The openings, they keep coming.
Former La Belle Vie chef Tim McKee is taking over a portion of the former Heartland Restaurant & Wine Bar and creating Market House Collaborative, a seafood-focused market and restaurant.
At another historic St. Paul property — this time, it's the keg house at the former Schmidt Brewery — Corner Table and Revival co-owners Thomas Boemer and Nick Rancone are opening a new restaurant; they'll be joined by branches of Hola Arepa and Five Watt Coffee, along with a food hall.
Hola Arepa owners Christina Nguyen and Birk Grudem will be focusing on Southeast Asian street food at Hai Hai in northeast Minneapolis. Also in Northeast, the team behind Richfield's Lyn 65 will be focusing on Mexican food at Popol Vuh.
In Minneapolis, former Burch Steak and Pizza Bar chef Danny del Prado is striking out on his own in two spots: Diamond's BBQ and seafood-based Martina.
Chef Doug Flicker (Esker Grove, the former Piccolo) is going downscale, converting a former 3.2 dive bar into Bull's Horn Food & Drink. Restaurateur Kim Bartmann is teaming up with chef Asher Miller (of the former 20.21) in the space currently occupied by Cafe Maude, which is closing at the end of the month.
Chef Remy Pettus is close to opening his Bardo in the former Rachel's. The folks behind the just-opened Kado no Mise are getting ready to launch a second operation at their North Loop address, Kaiseki Furukawa.
The Galleria in Edina is going to gain a Cov, Ridgedale is in line for a Cheesecake Factory and HopCat, a craft beer-focused chain, is opening later this month on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.
Look for Kyatchi to open a St. Paul branch in the former Tanpopo. Chef Mike Rakun of Mercy is getting into the breakfast-and-lunch business with Benedict's in downtown Wayzata, opening in late August or early September.
RICK NELSON
