Now open, in Roseville and Eagan
First it was Flame. Now the powers that be at Rosedale have wisely skipped another cookie-cutter chain in favor of a local restaurateur.
Michael Larson, owner of Eat Shop Kitchen & Bar (16605 County Rd. 24, Plymouth, www.theeatshop.com), is the force behind Digby's Burgers-Pizza-Beer (854 Rosedale Center No. 1010, Roseville, www.eatdigbys.com), located in the former California Pizza Kitchen outlet.
Eat Shop chef Jeff Anderson is focusing on Neapolitan-style pizzas (a measure of Larson's infatuation level, pizza-wise, is the wood-burning oven he installed in his home a decade ago), a half-dozen detail-obsessed burgers (paired with shakes, of course) and a handful of small plates (sourdough pretzels, swordfish tacos) to pair with the bar's craft beer list. Lunch and dinner are served daily.
Eagan's latest is Blue Stone Steak & Seafood (2864 Hwy. 55, www.bluestonemn.com).
The restaurant's ownership includes the Jacob family, which also operates the Ragin Cajun stand in the Garden Building at the Minnesota State Fair.
Naturally, they are offering a number of Creole- and Cajun-inspired dishes, including red beans and rice, jambalaya, blackened catfish po' boys and gumbo. The bar is mixing up Sazeracs and Hurricanes.
Other items include a selection of steaks and burgers, deep-fried deviled eggs and ale-steamed mussels with andouille sausage. Lunch and dinner are served daily.
Dining in the park(s)
Spring really is here, because seasonal restaurants in Minneapolis parks are coming back to life.
Both Sea Salt Eatery (4801 Minnehaha Av. S., Mpls., www.seasalteatery.wordpress.com) in Minnehaha Park and Tin Fish (3000 E. Calhoun Pkwy., Mpls., www.tinfishmpls.com) on Lake Calhoun are up and running.
Bread & Pickle (4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy., Mpls., www.breadandpickle.com) on Lake Harriet is opening May 8. Finally, Sandcastle (4955 W. Lake Nokomis Pkwy., Mpls., www. sandcastlempls.com) on Lake Nokomis is set to open May 10, following the completion of its new patio.
Dine out, do good
Where will you be dining on Thursday?
Choose one of 250-plus restaurants in the Twin Cities, Rochester, Duluth or Mankato, and your purchase will support Dining Out for Life, a coast-to-coast fundraising event that benefits HIV/AIDS nonprofits in more than 40 cities.
In Minnesota, the beneficiary is the Aliveness Project, a Minneapolis community center that provides on-site meals, food shelf options and other services for people living with HIV/AIDS.
This year, the 29-year-old center estimates it will provide assistance to 1,700 adults and children.
Here's how the event works: Enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner (or some combination thereof) and anywhere from 20 percent up to 100 percent of your tab will be donated by the restaurant.
Last year's event raised more than $255,000 and drew in 35,000 diners at more than 170 restaurants. This year's goal is $270,000 and 40,000 diners.
It's a testament to the dining industry's generosity that so many restaurants are involved. For a complete list of participating restaurants, go to www.diningoutforlife.com/minneapolis/restaurants.
RICK NELSON
