Photograph by Ackerman + Gruber
Tim McKee
Tim McKee and friend (a yellowtail kingfish) at Fish Guys HQ.
Remember back in February, when Minneapolis' finest and most influential chef, Tim McKee, made his big post-La Belle Vie move, buying in to The Fish Guys? And then remember how in that story we speculated that this move only made sense if McKee was going to open a combination fish market and restaurant? Well it's happening folks—but it's even bigger than that.
Sit on down! Pour yourself a shrimp cocktail. We have the details. McKee and company has officially leased the former Heartland spot—the one in the historic Market House building named for the thing that's right outside it's door, our historic crown jewel, the St. Paul farmers market. He plans, by October, to open a full-on food hall there to be called: The Market House Collaborative. "Market House is the name of the building, collaboration is what we do," McKee told me. It will have four components:
#1 Almanac Fish Market
What if The Fish Guys had a fish market, with all the usual fishy suspects, but also more unusual items like Golden Tilefish (a top sustainable choice) and purple-hued Savory Clams? That's what Almanac Fish Market will be. It will take up the refrigerated cases Heartland left behind in the market space, and will have a sort of interactive relationship with the restaurant. If Savory Clams are on the daily menu, you'll be able to buy them raw next door, and McKee hopes to have some printed up recipes for people to take home with the particular seafood that's being featured. He's hoping that Almanac will be a place where we can all learn about best practices and less popular seafood, and that such things as Savory Clams will become so well known that Fish Guys customers like Kowalski's will eventually want to carry them, thus moving the whole fish market in the Twin Cities in a tastier and more sustainable direction. "As a chef, you're always limited by what you have available to you," McKee told me. "Now I get emails all day every day [from fishers] and there are no limits. There are so many things I didn't know existed. That's one of the reasons I'm so excited about all of this."
#2: Casual Seafood Restaurant Not Yet Named
The former Heartland kitchen, bar, and dining rooms will be tweaked and slightly re-configured to create a new casual seafood restaurant that doesn't yet have a name. I spent a lot of time peppering McKee on exactly what he meant by casual seafood, and arrived at a few points: It's not going to be an East Coast fryer-driven elevated-beach-shack kind of thing, like Legal Seafoods, and it's not going to be a totally market-driven cheffy seafood extravaganza like Cal Pep, it's going to be something in the middle, probably arrived at by collaboration with the chef de cuisine who comes in to run the day-to-day. 'It's not going to be a Tim McKee restaurant then?' I asked. "It's totally going to be a Tim McKee restaurant," said McKee, who then went on to explain that his restaurants take many shapes, including the ultra-casual Smalley's Caribbean Barbecue, which I always forget is his. He says this new spot will be significantly less fancy than Sea Change, which he runs for the Guthrie, though it will also have seafood towers that will change our concept of seafood towers, full as they will be of prepared dishes like tuna poke and shellfish salads. Imagine a $140 seafood tower which is actually a full dinner for four. There will be a full bar, seating for 88 in the dining rooms, and another 20-something at the bar. If people want meat, they will be able to walk over and get a steak from the boutique butcher shop on site, and the kitchen will charge them some sort of grilling fee—if that sounds cool to you. Does it?
#3 Small Boutique Butcher Not Yet Financed
Speaking of meat, McKee is working with one of the top boutique butcher shops in Minneapolis (yes, that one) to get a second location for that butcher in this Market House Collaboration. This would be a significant expansion for that butcher, because the manufacturing capabilities on the basement level of the old Heartland are huge. I really hope this comes together, it would be a great culinary win for all involved.
#4 Big Freaking Deal Bakery Not Yet Signed
Clear your mind. Now answer this question: Who's a famous Minneapolis baker? Yes, that person! That famous baker is right now writing the business plans, arranging the financing, and getting architectural drawings for the corner space in The Market House Collaborative, and I don't want to name that famous baker in case the financing doesn't come through and we all get embarrassed. But that famous baker will sell baked breads and treats on site, and supply the Casual Seafood Restaurant Not Yet Named. Will this mean seafood po'boys on loaves of preeminent excellence? Could be!!
Do you feel lucky, St. Paul? Well that's because you are. We will not here be churlish and note that part of the reason this is opening in St. Paul and hosting a mass migration of Minneapolis businesses to St. Paul is because Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and the city council have become unreasonable when it comes to restaurants. We will not note that there's a better way, if only the City Council would open their minds. We will only note the efficiency of the invisible hand of the markets, and rejoice in St. Paul's coming multi-level, very spectacular destination triumph.
Congrats to all, St. Paul for the win!
