Artful dining at Mia
Museum dining is getting a high-end makeover this summer at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (2400 3rd Av. S., Mpls., artsmia.org). Select Wednesday evenings, beginning July 6 and running through Sept. 7, the museum will host a multicourse dinner with wine pairings, courtesy of chefs Shigeyuki Furukawa (Kaiseki Furukawa) and Jamie Malone (Paris Dining Club) and sommelier Bill Summerville. Dubbed "Kaiseki, a Story of Van Gogh and Japan in 1880," the dinner is inspired by two exhibitions: "Van Gogh and the Olive Groves" and "Dressed by Nature: Textiles of Japan," and will be augmented by private guided tours of the exhibitions. Limited tickets, at $375 each, are available at bit.ly/3OaBIQn.
Get your food truck fix at summer festival
Calling all food truck fans. More than 45 mobile kitchens are converging at the annual Minnesota Food Truck Festival, which is hosting three installments this summer. The festivities begin July 23 with a gathering, for the first time, in downtown Hopkins. The other two events are Aug. 6 at St. Paul's Union Depot and Aug. 20 in downtown Anoka. In addition to a wide selection of food and drink, there will be games, entertainment and a doggy station. Ten new food trucks join the lineup this year, including purveyors of giant doughnuts from Amish Annie Donuts, Marathi cuisine from Muddy Tiger, Minnesota-influenced food in a 40-foot Winnebago from the Vikings Table, and breakfast dishes from Kabomelette. More information at mnfoodtruckfestival.com.
Jetset reopens in new location
Jetset, the pioneering North Loop gay bar that closed in 2018, has resurfaced across the river. Owners Peter Kirihara and Susan Liesch revived the beloved brand as Jetset Underground, taking over the former Honey (205 E. Hennepin Av., Mpls.). The nightspot is open late Wednesday through Saturday, and serves food until 8 p.m.
Want coffee with that legal brief?
New in the Como Park area, Abogados Café (1053 N. Dale St., Suite 102, St. Paul, coffeeinlaw.com) is billed as the country's "first law-themed coffee shop." Spouses Ofelia Ponce and Inti Martínez-Alemán, originally from Honduras and both practicing lawyers, opened the to-go espresso bar and mercadito June 14. Cleverly named lattes inspired by the owners' profession include the Motion Granted (coconut), Ex Parte (lavender) and ReSipsa Lawquitur (banana and cinnamon). It's open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mon.-Sat.
Little Tijuana opens Friday
Little Tijuana (17 E. 26th St., Mpls.) is reopening on June 17 with its refreshed food menu of bar eats and playful cocktails.
Find slushy drinks — piña coladas and an amaro slushy that's an evolution of Fernet and Coke that's actually a Montenegro and Diet Coke served with a lime zest garnish — as well as martinis, a margarita with salt and togarashi on the rim and a completely reimagined Long Island Iced Tea. Nonalcoholic drinks are also on tap, including a cucumber tonic collaboration with 3Leches.
Bar food gets an upgrade with pelmeni (tiny dough dumplings topped with sour cream and a snappy chili crisp) and a chopped cheese sandwich is inspired by New York's bodegas and nachos with rice crackers as the base and crispy cauliflower dressed up like irresistible little takoyaki. Much of the food is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Hours are 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesdays through Mondays; the kitchen closes at midnight.
