Beer in snow
It's on. This is varsity for MN. We are ready and willing for all the snow, the cold, the thaw, the vortex, the false spring, and then the snow again. People travel here to experience this (and then write ridiculous Buzzfeed articles about it) which just deepens our smirk. We'll be over here drinking beer and digging through snow for hidden treasure, gnawing on fire-kicked bones, or walking around buildings made of ice while we wait for the big stuff. Patiently.
OPENS
>> UMAMI is now open in Lowry Hill. The Travailians have occupied the former Bradstreet with full force, and are kicking their Asian influenced pop-up from W-Sa for the next few months. If you missed tickets for the first round, don't forget the bar is first come first served with its own menu. The next round of Umami tickets should go on sale next week, stay alert!
>> Market BBQ is open again! The Twin Cities oldest and longest running barbecue joint has relocated to Nordeast after leaving their Eat Street location. And trust me, they took everything: the pictures, the booths, the carpet, and most importantly, the live fire pit oven from which those smoky bones do flow. It's back to business as usual, this time off of Lowry.
CLOSES
>> It seems that the Hasty Tasty, in the former Falafel King spot in LynLake, has closed. It sounds like there might be a rebrand in the future with a possible re-opening in the spring.
>> Girvan Grille at Edinburgh golf course has now closed. The clubhouse eatery, which gained a bit of a foodist following for its ghost wings years ago, will transition into a D'amico eatery after a $1.5 million renovation. The new eatery known as The Brooklyn, will be a clubby American bistro open to both members and the public. Look for an opening in the spring.
COMING SOON
>> Heads up Richfield. That cute little metal-clad Frango Diner that was coming to 66th and Penn, has changed its name to something less ... minty. Get ready for Flynn's Diner to burger their way into your heart.
AGENDA
>> Excelsior has its own ice castle for you to wander into, starting this weekend. If you go on Saturday you can detour for disco with the 70's Magic Sunshine Band at Excelsior Brewing and get a frosty Oarlock Oat Stout. It's good to know that the taproom is open 1 hour before the ice castle, and is quite family friendly.
>> It's the Global Soup Cook-Off at the Midtown Global Market this Saturday. Here's a tip, stroll around and sample soup, then pop over to Ziadi's and check out what they've done to the former Rabbit Hole space!
>> Hit all your resolutions with D.D.B. at Able Brewing. Donuts. Dance. Beer. Those were your commitments for 2019, yeah? Get down on Saturday with sssdude-nutz donuts and DJ spins that lead to craft beer and enlightenment.
>> You have a few chances to pay homage to restaurants past this month. On Sunday, grab dinner at St. Genevieve for a Hautedish Sunday Supper, inspired by the long-gone iconic Landon Schoenefeld eatery. Yes, there will be crab mac and cheese and tatertot hautedish. Then on Wednesday, grab a seat at Meritage for a Brasserie Zentral Tribute Evening. Try not to cry in your spätzle und schnitzel. Later this month, it's all about an AZIA Throwback Happy Hour on the 20th. Cranberry puffs required.
>> Adjust your specs, Sunday starts Dark Week. Finnegan's will release a new dark beer every day next week, ranging from smoked Baltic porter to dark chocolate mint stout to barrel aged Caorthannach Russian Imperial stout. All dark beers will be on tap at the brewery during the week, with a bottle release party next Saturday, 1/19.
>> Have you heard of chef Flynn McGarry or seen the documentary about the young phenom chef who started cooking and opened a supper club in his living room when he was 10 years old? Well, what if there was a child prodigy like that in our midst? Spencer Venancio is just 14 years old, but he's staged in such fine local kitchens as Heyday, Travail, Spoon & Stable, even Alinea in Chicago. In fact he's about to hold his second pop-up at Bardo, on Tuesday, and you can plop down $105 for the 12 course tasting menu dinner and maybe get a taste of the future (before the hype machine gets rolling ... watch that doc).
>> Are you watching Top Chef Kentucky? Our lad Justin Sutherland is STILL IN THE RUNNING!! Catch up on past episodes, then get ready for next Thursday's show by dipping into the Handsome Hog for a Bourbon & The Beast dinner before the show. From 5-7pm, fellow cheftestant Brian Young along with Justin and chefs Donald Gonzales and Brandon Randolph will serve up a six course Duroc pork dinner. Just a little pre-telly snack.
>> This is when I tell you that you should jump on those MN Craft Brewer's Guild Winterfest tickets. Now. That particular beer fest on Jan. 25 is one of the best of the year, and a damn good time. Local craft breweries partner with more than 20 local restaurants to pair high-end beers with classy bites. So leave your pretzlace at home and spruce up a bit, will ya?
