Counter Intelligence: Coming soon to Uptown

That copper-trimmed apartment building perched at the northeast corner of Lake Street and Knox Avenue S. in Uptown Minneapolis (pictured below) is about to land a new first-floor tenant: JJ's Coffee + Wine Bistro.

The location was a no-brainer for co-owners and spouses Mark and Jennifer Jundt.

"We live in the suburbs but we go to Uptown all the time," said Mark Jundt. "We walk around Lake Calhoun a lot, so we saw the building going up and we thought it was perfect for our concept."

He's a lawyer, she's a longtime Starbucks manager -- and the company's namesake -- and they opened their first JJ's three years ago in Eden Prairie (7942 Mitchell Rd., www.jjscoffeecompany.com).

"The idea was to try it out first in Eden Prairie and then expand," said Mark Jundt. "We're hoping to open several more."

One key difference between urban and suburban JJ's: The Uptown location will not feature a drive-through window.

Other than that, it's a close match. The couple source their own coffee beans and have them roasted to their specifications in Cannon Falls, Minn.

The menu? "Handmade but by no means gourmet, with very few words that you can't pronounce," said Mark Jundt with a laugh. Translation: pastries and egg sandwiches and burritos at breakfast, sandwiches and salads at lunch, and bruschettas, flatbreads and cheeses in the evenings. The Jundts plan a May opening.

Exit, 'vacation,' remake

After a brief tenure, chef Kevin Kathman is out at Jack's (818 W. 46th St., Mpls., www.jacksmpls.com). "It was one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make since I've been in the restaurant business," said owner Jerry Nelson. "Kevin had a kitchen of super-talented guys, and the dinner menu was 100 percent foodie, but we couldn't sustain the costs." Nelson said the restaurant is returning to its previous neighborhood cafe format, serving coffee all day, weekend brunch and a more "approachable" dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

Here's chef Jim Christiansen's idea of vacation: heading to Denmark to labor behind the scenes at the world-famous Noma in Copenhagen. The former Il Gatto chef -- he's now developing menus for the restaurant's parent company, Parasole Restaurant Holdings -- is spending five weeks working and learning in chef René Redzepi's high-profile kitchen.