passionate diners, reporters, artists, readers like you - are arriving, and they're posting, and something truly enjoyable is unfolding for everyone on the platform.
It's like Twitter in its glory days, and it's an unexpected joy right now to open my phone and feel... well, generally speaking, joy.
If you'd like to connect with Heavy Table on a day-to-day and conversational level that you can't quite get through the newsletter, hop on Bluesky and follow us - we'll be posting there with some frequency, and you'll see our stories (and images) unfold in real time as we explore the world of food and drink in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and beyond. Cheers and thanks and we hope to see you soon in the friendly blue skies!
Crack into our Starter Pack and follow our talented crew of contributors
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)
Le Burger 4304, 4304 Upton Av. S., Minneapolis ■ Roast chicken, soft-serve ice cream, and most of all carefully turned-out burgers are the heart of the menu for this new spot by two Bachelor Farmer alums in partnership with John Gross of Kado no Mise and Sanjusan. Opened November 17, 2024.
La Estancia, 4751 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis ■ This new Argentinian and Uruguayan steakhouse has the unusual distinction of NOT being operated by Daniel del Prado, whose restaurant group has otherwise been expanding at an exponential pace. La Estancia’s owners (pictured above: Chef Luis del Hoyo) hail from Argentina and Uruguay respectively and aim to make their menu accessible at multiple price points. Opened November 2, 2024.
La Madre, 205 Park Ave., Minneapolis ■ The floor level of The Vicinity apartments offers “a chef-curated menu providing a modern take on traditional Mexican entrees, small plates, and shareables with plenty of seafood and exotic Mexican cuisine options” operated by Abe Ponce of La Tapatia in Roseville. Opened November 1, 2024.
Grackle, 11852 Elm Creek Boulevard North, Maple Grove, Minn. ■ Hot on the heels of Starling, another suburban bird-themed restaurant is shooting for “neighborhood, but upscale”: Grackle, from the team behind Margie's Kitchen & Cocktails in Andover. Opened October 18, 2024.
Aster House, 25 SE Main St., Minneapolis ■ New-school supper club with a local food edge by the team behind Aster Cafe and Jefe Urban Cantina, helmed by Chef Josh Jones with Myriel’s Karyn Tomlinson acting as menu consultant and mentor. Opened October 16, 2024.
Eloise, 332 Broadway Ave S, Wayzaya, Minn. ■ A new sister restaurant to the existing and popular Grocer’s Table, Eloise is focused on evening gatherings, “elevated food,” and cocktails. Opened October 14, 2024.
Lagniappe, 2700 East Lake Street, Minneapolis ■ The Du Nord cocktail room has returned to Longfellow along with a New Orleans-inspired restaurant called Lagniappe. Opened October 11, 2024. Previewed by Eli Radtke in the October 11, 2024 edition of the Tap.
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. Reviewed in the November 1, 2024 edition of the Churn.
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.
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.
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.
SotaRol and Agra Culture (at 50th and Ewing) ■ Both Innerbloom Hospitality restaurants at 50th and Ewing have closed, but Agra Culture remains open at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Closed November 19, 2024.