Glaciers opens a Minneapolis outpost

One of the great indulgences of the western suburbs has opened a Minneapolis outpost. Glaciers Cafe (3019 Minnehaha Av. S., Minneapolis, 612-746-1504) is offering its signature frozen custard as well as a casual, moderately priced menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner favorites, including a daily quiche and an eggs-and-sausage burrito in the morning, followed by a long list of sandwiches, salads and flatbread pizzas at lunch and then a short roster of dinner entrees that change daily.

"We don't want to overshadow the custard," said chef Jerry Edwards. "We want to complement it." Speaking of that custard (and yes, it's pretty swell), it's always available in chocolate and vanilla as well as a pair of flavors that rotate on a daily basis. The space, which formerly housed Cafe of the Americas, has been given a spiffy makeover, and beer and wine are on the way.

Chanhassen's latest, the School II (600 Market St., 952-949-0000), is also a spinoff. At her three-week-old cafe/wine bar/bar hybrid, owner Ann Clifford has tripled the size of her original enterprise, the School of the Wise (1750 Tower Blvd., Victoria, schoolofthewise.net), and the kitchen cooks all day, starting with fresh pastries, quiche and Clifford's grandmother's waffle recipe in the morning, moving to panini and salads at lunch and then a more substantial dinner menu. There's wine and beer along with a full bar.

The new kid in Burnsville is the Applewood Rustic Grille (1996 Hwy. 13 E., 952-736-7777), which features panini, flatbread pizzas, soups and a few take-and-bake options, including a turkey-and-trimmings dinner for four for $21.

Let's hope that restaurant obituaries don't become a weekly feature. The latest closings including Babalu, the colorful Latin/Caribbean restaurant in the Minneapolis Warehouse District, and Bellaria, the short-lived bakery and confectionary in St. Louis Park.

RICK NELSON