Golden Thyme Restaurant and Bar catfish po-boy is massive
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE
Openings and closings and other changes
Several exciting new restaurants have opened in the Twin Cites.
The Rondo Community Land Trust has opened a New Orleans-themed Golden Thyme Restaurant and Bar (catfish po’ boys!) along with their reopened Golden Thyme Cafe a few blocks away, both on Selby Ave.
Yaigu Hot Bowls serves Asian style rice or noodle bowls in a Cathedral Hill location, also on Selby Ave.
Red Coral Coffee Shop is now inside the Japanese comfort food spot Okome House in Longfellow (4457 42nd Avenue S.). It is open at 7 a.m. Monday-Friday, while the restaurant in which it’s housed offers dinner hours Tuesday through Sunday until
8 or 9 p.m.
El Taco Real is at 2208 West 66th Street (near Penn Avenue) in Richfield. The menu looks great. The owners are Chef Oscar Ramos and his wife, Heimi Patiño.
Hippo Pockets, a concept from the popular Centro chain, has opened in the tiny take-out spot of 48th Street that was recently vacated by Herbie Butcher’s. They crisp tortilla pockets with a variety of fillings.
Bradley Taylor of Donut Trap outside new location
Donut Trap (from donut vending machine guy Bradley Taylor and his partner Ashley) is a brick and mortar shop at 1350 Hague Ave, St Paul. The spot sells donuts, cold brew coffee, and ice cream from a walk-up window.
Closings: Hey Bear Cafe on Raymond Avenue, which was open less than a year, due to landlord problems. Young Joni, the famous elevated pizza joint in NE Minneapolis, will close in mid-September, also due to a landlord dispute. Burning Brothers Brewing, MN’s first and only gluten-free brewery, has closed.
Indigenous Food Lab in the Midtown Global Market is closed as part of their move to the new building on Franklin Ave., in the old Seward Co-op Creamery. Its production kitchen will remain at Midtown Global Market, and its food education initiatives are still active. The new location will also house Shota, an indigenous barbecue spot.
Raid on Cuatros Milpas with MPD Chief O Hara
(Photo/Em Cassel Racketmn)
News in the world of food production and hospitality
ICE participation in a mystery raid on Las Cuatro Milpas taqueria on Lake Street was big news in the Twin Cities. The only arrests were two protestors; then it vanished from the news cycle just as mysteriously. After heavy ICE raids in the agriculture and food processing sectors brought major pushback from wealthy donors and corporations, Trump called for a “pause” in those types of raids.
We note the death of John Robbins, author of the powerfully influential vegan manifesto, Diet for a New America.
Popular chain diner Denny’s has added vegan breakfast options, according to vegnews.com.
The James Beard awards on June 16 brought wins for the Twin Cities. The major news was that Myriel’s chef Karyn Tomlinson won Best Chef Midwest while Kingfield restaurant Bucheron won Best New Restaurant nationally.
All Square Restaurant and non-profit in Longfellow was covered in the UK by the Guardian newspaper, giving worldwide attention to its model of using the restaurant business as a vehicle for integrating newly-freed prisoners into productive society.
Opinions, we have a few…
“Bri Smith became the head brewer at Modist Brewing Co. in the North Loop at the end of May. In doing so, she became the first Black woman head brewer in Minnesota history, and one of only a handful in the country.” This from an article by Nissa Mitchell, June 19, Racketmn.com.
I recommend two great opinion pieces from beyondbeurreblanc on substack.com – on Flour and Flower bakery in St. Joseph, and on choosing restaurants like you give a damn.
Mini-review #1 – due focacceria
The due focacceria caponata is also massive
Recently I checked out due focacceria, the other place founded by the couple who launched, and later sold, ie Italian eatery. This is in a small building that manages to look Old World Italian and hypermodern at the same time. It’s at 475 Fairview Avenue S; there is a tiny parking lot and a small amount of cafe style seating. They do a lot of takeout and delivery business and have a small Italian market with pastas, sauces, flatbread pizza, gelato, and more.
They have fancy craft cocktails but I was driving on a hot and busy Saturday afternoon so I just had a Purple Rain lemonade. It was house-made and delicious. They have one vegetarian and one vegan focaccia-based sandwich; I had the vegetarian Caponata. The sandwiches are big enough for two people to share at lunch. I will be back.
Mini-review #2 -Kitty Town Coffee
Kitty Town was founded in 2017 by Zanetta Kok, later joined by her husband, Kenny. She was a cat-lover who started roasting coffee at home as a hobby while still in high school. The business model is that they buy all the beans from a co-op in Honduras and roast them, now in a commercial facility in Lebanon PA. They ship directly and also distribute through retail outlets. Every 12 oz. bag of coffee feeds a feral cat for a
A Kitty Town coffee order
week or provides the equivalent for a monthly cat-rescue organization. How is the coffee? Not bad at all. I am drinking the Mooney’s Midnight Espresso (espresso roast, drip grind) right now.
