Azia owner wanders downtown

As the sound of power tools hammered and buzzed around him this week, Thom Pham pored over blueprints at his new downtown Minneapolis restaurant. His mood: bittersweet.

It had been only a few days since Pham's big announcement: On Aug. 8 he will close his beloved Eat Street restaurant, Azia. Two days later he'll open Wanderers Wondrous Azian Kitchen across from Block E at the corner of 6th Street and Hennepin Avenue S.

For the flashy, gregarious restaurateur, it's a big gamble. It was only two years ago that Pham's upscale Temple restaurant fizzled on the edge of downtown. His latest attempt at expansion -- a second Thanh Do in Anoka -- closed earlier this summer. In May, he moved his original St. Louis Park Thanh Do into another strip mall.

"Getting in the restaurant business is a gamble, whether you're in St. Louis Park, Eat Street or downtown," he said. "I know I have a bigger and better chance of success here."

Pham is banking on a location that has proven toxic for other restaurants. Located in the Plymouth Building at 533 Hennepin Av. S., the space previously was home to Zake and Musashi (a pair of Japanese restaurants that no one seems to remember visiting), and before that, an Olive Garden. At 9,000 square feet, the space is huge, but well-suited for Pham's tastes.

That said, why close a restaurant that's been your bread and butter for eight years? Pham described his future at 26th Street and Nicollet as "complicated." The building that houses Azia, he said, is in terrible shape and in need of long-term repairs. Pham said his continuing legal dispute with the building's landlord has forced him to move downtown. Much of Azia's staff will relocate with him.

"That doesn't mean we're done with Eat Street," he said. "I put so much energy and love into that neighborhood. That's my home."

For now, it's full speed ahead at Wanderers. Pham said he learned "what not to do" in downtown after striking out with Temple.

While Wanderers will feature Pham's usual high-end Asian fusion cuisine, it will also offer a more accessible menu for both the lunch and late-night downtown crowd. He'll bring over many of Azia's favorite menu items, including the cranberry puffs. "People will kill me if I take them off the menu," he said.

Pham will transform half the space into a classic early-20th-century Asian dining room. The other side will be a contemporary nightlife destination with DJs, a 45-foot bar and windows that open onto Hennepin. With the August deadline he's given himself, Pham knows he has a lot of work to do.

"When this is all done, I'm going to go to a hotel and throw my phone and keys away and sleep for three days," he said.

Tom Horgen

Gabby's closes, makes way for new Suzi's

It's official. Gabby's owner Jeff Ormond said he has finalized the deal to sell his northeast Minneapolis bar to Leslie Bock, the owner of Psycho Suzi's. Gabby's last night in operation was Friday. Earlier this week, Ormond sounded both excited and somber as he said goodbye to his business of 24 years. "It still hasn't hit home," he said. "It's like saying goodbye to your family." Ormond said he won't be reopening Gabby's anywhere else, but hasn't ruled out returning to the bar business at some point. One thing he's seriously thinking about: politics. His interest in public office is a result of Gabby's three-year fight with the city over the bar's off-premise problems. The battle ended last year in a win for Ormond. This week, however, Ormond was thinking about the old days at Gabby's, including its wild country nights from 20 years ago, its packed "Melrose Place" parties (remember that show?) and its transition into a hip-hop hotbed. While Ormond's future plans are up in the air, he wished Bock and the new Psycho Suzi's well: "She'll do very well," he said. "She has a great concept." Bock hopes to open her supersized Psycho Suzi's in the fall.

Tom Horgen

Weezer goes Gaga for the 'Kids'

Capping a glorious Friday night at the Basilica Block Party, Weezer's surprisingly fun performance was a true case of revenge of the nerds -- or was it merely assimilation of the nerds? The band tore through a set laced with classics and recent hits before a ravenous crowd of jocky kids barely old enough to remember Weezer's mid-'90s critical heyday. A highlight was an encore cover of MGMT's "Kids," which, despite a cheesier-than-the-original keyboard sound, actually bested MGMT's own canned rendition of the song down the street at Rock the Garden only 20 days earlier. Animated frontman Rivers Cuomo then donned a blond wig as the band worked in a few lines of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" on the bridge. Hi-larious.

Simon Peter Groebner

Summit brews up Belgian beauty

A new brew that was literally four months in the making -- no kidding, this one took a while to ferment and settle -- the fourth installment of Summit's popular Unchained series will be the Belgian Style Golden Ale. It's the St. Paul brewery's strongest beer ever (8.6% ABV, with only a 30 IBU rating), and it promises to be a bold one in other ways, too. Brewer Eric Harper reportedly threw in Belgian Candi Sugar, plus Czech Saaz and Styrian Goldings hops. Summit's press release describes it as "a strong, fruity ale with a dry effervescent finish," and promised "wonderful spicy and floral notes." Sounds a bit like an idyllic Belgian woman: golden and lovely but strong enough to kick your ass. The new brew will be rolled out at the Longfellow Grill (6-7:30 p.m. Mon 7/19), the Groveland Tap (8-9:30 p.m. Mon 7/19), Punch Pizza on Grand Avenue in St. Paul (4-6 p.m. Tue 7/20), Grumpy's Nordeast (6 p.m. Wed 7/21), Sweeney's (6 p.m. next Thu 7/22) and Rudolph's (6-8 p.m. next Thu 7/22)