Brut lands Sapor spot in the North Loop

After more than a year of producing pop-up preview dinners in other people's restaurants, Brut, the long-awaited collaboration between chefs Jamie Malone and Erik Anderson, finally has a home.

The couple's new venture is going into the former Sapor Cafe and Bar (428 Washington Av. N., Mpls.). Sapor closed in June after a distinguished 15-year run.

"Needless to say, we are extremely excited," Malone said. "This is the spot we have been looking at for nearly two years. We live a few blocks down the street and are happy to achieve our goal of living and working in one community."

When it opens next spring (after an overhaul by Shea, the Minneapolis design firm), Brut will be the only Minneapolis restaurant to boast two chefs who have been lauded as one of Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chefs: Anderson in 2012 (during his tenure at the Catbird Seat in Nashville), Malone in 2013 (when she helmed Sea Change at the Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis).

When they announced their collaboration in June 2014, Malone said the plan was to concentrate on what she described as classical French-style cookery. The pair are also developing a menu for Scena Tavern (2943 Girard Av. S., Mpls.), set to open in November. The Italian restaurant is the work of busy restaurateur Paul Dzubnar (Green Mill, Crooked Pint Ale House, Town Hall Brewery), who also recently purchased the building where Brut will open.

Changes at Zentral

Cafe Zentral is no more. Owners Russell and Desta Klein have sold their year-old skyway-level offshoot of Brasserie Zentral (505 Marquette Av. S., Mpls., zentral-mpls.com) to general manager Robert Whitney and chef Alejandro Cerdas-Monge, who plan to reprogram the Soo Line Building space into World Cafe (105 S. 5th St., Mpls.) and focus on breakfast and lunch (and a beefed-up coffee program), starting in early October.

The Kleins have also pulled the plug on Sunday brunch and dinner at Brasserie Zentral.

At the airport

Look what's landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport: Red Cow. The purveyor of burgers, beer and cocktails (3624 W. 50th St. and 208 1st Av. N., Mpls., and 393 Selby Av., St. Paul, redcowmn.com) will be part of Food Truck Alley, set for Terminal 1's Concourse E. It's going to be a while, however; opening date is early 2017.

Opening soon

Coming to Southdale in mid-November: Z Italiano, promising pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches (and a short beer/wine list) in a casual, full-service environment in a long-shuttered California Pizza Kitchen. "My first name is Zach, so that's one way of looking at the 'Z,' " said managing partner Zach Saueressig, a Salut Bar Americain vet, with a laugh. "My daughter's name is Zayla, and people ask if I'm naming it after her. But hey, whatever happened to naming a restaurant after yourself?"

On Oct. 29, Morrissey Hospitality Companies (St. Paul Grill, Pazzaluna) will debut Kendall's Tavern & Chophouse in the current home of the Bar & Grill at Bunker Hills Golf Club (12800 Bunker Prairie Road, Coon Rapids). Chef Audrey Hermansen will preside over a casual tavern menu in the expanded bar, as well as a chophouse menu in the dining room.

"The tavern format is a reflection of the habits of consumers to be more casual and spontaneous," President Bill Morrissey said. "The chophouse will have a nice selection of steaks, chops and other favorites for people out on a special occasion."

RICK NELSON