Owner Angelo Giovanis announced that he has sold his Naughty Greek restaurants and that they will reopen as Spicy Feta.
In a social media post, Giovanis said, "Over the course of the last 7 years, I have had the joy watching The Naughty Greek grow and flourish. It has been such an honor being able to bring a taste of Greece to the Twin Cities!"
Giovanis opened the first Naughty Greek in 2016 on St. Paul's Snelling Avenue. The restaurant that served gyros, salads, chicken shawarma and fries was such a hit that it soon expanded to include other locations, on University Avenue in St. Paul and in the Capella Tower skyway in downtown Minneapolis.
Spicy Feta will continue to sell Mediterranean food, but advertises that it will be halal and offer a modern twist on the cuisine with doner fries and wraps, Greek bowls with salad and more. It has ties to the St. Louis Park restaurant Ariana Kabob & Gyro Bistro, which specializes in Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine.
The changeover is now in progress; keep up to date by following Spicy Feta on Instagram.
Alary's Bar in St. Paul has closed
Alary's, the iconic dive bar and place for Bears fans to commiserate, has closed. Founded in 1949 by Al Baisi, who played for the Chicago Bears in the 1940s, and Larry Lehner, the combination of their names gave the bar its moniker.
Located at 139 E. 7th St., for much of its time it was known as a neighborhood hangout and a cop bar. In 2019, new owners Justin Greer and Nick Peterson added a kitchen and a full menu for the first time.
Now, the lights are dark, but there are rumors swirling about an upcoming rebrand and a new era for the bar.
Restaurant space available
Despite a new season of exciting plays marching forward, the Guthrie Theater is still without dining options. Sea Change, the once-landmark restaurant, has been dark since COVID and a brief interlude of an upstairs dining option is also gone.
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports that the theater has parted ways with Levy restaurant management and is hunting for a new partnership to take over the space. Meantime, there's always Farmer's Kitchen + Bar, Kindee and Zen Box Izakaya within walking distance.
And in Maple Grove, Wahlburgers, the burger chain owned by chef Paul Wahlberg and his actor-brothers Donnie and Mark, has closed, leaving a vacant restaurant available in the Village at Arbor Lakes.
Mobile chicken fingers hit the streets
The new cherry-red food truck hitting the streets this summer is Tender Lovin' Chix from Marques Johnson, who was part of the crew behind the buzzy Uptown chicken finger window CHX.
The truck is out and about in the North Loop (follow Tender Lovin' Chix on Instagram for hours and locations), thanks in part to Billy Sushi's chef Billy Tserenbat, who gave Johnson advice from a veteran food truck chef perspective. Tserenbat first launched his career in Minneapolis with a sushi truck. Johnson told Mpls./St.Paul Magazine that Tserenbat helped with menu pricing, food sourcing and more, making him better prepared to operate a business.
Finally: a drop-in cocktail option at Travail
The stunning rooftop at Travail Kitchen and Amusements (4134 Hubbard Av. N., Robbinsdale) is now taking walk-ins. The landmark building in downtown Robbinsdale has opened up bar seats for pre- or post-dining drinks. Seats at the Sky Lounge rooftop are available from 5 p.m. to close, Wednesday through Saturday.
It's food truck festival time
The first of the summer's Minnesota Food Truck Festival series heads to Hopkins on Saturday. The Hopkins Food Truck Festival will bring more than 50 food trucks, live music, activities, doggy stations and more on the city's downtown Mainstreet from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The event benefits Feed My Starving Children. And be sure to mark your calendar for the St. Paul Food Truck Festival (July 22 at Union Depot) and the Anoka Food Truck Festival (Aug. 19); both also run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
