Photo by Caitlin Abrams
Double cheeseburger at Parlour
St. Paul's banner year continues, as Minneapolis cult burger and cocktail star Parlour gets ready to open a new Parlour on West 7th in early 2018, just down from the Xcel Energy Center.
The space, which was formerly slated to be The Glensman Northern Irish Pub (kitty-corner from Tom Reid's), is "basically a 3-unit footprint," Parlour chef Mike "YC" DeCamp told me while he was setting up the new Parlour burger stand at Target Center. "One side will be a Parlour Bar, the middle section will be a lounge, the third side will be a diner, where you sit at the counter and watch chefs cook for you, a little like [the Chicago restaurant] Au Cheval." Top bartender Jesse Held will be running and designing this new Parlour cocktail situation, and DeCamp will be designing the menu. That's some very high-falutin' talent. I had to ask if they really can pull off something as high-quality as Parlour with the massive crowds generated by something like the Wild at the Xcel. "Absolutely, we're not going to dumb anything down. Cocktail-wise, food-wise, we're going to do what we do. We think it'll be different from what's there, and that will be a good thing."
Mike DeCamp and Jesse Held
Chef Mike DeCamp (Photo by Eliesa Johnson) | Jesse Held (Photo courtesy of Jester Concepts)
Sounds like a very good thing to me. For those keeping track at home, we're seeing a big movement of Minneapolis top tastemakers to St. Paul right now, with Revival and 5 Watt heading in to the Keg & Case remake of the old Schmidt Brewery, Kyatchi going into the Tanpopo space in Lowertown, Tim McKee opening Octo Fishbar, and Michelle Gayer opening her new sit-down version of Salty Tart. What's it like to be magic this year, St. Paul? Somewhere, founding rapscallion Pig's Eye Parrant is hoisting a beer in general cheers to this string of triumphs after triumphs, and I'll join him.
