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Grandma Putting Liquor in Tea, Sneakily
It's a good weekend for everyone to recognize the maternal among us: be they biological, be they step, be they grand, be they chosen. Moms, like the rest of humanity, may not be perfect, but they also sleep 20% less than dads, so. You have ample opportunity to cheers your real best friend with mini-golf, momosas, or a trip to a basement bar where she can NOT tell you about her days as a dancer in the Moulin Rouge.
OPENS
+ UpCo. is the new name for the re-opened Arts & Rec space. Uptown Collab is the rebranding that covers all the cool activations in the space. From the Arts & Rec mini-golf, to the Upstage theater space, to the rooftop now known as Beacon and the restaurant rebranded as Leila's, they all now fall under the UpCo. umbrella. Notably, there's a new chef in the building, none other than tastemaker Kamal Mohammed who owns Nashville Coop and StepChld. He's bringing in a burger similar to the Cooper Burger from StepChld, plus vegan and vegetarian option to both the main bar and the roof top.
+ Maison Margaux, the Fhima family's newest restaurant, officially opens to the public today in the former Ribnick Furs building in North Loop. The three story looker sports a blue and white vibe on the main floor, with an open kitchen and main bar. The top level has been opened up for event space, and the bottom level is the red Moulin Rouge inspired bar. It has plenty of nooks and dark corners, and there's a password to get in... but you just have to ask for it.
+ Herbst Eatery & Farm Stand is now open on Raymond. The bar is ready for walk-ins, the back patio will launch some time in the coming weeks. Hearing great things about the walleye tbh.
+ Relish is now open in the space that was formerly the Bad Waitress in NE. The all-day cafe is owned and operated by the family from Coffee Shop NE and they've given a nice zshoosh to the space. Look for coffee bar service from 7am-11am, and table service 11am-11pm.
+ Now open in the former Able Brewing space is the Twin Cities first hard kombucha taproom: Buch Fermentery & Taproom. Starting at 4pm today, more than 12 taps will be pouring boozy fizzy health sippers in flavors like cherry rosemary, lychee lemongrass, grapefruit ginger and so much more.
+ Justin Sutherland and Grand Ol' Creamery have quietly opened Big E's egg sandwich shop. If you've given up on the hellscape that is Twitter, maybe you missed the kerfuffle over the fact that the posted menu priced out egg sandwiches around $15-$20.
+ SEASONALS: Bread & Pickle is now open at the Lake Harriet Pavillion... quaint Northeast Farmers Market is now open... Valley Fair opens officially this weekend!
CLOSES
- Rök Eatery, the Japanese-Nordic restaurant above the Rathskeller, is dead. Long live Rök Eatery, the taco restaurant above the Rathskeller. For now.
-The Brian and Sarah Ingram ‘80s party restaurant called Spring Break is not happening in STP, apparently.
- If you are a granola fan, maybe you know that locally made Gustola Granola is taking a break and ceasing production after a decade of hard work. Time to grab what's on the shelf, because that's all there is.
COMING SOON
>> Public Domain is coming to the former Haute Dish space, and it's Stefan Van Voorst’s new gig. We last saw him at Kitchen & Rail in Eagan, but this new spot is going for a different kind of concept: no menus. Just ask and explore. It's like improv for alkies. I super like the change up, but I'm just saying... if I show up on a Friday with no ideas in my head for what I want, we are both gonna be annoyed.
>> Praise be the Bui family who is bringing Keefer Court back! Look for the buns to hit the Asia Mall still this year.
AGENDA
// You're not like regular moms, you're a cool mom!
- You can't miss Mom-O-Rama at Malcom Yards! Check out the huge makers market with all the mom-approved trinkets, moms get a free mom-osa, but maybe go get a MF OF (Mother's Flowers Old Fashioned) at the bar to cheers to a good cause.
- Straight up whiskey moms should head to O’Shaughnessy Distilling. Take a distillery tour of the world-class whiskey operation, and get a guided tasting followed by food and cocktails in the lounge. $50, times open from 1:30-4:30
- The weather looks perfect for Sunday, and you should be taking mom to bask on the classiest Riva Terrace rooftop at The Four Seasons. Order up a spritz, way cooler than a mimosa, and dig into gnocchi, rainbow trout salad, or a good burger. Lots of reservations available.
- If your mom always made sure you ate all your vegetables, take her out to Farmers Kitchen & Bar for a farm fresh brunch as a thank you. Everything is locally sourced from MN farms, and it’s down home delicious: scrambled eggs, griddle cakes with maple syrup, smoked ham, and so much more. $40/person, $20/kids, under 5 for free.
- Your mom loves bubbs, so take her out to the charming Schram Vineyards in Waconia for a Mother’s Day Sparkling Tasting. $30 ticket gets you tastes of local medal-winning sparkling wines plus a guided discussion of how they’re made. Grab some bites after class in the tasting room, hit up the food truck on the beautiful patio, get down with some wine slushies.
// The large and fantastic Friends School Plant Sale is on this weekend at the State Fairgrounds. Since 1989 they've been helping people become gardeners and plant moms, and it's not just shrubbery but a nice selection of herb and veggie plants. But if you want to go BIG ON VEG in your garden this year, haul out to the 55th annual Arboretum's Plant Sale, also this weekend. More veggies, U of M certified fruit trees and grapes, and more.
// Head over to Fulton Taproom before the Twins game on Sunday for a little Brookies and Baseball action. Our favorite fish monger is setting up a shucking station and handing out some 200+ oysters to pre-gamers for FREE!
// LOVE that you can now take some cooking classes with none other than legendary local chef Lenny Russo at Kowalski's. Check out the May 23 class which is a spring feast with asparagus barley risotto, or look ahead to June and his summer dinner party class featuring coq au vin blanc.
// Maybe you're wondering What to Drink on National Rosé Day? We got you.
