Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Catalyst Event at the New DT Crave
Our friends at Catalyst Community Partners are hosting a networking event this month at the brand new Crave in downtown Minneapolis. Proceeds from this event will benefit Kindred Kitchen and will provide disaster relief to those recently effected by the tornado in North Minneapolis. Click on the image below for more details and to sign up!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Mill Valley Kitchen to open June 7
Well, we have an official opening date of June 7, so we blasted the news to the press this week about the opening of Mill Valley Kitchen in St. Louis Park. City Pages Rachel Hutton is all over it and posted this on the Hot Dish blog today:
by Rachel Hutton, City Pages
More details have arrived regarding the new Mill Valley Kitchen, scheduled to open June 7 in the Ellipse on Excelsior development in St. Louis Park.
If you missed the first announcement, the restaurant is named after the Marin County, California paradise just across the Golden Gate Bridge and adjacent Muir Woods. Craig Bentdahl, the former Excel Bank CEO, is backing the venture with Anoush Ansari of Hemisphere Companies consulting. The chef is Michael Rakun, formerly of the St. Paul Hotel and Mission American Kitchen, and he's creating a menu inspired by the fresh, healthful, farm-to-table cuisine of Northern California.
Here's what else we know:
Specifically, Rakun will be cooking with a lot of local, seasonal ingredients, using herbs grown on the restaurant's outdoor patio. Interestingly, Mill Valley Kitchen plans to be the first restaurant in the Twin Cities to post nutritional information for each menu item--calories, fat, carbohydrate and protein content--directly on the menu.
That doesn't necessarily mean everything will be low cal, but there will be emphasis on pairing lots of vegetables and whole grains with fish and lean meats. Sample dinner entrees include Duroc pork tenderloin with coconut sweet potato and apple jam and Chilean seabass with gingered-shitake quinoa and a sweet and sour cucumber salad. The restaurant will serve three meals a day, seven days a week, and the lunch menu will include grass-fed beef burgers, salads, and flatbreads, while the breakfast menu will offer free-range egg sandwiches, house-made muffins, and granola.
Wines will emphasize Northern California, but there will also be tap beers and a full bar, as well as several non-alcoholic beverages: ginger beer, fruit smoothies, house made blended tea drinks and--so far as we know, the first local restaurant to kombucha on tap!
Shea is doing the design for the space, which includes a bar/lounge area, large dining room for 165, and a wine room available for private dining parties of up to 12 people, and a large outdoor patio. Again, it's all arriving June 7.
Mill Valley Kitchen
3906 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park
952-358-2000
http://www.millvalleykitchen.com/
by Rachel Hutton, City Pages
More details have arrived regarding the new Mill Valley Kitchen, scheduled to open June 7 in the Ellipse on Excelsior development in St. Louis Park.
If you missed the first announcement, the restaurant is named after the Marin County, California paradise just across the Golden Gate Bridge and adjacent Muir Woods. Craig Bentdahl, the former Excel Bank CEO, is backing the venture with Anoush Ansari of Hemisphere Companies consulting. The chef is Michael Rakun, formerly of the St. Paul Hotel and Mission American Kitchen, and he's creating a menu inspired by the fresh, healthful, farm-to-table cuisine of Northern California.
Here's what else we know:
Specifically, Rakun will be cooking with a lot of local, seasonal ingredients, using herbs grown on the restaurant's outdoor patio. Interestingly, Mill Valley Kitchen plans to be the first restaurant in the Twin Cities to post nutritional information for each menu item--calories, fat, carbohydrate and protein content--directly on the menu.
That doesn't necessarily mean everything will be low cal, but there will be emphasis on pairing lots of vegetables and whole grains with fish and lean meats. Sample dinner entrees include Duroc pork tenderloin with coconut sweet potato and apple jam and Chilean seabass with gingered-shitake quinoa and a sweet and sour cucumber salad. The restaurant will serve three meals a day, seven days a week, and the lunch menu will include grass-fed beef burgers, salads, and flatbreads, while the breakfast menu will offer free-range egg sandwiches, house-made muffins, and granola.
Wines will emphasize Northern California, but there will also be tap beers and a full bar, as well as several non-alcoholic beverages: ginger beer, fruit smoothies, house made blended tea drinks and--so far as we know, the first local restaurant to kombucha on tap!
Shea is doing the design for the space, which includes a bar/lounge area, large dining room for 165, and a wine room available for private dining parties of up to 12 people, and a large outdoor patio. Again, it's all arriving June 7.
Mill Valley Kitchen
3906 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park
952-358-2000
http://www.millvalleykitchen.com/
Friday, May 20, 2011
Crave DT is open!
We just completed our sixth Crave restaurant which opened yesterday in downtown Minneapolis. Read one of the first reports from Jeremy Zoss at The Journal:
Crave now open in LaSalle Plaza
by Jeremy Zoss, The Journal
HENNEPIN AVENUE – Crave’s new Minneapolis location opened its doors today, and it’s the biggest thing hitting the Downtown dining scene this summer – literally. At 13,000 square feet, the former Palomino space in LaSalle Plaza, 825 Hennepin Avenue South is massive, and it’s only going to get bigger. Tomorrow, the private dining room across the hall will open, and June 6 will bring the debut of the 7,000 square foot rooftop patio.
Crave Founder and CEO Kam Talebi told us that the restaurant served about 1,000 diners in the past week as preparation for the opening, and the feedback from the test audiences was wildly positive. In the first hours of business today, a steady stream of diners flowed into the restaurant, and Talebi said that reservations for Crave’s first weekend are strong.
According to Talebi, diners are amazed by how different the space looks from Palomino and are excited about the variety of dining experiences the restaurant offers. The Downtown Crave has dining room, bar and sushi bar sections as well as private dining room spaces, and he expects that versatility to be a big draw for Downtown customers.
Crave now open in LaSalle Plaza
by Jeremy Zoss, The Journal
HENNEPIN AVENUE – Crave’s new Minneapolis location opened its doors today, and it’s the biggest thing hitting the Downtown dining scene this summer – literally. At 13,000 square feet, the former Palomino space in LaSalle Plaza, 825 Hennepin Avenue South is massive, and it’s only going to get bigger. Tomorrow, the private dining room across the hall will open, and June 6 will bring the debut of the 7,000 square foot rooftop patio.
Crave Founder and CEO Kam Talebi told us that the restaurant served about 1,000 diners in the past week as preparation for the opening, and the feedback from the test audiences was wildly positive. In the first hours of business today, a steady stream of diners flowed into the restaurant, and Talebi said that reservations for Crave’s first weekend are strong.
According to Talebi, diners are amazed by how different the space looks from Palomino and are excited about the variety of dining experiences the restaurant offers. The Downtown Crave has dining room, bar and sushi bar sections as well as private dining room spaces, and he expects that versatility to be a big draw for Downtown customers.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Crave in DT Mpls on the way...
Here at Shea, we're working hard to meet the deadline of May 19 for the opening of the latest Crave restaurant in Downtown Minneapolis. The Star Tribune's Tom Horgen toured the construction site with owner Kam Talebi and gives his report here:
Downtown Crave opens May 19, rooftop to follow
Posted by: Tom Horgen under Nightlife
Updated: May 12, 2011
"It’s a little bit edgier than before,” Kam Talebi said. That’s how the Crave owner summed up his hotly-anticipated venture into downtown Minneapolis Thursday afternoon. Stepping over power tools and ducking plastic tarp, Talebi guaranteed that this Crave — his fourth in the Twin Cities — will be ready for its opening on May 19.
Everything will be bigger: the bar, the sushi operation and the space in general (it’s 12,000 square feet). Talebi has blown out the old Palomino on Hennepin, opening up the soaring ceilings. He’s adding little stylistic touches that he might not have in Edina or Bloomington (the booths are covered in what looked like crocodile leather). Go to Crave's facebook page for an extensive photo tour.
“We understand that we’re coming in from suburban America,” Talebi said, “so we’ve really custom-tailored the concept for downtown.”
The big buzz surrounding this location is the ambitious rooftop, which will open May 29. At 6,500 square feet, it’ll be just a smidge larger than Seven’s. On Thursday, the rooftop (which sits on top of LaSalle Plaza) was still in the skeletal phase, with thousands of pounds of steel making up its impressive base. Talebi emphasized that he doesn’t want customers to look at the rooftop as simply a late-night destination, but a dinner spot too. He’s building a full kitchen up here, as well as a bar and rest rooms. “The way I look at it is we’ve built two restaurants,” he said.
In all, Talebi said the investment totals about $5 million. "It's been a challenging build-out, but we've been working around the clock," he said.
The rooftop's opening (which comes 10 days after the restaurant's) will be the debut of “Communion,” a popular DJ night that will move over from Solera.
Downtown Crave opens May 19, rooftop to follow
Posted by: Tom Horgen under Nightlife
Updated: May 12, 2011
 |
| photo by Tom Horgen |
Everything will be bigger: the bar, the sushi operation and the space in general (it’s 12,000 square feet). Talebi has blown out the old Palomino on Hennepin, opening up the soaring ceilings. He’s adding little stylistic touches that he might not have in Edina or Bloomington (the booths are covered in what looked like crocodile leather). Go to Crave's facebook page for an extensive photo tour.
“We understand that we’re coming in from suburban America,” Talebi said, “so we’ve really custom-tailored the concept for downtown.”
The big buzz surrounding this location is the ambitious rooftop, which will open May 29. At 6,500 square feet, it’ll be just a smidge larger than Seven’s. On Thursday, the rooftop (which sits on top of LaSalle Plaza) was still in the skeletal phase, with thousands of pounds of steel making up its impressive base. Talebi emphasized that he doesn’t want customers to look at the rooftop as simply a late-night destination, but a dinner spot too. He’s building a full kitchen up here, as well as a bar and rest rooms. “The way I look at it is we’ve built two restaurants,” he said.
In all, Talebi said the investment totals about $5 million. "It's been a challenging build-out, but we've been working around the clock," he said.
The rooftop's opening (which comes 10 days after the restaurant's) will be the debut of “Communion,” a popular DJ night that will move over from Solera.
Friday, May 6, 2011
10 Spots That Make Flying Taste Better
Airfarewatchdog writer David Landsel has made a list of 10 airport dining spots worth checking out. He claims that his list is better than others you may have seen, because he's actually visited all these spots. At Shea, we were very pleased to see TWO(!) of our projects on the list: Surdyk's Flights in MSP and Tortas Frontera at ORD. Read on for his review...
EAT UP! 10 airport dining experiences that make flying taste better
By DAVID LANDSEL
Airfarewatchdog.com contributing writer
Who loves airports? Very few people! Who loves food? Pretty much everyone, right? Sometimes – more and more, actually – the two are not mutually exclusive. For every terrible Newark (EWR), there's a pleasant little Portland (PDX) – a place where travelers can actually feel human, if only for a little while. A place where real food (and drink) is served. In nice surroundings, even. Hungry? Airfarewatchdog has selected ten for-really-reals awesome airport dining experiences worth traveling for. PS: You may have seen other lists out there. Ours is better, because we've actually been to these places. You're welcome!
#1 SURDYK'S FLIGHTS @ MSP
Used to be we could blame Northwest, now it's Delta's fault. Doesn't really matter who's doing it, but plenty of travelers heading east or west get shoved through the Twin Cities. Not the worst thing that's ever happened; this is a modern and fairly easy to use airport; those on longer layovers can just hop the train from the terminal over to the Mall of America, just minutes away. Staying closer to your gate? There are, luckily, some great places to eat; right now, there's some good buzz is on the recently-opened Surdyk's Flights. Surdyk's is a revered local liquor purveyor that's now serving up wine, beer and cocktails (along with some great food) in a sleek little spot in the Lindbergh Terminal mall area. Try the local cheeses (and the local beers). Order a Bellini and the baked figs, stuffed with blue cheese and walnuts. Try it all. (Don't miss your flight! Or do!) (Current fares to Minneapolis)
#2 PLANE FOOD @ LHR
When life brings you a layover at London's Heathrow, make tracks for celeb chef / noted screamer Gordon Ramsay's killer all-day caff, a spot as smart and pretty as its host, Terminal 5. That's the British Airways one – the one that makes us forget how much we despise Heathrow. Truth is, this restaurant could be anywhere and it would be super – it opens at 5:30 in the morning and stays open until last flight, late in the evening, with a menu that includes everything from carpaccios to ceviches to big honking British beef steaks (grass fed and specially aged, of course). Why yes, you'd like to see the wine list. (Fares to Heathrow)
#3 CAT CORA @ SFO
You may remember her from such Food Network programs as "Iron Chef America," which she won, back in 2005. While the made-for-TV Cora may not be the next Jean-Georges – after all, until now, her biggest project has been a just-okay restaurant at Disney World – the little lady sure is tearing it up at San Francisco's schmancy new Terminal 2. Flyers are flipping for her lobster mac and other fun small plates, plus there is also a great cocktail list. (How many times have you seen ouzo on a cocktail menu at an airport outside of Greece?) Of all the flashy new food outlets in this terminal, Cat's is queen. (Current fares to San Francisco)
#4 ROGUE ALE HOUSE @ PDX
One of the Northwest's best-known breweries (and still one if it's best) oversees this jovial pub on Concourse D at Portland's airport, easily one of the best places for hungry and thirsty travelers to log time. (It's so nice here, that we've been known to fly to PDX even when our destination is Seattle, a pretty easy drive to the north. It's that much nicer.) With nearly ten Rogue brews on tap and a neat little menu that includes kobe beef cheeseburgers and pizzas, not to mention breakfast, this is definitely where you get started, PDX-wise. Rogue, an outpost of the Newport, OR mothership, is located post-security, so you can grab some beer to go – they'll even fill a growler for you. Still thirsty?; Some say Portland brewer Laurelwood is the better choice – they're at the airport too. Compare and contrast, we say. (Laurelwood's got two locations, on Concourses A and E.) (Current fares to Portland)
#5 CAF DECO @ HKG
The famed restaurant that attracts young lovers and hungry families top the top of The Peak on Hong Kong Island also feeds travelers in an airy, open-plan space at Hong Kong's airport (Terminal 1). From Hainanese chicken to hamburgers, sushi to oysters and some really solid Thai food, this is essentially a high-end, pan-Asian diner that will please pretty much everyone; the sea view and live jazz music many evenings encourages sticking around. After an extended stay in some hotter and sweatier corner of Southeast Asia, this cool, civilized room feels like a tiny miracle.
#6 NORTHPOINT CUSTARD @ MKE
Is that cheap Frontier Airlines fare forcing you into an unexpected date with Milwaukee on your way to somewhere else? Do you now feel like a total schlimazel? Don't be a schlemiel -- Milwaukee's airport is one of the best-kept secrets in airport awesomeness, with a great independent bookstore (Renaissance), kiosks from excellent local coffee roaster Alterra, killer pizzas at Nonna Bartolotta's and now, to complete the picture, burgers and frozen custard from Northpoint. Did you know that burgers and frozen custard are a religion in Milwaukee? Did you know that Northpoint is considered by people who like their food to taste good to be one of the top purveyors of both? Opened a couple of summers back on the city's lakefront by the same folks behind Nonna's and a bunch of very fine Milwaukee restaurants, the stand is seasonal. The newer airport location is not, thank goodness -- travelers get access to the good stuff year-round. If you've never had fried cheese curds, don't start now, though addicts should be advised that Northpoint's are worth the trip. (Current fares to Milwaukee)
#7 SORA JAPANESE @ DTW
The idea of finding edible udon and tasty sashimi at the Detroit airport only surprises people who forget how far back Japan and Michigan go. The legacy of this synergy has left the suburbs of Detroit with some unexpectedly awesome izakayas, seriously worthy noodle bars and secret sushi spots. Sora, located in the shiny McNamara Terminal at DTW, wouldnt knock ‘em dead in Tokyo, but its soups and rolls and very Japanese dcor makes it one of the least airport-y airport dining experiences in the country. Well worth a visit. Gets busy when one of the daily flights to Japan is delayed. (Current fares to Detroit)
#8 ONE FLEW SOUTH @ ATL
If you only have time to eat one meal at Atlanta's obese and oppressive Hartsfield Airport (and pray to God/Gaia/etc. it's that or less), make tracks for the hottest little hotspot on a terminal concourse, like, ever. Well, maybe not the hottest, but Terminal Es One Flew South is pretty stellar. BLT's with smoky Benton's bacon, Carolina trout with celery root puree in a brown butter sauce, civilized cocktails, great dcor, sweet little desserts – this is about as close as it gets to having a real restaurant in an airport as you're likely to see. Bar seating encourages single diners to stop on in; a beautiful mural of a Georgia pine forest soothes frayed nerves. We'll never take back all the terrible things we've said about this airport, but at least we've got somewhere to hide on our next forced stopover. (Latest fares to Atlanta)
#9 LA CARRETA @ MIA
It's so much better to get wherever you're going in Latin America directly from your home city, but there's a silver lining to the cloud that is a Miami layover: A 24-hour La Carreta. And also a 24-hour Versailles. The twin Cuban chainlets that every Miamian knows (and most love at least a little) command a large presence in the revamped main terminal here; La Carreta is a full-service restaurant all day, and a sandwich slash caf cubano spot late at night. (If you can't find it, just ask any airport worker. It's where they're all eating, anyway.) (Today's list of airfares to Miami)
#10 TORTAS FRONTERA @ ORD
Rick Bayless. At the airport. At O'Hare, no less. (Terminal 1 now. Terminal 3 soon.) Need we say anymore? Okay, fine: Tortas. They're Mexican sandwiches. Kinda like panini. Frontera. As in Frontera Grill, as in Topolobampo, as in Xoco – as in the places you want to eat next time you are in Chicago. (Particularly Xoco. Xoco is probably the best, even though it's the most casual.) Anyway, you can now get Bayless' endlessly good food at one of the world's most endless airports. Sandwiches like the Pepito -- beer-braised short ribs topped with Chihuahua cheese, pickled jalapenos and cilantro crema will have you feeling all tingly and excited. Whos for a stop at O'Hare? Suddenly, us. (See airfares to O'Hare)
EAT UP! 10 airport dining experiences that make flying taste better
By DAVID LANDSEL
Airfarewatchdog.com contributing writer
Who loves airports? Very few people! Who loves food? Pretty much everyone, right? Sometimes – more and more, actually – the two are not mutually exclusive. For every terrible Newark (EWR), there's a pleasant little Portland (PDX) – a place where travelers can actually feel human, if only for a little while. A place where real food (and drink) is served. In nice surroundings, even. Hungry? Airfarewatchdog has selected ten for-really-reals awesome airport dining experiences worth traveling for. PS: You may have seen other lists out there. Ours is better, because we've actually been to these places. You're welcome!
 |
| Surdyk's Flights |
#1 SURDYK'S FLIGHTS @ MSP
Used to be we could blame Northwest, now it's Delta's fault. Doesn't really matter who's doing it, but plenty of travelers heading east or west get shoved through the Twin Cities. Not the worst thing that's ever happened; this is a modern and fairly easy to use airport; those on longer layovers can just hop the train from the terminal over to the Mall of America, just minutes away. Staying closer to your gate? There are, luckily, some great places to eat; right now, there's some good buzz is on the recently-opened Surdyk's Flights. Surdyk's is a revered local liquor purveyor that's now serving up wine, beer and cocktails (along with some great food) in a sleek little spot in the Lindbergh Terminal mall area. Try the local cheeses (and the local beers). Order a Bellini and the baked figs, stuffed with blue cheese and walnuts. Try it all. (Don't miss your flight! Or do!) (Current fares to Minneapolis)
#2 PLANE FOOD @ LHR
When life brings you a layover at London's Heathrow, make tracks for celeb chef / noted screamer Gordon Ramsay's killer all-day caff, a spot as smart and pretty as its host, Terminal 5. That's the British Airways one – the one that makes us forget how much we despise Heathrow. Truth is, this restaurant could be anywhere and it would be super – it opens at 5:30 in the morning and stays open until last flight, late in the evening, with a menu that includes everything from carpaccios to ceviches to big honking British beef steaks (grass fed and specially aged, of course). Why yes, you'd like to see the wine list. (Fares to Heathrow)
#3 CAT CORA @ SFO
You may remember her from such Food Network programs as "Iron Chef America," which she won, back in 2005. While the made-for-TV Cora may not be the next Jean-Georges – after all, until now, her biggest project has been a just-okay restaurant at Disney World – the little lady sure is tearing it up at San Francisco's schmancy new Terminal 2. Flyers are flipping for her lobster mac and other fun small plates, plus there is also a great cocktail list. (How many times have you seen ouzo on a cocktail menu at an airport outside of Greece?) Of all the flashy new food outlets in this terminal, Cat's is queen. (Current fares to San Francisco)
#4 ROGUE ALE HOUSE @ PDX
One of the Northwest's best-known breweries (and still one if it's best) oversees this jovial pub on Concourse D at Portland's airport, easily one of the best places for hungry and thirsty travelers to log time. (It's so nice here, that we've been known to fly to PDX even when our destination is Seattle, a pretty easy drive to the north. It's that much nicer.) With nearly ten Rogue brews on tap and a neat little menu that includes kobe beef cheeseburgers and pizzas, not to mention breakfast, this is definitely where you get started, PDX-wise. Rogue, an outpost of the Newport, OR mothership, is located post-security, so you can grab some beer to go – they'll even fill a growler for you. Still thirsty?; Some say Portland brewer Laurelwood is the better choice – they're at the airport too. Compare and contrast, we say. (Laurelwood's got two locations, on Concourses A and E.) (Current fares to Portland)
#5 CAF DECO @ HKG
The famed restaurant that attracts young lovers and hungry families top the top of The Peak on Hong Kong Island also feeds travelers in an airy, open-plan space at Hong Kong's airport (Terminal 1). From Hainanese chicken to hamburgers, sushi to oysters and some really solid Thai food, this is essentially a high-end, pan-Asian diner that will please pretty much everyone; the sea view and live jazz music many evenings encourages sticking around. After an extended stay in some hotter and sweatier corner of Southeast Asia, this cool, civilized room feels like a tiny miracle.
#6 NORTHPOINT CUSTARD @ MKE
Is that cheap Frontier Airlines fare forcing you into an unexpected date with Milwaukee on your way to somewhere else? Do you now feel like a total schlimazel? Don't be a schlemiel -- Milwaukee's airport is one of the best-kept secrets in airport awesomeness, with a great independent bookstore (Renaissance), kiosks from excellent local coffee roaster Alterra, killer pizzas at Nonna Bartolotta's and now, to complete the picture, burgers and frozen custard from Northpoint. Did you know that burgers and frozen custard are a religion in Milwaukee? Did you know that Northpoint is considered by people who like their food to taste good to be one of the top purveyors of both? Opened a couple of summers back on the city's lakefront by the same folks behind Nonna's and a bunch of very fine Milwaukee restaurants, the stand is seasonal. The newer airport location is not, thank goodness -- travelers get access to the good stuff year-round. If you've never had fried cheese curds, don't start now, though addicts should be advised that Northpoint's are worth the trip. (Current fares to Milwaukee)
#7 SORA JAPANESE @ DTW
The idea of finding edible udon and tasty sashimi at the Detroit airport only surprises people who forget how far back Japan and Michigan go. The legacy of this synergy has left the suburbs of Detroit with some unexpectedly awesome izakayas, seriously worthy noodle bars and secret sushi spots. Sora, located in the shiny McNamara Terminal at DTW, wouldnt knock ‘em dead in Tokyo, but its soups and rolls and very Japanese dcor makes it one of the least airport-y airport dining experiences in the country. Well worth a visit. Gets busy when one of the daily flights to Japan is delayed. (Current fares to Detroit)
#8 ONE FLEW SOUTH @ ATL
If you only have time to eat one meal at Atlanta's obese and oppressive Hartsfield Airport (and pray to God/Gaia/etc. it's that or less), make tracks for the hottest little hotspot on a terminal concourse, like, ever. Well, maybe not the hottest, but Terminal Es One Flew South is pretty stellar. BLT's with smoky Benton's bacon, Carolina trout with celery root puree in a brown butter sauce, civilized cocktails, great dcor, sweet little desserts – this is about as close as it gets to having a real restaurant in an airport as you're likely to see. Bar seating encourages single diners to stop on in; a beautiful mural of a Georgia pine forest soothes frayed nerves. We'll never take back all the terrible things we've said about this airport, but at least we've got somewhere to hide on our next forced stopover. (Latest fares to Atlanta)
#9 LA CARRETA @ MIA
It's so much better to get wherever you're going in Latin America directly from your home city, but there's a silver lining to the cloud that is a Miami layover: A 24-hour La Carreta. And also a 24-hour Versailles. The twin Cuban chainlets that every Miamian knows (and most love at least a little) command a large presence in the revamped main terminal here; La Carreta is a full-service restaurant all day, and a sandwich slash caf cubano spot late at night. (If you can't find it, just ask any airport worker. It's where they're all eating, anyway.) (Today's list of airfares to Miami)
 |
| Tortas Frontera |
Rick Bayless. At the airport. At O'Hare, no less. (Terminal 1 now. Terminal 3 soon.) Need we say anymore? Okay, fine: Tortas. They're Mexican sandwiches. Kinda like panini. Frontera. As in Frontera Grill, as in Topolobampo, as in Xoco – as in the places you want to eat next time you are in Chicago. (Particularly Xoco. Xoco is probably the best, even though it's the most casual.) Anyway, you can now get Bayless' endlessly good food at one of the world's most endless airports. Sandwiches like the Pepito -- beer-braised short ribs topped with Chihuahua cheese, pickled jalapenos and cilantro crema will have you feeling all tingly and excited. Whos for a stop at O'Hare? Suddenly, us. (See airfares to O'Hare)
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
More details on Block E plans
More details from today's Block E announcement from the Business Journal:
Alatus unveils Block E casino plan
Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal - by Rachel Keranen, Staff Writer
The owners of downtown Minneapolis' Block E center formally unveiled their proposal Wednesday for a $300 million-plus renovation to create an "epicenter of Minnesota entertainment." It would include a casino, restaurants, retail and a 60,000-square-foot rooftop terrace.
Alatus, which owns Block E, calls the project Minnesota Live. The developer, which bought the troubled retail complex in 2010 for just $14 million (a fraction of its development cost), has been talking with government and business leaders about the idea for months.
The plan doesn't require state money, but hinges on approval by the Minnesota State Legislature of a state-owned casino with blackjack tables and slot machines. On Thursday, state Rep. John Kriesel, R-Cottage Grove, said he'll introduce legislation to expand the Minnesota State Lottery to allow a single state owned and operated gambling facility at Block E.
Alatus principal Bob Lux said a casino would make downtown a safer and more attractive place to visit by bringing more people to the area.
The bill’s supporters also are promoting the casino as a force of state economic revitalization.
“This is going to get people back to work. This will automatically become the sixth-largest employer in Minneapolis,” Kriesel said. “The beauty of it is that it doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime.”
If approved, the complex would partially open and begin generating revenue in the spring of 2012. A gaming-industry research and consulting firm, The Innovation Group, which was hired by Alatus, estimates Minnesota Live would generate $100 million to $150 million in gaming tax revenue for the remainder of the 2012-2013 budget cycle and $250 million for each following biennium.
Ryan Cos. US Inc. is the general contractor of the proposed project. Cunningham Group Architecture is the project architect. Shea is a design and marketing consultant.
The proposed casino also would give Block E a badly needed dose of foot traffic, which would let owner Alatus get better lease rates. The developer said that a casino would drive local business sales and increase nearby hotels’ occupancy rates.
There were few details on exactly who the customers would be. Alatus projected that two-thirds of the people who patronize the downtown casino would be 55 or younger and have a median income of between $75,000 and $130,000 dollars. They also said they wanted to draw in people from the suburbs and from across the region.
A regional-scope casino would seem to offer competition to tribal casinos and, by extension, risk opposition from that industry's strong lobby at the state Capitol. But Kriesel said the casino would pursue "a separate group that will be attracted to Minneapolis rather than pulling business from the current tribal casinos."
Legislative clock is ticking
With the end of the state legislative session just weeks away, the bill has little time to find support in the Legislature to get it passed. Republicans are split on the issue of expanding gaming in Minnesota, while Gov. Mark Dayton has said he's open to the idea.
Local officials are apparently divided, as well. City Council President Barb Johnson spoke in favor of the casino plan at Wednesday's event; Mayor RT Rybak has indicated he's opposed to more gambling.
“When we get to this time of year, a lot of things aren’t black and white, they’re mostly gray,” said Sen. Doug Magnus, R-Slayton, in an interview after the press conference. “It depends on the moment and the timing.”
Yet Kriesel, a freshman Republican, said afterwards that he’s optimistic it will pass.
“I feel good about it, I do,” Kriesel said.
The casino proposal would include a yet-undetermined amount of retail and restaurant space. Some of those spaces would be operated by the casino while others would be operated by third parties, said Phillip Jaffe, another Alatus principal. A rendering included an image of an ESPN Zone restaurant, but Jaffe said Alatus has not contacted that company or any other potential tenants about its plans.
Existing Block E tenants Kieran's Irish Pub, Hard Rock Café, Starbucks, Mrs. Fields, Jimmy John's, The Shout House and GameStop all have leases and have expressed interest in staying on as part of the redevelopment, Jaffe said.
"Some may choose not to do it, but they've expressed an interest," he said. "Some retailers have certain customers and traffic patterns they're after that may not fit the direction we're going, so that might affect the decision of whether they stay or leave."
Other tenants, such as Borders Books and Sega Gameworks left in recent years after the initial development — which was also touted as a nexus of entertainment options for downtown Minneapolis — never generated the kind of business they expected. The most recent to leave was Mexican restaurant Panchero's, though owners there said they wanted to stay but were ousted by Alatus.
If and when a casino project moves forward, then CB Richard Ellis Inc.'s Bruce Kaplan — a Chicago-based urban retail specialist hired by Alatus to consult on the redevelopment plans — would lead the efforts to identify new tenants.
"Just like any shopping center, the tenants have to be complementary to generate the right traffic," Jaffe said. "Bruce's job will be to find that complementary mix."
Now or never for Block E casino, Lux says
Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal - by Sam Black
The downtown Minneapolis casino project proposed by Alatus LLC is a one-time opportunity for the Minnesota Legislature, according to Alatus Principal Bob Lux.
If the proposal isn't approved this session, Alatus plans to start working on another idea for the property, Lux said in an interview after Wednesday morning's press conference announcing the project.
"This is a one-shot deal," Lux said.
He didn't say what plan B was for the site, or explain the urgency for the approvals. But Alatus has started clearing out some of the retailers that were in the Block E retail center, like Applebee's.
With only a few weeks left in the legislative session, Lux refused to give odds on the plan passing. He's been working on getting support behind the scenes.
"We think we've got a very good chance, otherwise we wouldn't have put it forward," he said.
City support of the project is unclear as well.
Minneapolis City council president Barb Johnson expressed her support for the project and spoke during Wednesday's press conference. Noticeably absent was Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak, who has said he opposes an expansion of gambling in Minnesota, but also said that if this casino is built, he'd like it downtown.
What does Alatus get out of the deal?
The bill calls for the state to own and run the casino. It's unclear what role Alatus will play when the project is complete, besides owning and operating boutique retail on the site, Lux said.
Alatus would control and be able to lease out between 20,000 and 40,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space in the first phase. The entire building is 213,00 square feet. Lux said the second phase hasn't been "programmed" yet, so he didn't have a number of square feet to share.
Phillip Jaffe, a principal at Alatus, said he wasn't sure many retail square feet Alatus would own and manage in the end. It will continue to run and own the attached 550-stall underground parking garage.
"We haven't figured that all out yet," Jaffe said. Its not clear yet what restaurants the casino would own and operate and which ones would they lease out. The lottery board would help determine those details, he said.
Alatus' plan would create a barrier to any other local casinos not run by an Indian tribe — though not an impassable one. The legislation calls for Alatus to pay the state $50 million for the casino fee, but that would be paid back if Minnesota issues a casino license to someone else.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alatus unveils Block E casino plan
Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal - by Rachel Keranen, Staff Writer
The owners of downtown Minneapolis' Block E center formally unveiled their proposal Wednesday for a $300 million-plus renovation to create an "epicenter of Minnesota entertainment." It would include a casino, restaurants, retail and a 60,000-square-foot rooftop terrace.
Alatus, which owns Block E, calls the project Minnesota Live. The developer, which bought the troubled retail complex in 2010 for just $14 million (a fraction of its development cost), has been talking with government and business leaders about the idea for months.
The plan doesn't require state money, but hinges on approval by the Minnesota State Legislature of a state-owned casino with blackjack tables and slot machines. On Thursday, state Rep. John Kriesel, R-Cottage Grove, said he'll introduce legislation to expand the Minnesota State Lottery to allow a single state owned and operated gambling facility at Block E.
Alatus principal Bob Lux said a casino would make downtown a safer and more attractive place to visit by bringing more people to the area.
The bill’s supporters also are promoting the casino as a force of state economic revitalization.
“This is going to get people back to work. This will automatically become the sixth-largest employer in Minneapolis,” Kriesel said. “The beauty of it is that it doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime.”
If approved, the complex would partially open and begin generating revenue in the spring of 2012. A gaming-industry research and consulting firm, The Innovation Group, which was hired by Alatus, estimates Minnesota Live would generate $100 million to $150 million in gaming tax revenue for the remainder of the 2012-2013 budget cycle and $250 million for each following biennium.
Ryan Cos. US Inc. is the general contractor of the proposed project. Cunningham Group Architecture is the project architect. Shea is a design and marketing consultant.
The proposed casino also would give Block E a badly needed dose of foot traffic, which would let owner Alatus get better lease rates. The developer said that a casino would drive local business sales and increase nearby hotels’ occupancy rates.
There were few details on exactly who the customers would be. Alatus projected that two-thirds of the people who patronize the downtown casino would be 55 or younger and have a median income of between $75,000 and $130,000 dollars. They also said they wanted to draw in people from the suburbs and from across the region.
A regional-scope casino would seem to offer competition to tribal casinos and, by extension, risk opposition from that industry's strong lobby at the state Capitol. But Kriesel said the casino would pursue "a separate group that will be attracted to Minneapolis rather than pulling business from the current tribal casinos."
Legislative clock is ticking
With the end of the state legislative session just weeks away, the bill has little time to find support in the Legislature to get it passed. Republicans are split on the issue of expanding gaming in Minnesota, while Gov. Mark Dayton has said he's open to the idea.
Local officials are apparently divided, as well. City Council President Barb Johnson spoke in favor of the casino plan at Wednesday's event; Mayor RT Rybak has indicated he's opposed to more gambling.
“When we get to this time of year, a lot of things aren’t black and white, they’re mostly gray,” said Sen. Doug Magnus, R-Slayton, in an interview after the press conference. “It depends on the moment and the timing.”
Yet Kriesel, a freshman Republican, said afterwards that he’s optimistic it will pass.
“I feel good about it, I do,” Kriesel said.
The casino proposal would include a yet-undetermined amount of retail and restaurant space. Some of those spaces would be operated by the casino while others would be operated by third parties, said Phillip Jaffe, another Alatus principal. A rendering included an image of an ESPN Zone restaurant, but Jaffe said Alatus has not contacted that company or any other potential tenants about its plans.
Existing Block E tenants Kieran's Irish Pub, Hard Rock Café, Starbucks, Mrs. Fields, Jimmy John's, The Shout House and GameStop all have leases and have expressed interest in staying on as part of the redevelopment, Jaffe said.
"Some may choose not to do it, but they've expressed an interest," he said. "Some retailers have certain customers and traffic patterns they're after that may not fit the direction we're going, so that might affect the decision of whether they stay or leave."
Other tenants, such as Borders Books and Sega Gameworks left in recent years after the initial development — which was also touted as a nexus of entertainment options for downtown Minneapolis — never generated the kind of business they expected. The most recent to leave was Mexican restaurant Panchero's, though owners there said they wanted to stay but were ousted by Alatus.
If and when a casino project moves forward, then CB Richard Ellis Inc.'s Bruce Kaplan — a Chicago-based urban retail specialist hired by Alatus to consult on the redevelopment plans — would lead the efforts to identify new tenants.
"Just like any shopping center, the tenants have to be complementary to generate the right traffic," Jaffe said. "Bruce's job will be to find that complementary mix."
Now or never for Block E casino, Lux says
Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal - by Sam Black
The downtown Minneapolis casino project proposed by Alatus LLC is a one-time opportunity for the Minnesota Legislature, according to Alatus Principal Bob Lux.
If the proposal isn't approved this session, Alatus plans to start working on another idea for the property, Lux said in an interview after Wednesday morning's press conference announcing the project.
"This is a one-shot deal," Lux said.
He didn't say what plan B was for the site, or explain the urgency for the approvals. But Alatus has started clearing out some of the retailers that were in the Block E retail center, like Applebee's.
With only a few weeks left in the legislative session, Lux refused to give odds on the plan passing. He's been working on getting support behind the scenes.
"We think we've got a very good chance, otherwise we wouldn't have put it forward," he said.
City support of the project is unclear as well.
Minneapolis City council president Barb Johnson expressed her support for the project and spoke during Wednesday's press conference. Noticeably absent was Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak, who has said he opposes an expansion of gambling in Minnesota, but also said that if this casino is built, he'd like it downtown.
What does Alatus get out of the deal?
The bill calls for the state to own and run the casino. It's unclear what role Alatus will play when the project is complete, besides owning and operating boutique retail on the site, Lux said.
Alatus would control and be able to lease out between 20,000 and 40,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space in the first phase. The entire building is 213,00 square feet. Lux said the second phase hasn't been "programmed" yet, so he didn't have a number of square feet to share.
Phillip Jaffe, a principal at Alatus, said he wasn't sure many retail square feet Alatus would own and manage in the end. It will continue to run and own the attached 550-stall underground parking garage.
"We haven't figured that all out yet," Jaffe said. Its not clear yet what restaurants the casino would own and operate and which ones would they lease out. The lottery board would help determine those details, he said.
Alatus' plan would create a barrier to any other local casinos not run by an Indian tribe — though not an impassable one. The legislation calls for Alatus to pay the state $50 million for the casino fee, but that would be paid back if Minnesota issues a casino license to someone else.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Block E plans unveiled today
In an announcement at Block E this morning to members of the press and downtown business community, Alatus LLC announced their plans for a complete overhaul of Block E. Shea is pleased to be involved in the planning for this unique project that has potential to transform the troubled block into an exciting regional destination. To learn more, read the report from today's Star Tribune:
Casino plan for Block E to roll out
Article by: JENNIFER BJORHUS and ERIC ROPER , Star Tribune staff writers
Updated: May 4, 2011 - 9:29 AM
A stealth plan to transform Minneapolis' ailing Block E into a gambling and entertainment hub that could draw millions of tourists from across the Upper Midwest is about to land at the State Capitol.
Alatus LLC, the Minneapolis developer that bought the downtown entertainment complex at a deep discount last summer, has been meeting quietly with downtown business leaders since last summer on plans for a Bellagio-style, state-run casino, along with privately owned retail and restaurants.
On Wednesday, company officials, along with House Rep. John Kriesel and Sam Grabarski, head of the Minneapolis Downtown Council, will present plans for the luxury casino they say will yield thousands of jobs and millions in sales -- all without public funding. The working name of the redevelopment: Minnesota Live.
Kriesel, a freshman Republican legislator from Cottage Grove, will carry the House bill needed to create a downtown casino. Like other Republicans, Kriesel opposes Gov. Mark Dayton's plan to raise taxes as a way of alleviating the state's $5 billion deficit, but said he could see expanded gambling as part of a final budget solution. Sen. Doug Magnus, an assistant majority leader, will carry the bill in the Senate.
"I know the governor wants a little more revenue," Kriesel said. "You know what? I'm all about compromise." Magnus said he supports the proposal because "I really do believe a strong, vibrant Minneapolis is good. It's one of the keys to the state."
Magnus and Kriesel's task is a delicate one. Until now, casino gambling has been the exclusive province of the state's American Indian tribes, who until recently thought their biggest fight was against a proposal to put video slots at horse-racing tracks.
The bill faces some high hurdles. The GOP-dominated Legislature remains divided on expanded gambling. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has said he does not support it.
But the proposal also represents an opportunity to renew economic development downtown, create a new tourist attraction and provide an ongoing stream of gambling revenue that would, for the first time, be subject to state and local taxes.
An architectural rendering shows a dramatic, four-story glass atrium where the defunct GameWorks once stood, with waterfalls spilling across a rooftop terrace. The Hennepin Avenue casino would be within walking distance of the Target Center, the new Twins ballpark, and both light rail and the Northstar commuter line.
The bill would require the state lottery board to put out a request for proposals for the casino management contract. Alatus would respond with plans to open part of the project as early as next spring, with completion targeted for 2013. The Alatus team would include Minneapolis-based Ryan Cos. and Bruce Kaplan, a CB Richard Ellis retail specialist who played a major role in the $300 million transformation of Chicago's Navy Pier into a popular downtown tourist destination. The project would require a minimum private investment of $200 million.
The state lottery board would have full control of the casino and would disburse the revenue.
Surprising findings
Bob Lux and Phillip Jaffe, principals of Alatus, have a clear view of Block E from their offices on the 28th floor of the U.S. Bancorp Center.
They first started considering the casino idea last spring, before they bought the property for a mere $14 million, along with $28.5 million in tax increment financing repayments.
By September, they had hired the Innovation Group, national gambling consultant, to study the idea. Innovation estimated that a casino with 3,200 gambling positions -- chairs at a slot machine, or table, for instance -- and other games could draw 5.6 million people to downtown Minneapolis from across a five-state region a year.
"It was astounding to us," Jaffe said.
Lux said they envisioned a project like no other in the state. "We want people at 7 o'clock on a Sunday evening when they're driving back to Minot to say, 'Wow, that was cool. We want to come back.'"
Innovation projects the casino would create up to 2,800 full-time gambling jobs, up to 625 construction jobs and about 1,000 indirect jobs. The traffic would be projected to generate a need for 84,000 additional hotel room nights, expanding the occupancy rate in downtown Minneapolis hotels by about 5 percent annually.
That traffic would also produce a stream of gambling tax revenue for state coffers -- a one-time fee of $50 million initially and an ongoing tax stream of about $125 million a year once it was up and running. Lux estimates the state would get an additional $5 million in tax revenue just from the additional traffic in parking ramps
The big numbers give pause.
"I'm always a skeptic about numbers like that," said Barbara Johnson, president of the Minneapolis City Council. "But I was wrong about Mall of America." Johnson said she has an "open mind" about the project because Block E needs something completely new.
"We need to have attractions in our downtown that keep people down here," she said. "This is just another piece of that picture that a big city presents."
Early projections that the Bloomington megamall would attract 40 million people a year within five years drew widespread criticism at the time. But the mall hit that mark and now logs 43 million visitors a year, said Maureen Bausch, the mall's executive vice president of business development.
Issues downtown
Katherine Tinucci, spokeswoman for Gov. Mark Dayton, said the governor would not comment until he had seen the whole plan. As a candidate Dayton had proposed a state-run casino at the Mall of America.
John McCarthy, executive director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, said he fears a downtown casino will take jobs from Indian casinos and create logistical problems downtown.
"Where are you going to park? What about the crime issue?" McCarthy said.
Lux and Jaffe said they don't think Block E would compete with tribal casinos because they are targeting a younger, more affluent crowd. The demand for casino parking wouldn't be concentrated at one time, as it is with the ballpark traffic.
Andrea Christenson, a downtown retail broker for Cassidy Turley, said she initially opposed the casino because she worried it would prey on those who couldn't afford to gamble and would be depressing. After hearing the research Alatus has done, Christenson changed her mind.
"This could be a huge game-changer," she said.
Eric Roper• 651-222-1210 Jennifer Bjorhus • 612-673-4683
Casino plan for Block E to roll out
Article by: JENNIFER BJORHUS and ERIC ROPER , Star Tribune staff writers
Updated: May 4, 2011 - 9:29 AM
A stealth plan to transform Minneapolis' ailing Block E into a gambling and entertainment hub that could draw millions of tourists from across the Upper Midwest is about to land at the State Capitol.
Alatus LLC, the Minneapolis developer that bought the downtown entertainment complex at a deep discount last summer, has been meeting quietly with downtown business leaders since last summer on plans for a Bellagio-style, state-run casino, along with privately owned retail and restaurants.
On Wednesday, company officials, along with House Rep. John Kriesel and Sam Grabarski, head of the Minneapolis Downtown Council, will present plans for the luxury casino they say will yield thousands of jobs and millions in sales -- all without public funding. The working name of the redevelopment: Minnesota Live.
Kriesel, a freshman Republican legislator from Cottage Grove, will carry the House bill needed to create a downtown casino. Like other Republicans, Kriesel opposes Gov. Mark Dayton's plan to raise taxes as a way of alleviating the state's $5 billion deficit, but said he could see expanded gambling as part of a final budget solution. Sen. Doug Magnus, an assistant majority leader, will carry the bill in the Senate.
"I know the governor wants a little more revenue," Kriesel said. "You know what? I'm all about compromise." Magnus said he supports the proposal because "I really do believe a strong, vibrant Minneapolis is good. It's one of the keys to the state."
Magnus and Kriesel's task is a delicate one. Until now, casino gambling has been the exclusive province of the state's American Indian tribes, who until recently thought their biggest fight was against a proposal to put video slots at horse-racing tracks.
The bill faces some high hurdles. The GOP-dominated Legislature remains divided on expanded gambling. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has said he does not support it.
But the proposal also represents an opportunity to renew economic development downtown, create a new tourist attraction and provide an ongoing stream of gambling revenue that would, for the first time, be subject to state and local taxes.
An architectural rendering shows a dramatic, four-story glass atrium where the defunct GameWorks once stood, with waterfalls spilling across a rooftop terrace. The Hennepin Avenue casino would be within walking distance of the Target Center, the new Twins ballpark, and both light rail and the Northstar commuter line.
The bill would require the state lottery board to put out a request for proposals for the casino management contract. Alatus would respond with plans to open part of the project as early as next spring, with completion targeted for 2013. The Alatus team would include Minneapolis-based Ryan Cos. and Bruce Kaplan, a CB Richard Ellis retail specialist who played a major role in the $300 million transformation of Chicago's Navy Pier into a popular downtown tourist destination. The project would require a minimum private investment of $200 million.
The state lottery board would have full control of the casino and would disburse the revenue.
Surprising findings
Bob Lux and Phillip Jaffe, principals of Alatus, have a clear view of Block E from their offices on the 28th floor of the U.S. Bancorp Center.
They first started considering the casino idea last spring, before they bought the property for a mere $14 million, along with $28.5 million in tax increment financing repayments.
By September, they had hired the Innovation Group, national gambling consultant, to study the idea. Innovation estimated that a casino with 3,200 gambling positions -- chairs at a slot machine, or table, for instance -- and other games could draw 5.6 million people to downtown Minneapolis from across a five-state region a year.
"It was astounding to us," Jaffe said.
Lux said they envisioned a project like no other in the state. "We want people at 7 o'clock on a Sunday evening when they're driving back to Minot to say, 'Wow, that was cool. We want to come back.'"
Innovation projects the casino would create up to 2,800 full-time gambling jobs, up to 625 construction jobs and about 1,000 indirect jobs. The traffic would be projected to generate a need for 84,000 additional hotel room nights, expanding the occupancy rate in downtown Minneapolis hotels by about 5 percent annually.
That traffic would also produce a stream of gambling tax revenue for state coffers -- a one-time fee of $50 million initially and an ongoing tax stream of about $125 million a year once it was up and running. Lux estimates the state would get an additional $5 million in tax revenue just from the additional traffic in parking ramps
The big numbers give pause.
"I'm always a skeptic about numbers like that," said Barbara Johnson, president of the Minneapolis City Council. "But I was wrong about Mall of America." Johnson said she has an "open mind" about the project because Block E needs something completely new.
"We need to have attractions in our downtown that keep people down here," she said. "This is just another piece of that picture that a big city presents."
Early projections that the Bloomington megamall would attract 40 million people a year within five years drew widespread criticism at the time. But the mall hit that mark and now logs 43 million visitors a year, said Maureen Bausch, the mall's executive vice president of business development.
Issues downtown
Katherine Tinucci, spokeswoman for Gov. Mark Dayton, said the governor would not comment until he had seen the whole plan. As a candidate Dayton had proposed a state-run casino at the Mall of America.
John McCarthy, executive director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, said he fears a downtown casino will take jobs from Indian casinos and create logistical problems downtown.
"Where are you going to park? What about the crime issue?" McCarthy said.
Lux and Jaffe said they don't think Block E would compete with tribal casinos because they are targeting a younger, more affluent crowd. The demand for casino parking wouldn't be concentrated at one time, as it is with the ballpark traffic.
Andrea Christenson, a downtown retail broker for Cassidy Turley, said she initially opposed the casino because she worried it would prey on those who couldn't afford to gamble and would be depressing. After hearing the research Alatus has done, Christenson changed her mind.
"This could be a huge game-changer," she said.
Eric Roper• 651-222-1210 Jennifer Bjorhus • 612-673-4683
Downtown Crave to debut May 19
Shea has been feverishly working with construction crews on the new Crave restaurant location on Hennepin Avenue in Downtown Minneapolis in order to be open by May 19. The Journal's Jeremy Zoss recently got a tour of the space with Crave owner Kam Talebi and his report was just published. You can read it right here:
Crave’s Downtown location prepares for opening
UPDATED May 3, 2011, 11:43am
By Jeremy Zoss, The Journal
HENNEPIN AVENUE – One of the summer’s hottest restaurant openings is right around the corner. Crave’s new Minneapolis location is scheduled to open on May 19 in the former Palomino space in LaSalle Plaza. However, one of the restaurant’s main attractions, the rooftop patio, won’t open until June 4.
The Downtown location is the sixth restaurant in the Crave chain, which opened its first location at Edina’s Galleria in 2007. Since then, locations have been opened at The Mall of America and the Shops at West End in St. Louis Park, as well as locations in Omaha and Coral Gables, Florida.
“We weren’t looking for a space downtown, but we got a call from the landlord looking for a tenant,” says Crave Founder and CEO Kam Talebi. “But once we saw the space, I felt this location was poised well for the Crave concept, especially given the vibrancy of what’s happening Downtown.”
The LaSalle plaza location features two private dining rooms that bring the interior space to around 13,000 square feet. The rooftop patio will add 7,000 square feet of outside dining and feature its own kitchen, bar and menu items.
The Journal recently had a chance to tour the massive space. Construction crews were hard at work installing some of the traditional features of a Crave restaurant, including the massive bar and enormous wine tower that will signal the separation of the bar area and dining room. A new staircase had to be built to access the roof, which was not used for dining by the previous tenant. While touring the incomplete rooftop, Kam Talebi pointed out the massive bank of fans and vents that had to be relocated for more dining space on the roof. The rooftop bathrooms, bar and kitchen were little more than roughed-out areas during our visit, but Talebi’s animated explanations of the space made it easy to picture the finished product. With its breathtaking view of Downtown, it’s no wonder that the opening of Crave and its rooftop patio are so eagerly anticipated.
 |
| photo by Kathleen Stoehr |
Crave’s Downtown location prepares for opening
UPDATED May 3, 2011, 11:43am
By Jeremy Zoss, The Journal
HENNEPIN AVENUE – One of the summer’s hottest restaurant openings is right around the corner. Crave’s new Minneapolis location is scheduled to open on May 19 in the former Palomino space in LaSalle Plaza. However, one of the restaurant’s main attractions, the rooftop patio, won’t open until June 4.
The Downtown location is the sixth restaurant in the Crave chain, which opened its first location at Edina’s Galleria in 2007. Since then, locations have been opened at The Mall of America and the Shops at West End in St. Louis Park, as well as locations in Omaha and Coral Gables, Florida.
“We weren’t looking for a space downtown, but we got a call from the landlord looking for a tenant,” says Crave Founder and CEO Kam Talebi. “But once we saw the space, I felt this location was poised well for the Crave concept, especially given the vibrancy of what’s happening Downtown.”
The LaSalle plaza location features two private dining rooms that bring the interior space to around 13,000 square feet. The rooftop patio will add 7,000 square feet of outside dining and feature its own kitchen, bar and menu items.
The Journal recently had a chance to tour the massive space. Construction crews were hard at work installing some of the traditional features of a Crave restaurant, including the massive bar and enormous wine tower that will signal the separation of the bar area and dining room. A new staircase had to be built to access the roof, which was not used for dining by the previous tenant. While touring the incomplete rooftop, Kam Talebi pointed out the massive bank of fans and vents that had to be relocated for more dining space on the roof. The rooftop bathrooms, bar and kitchen were little more than roughed-out areas during our visit, but Talebi’s animated explanations of the space made it easy to picture the finished product. With its breathtaking view of Downtown, it’s no wonder that the opening of Crave and its rooftop patio are so eagerly anticipated.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
TU Dance at the Ordway this weekend
Shea has been working with TU Dance, helping them with enhancements to their new rehearsal space in St.Paul and we have discovered that they are a dynamic and impressive force. We can't wait to attend their SOLD OUT performance this Friday night at the Ordway. Information on the show can be found here and a video giving a little more insight into this innovative company can be viewed below:
Vote for Sameh Wadi on Chow.com
We are working with Chef Sameh Wadi of Saffron Restaurant and the crazy popular WSK food truck (It's back!!!) and he's just been nominated for Most Innovative Chef on chow.com. The winners are chosen through a public voting process. That's where you come in....Vote Now for the Most Innovative Chefs, come back each week to vote in the next bracket, and after you've voted, enter to win a trip to the restaurant of the victorious chef.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Minnesota Monthly checks out Masu
Last week, Minnesota Monthly sent Marie Flanagan (@Reetsyburger), a blogger for the Dara & Co. blog, to Masu to check it out in its second week of operation. She is the magazine's sustainable food correspondent and you can read below to hear about her evening at Masu with her husband. It was surprising to us that Dara didn't take the assignment herself, since she has been such of huge fan of Tim McKee's for so long. Well, two days later, she published her own notes about her visit, where she refers to the opening of Masu as "the big news of the season." Both articles are published below:
Sampling Masu Sushi & Robata
by Marie Flanagan
Last week, my husband and I grabbed a meal at Masu Sushi & Robata, a new sushi and robata restaurant in NE Minneapolis. I was particularly interested because James Beard Award-winning chef Tim McKee was involved in producing the menu, and because they’ve made a commitment to sourcing sustainable seafood.
They were busy on that Wednesday night, so we set up a reservation for 9:30 p.m. and took some time to decompress at our NE home before we headed out. Upon arriving, we were seated in a cozy booth under a painted pair of watchful eyes that spanned the full length of the back wall. The menu consisted of sake and other drinks, pub-style appetizers (izakaya), sushi, grilled items (robata), and noodles.
We split a glass of sweet sparkling rhubarb green tea from their non-alcoholic drink menu. Then we ordered the “Warrior” sake flight consisting of Minato Harbor Yamahai Nama Genshu, Yuki No Bosha Junmai Ginjo, and Eiko Fuji Ban Ryu. The $14.50 Warrior flight is an economical way to sample the Eiko Fuji Ban Ryu since it runs $89 by the bottle.
The ginger duck dumplings (gyoza) were an appetizing combination of rich duck meat and pungent ginger. The crispy bottoms of the dumplings balanced the unctuous texture of the duck. As we gobbled them up, my husband noted that he “could eat about nine more orders of those.”
Up next was a round of oyster shooters—a quail egg, an oyster, some flying fish roe (tobiko) and green shiso submerged in a 2 oz. shot of sake. It was high-five worthy. The combination of the sweetness from the sake, the saltiness of the oyster, and the richness of the quail egg made for a memorable and tasty shooter.
The sustainable seafood options are plentiful on the sushi menu. Unfortunately, they had run out of abalone (awabi) and sea urchin (uni), so I opted for a bowl of the littleneck clam ramen with garlic, seaweed (wakame), and fish cake. The ramen wasn’t the slimy noodles from a cup that I experienced in college. The noodles were just past al dente, and as I plucked the clam meat from the tiny shells floating among the noodles, I slurped the broth and contemplated ordering another oyster shooter.
Masu also is serving up a selection of items prepared on a charcoal grill (robata), from Japanese mushrooms to glazed pork ribs. Speaking of the pork ribs, while they’ve made a commitment to sustainable seafood, they haven’t applied that same commitment to their other meats on the menu, according to our server.
The atmosphere is playful and upbeat, complete with a half dozen pachinko machines and Munny dolls. Robata, oyster shooters, and Pachinko? That’s a happy hour recipe worth repeating.
Masu Sushi & Robata
330 E Hennepin Ave., Mpls.
612-332-6278
Masu First Taste & Spring! The Season of Farmers' Markets, Rosé & Fatty Ramen
by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
Welcome to almost-May! What’s the big news? The opening of Masu, and the opening of farmers' markets. Let’s do the one that requires less explanation first: Spring! The main St. Paul and Minneapolis farmers' markets open this weekend. Next weekend Mill City debuts, and after that, the deluge! MinnPost’s Jeff Severns Guntzel is working on assembling a comprehensive map of every farmers' market in the state. There are so many little specialty ones nowadays, I’m excited to see the final list.
How ready are you to buy garden plants? Of course, the first weeks of the season the markets typically have just a little bit—ramps if you’re lucky, and bedding and garden plants if it’s regular. Still, I’ll take it.
What to do after you situate your garden? Check out the big news of the season: Masu Sushi and Robata, in Northeast. The place has only been open for a week, but like our resident sustainable food blogger, Marie, I couldn't wait to try it out because it’s the biggest news in town—ramen!
By Tim McKee. Here’s how that works: The restaurant is owned by Sushi Avenue, an Eagan grocery store sushi supplier, but McKee, our Midwest James Beard Award-winner and chef of La Belle Vie and Sea Change, designed the cooked part of the menu, while Asan Yamamoto, formerly of Origami, created the sushi menu.
And what did Tim McKee put on the menu? Something the whole city has been clamoring for: Not packet, dried-noodle, you’re in college ramen, but homemade ramen as popularized by New York City chef David Chang at his Momofuku restaurants. How’s the Masu ramen? I think just as good as the Momofuku ramen, though not as salty and a little more silky. This is a seriously rich broth and decadent toppings, like fatty pork belly and a soft-poached egg, or a whole fried crisp pork cutlet set into a beautifully spicy curry broth. These huge ramen soups run about $11 each, and they’re awesome, they’re excellent, they’re worth braving the opening chaos at Masu. Next time I go I’m going to try the mushroom and soft-egg one, and the littleneck clam and fish cake one.
Also fantastic: The very long, rich, complex sake menu. So, ramen, sake, and… then you pay your money and take your chances. Because the place is a little opening-chaotic. I tried a few sushi offerings and didn’t find anything that out of the ordinary, so I recommend your first visit being a ramen and sake, with a little sushi or robata appetizer. Robata are little charcoal-grilled snacks meant to be consumed with beer and sake, but by definition they’re pretty plain. I tried a bunch and… they were plain. Loved the sardines; they tasted fresh and were nicely grill-charred. I liked the razor clams; they were tender and sea-tasting. And if you’re a razor clam fan: Finally, somewhere has razor clams! Razor clams notwithstanding, the dish of the Minneapolis’ spring 2011 looks to be: Ramen at new Masu. I’ll have a more comprehensive review in the magazine in a month or two, but if you’re like me and can’t wait, now you know everything I know so far about it.
Masu Sushi & Robata
330 East Hennepin Ave., Mpls.
612.332.6278
masusushiandrobata.com
The last great trend of spring: Rosé Wine! I dropped in to Solo Vino last week and was dazzled and delighted to see rack after rack of summery pink rosés glittering like rubies. Owner Chuck Kanski tells me that the glittering pink cityscape of racks of rosé I was looking at actually held about 80-some rosés—though there will be more at their weekend Rosé Tent Tasting May 15. How many more? Kanski says he won’t know until the day itself because new rosés are coming (and others are selling out!) every day, but currently he’s guessing 110 or so. At the $30 ticket price, that’s like twenty-seven cents a rosé! You can’t afford not to go.
Okay, that’s overstating it. But if you like wine of any sort, you can’t afford not to try a few good rosés this summer—they’re delicious, inexpensive, and all the rage. Even among men.
“I remember this time these two burly manly men came in after their softball practice,” Kanski told me. “They came in for beer, but they tried a couple of rosés we were sampling, and both walked out with a couple bottles of rosé. If you’re a red wine drinker it doesn’t make sense to switch to cocktails or beer in the summer—it makes sense to switch to rosé. If you’re a Cabernet Sauvignon drinker, then drink Cabernet Sauvignon rosé. If you’re a Pinot Noir drinker, drink Pinot Noir rosé. You get all the things you like about your favorite red wine, but you get to drink it chilled.”
And if you’re one of the local Domaine Serene Pinot Noir fanatics, please know that Solo Vino has Domaine Serene’s rare rosé on hand, at $33.99 a bottle.
Sampling Masu Sushi & Robata
by Marie Flanagan
Last week, my husband and I grabbed a meal at Masu Sushi & Robata, a new sushi and robata restaurant in NE Minneapolis. I was particularly interested because James Beard Award-winning chef Tim McKee was involved in producing the menu, and because they’ve made a commitment to sourcing sustainable seafood.
They were busy on that Wednesday night, so we set up a reservation for 9:30 p.m. and took some time to decompress at our NE home before we headed out. Upon arriving, we were seated in a cozy booth under a painted pair of watchful eyes that spanned the full length of the back wall. The menu consisted of sake and other drinks, pub-style appetizers (izakaya), sushi, grilled items (robata), and noodles.
We split a glass of sweet sparkling rhubarb green tea from their non-alcoholic drink menu. Then we ordered the “Warrior” sake flight consisting of Minato Harbor Yamahai Nama Genshu, Yuki No Bosha Junmai Ginjo, and Eiko Fuji Ban Ryu. The $14.50 Warrior flight is an economical way to sample the Eiko Fuji Ban Ryu since it runs $89 by the bottle.
The ginger duck dumplings (gyoza) were an appetizing combination of rich duck meat and pungent ginger. The crispy bottoms of the dumplings balanced the unctuous texture of the duck. As we gobbled them up, my husband noted that he “could eat about nine more orders of those.”
Up next was a round of oyster shooters—a quail egg, an oyster, some flying fish roe (tobiko) and green shiso submerged in a 2 oz. shot of sake. It was high-five worthy. The combination of the sweetness from the sake, the saltiness of the oyster, and the richness of the quail egg made for a memorable and tasty shooter.
The sustainable seafood options are plentiful on the sushi menu. Unfortunately, they had run out of abalone (awabi) and sea urchin (uni), so I opted for a bowl of the littleneck clam ramen with garlic, seaweed (wakame), and fish cake. The ramen wasn’t the slimy noodles from a cup that I experienced in college. The noodles were just past al dente, and as I plucked the clam meat from the tiny shells floating among the noodles, I slurped the broth and contemplated ordering another oyster shooter.
Masu also is serving up a selection of items prepared on a charcoal grill (robata), from Japanese mushrooms to glazed pork ribs. Speaking of the pork ribs, while they’ve made a commitment to sustainable seafood, they haven’t applied that same commitment to their other meats on the menu, according to our server.
The atmosphere is playful and upbeat, complete with a half dozen pachinko machines and Munny dolls. Robata, oyster shooters, and Pachinko? That’s a happy hour recipe worth repeating.
Masu Sushi & Robata
330 E Hennepin Ave., Mpls.
612-332-6278
Masu First Taste & Spring! The Season of Farmers' Markets, Rosé & Fatty Ramen
by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
Welcome to almost-May! What’s the big news? The opening of Masu, and the opening of farmers' markets. Let’s do the one that requires less explanation first: Spring! The main St. Paul and Minneapolis farmers' markets open this weekend. Next weekend Mill City debuts, and after that, the deluge! MinnPost’s Jeff Severns Guntzel is working on assembling a comprehensive map of every farmers' market in the state. There are so many little specialty ones nowadays, I’m excited to see the final list.
How ready are you to buy garden plants? Of course, the first weeks of the season the markets typically have just a little bit—ramps if you’re lucky, and bedding and garden plants if it’s regular. Still, I’ll take it.
What to do after you situate your garden? Check out the big news of the season: Masu Sushi and Robata, in Northeast. The place has only been open for a week, but like our resident sustainable food blogger, Marie, I couldn't wait to try it out because it’s the biggest news in town—ramen!
By Tim McKee. Here’s how that works: The restaurant is owned by Sushi Avenue, an Eagan grocery store sushi supplier, but McKee, our Midwest James Beard Award-winner and chef of La Belle Vie and Sea Change, designed the cooked part of the menu, while Asan Yamamoto, formerly of Origami, created the sushi menu.
And what did Tim McKee put on the menu? Something the whole city has been clamoring for: Not packet, dried-noodle, you’re in college ramen, but homemade ramen as popularized by New York City chef David Chang at his Momofuku restaurants. How’s the Masu ramen? I think just as good as the Momofuku ramen, though not as salty and a little more silky. This is a seriously rich broth and decadent toppings, like fatty pork belly and a soft-poached egg, or a whole fried crisp pork cutlet set into a beautifully spicy curry broth. These huge ramen soups run about $11 each, and they’re awesome, they’re excellent, they’re worth braving the opening chaos at Masu. Next time I go I’m going to try the mushroom and soft-egg one, and the littleneck clam and fish cake one.
Also fantastic: The very long, rich, complex sake menu. So, ramen, sake, and… then you pay your money and take your chances. Because the place is a little opening-chaotic. I tried a few sushi offerings and didn’t find anything that out of the ordinary, so I recommend your first visit being a ramen and sake, with a little sushi or robata appetizer. Robata are little charcoal-grilled snacks meant to be consumed with beer and sake, but by definition they’re pretty plain. I tried a bunch and… they were plain. Loved the sardines; they tasted fresh and were nicely grill-charred. I liked the razor clams; they were tender and sea-tasting. And if you’re a razor clam fan: Finally, somewhere has razor clams! Razor clams notwithstanding, the dish of the Minneapolis’ spring 2011 looks to be: Ramen at new Masu. I’ll have a more comprehensive review in the magazine in a month or two, but if you’re like me and can’t wait, now you know everything I know so far about it.
Masu Sushi & Robata
330 East Hennepin Ave., Mpls.
612.332.6278
masusushiandrobata.com
The last great trend of spring: Rosé Wine! I dropped in to Solo Vino last week and was dazzled and delighted to see rack after rack of summery pink rosés glittering like rubies. Owner Chuck Kanski tells me that the glittering pink cityscape of racks of rosé I was looking at actually held about 80-some rosés—though there will be more at their weekend Rosé Tent Tasting May 15. How many more? Kanski says he won’t know until the day itself because new rosés are coming (and others are selling out!) every day, but currently he’s guessing 110 or so. At the $30 ticket price, that’s like twenty-seven cents a rosé! You can’t afford not to go.
Okay, that’s overstating it. But if you like wine of any sort, you can’t afford not to try a few good rosés this summer—they’re delicious, inexpensive, and all the rage. Even among men.
“I remember this time these two burly manly men came in after their softball practice,” Kanski told me. “They came in for beer, but they tried a couple of rosés we were sampling, and both walked out with a couple bottles of rosé. If you’re a red wine drinker it doesn’t make sense to switch to cocktails or beer in the summer—it makes sense to switch to rosé. If you’re a Cabernet Sauvignon drinker, then drink Cabernet Sauvignon rosé. If you’re a Pinot Noir drinker, drink Pinot Noir rosé. You get all the things you like about your favorite red wine, but you get to drink it chilled.”
And if you’re one of the local Domaine Serene Pinot Noir fanatics, please know that Solo Vino has Domaine Serene’s rare rosé on hand, at $33.99 a bottle.
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