Counter Intelligence: Newbies, ginger ale and Earth Day, cont.

New in the 763

The former Bella is back in business. It's Tavern Grill, and if the menu recalls Tavern on France in Edina, there's a reason; both are the work of restaurateur Anoush Ansari. That menu includes pub fare along the lines of affordable build-your-own pizzas, burgers and salads, plus an all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch for $13.99.

"When we decided to change directions at Via and go with the Tavern on France concept, people loved it," said Ansari. "It's busy all the time, the numbers surprised us. The concept seems to be in demand, it's what people want to spend right now. So now we've Tavern-ized Bella."

The place has a new look, with new lighting ("Someone sold them the biggest LED package outside of Vegas," said Ansari with a laugh), furniture and paint. "We took the glitz off," he said. The enormous, tricked-out patio remains. "I'm a western suburban guy, so I didn't know Blaine," said Ansari. "But it's really beautiful. We're happy to be here."

I love this opening date

The folks behind Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill (1623 Park Pl. Blvd., St. Louis Park) aren't getting any more specific than "late spring" for an opening date for their new restaurant-entertainment venue, currently under construction in the Shops at West End in St. Louis Park. The Minnesota branch of this fast-growing, seven-unit chain (with locations in Las Vegas, Tulsa, suburban Detroit and others) will have a capacity of 850 revelers and will feature live music, dancing, a mechanical bull named "Toby," a guitar-shaped bar, 38 TV screens and a gift shop. Oh yeah, they'll be roadie-inspired food too: chicken-fried steak, pulled pork sandwiches, fried bologna sandwiches, meat loaf and deep-fried Twinkies. Sound familiar? I'm reminded of the Gatlin Bros. and their restaurant/bar/live music venue from the early days of the Mall of America, only with a more marketable celebrity name.

Speaking of the West End, the development has also signed Rojo Mexican Grill & Tequila Bar (1606 West End Blvd.), which will focus on Nuevo Mexican food and will pour more than 50 varieites of tequila, as well as Sauce (1610 West End Blvd.), an Arizona-based fast-casual chain-in-the-making with a pizza-pasta-panini-wine menu. No opening dates have been announced.

Forum Friday

Friday is the opening date of Forum, the glorious art deco landmark in the City Center complex in downtown Minneapolis. The interior was originally home to the Forum Cafeteria from 1930 to 1975 and has since then played host to a disco (Scottie's on Seventh), an Atlanta-grown version of TGI Friday's (Mick's) and the late, great Goodfellow's. It's been sitting dark for the past five years, a gigantic waste of one of the state's craziest mood-altering architectural delights. (Minneapolitans with long memories will recall when the interior was dismantled and moved, piece-by-piece, to a new location 100 feet away).

Totally ginger

Remember that amazing ginger ale I mentioned last week? Fresh Ginger Ginger Ale, which more than lives up to its name and is the work of Bruce Cost, the founder of Big Bowl, is now available at Big Bowl Chinese Express at Lunds and Byerly's. If anyone knows how to bottle the vibrant taste of ginger it's Cost, the author of the fascinating "Ginger East to West."

The celebration continues