The next eatery inside St. Paul's Golden Thyme will be the brainchild of Justin Sutherland. The celebrity chef and his father, Kerry Sutherland, are developing an idea that will serve breakfast and coffee through dinner inside the cafe in St. Paul's historic Rondo neighborhood.
Golden Thyme (934 Selby Av.) was a significant cafe and business inside the neighborhood founded by Mychael and Stephanie Wright in 2000. The cafe was purchased by Rondo Community Land Trust last year and has since operated as an incubator for Black-owned culinary ventures. It most recently was the site of the weekends-only restaurant Gravy Baby; on weekdays it operated as a St. Paul outpost of the popular Sammy's Avenue Eatery. (Sammy's owner, Sammy McDowell, died in April of this year; the Minneapolis location is still open.)
The Sutherlands haven't released many details or the timing of the project, but it is expected to serve some of the chef's signature Southern-influenced cuisine. Justin Sutherland was the longtime chef of Handsome Hog, a "Top Chef" competitor and a winner of "Iron Chef America." He's since become an Emmy-winning television host and frequent guest judge on food TV's culinary showdowns.
Sutherland severed ties with Handsome Hog earlier this year after working on and off with the restaurant in a contract capacity. The chef has created other local restaurant concepts, notably Northern Soul, a fast-casual stand at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport's Terminal 1, and Big E's, a breakfast sandwich shop on Grand Avenue in St. Paul.
Old World bagels and sourdough in St. Paul
In other St. Paul news, Razava Bread Co. will open at 685 Grand Av. this summer.
The family of owner Steve Baldinger has deep roots in dough, going back to West St. Paul's Baldinger Bakery, which opened in 1888. That bakery debuted a recipe for razava, a dark, hearty Eastern Europe bread made with a slow-proofing technique — and the new bakery's namesake.
The secret is in the simplicity: The bread is made in small batches with locally sourced ingredients. The menu from head baker Omri Zin-Tamir, formerly of the Bakery on 22nd Street, will include bagels, sourdough, pita and challah, plus accoutrements like schmears, coffee and butters.
Follow the developments on Instagram @RazavaBreadCo.
Where to find boozy boba
Boba shop Tii Cup at 2645 Hennepin Av. S. in Minneapolis has opened a second-floor speakeasy called L2 at Tii Cup. There are adult versions of several of the chain's boba drinks as well as other cocktails and snacks. (Getting through that road construction deserves an adult beverage kind of reward.) The bar is open from 4-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat. and 3-9 p.m. Sun. Give them a follow on Instagram.
Ruam Mit Thai makes a comeback
St. Paul's Ruam Mit Thai is now open in its new location at 367 N. Wabasha St. in downtown St. Paul. The restaurant opened in 1989 in downtown St. Paul and quickly became a classic for Thai and Lao dishes like nam khao, pad thai and red curry. It was displaced last year after its previous location on St. Peter Street was demolished. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and happy hour through dinner Sunday.
A new place to grab a fancy drink
AVA opens June 14 in the former North Loop Stilheart Distillery location (124 3rd Av. N., Mpls., avampls.com). The new cocktail lounge is the work of hospitality veteran Ben Taheri, who used to run the Tangiers nightclub. The layout of AVA, which means "voice" in Persian, includes two floors and three distinct gathering areas for cocktails and vibes. Chef Kamal Mohamed will create a menu of light bites and handhelds to pair with the beverage program.
