My car sits under an ash tree that shades the driveway, and as of late I’ve been tearing around town with hundreds of little golden leaves flying off the hood as I hunt down new bites, new coffee, and new salt bread. It gives me a Hocus Pocus kind of vibe, which I like. Foodie bits to know this week include a swanky new Edina steakhouse opening, a beloved neighborhood shop expanding, and a big CORNgratulations to a Northeast restaurant.
News
Last week, Northeast Minneapolis restaurant Oro By Nixta was awarded the prestigious Sello M seal, which recognizes restaurants all over the world outside of Mexico that are fully, vibrantly representing Mexican cuisine and protecting its cultural heritage. It’s given by Mexico’s Academia Mexicana de Gastronomía in partnership with Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores and is backed by the national government, which, in short, means it’s a real-deal big deal. Corngrats to the whole team, soak up your town’s joy and pride!
Shepherd’s Table—which, y’all, my proximity to this sweet shop’s chocolate banana bread is quickly becoming a problem—has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help it expand into the next-door space and add seating and a bathroom. This would allow Shepherd’s Table, which currently slings amazing sammies but does not have tables at which to eat them, to become a true indoor cafe and gathering space through winter; the space would also be reservable for after-hours community use without additional cost. If you’d like to support this emerging neighborhood vision, you can donate, score some great merch, or schedule a private wine and cheese tasting at this link!
Revival is being revived, remember? (In the former Borough space in the North Loop, right above Parlour Bar.) After not much news for a while, an official opening date has been set for November 9.
Opens
Coming Soon
I mean, when you give a neighborhood a name like Cathedral Hill, it’s eventually going to need a gothic (not goth, to clarify!) wine bar owned and run by certified, bonafide cat lovers to live up to its name. The Familiar is the new such wine bar from the team behind Catzen Coffee, coming to Grand Avenue later this fall.
The more dim sum the merrier, no? Lao Hu Tong is currently in the works in Maplewood; follow along on socials for further updates on an opening date.
Agenda
If you’re a fan from spooky seasons of yore, note that black cocoa croissants are officially BACK at Diane’s Place, stuffed with cookies and cream filling.
O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co. is hosting a release party for its new Keeper’s Heart Straight Rye Whiskey, which is triple-pot distilled right here in the Cities, on October 16. Admission is free, and there will be samples.
OK, FUN: Lucha Libre returns to La Doña on October 17. (If you’re not yet a fan, lucha libre is Mexico’s iconic masked, aerial-style, theatrical wrestling, do not try at home!) Entry is free but ringside seats will be limited, so get there early for the best views.
If you’re looking for a little fall magic this weekend, find it in pumpkin spice bun form at Waan Bakehouse’s pop-up at the Linden Hills location of Càphin on October 18.
Chefs Erin and Mateo Mackbee of St. Joseph restaurant Krewe are hosting a five-course Harvest Dinner at the Weisman Art Museum on October 24. If you’ve never been out to Krewe (which focuses on New Orleans-style food), this is a golden opportunity to experience these two chefs’ deft work with very local and very seasonal Minnesota ingredients.
Ono Hawaiian Plates is throwing a Poke Festival on October 25, bringing together a slate of local chefs to support The Hope Chest, a local breast cancer foundation. This is a buffet-of-all-buffets kind of situation; tickets are $125.
Nichole Accettola, author of Scandinavian Everyday: Vibrant, Simple Meals from Northern Europe, is visiting the American Swedish Institute for two events on October 29: a workshop and demo of several of the recipes from the book from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and a book talk with award-winning cookbook author and radio host Amy Thielen from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The next installment of Tullibee’s Kindling Dinner Series (which most recently featured chef Yia Vang in collaboration with chef Nathan Kim has been confirmed for October 29, this time in collaboration with chef Kyual Cribben of Minari. Keep an eye out for a tickets link going live soon.
Love it when people really COMMIT to Halloween—Dario’s Punk Rock Burger Club is back on October 31, but spooky edition, inspired by the ’80s vampire movie The Hunger. Regular Burger Club runs from noon to 4 p.m. (get your tickets ahead of time), and after that you can either hang around or walk in for the afterparty from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Come in costume (duh) for tarot card readings, a vinyl DJ set, special Halloween drinks, and more.
There are still a few tickets left for the León Bistro MX collaboration dinner between chefs Steven Brown and Jorge Guzmán, which promises piquillo peppers, steak frites, camarones a la diabla, and Basque cheesecake, of course. Snag a ticket via Tilia’s website.
Dining and Cooking