Closings, now and on the horizon

The lights went out last week at Spill the Wine (901 W. Lake St., Mpls.).

The wine bar/cafe started life in 2007 in a refurbished Victorian beauty near the Guthrie Theater, then relocated to a Lyn-Lake storefront in 2013.

The space won't be dark for long. It's slated to become the home of Tinto Cocina + Cantina, a new name for the Latin Hills Kitchen project that restaurateur Rebecca Illingworth (formerly of St. Paul's Bin on the Park) had initially planned at 43rd and Beard in the Linden Hills neighborhood.

"I'm very excited," said Illingworth. "Everything works out for a reason."

A reason for the switch: seats. The Linden Hills location was approved by city inspectors for 105 seats ("that's not a viable business formula," said Illingworth), but at Lake Street, she'll have access to up to 180 seats when patio season kicks in.

She's signed a chef, too. He's Carlos Garza, currently of Carnivale in Chicago. A full liquor license is another upgrade. Look for a late February opening.

Tryg's (3118 W. Lake St., Mpls., www.trygs.com) isn't long for this world.

Owner Tryg Truelson is closing his great-looking 10-year-old restaurant and bar on Jan. 31. Until then, hours will be limited to 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The building is being demolished this spring and will be replaced by a 164-unit apartment building.

The many fans of Terra Waconia (140 W. Main St., Waconia, www.terrawaconia.com) have a few weeks to get into this very special cafe and wine bar before it closes.

The last day is Feb. 14 — which is also the restaurant's fifth anniversary — and a Valentine's Dinner is sold out. Chef Craig Sharp is offering that same three-course dinner ($55) on Feb. 13, and hosting a pair of back-to-back wine dinners Feb. 11-12.

"That final week is going to be crazy," said owner Tracy LeTourneau with a laugh.

The building's new owners did not renew the restaurant's lease, and LeTourneau said she is looking for space elsewhere in Waconia.

"We're working on staying in this area," she said. "That doesn't mean we wouldn't look east of here. We've had a lot of people approach us, all the way to Stillwater. But we're trying to stay here."

Can't make one of the final meals? Sharp prepares dinner Wednesday through Saturday evenings.

Ownership change at Sanctuary

There's a change at the top at Sanctuary (903 Washington Av. S., Mpls., www.sanctuary minneapolis.com). Co-owners Roger Kubicki and Naomi Williamson, both familiar and hospitable faces to regular diners, have sold their interest in the seven-year-old restaurant to their business partner (and dining room host-with-the-most) Michael Kutscheid, investor Jamie Wolfe (a longtime Sanctuary customer) and chef Patrick Atanalian.

"Roger and Naomi are wonderful people, and their exit strategy was to find a way to sell the restaurant to me," said Kutscheid. Talk about your promising omens: Papers were signed in midafternoon, and then the restaurant had the busiest night in its history.

Making a difference

At the Birchwood Cafe (3311 E. 25th St., Mpls., www.birchwoodcafe.com), donate a nonperishable food item for the Food Group (formerly the Emergency Food Shelf Network) and receive a free cup of Peace Coffee. The food drive runs through Feb. 1. Don't know what to donate? Find a helpful list of suggestions at http://tinyurl.com/lfvxpcu.

Rick Nelson