Bars: The Lowbrow - a North Woods-influenced grub pub in Kingfield

Nothing is more gratifying than enjoying the fruits of one's manual labor. Just ask the Lowbrow's co-owners, Heather Bray and Jodi Ayres, who put much of their own elbow grease into readying their Nicollet Avenue location for its Jan. 25 opening.

"It kind of felt like we were playing restaurant for the first couple days," Bray said, perched at the bar of her new gastropub. "I was like 'God, is this real?'"

As surreal as opening your very own eatery and watering hole might feel after countless hours of grouting and painting, there's something familiar yet fresh about the Lowbrow's friendly confines. Drawing inspiration from the small-town bars of North Woods Wisconsin, Bray and Ayres aim to balance lowbrow charm with an urban-casual atmosphere and menu.

"We have always been interested in farm-to-table ingredients and scratch cooking," Bray said. "We also love tavern culture and the Wisconsin-style bar that you see in towns like Madison. We wanted to find a way to bring those two things together."

The Lowbrow's dinner menu varies from pub-grub standbys to bolder renditions of archetypal bar fare like their Fire Breather burger (a 100 percent grass-fed, chili-rubbed beef patty topped with chipotle gouda, sautéed jalapeños and guacamole). While the menu is loaded with locally sourced meats and ingredients, the Alaskan cod fish sticks are a personal favorite of Bray's.

The short tap beer list prefers quality over quantity, with a Minnesota-heavy selection including offerings from Lift Bridge and Grain Belt. In true townie-bar fashion, the Lowbrow has options for those looking to knock back a drink or two on the cheap. Patrons can belly up and enjoy a $2 can of Hamm's or a $3 PBR tallboy anytime, day or night.

The Lowbrow is the latest addition to what is quickly becoming a real foodie oasis in the Kingfield neighborhood of south Minneapolis. Bray said she's excited to join other neighborhood newcomers Patisserie 46, Blackbird Cafe and Kings Wine Bar in offering a comfortable place to unwind with a beer and bite.

Also open for the weekend brunch crowd, the Lowbrow's glass storefront provides guests with plenty of natural light while they feast on chorizo breakfast tacos or veggie scramble. However, the most endearing feature of this cozy neighborhood joint is hands-down the bar top, which is lined with a selection from Ayres' childhood baseball card collection.

Since opening, the duo has been busier than they expected. While each brings significant service industry experience (Bray has been in the game for 12 years, most recently at Ike's Food & Cocktails and Lucia's to Go, and Ayres has honed her culinary skills at Moose & Sadie's), Bray admits that opening a place of their own has been a challenging new experience.

"It's an incredible, incredible amount of work," she said. "There's just a million plates in the air that you have to figure out a way to keep them all spinning."