Reverie Cafe + Bar (1931 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., reveriempls.com) is up and running in the Nicollet-and-Franklin storefront that was last home to the Nicollet.
The plant-based menu includes such dishes as carnitas-style jackfruit tacos, smoked tempeh-spinach-tomato sandwiches, cauliflower with a paprika-cashew rémoulade on baguette, and a kale-collard salad with a ginger-tahini dressing.
The bar pours 40 beers and ciders, including gluten-free varieties.
Opening Friday: Hub City Cafe (3338 University Av. SE., Mpls.). The coffeehouse/cafe is occupying the Prospect Park address that formerly housed the original location of Cupcake, which closed late last year.
Owner Calvin Stauber is promising coffee from Up Coffee Roasters in northeast Minneapolis, salads and sandwiches from Simpls, soups from At Last! Gourmet Foods and gluten-free pastries from Sift Bakery.
T-Rex Cookie (trexcookie.com) owner Tina Rexing is partnering with Stauber on the site, which means that her jumbo cookies — currently available at the Minneapolis Farmers Market — will now have a brick-and-mortar home.
The lights are coming on at another former restaurant. This time it's the original home of Wilde Roast Cafe (which moved to its roomier SE. Main Street address in 2011), where the doors will soon reopen as Spitz (518 E. Hennepin Av., Mpls., spitzmn.com).
The small chain currently operates locations in Los Angeles, San Diego and Salt Lake City, serving a menu that focuses on wraps and sandwiches made with döner kebab (vertical rotisserie-roasted) meats. Falafel, too.
The bar will focus on a handful of sangrias (make mine the rosé with apple, mint and lime, please) plus beers, beer cocktails and a short wine list.
On the newsstand
How great to see the spicy miso ramen at Ramen Kazama (3400 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., ramenkazama.com) featured in the May issue of Bon Appétit, part of the magazine's eight-city roundup of "America's new favorite noodle soup."
Read full reviews and other restaurant news at startribune.com/dining.
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