Downtown East's McKinney Roe adapts with full Gaelic format

When Dermot Cowley opened McKinney Roe in the shadow of U.S. Bank Stadium two years ago, he had "lofty goals" for how the restaurant would be received.

He wanted to create the Meritage of Minneapolis, he said, referring to the St. Paul bistro where diners could be equally comfortable having a burger at the bar or celebrating a special occasion with duck à la presse.

But the growing Downtown East neighborhood, where the Wells Fargo tower that houses McKinney Roe is located, wasn't ready, Cowley said.

So, his previously Irish-tinged restaurant is going full Gaelic. This week, McKinney Roe became an Irish pub (530 S. 4th St., Mpls., 612-545-5863, mckinneyroe.com).

"The reality is, we're very strong at lunchtime and happy hour, and we do a lot of private events. Just that nighttime dining crowd hasn't materialized in that area yet," Cowley said. "People in the neighborhood thought we were too fancy or too expensive."

The new format is "essentially a less expensive operation to run" and more in line with Cowley's other restaurants: Jake O'Connor's Public House in Excelsior, O'Donovan's in downtown Minneapolis and Lola's Lakehouse in Waconia.

McKinney Roe had no problem filling up on game days, and Cowley wants to attract more of those stadium visitors, like attendees at a monster truck show who might be looking for a more casual vibe than what McKinney Roe has been projecting.

Chef Scott Pampuch, who had joined the restaurant last June, is no longer overseeing the kitchen.

"It just wasn't the right fit," Pampuch said. He is now at 4 Bells on Loring Park.

Wilson Lucero, who was the sous chef at McKinney Roe, has taken Pampuch's place, and will be adding a few "Irish gastropub" dishes similar to those found at Jake O'Connor's. Expect to see "shepherd's shank," a kind of shepherd's pie made with braised lamb shank served in a roasted squash bowl; and a thick-cut pork chop marinated in Irish whiskey. Prices are coming down, too. But the name, which is a tribute to Cowley and his wife's mothers' maiden names, will remain.

"For a lot of people, the big crowds who go to concerts and games, they're not going to notice anything different," Cowley said.

As for his dreams of becoming Meritage West? "I think we were probably a little too soon," he said. "It's so young a neighborhood; it hasn't fully grown into itself yet. But it's coming."

Pampuch is now the executive chef at 4 Bells. And he has some ideas for the menu, which gradually pivoted more toward seafood and away from its juicy, crispy broasted-style fried chicken since it opened in 2015 (1610 Harmon Place, Mpls., 612-904-1163, 4bells.com).

First and foremost, the fried chicken is coming back. For Restaurant Week, anyway (Feb. 17-22). "It's a nod to what's coming up and where this summer's going to take us," said Pampuch.

That's just one taste of Southern cuisine Pampuch hopes to highlight once the menu changes kick in. While the restaurant will still focus on seafood, his vision is to highlight the north-to-south cuisine of the Mississippi River.

"I grew up on the Mississippi River," said the Winona, Minn., native. "In my family we always had freshwater fish, but also catfish is something we had a lot of. If you go down the river, the cuisine is super-interesting." He plans a nod to the barbecue of the Delta down to the French and Creole tastes of New Orleans.

"We'll have a ton of fun with the food and we'll definitely do some more elevated things," Pampuch said. "And we'll get back to being a little more casual, if that's even a possibility."

The Trailhead building in Theodore Wirth Park provides more than one way to warm up this winter. Inside the light-filled great room is Cajun Twist, a counter selling delicately spiced southern cuisine.

Cajun Twist is serving from morning to night to match the building's hours and uses. Start the day with breakfast parfaits, oatmeal, coffees and, occasionally, chicken and waffles during special events. The rest of the day, the rotating menu might feature gumbo, red beans and rice, and New Orleans specialty yaya mein (a ramen-like soup with teriyaki meat or eggplant).

Eventually, owner Teona Washington hopes to add brunch.

Washington was born in Minneapolis, but lived in New Orleans, where she worked in restaurants and clubs on Bourbon Street. Now she's merging the cuisines of both of her homes.

"Not a lot of places here are making this food," she said.

Cajun Twist is open every day, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (1221 Theodore Wirth Pkwy., Golden Valley, 844-462-2586, eatcajuntwist.com)

The downtown Minneapolis skyway has a new resident: the Wandering Mug. The coffee shop on wheels has turned its three-year-old food truck operation into brick and mortar. Expect the same coffee menu, and additional organic breakfast and lunch items. (811 LaSalle Av., 952-221-4799, thewanderingmug.com).

One of the most well-known names in Twin Cities restaurants will have one less shop after this coming weekend.

The St. Paul location of D'Amico & Sons, the casual pizza-pasta cafe known for its bargain date-night dinners and unlimited wine and beer deals, is closing.

Feb. 24 is the last day of service at the eatery, at 975 Grand Av. (damicoandsons.com)

Several Minnesota distillers won accolades last week from the American Craft Spirit Association, with two whose spirits were recognized for being at the top of their class. The awards were given out during the trade group's annual conference, which this year took place in the Twin Cities.

Tattersall Distilling (1620 Central Av. NE., Mpls., 612-584-4152, tattersalldistilling.com), took home top honors in the rum category for its barreled rum, winning best in class as well as a gold medal. It also won a gold medal for its bitter orange liqueur in the specialty spirits category.

Waconia's J. Carver Distillery's apple brandy was named best brandy, garnering it a silver medal. (1320 Mill Ln., Waconia, 952-442-2433, jcarverdistillery.com)

Tattersall also took home 13 bronze medals for other spirits like its amaro, blackstrap rum, grapefruit crema and vodka. J. Carver won five bronze medals for vodka and rye whiskeys.

Six other Minnesota distillers won awards: St. Paul's 11 Wells Spirits Co. for rum and allspice liqueur; Northfield's Loon Liquors Distillery for vodka, whiskey and liqueurs; Far North Spirits from Hallock, Minn., for rye whiskey; Duluth's Vikre Distillery for vodka and whiskey; Roseville's Bent Brewstillery for gin; and RockFilter Distillery from Spring Grove, Minn., for its bourbon and rye whiskey.