Counter intelligence: A new Hennepin home duplex

Last update: November 30, 2005 - 10:00 PM

A new Hennepin home duplex (yes, lower case) has arrived, replacing Pandora's Cup at 2516 Hennepin Av. S., Minneapolis (612-377-3038). Pandora's owners, Sonja Hayden and Michael Trebnick, are partners in the new bistro-wine bar with chef Michael Hart, formerly of Zander Cafe. Menu offerings range from a curried crab potato croquette appetizer to entrees of salmon roulade or bison Lyonnaise with a foie gras filling.

The pricing system is simple: Soups are $5, salads $7, appetizers $8, small plates $10 and entrees $15. Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Brunch and Monday dinner service start soon; lunch will be added this spring.

Meanwhile, next door at the Little Kathmandu handicrafts store, 2512 Hennepin Av. S., brothers Sunny and Swadesh Shrestha say they hope to open their mostly vegetarian restaurant, Namaste Cafe, early next month.

Bye Bye Bobino

Bobino Cafe and Wine Bar on East Hennepin Av. closed Sunday night after a nine-year run, but the lights won't be off for long. Veteran Twin Cities restauranteur John Rimarcik, owner of Runyon's, Annie's Parlour, Cafe Havana and several other local eateries, plans to reopen in a couple of months with a new name, new concept, and an "everyday kind of menu."

Dine and dance

An eclectic international menu and a big dance floor are featured attractions at Trocaderos Nightclub and restaurant, opening tonight at 107 3rd Av. N., Minneapolis. R Factor (the former Rupert's Orchestra), will play Thursdays through Saturdays.

Two Guys from Italy

One guy from Argentina, Danny Sarno, plans to revive his Two Guys From Italy restaurant in either St. Paul or Apple Valley within the next three months. Sarno owned the original Two Guys in Edina and White Bear Lake, which closed in 2003. He is no longer associated with Viva Italia, which opened in Eagan earlier this year.

JEREMY IGGERS

When: Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Av., Minneapolis.

What: Food is part of the fun at the Walker's Free First Saturday Pop-mart. Activities include family cooking classes with chefs Andrew Zimmern and Michelle Gayer Nicholson at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., screenings of short films about food at 1 and 1:45 p.m., a tour of the Andy Warhol exhibit (including his famous soup cans) and other food-themed art at noon and 2 p.m., and a live broadcast of Zimmern's Chowhounds radio show on WFMP (107.1 FM) from 1 to 3 p.m.

JEREMY IGGERS