Photo courtesy of Ties Lounge
Northern Soul
Justin Sutherland’s Northern Soul concept is now open on the rooftop deck at Ties Lounge in Minneapolis. Get half a smoked chicken or brisket sandwich among other things for dinner, and make it brisket sliders or chicken-fried ribs until midnight on the late-night menu. But brunch may be the get, with biscuits and gravy. 921 Nicollet Mall, Downtown Mpls.
Happy to report that Vellee Deli has opened its long-anticipated location in Northeast Minneapolis. The food-truck-to-skyway fusion eatery—which brought us Asian-Mexican mash-ups like the Chicken Currito and my favorite Dragon Melt quesadilla—had planned the new site before the pandemic. And now it’s finally catching up. Find it on the lower level of the Nordhaus Apartments near Surdyk’s. 303 1st Ave. NE, Northeast Mpls.
Kitchen and Rail is now open in Eagan. It’s had some help from BBQ master Charlie Torgerson, which you can see in some pig wings, cauliflower burnt ends, and the slow-smoked Vietnamese pork belly. This independent eatery aims to win the hearts of the south metro eaters with craft cocktails, good service, and a bit of panache that the chains seem to lack. 3344 Promenade Ave., Eagan
Centro has fully opened its huge new space on Eat Street. What used to be The Wedge Table now holds three counter-service concepts: Centro is the taco and crunch bar, Vivir is where you’ll find all the great Latin bakery treats, and Everywhen is a new burger shop. All are walk-up setups, but you can sit at the central bar and the bartenders let you order from all menus. Open daily at 8 am! 2412 Nicollet Ave., Eat Street, Mpls.
The Arts and Rec rooftop is now open in Uptown. The redo of the former Libertine space is only in phase one. The rest of the good times (which include a mini-golf course, a speakeasy, and a black-box theater space, along with a full-service restaurant) will be finished in the coming months. So, take the elevator up to the top floor for some Chef Brandon Randolph “gastrofair” of zipped-up fair foods. The Dorito-crusted fish sticks are rad. 3001 Hennepin Ave. S., Uptown, Mpls.
Could North Loop be any hotter? Daniel del Prado and Ryan Burnet are the official new owners of the former Bachelor Farmer building and plan to put an Argentinean steak house there. On the same street, Tim McKee will launch a Spanish restaurant that leans into the Basque Country cuisine. While it might recall feelings from Solera days, McKee hopes to showcase new flavors and different techniques, including charcoal grilling. And we’ve already reported that Josh Thoma and team will open a tequila-focused restaurant in the former Alliance Française building down the block. So we might as well just call it Old Home Street. Look for 2023 to bring the heat.
