Star chef McKee remaking Il Gatto

If he were a director of Broadway musicals, Tim McKee would be developing a reputation as a show doctor, a skilled professional who is called in to turn troubled productions into long-running hits.

McKee, the state's first James Beard Award-winning chef and co-owner of La Belle Vie and Solera in Minneapolis, worked his magic last summer, transforming the Guthrie Theater's chief restaurant into the popular Sea Change. Now he's turned his talents to revamping Il Gatto, the Italian restaurant that Parasole Restaurant Holdings launched late last fall to replace 25-year-old Figlio.

Returning to Calhoun Square is a homecoming for McKee; his first real cooking job was in the Figlio kitchen. McKee has recruited longtime La Belle Vie colleague Jim Christiansen to run Il Gatto's kitchen. They've been slowly instituting upgrades over the past two weeks, remaking the menu's small plates, pizzas and salads; they'll continue until the entire menu has been rebooted, probably within the month. "We're adding a sense of adventure to the menu," said McKee.

That means succulent chunks of cured swordfish, like the dreamiest canned tuna imaginable, served with wedges of colorful heirloom tomatoes. Or thick slices of house-made pancetta, hot off the kitchen's wood-burning grill and dressed with juicy Mission figs. Or a meaty octopus tentacle, charred by the grill's intense heat and resting on tender white beans and stewed peppers. Or smartly topped plate-sized pizzas. My favorite? A variety of brightly crunchy radishes, dressed in a light anchovy-citrus vinaigrette. It's rustic McKee food at Figlio -- sorry, Il Gatto -- prices.

Figlio regulars will be pleased to learn that a small selection of the restaurant's classic dishes will be returning, including calamari and a tortellini that McKee drolly recalled making hundreds of times during his tenure on the Figlio line. "They're blasts from the past, but they stand the test of time," he said.

• Rick Nelson

'Son of Anarchy' in Minnesota

Ron Perlman portrays the den father of a grizzled motorcycle gang on FX's "Sons of Anarchy." But his most unlikely role was his real-life stint as a University of Minnesota grad student.

Q: How did you end up getting your master's in theater in Minnesota?

A: I grew up in New York City and went to the City University of New York in the Bronx. While I was there, I accumulated $6,000 to $7,000 in parking-ticket fines and I had no resources to pay that. Then these brochures started circulating and there was one for the University of Minnesota. Well, I thought, nobody will look for me there. Most New York cops don't even know Minnesota is in the union.

Q: After graduating, did you contemplate sticking around the Twin Cities?

A: I was planning on it until the day I left. I loved my two years at the university and I loved the vibe of the city, but I had to decide whether or not to keep my apartment in Dinkytown and I realized that there was only so far I could go in Minneapolis, so I went back to New York.

Q: Weren't you worried about those parking tickets?

A: What had happened is that the cops found my mother, and she paid the fines. By the way, a week from next Tuesday I will have paid her back.

• Neal Justin

Everyday People closing Dinkytown store

A beloved fixture of Dinkytown is shutting its doors at the end of the month. Everyday People has been the go-to spot for many a thrifty yet style-conscious student since 1997, thanks to its expansive selection of vintage and newer brand-name clothing and accessories for guys and gals. Through the closing date of Sept. 25, everything will be marked down 50 percent. Everyday People's Uptown and new St. Paul locations will remain open. (323 14th Av. SE., Mpls. 612-623-9095.)

• Jahna Peloquin

Owl City goes back to school

Adam Young, the electronic pop artist known internationally as Owl City, will return to his alma mater, Owatonna High School, on Oct. 31 for the first hometown concert of his whirlwind two-year career. Principal Don Johnson said school faculty welcomed the concert when Owl City's management raised the idea, since it's a fundraiser for the school's music program. "[Adam] heard the music program could use some help, and he saw this as a great way to give back to the community where he was raised," Johnson said.

This summer, Young spread his wings by issuing a new album under a different moniker, Sky Sailing. He also wrote a new song as the theme to the upcoming Warner Bros. animation flick, "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole."

• Chris Riemenschneider

'Mad' woman thrown out

Minnesota's frontrunner in the "Mad Men" Casting Call Contest, Jessa Alt, was disqualified from the contest by AMC last Thursday. "I received an e-mail stating my entry was found to have a high number of votes from one or more IP addresses, leading them to think that automatic voting had been used in my favor," Alt said. She believes her entry was targeted by other contestants who used voting software to disqualify others."It is really discouraging, frustrating and unfair to think people can't just play by the rules," she said. Jake Rudh, another local contestant who recently led a successful campaign to eliminate cheaters, defended Alt, saying, "It's extremely unfortunate that it happened. It was completely out of her control, and that's what makes it sting the most." Alt was permitted to start over in the contest with zero votes. You can still vote for Alt, Rudh and other local contestants at madmencastingcall.amctv.com.

• Jahna Peloquin