A final visit to Palmer’s
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE
Openings and closings and other changes
The only opening I have is Shepherd’s Table at 3708 East 34th St. It’s not a restaurant but more of a cheesemonger / market / deli.
There are a lot of closings, though. Palmer’s Bar closed on Sept. 14 as you probably know because it was a big deal. Also on the West Bank, the Corner Bar had closed a bit earlier. Milkweed Coffee Shop on East Lake Street closed Oct. 5th.
Upcoming closings include Trio Plant-based at the end of October and Chilango, also at the end of October. Petite Leon will be gone at the end of the year.
This is not a review exactly so I’ll put it here. My comrade Samuel had never been to Palmer’s Bar so when we heard about the impending closing, we planned a little trip to remedy that. We went to the “Church of Cornbread” on Labor Day evening. We got brats from the street cart, and a single drink each, then later decided to take the opportunity to try Malort, which neither of us had had. We split a single ounce shot and both hated it. It tastes like poison. Cornbread Harris was great and we loved the music and the vibe. We also loved the brats, vegan for me and beef for him.
News in the worlds of food and hospitality
Workers at Fika, the stylish and welcoming cafe in the American Swedish Institute, voted to unionize with Unite Here Local 17. The management accepted the union based on signed cards by a large majority, and made it official the first week of September.
I mentioned in an earlier edition about the bad vibe and lawsuits between Ben & Jerry’s and its parent company Unilever. Things have deteriorated, leading Jerry Greenfield, one of the eponymous founders, to resign.
Sahan Journal (sahanjournal.com) had a Sept. 17 piece by Binta Kanteh about East African women entrepreneurs and their mobile cafes. It covered Mi’aawaa Bakery and Coffee Cart, Kisma Cafe, and ChaiGirls.
Coconut Curry Lettuce Wraps at Tiny Diner
Views and opinions
Twin Cities Eater (twincities.eater.com) had an Aug. 21
story by Cinnamon Janzer about St. Paul’s only and the nation’s first Kurdish restaurant. The restaurant is not new by a long shot, but it doesn’t get a lot of recognition. Maybe this piece will change that.
My favorite foodie substacker (beyondbeurreblanc.substack.com) did it again with a great piece called “Is a croissant worth $8? TLDR: Yes. / Bakers weigh in.”
Twin Cities Eater has a Sept. 26 piece by Corey Schmidt on the best lunch places in the Minneapolis Skyway. I have not even heard of any of them. I need to spend a day or two downtown and figure out what’s going on there.
Two late-occurring Vegan Chef Challenge mini-reviews and some home-cooked food
Chili Momo at the Himalayan Restaurant
As I said might happen last month, I managed to squeeze in two more Vegan Chef Challenge meals right at the end of August. Well, three actually, but one was such a disaster I won’t even say where it was, let alone mini-review it. I was going to try to go to Veg Fest, the annual festival on Harriet Island with tastings and awards to the winners, but this was a fraught month for me, with my daughter leaving the country soon, illnesses that came and went and lots of last minute crises that needed attending to. Maybe next year.
Tiny Diner – Coconut curry tofu lettuce cups
I went here on the 30th of August around 1 p.m. with my friend, neighbor, and meditation partner Julie. We both had the VCC special and really liked it. Cubes of tofu cooked in a coconut curry gravy wrapped in a fresh butter-lettuce leaf along with fresh cilantro and pickled radish and carrot bits. It’s still on the menu in September. I also had a blood orange house-made soda. TD’s house sodas are great.
Himalayan Restaurant – Chili Momo
What’s not to like? I went here alone on Aug. 31 around 5 p.m. The chili level was a bit high for me, but I am a chiliphobe so ignore that. Excellent dumpling dough encloses a pate-like filling made of gluten and mushrooms. The filling is pure umami; all the heat is in the chili sauce.
My version of a bowl and a roll
Chez moi – A Bowl and a Roll
Not having grown up in the Midwest, I am intrigued by this Bowl and a Roll idea. It reminds me of my childhood food favorites, Hot Dog Soup and Beanie-Weenie, both of which I “upgraded” to adult fare. The pictures tell the story here. I simply put the chili in a bowl and nuked it (with added cheese) and made a pack of cinnamon rolls from the co-op in my trusty toaster oven. It demanded to be eaten with a glass of (oat) milk, I will say that. It’s fine. If you did grow up with this, and get nostalgic, you can try this shortcut.
