As if the Twin Cities wasn’t already a foodie utopia, the dining scene continues to swell in the area. Not only is it growing, but we are getting unique spots that seem to offer something we have never experienced before. This quick list is no exception to this, and you should be sure to make it to each one of these joints as they burst onto the scene.
Market House Collaborative
Prominent local chef Tim Mckee (Minnesota’s first James Beard award winner), is the mastermind behind this impressive, and expansive, dining experience. He has created a hub for some of the best eats in the Twin Cities: The Market House Collaborative is the home of the Almanac Fish Market, Peterson Meats, OctoFish Bar, and coming soon, The Salty Tart. This is all going to take place in Lowertown in the space that was previously occupied by Heartland Restaurant. OctoFish Bar is going to be your standard sit down style of dining, while the Almanac is strictly a fish market (though they have a deal set up where you can purchase the fish there and then have it cooked at OctoFish Bar. Same with Peterson’s meats). And, to top it all off with something sweet, The Salty Tart will hopefully be open within a month or two. Home of the award-winning baker, Michelle Gayer, this is the third location they have opened and in a short time has become one of the most renowned bakeries in the Twin Cities.
Rebel Donut Bar
This donut shop is based on the same thought that brewers had with flights of beer: Maybe people want to try more than one kind? That’s right, Rebel Donut Bar is serving up flights of mini-donuts. After a successful Kickstarter and Go Fund Me campaigns, they are finally ready to open up their storefront to the public. This is the perfect spot to introduce this idea of donut flights as they are home to some of the most unconventional flavors you will see, like cajun apricot habanero and bridezilla, which is blackberry glaze topped with white chocolate. So if you are looking for something sweet and original, this brand new shop is the place for you.
Kaiseki Furukawa
For anyone that didn’t know (because I wasn’t sure either), kaiseki is the traditional style of multi-course Japanese dinner. That makes Kaiseki Furukawa the newest style of Japanese dining available in the Twin Cities, and something fresh for locals after years of sushi-domination. After five years of workings towards this opening (and after years of training and mastering the intricacies of the kaiseki style as well) founding chef and co-owner Shigeyuki Furukawa, is excited to finally be opening his own space. If you are looking for a unique dining experience, you’ll need to find a night to make it out to Kaiseki Furukawa.
Hai Hai
If you’re a fan of the notorious food truck and restaurant Hola Arepa in Minneapolis, then you’ll be excited to hear that the owners are taking their talents to a new project: An Asian street food joint. Yes, it’s a departure from their last venture, and we couldn’t be more excited. The space that was once home to Deuce Deuce is set to open sometime this fall, but with renovations still taking place, they have not set an opening date yet. If you are too excited to wait, they are serving up some of the items from the Hai Hai menu out of their food truck at various times, check out their Facebook page for updates on where you can find them.
Popol Vuh and Centro
This spot is going to be jam-packed when they announce their opening date this fall: This is one of the Twin Cities’ most creative and unrivaled concepts. To break it down, a majority of the restaurant’s dining capacity will be dedicated to Centro, while the Popol Vuh space will be smaller it is going to serve as the more high-end side of the partnership. Popol Vuh’s chef Jose Alarcon has been dreaming up this spot for years, and he already had the name picked out when co-owner Ben Reints approached him with the idea to open another spot after their wildly successful Lyn 65.
Nolo’s Kitchen & Bar
Just what North Loop needed, another remarkable restaurant to make it even harder to pick where to get dinner. Nolo receiving high-praise for being a neighborhood spot with a more polished spin on it. I can attest that this place is a great choice for any meal and they are open from 7am-midnight on the weekdays and 8am-midnight on the weekends. Owned and operated by three Minnesota natives, this place is quickly becoming a local favorite. The acclaim continues to roll a month after the grand opening, make sure to stop by this casual eatery for a night home home-style grub.
