Bright and light and luxe is the name of this game.
I sneaked into The Salty Tart bakery cafe space in Lowertown yesterday while they were finishing up final touches and conducting staff training. They are on the big push to open tomorrow, December 1, in the corner space of Market House, which used to hold the Heartland Deli.
While the bones are basically the same, the vibe is dramatically different. It's a bright and fresh new day from the minds of owner Michelle Gayer and her design team, Bodega Ltd. "Liz Gardner and I share the same aesthetic, so I knew that I wanted them to design the space," Gayer told me. Compared to the rough hewn woodsy elements of the rest of the Market House space, Salty Tart will be a little bit of light and elegance on the corner.
There is a staggering amount of natural light from those window walls, which they plan to play against natural colors and textures employed in the counter service space.
Wrapping the kitchen area is a corrugated wood wall with natural celery tones. They chose high top chairs that would bring out those colors next to the huge windows.
That's not to say there won't be luxe touches. Brass accents pop up in corner shelves and on side tables. The bench seating is a plush velvety experience with downy pillows. I'm picturing a long hang here. Gardner expressed her love of sitting in windows, so they're working on something that might be a softer landing than just counters blocking the view.
The kitchen is small, and while it's open to the counter, it's a bit hidden behind the corrugated wood. They were busy cranking out coffee training and breakfast items from the small but efficient 400-square-foot space. But when you consider what the Midtown Global Market Salty Tart had to use for space, this is like the Taj Mahal.
A matcha latte and a maple pecan latte were part of the practice run. Tim McKee was lured over from his duties at Octo Fishbar by the barista training.
I ate this fast, before they could stop me. Buckwheat crepe galette with egg and ham and spicy rocket arugula and all the morning things that would kick you into your best day.
There was also a scrambled egg sandwich, which will come on Gayer's famous milk bread. That soft scramble with a hit of spicy chipotle cream was kind of amazing for a first effort from her new crew.
The bakery cafe will be open during the day, serving sandwiches, breakfast plates, and fresh salads—plus, I saw cassoulet skillets. They'll kick off tomorrow at 7 a.m. and regular hours will run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. Don't forget that this Saturday the St. Paul Winter Farmers Market will kick off in the Market House space, so that might be your best first chance to indulge in some light and luxe time with The Salty Tart.
