Unstoppable restaurateur/chef Daniel del Prado is adding to his portfolio again this summer with Layline, coming to downtown Excelsior in the first half of June.
The restaurant, an American bistro with a slight seafood emphasis, takes over a former auto repair shop at 301 Water St., on the edge of Excelsior's main street.
This is the third Lake Minnetonka-area restaurant del Prado has in partnership with Aaron Switz and Mikael Asp of Innerbloom Hospitality; the first two are Josefina and Macanda in Wayzata.
Cozier than those Wayzata restaurants, Layline will seat 90 people, many of them on a four-season patio and an outdoor patio. Inside will be a "contemporary and eclectic" look, according to a spokesperson for the hospitality group.
Del Prado has brought on Aaron Slavicek as head chef. Slavicek was a longtime chef at Bar La Grassa (where he worked with del Prado), and had prior stints at Cafe Maude, La Belle Vie and Solera. He also spent time on the East Coast, which served as the inspiration for Layline's coastal fare. Specialties will include lobster rolls, oysters and burgers, plus martinis.
This is one of two openings this summer for the restaurant group.
This Memorial Day weekend, Lost Bay will debut in Tonka Bay, at what used to be Tequila Butcher. The outdoor bar and restaurant seats 140 (with 10 boat slips).
Lost Bay will specialize in tiki-style drinks and frozen cocktails from beverage director Brian Kunz (who is also overseeing the drinks at Layline). Yes, at least one drink will be served in a pineapple. Food will be simple and fast casual — think nachos. Look for a DJ and live band lineup soon.
Lost Bay kicks off the season May 26, and will be open daily through Labor Day, at 135 Lakeview Av., Tonka Bay.
While del Prado is not involved in Lost Bay, he does have another restaurant slated to open later in the summer: a still-unnamed Argentinean steakhouse taking over the former Bachelor Farmer space in Minneapolis' North Loop, for which he partnered with Ryan Burnet.
And that's not all for downtown Excelsior, either. The tropical-themed Montego Blu recently opened in the former Suburban, at 304 Water St., just around the corner from the new Layline.
