Breaking news: A restaurant opens

Billy Tserenbat knew there was something special about the date of May 4.

He chose it months ago for the opening of his new North Loop restaurant, Billy Sushi. And it's Star Wars Day ("May the fourth," get it?), which he feels gives it a kind of power.

"It's a big day," said Tserenbat, who owns Baja Haus and used to own Sushi Fix, both in Wayzata, and the Bibuta food truck. "May 4 is the day you really want to do something."

It also happens to be the date Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz set for the current stay-at-home order to end, potentially allowing restaurants to reopen for dining.

Whether that order will actually be lifted is unknown, as Minnesota fights to flatten the curve and delay a spike in the spread of the coronavirus.

But while many restaurateurs are figuring out how to keep operating in a limited capacity for the long term, Tserenbat is sticking with his plan to open his doors on May 4 at 116 1st Av. N., Mpls. (in the former Sweet Chow).

"I'm not worried," he said. "If it's allowed, we can open." If not, he'll start with takeout.

"It's the most cheerful news," said the bubbly Tserenbat, who sees it as a mission to give diners something to look forward to. "Everybody is so worried and so anxious, and we need something positive in this world right now."

He knows his plans could change at any moment "in these unpredictable days." (Check the website and social media, or call the restaurant at 612-886-1783, to confirm the potential opening.)

But he's not letting that dampen his optimism.

"Obviously, the crazy people do crazy things," Tserenbat said. "So, I am one of those crazy guys."

Every February, a group of 10 whiskey die-hards head to a luxury cabin in central Minnesota to conduct a blind tasting, with some unexpected results.

The big surprise of 2020? The winner was a private label from Total Wine that cost $20.

Every participant brings a bottle they hope will win over the rest of the crowd. One participant stopped at a Total Wine on his way to the cabin, where an employee urged him to buy their Wolcott Special Release. He bought it on impulse and "mostly forgot about it until about halfway through the weekend when it hadn't yet been eliminated," Charchian told Forbes.

Since then, Charchian, who often writes and tweets about the spirit, said Wolcott has become his "everyday" whiskey of choice.

Find the story about the Minnesota whiskey weekend at tinyurl.com/y7u6vrae/.

Read full reviews and other restaurant news at startribune.com/dining.