Good news, burrito lovers: Lito’s is now open on Lake Street

Miguel Hernandez started selling burritos inside his family’s Richfield restaurant El Tejaban Mexican Grill in 2023. Fandom grew, and when the space that was most recently Union Hmong Kitchen became available (901 W. Lake St., Mpls.), he knew it was time to expand. After a little help from crowdfunding, Lito’s on Lake hosted a ribbon cutting this weekend and is now open.

Initial hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with a limited menu that is expected to expand. The original Richfield location of Lito’s Burritos (6519 Nicollet Av.) continues to operate with its normal menu and hours.

This spring will herald the third Buttered Tin location, which will open inside the new Coborn’s Market & Table at the Boulevard (6130 Sycamore Lane N., Plymouth).

The cafe will be inside the store and offer the full Buttered Tin experience, with sweet baked treats and savory meal comforts served breakfast through lunch, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be additional hours for coffee and bakery in the mornings and bakery, coffee, wine and beer from 3 to 7 p.m. There will be 80 seats inside with patio space when the weather cooperates. A March opening is expected.

In a statement, Buttered Tin owner Alicia Hinze said Coborn’s approached them about the opportunity to open inside the new market saying, “They believed in our food, our mission, and our connection to community.”

Other Buttered Tin locations are in northeast Minneapolis and St. Paul’s Lowertown neighborhood. Frozen treats from the cafe, including pies and cinnamon buns, can be found in the freezer aisles of area supermarkets.

Local coffee shop Giot Cream Coffee just opened its second location at 6627 Penn Av. S. in Richfield. The new shop (pronounced yot) was founded by Mimi and Simon Nguyen as an online business before they expanded to Dinkytown (511 14th Av. SE., Mpls.) with a weekends-only cafe while the two kept their day jobs.

The menu is dominated by a wide variety of Vietnamese coffee, white coffee (Vietnamese coffee mixed with milk), lots of fun cream topping options and a selection of matcha drinks. Plus, they’re serving croffles (croissants warmed in a waffle maker and topped with sweets).

Their Dinkytown location will continue to operate Saturday and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

After weeks of renovations, the former 801 Fish is now 801 on Nicollet, but fans of the downtown Minneapolis power lunch and happy hour spot will find plenty of familiar favorites along with some new bites on the refreshed menu.

After a light remodel, the raw bar is gone and there’s a wall of ephemera, including pictures of Prince and lake country to indicate it now has more Minnesota-chill vibes. But much remains, including the full service and its affiliation with sister restaurant 801 Chophouse just across the street.

The menu still boasts crab cakes, freshly shucked oysters and the blackened mahi sandwich, but there’s also a double-stacked burger, seasonal specials and more items to please the lunch and happy hour crowds. Billed as an upscale American bar and grill, 801 on Nicollet is open for lunch and happy hour on weekdays, and dinner starting at 4 p.m. seven days a week.

Rollin Nolen’s BBQ will celebrate its grand opening inside Midtown Global Market (920 E. Lake St., Mpls.) on Friday, Nov. 21. TJ Nolen started the business by hauling a huge smoker around town before upgrading to two fully stocked food trucks. This new spot inside the market is his first full-time location.

Nolen seasons up pork, ribs, brisket and more with his own spice blends and sauces and serves them up with sides like beans, coleslaw and cauliflower bites. There are also burgers and chicken tenders on the menu.

Rollin Nolen’s BBQ will be open daily starting at 11 a.m., serving lunch through dinner.

It’s the end of a turkey and dried cherry pasta salad era: D’Amico & Sons at Gavidaii (555 Nicollet Mall) will close Nov. 21. The lunch spot has been a popular stop for downtown workers and box lunch orders, but a comment from their reps did not elaborate on the decision.

D’Amico & Sons still lists two open locations in Edina and Golden Valley.

For nine years the coffee shop has served as a cozy neighborhood meetup and creativity hub with a serious dedication to the caffeinated arts. In the farewell message, they wrote in part, “The Minneapolis coffee community is a very different place today than it was when we started, and we have loved being able to contribute to that with our business as well as with the people and companies we have helped launch from here.”

On Dec. 4, Wesley Andrews will host one final Birthday Latte Art throwdown.

After a meteoric rise and fall, Slice Brothers Pizza has wound operations down to only one stand inside Midtown Global Market, and the founders have sold it to its employees.

Started by friends Adam Kado and Hosie Thurmond, Slice Brothers often billed itself as Minneapolis’ first Black-owned pizzeria with the goal of bringing New York-style pizzas to the metro area.

Launched in 2021, the pizzeria expanded quickly with locations in northeast Minneapolis, on St. Paul’s University Avenue, downtown St. Paul and the Mall of America. The University Avenue location appears to be the only other spot still open, and it is expected to close this week.

Pip Hanson, the bartender largely credited for the game-changing beverage program at Marvel Bar, has returned to downtown Minneapolis. He’s now overseeing beverages inside the Four Seasons at Bar Mara and the restaurant Mara (245 Hennepin Av., Mpls.).

Hanson has just released the fall drink menu, and it’s dotted with subtle flavors and a mix of strong, low-proof and nonalcoholic/functional drinks.