Travail signage art
It's been a long time coming, but the best, shiniest, newest Travail Kitchen in Robbinsdale is almost ready for launch.
Shall we step back a decade for mo? Think back to 2010 when the first Travail launched in what was essentially a tricked out diner with chalkboard menus, curtains over the kitchen, simple wooden booths and chairs. It was all about the show of the food, the chefs cooking and serving, and the vibe came from the happy eaters and drinkers (Fender Here!). Then we step forward to 2014 and Travail 2.0. After a killer Kickstarter, the team built their own bigger place down the block from the original. This place was all vibe with lots of screens, wide open kitchen, furry hot tub seating, a new bar, The Rookery, then the Spotlight counter, and so much more. It morphed and changed when they needed it to, but eventually it couldn't fit with their future plans. In 2019 that space became the newest version of Pig Ate My Pizza, which feels really right in there. Especially with its own brewery.
So here we are. New decade calls for a new building. While they've been busy building 3.0 across the street from 2.0, the crew has been in residency in Minneapolis, cooking up 5 different concepts in a year, NBD. In a way, that's a cleansing ... I almost can't remember what Travail 2.0 really felt like anymore. And after walking through the new space, I think that's perfect. Because Travail 3.0 feels a door to their future.
Travail exterior
The three level space sits right on Birdtown's historic Main Street, and to say you can't miss it is an understatement. The front is clad with black brick and glass, from sidewalk to sky. There's one entrance here, but the main entrance will be in the back through the small parking lot.
Travail interior
Upon entering this will be your first stop. Above you, chef's knives hang from the ceiling. Eventually all those blades will have the names of the founding backers written on them (don't worry they are very securely installed).To the right is a small coat vestibule, to the left, a wall of lockers. The Travail crew is hoping you'll stow your stuff and just be present in the moment as you dine through your ticketed experience. The black screen in front of you slides back to reveal the main dining room, when it's time to be seated. Yes, you should expect those square cut outs to be a passageway for surprises and snacks. But before your ticketed dinner you might go upstairs.
Up the stairs, you'll find a small bar area. These lights may be red now, but they might turn shades of blue or purple next time. The entire back wall of the space consists of framed glass. Right now you look out over the parking lot, the Robbinsdale water tower, and neighboring buildings. But in the warmer months, there will be a wall of green as hop vines will be trained to run up a massive frame of wires.
open space with a bar and high top tables with chairs
The narrow upstairs space is anchored by a bar. The tables and chairs are all custom designed for Travail, and their configuration in the area will depend on what the use for the night might be. With those cranks, they can be lowered to traditional dining height or raised to bar-table height. Pretty much everything is on wheels so that it can be moved around. "People might be up here before the big dinner, but when they leave, we might open it up to a later ticketed event or maybe a theme night like the residencies we're doing right now," Mike Brown told me. Please notice the undulating ceiling which is an affect the team created with an Italian plaster treatment. It definitely feels like a rolling wave.
view out of a window of an open air rooftop space
On the other side of the room, the glass walls reveal what will be the rooftop patio. That nook where that orange scaffold currently sits will be one big table that overlooks the sidewalk and street at the front of the building. The whole patio will have some sort of a covering, though it won't be a roof per se.
a room with large tables with chairs
The main dining room is obviously the heart of the action. Compared to the happy chaos of the former space, this feels more controlled, but no less vital. It's built to hold lots of those custom tables as well as some kitchen carts that will allow the chefs to prepare courses among the eaters. I can imagine the set up will be different all the time, some low tables, some high tables, shaped and plotted as the kitchen sees fit. The white marble wall also acts as a screen for projected video and the sound system is crazy. I can't give it all away, but when you think about their brand of experiential dining, this is a pretty great stage.
a test kitchen
On the other side of the room is the open kitchen. Dramatic marble walls and counters are just backdrop to the food action. Again, that screen moves across the front of the kitchen to focus the eye on different parts, or to hide it all together. This is the only kitchen, executing menus for all levels, so you can imagine the action.
industrial kitchen
Just thought I'd leave this shot of the Montague cooking suite up here for sexy time.
large table with chairs in a kitchen with large windows
Just off the street, on the main level, is the front room which can be closed off from the main dining. It has its own vibe, more like a living room than anywhere. "This is my favorite space here," Brown said. "It just feels like you're in someone's house, and that's our whole goal. To make people feel like we're welcoming them into our house." The lights overhead can be configured in different formations on the ceiling and changed to any color. The red cart in the back is a custom paella stand that really, can be used to cook many things, in any of the rooms. That helps keep the spaces useful for different purposes, like if a company wants to book the front room for a meeting, it can be kept separate from the main dining and still feel like its own experience. The final experience in Travail 3.0 happens in the basement.
a bar with comfortable looking chairs
The basement bar is a wholly different vibe, very speakeasy, though not really hidden. While upstairs is all white, bright, and slightly Nordic, downstairs is dark and red. Low slung with black tin ceilings, this is the one spot that will be open to the public, with the actual bar as a first-come-first-serve basis, plus other reservation seating. There will also be a totally separate menu for the lower level, a la carte like the bar menus at the residency have been. This bar will be open on Wed-Saturdays from 6:30pm to midnight. Food will be available until about 10pm to start, and the cocktail list will launch with around 12 specialty drinks.
a lounge with a piano in the middle of the room
Yes, there is a player piano in the middle of the room (and like the sign says: unless you're John Tesh, don't mess with it). The shelves are decked with collectibles, much of which belong to Nathaniel Smith, who leads the bar team. Loyalists might recognize the banquette on the rear wall as a salvaged piece from the Bradstreet location. It's a warm and comfy place to hang.
bathroom door depicting darth vadar
Look, there are so many interesting touches and cool moments in this space. I haven't even touched on the bathrooms, the confessionals, or the secret room because I think you need to let some of the magic unfold in person.
The good news is, it's almost time. The team has been holding training events, and private dinners to get feedback and make sure the space works the way they want it to. Here's the big news: They'll open the basement bar to the public first, starting on Feb 19. Stay tuned for details concerning reservation information to come the first week of Feb. Then the rest of the space will officially open mid-March for ticketed dinners and events. 3.0 is for 2020 and beyond!
