Houston White closing coffee shop to open bistro with ‘approachable opulence’

Houston White’s groundbreaking Get Down Coffee Co. in the Webber-Camden neighborhood will close in the coming weeks, but the apparel designer and entrepreneur’s next project means the coffee shop won’t be dark for long. Blue in Green bistro will open in its stead next spring with a vibe he describes as “approachable opulence.” And as per his usual, White is drawing in some highly talented folks to help bring his vision to life.

Blue in Green, named for the Miles Davis song, will riff on Southern classic fare in a neighborhood dining setting. He’ll once again work with Dan Anderson of Dogwood Coffee on coffee. Cocktails are coming together with the help of friends he has inside the Four Seasons. For the food, he’s tapped James Beard Award-winning chef Alex Roberts of Alma, Brasa and Caja to consult on the menu.

LSE Architects of Minneapolis will redesign the space to make way for a coffee bar, a grab-and-go station near the front and 30 dining seats amid sleek surroundings. When the doors open for business, Blue in Green (1500 44th Av. N.) will operate from morning through evening.

More than 19 years ago Andrew Kopplin opened a coffee shop that would herald a new era of appreciation for not only what was in the cup, but where the coffee came from and how it was handled. It was the beginning of a national movement known as third-wave coffee. Now, the coffee shop’s brick-and-mortar era is coming to an end. Kopplin’s, which went from in-person to a window service after the pandemic, will close the storefront within the next month. Kopplin’s made the announcement on Instagram saying in part, “For many reasons, this is the best move for us at this time. Wherever you stopped along your journey, thanks for sharing a cup with us!” Kopplin’s will carry on as a subscription service, moving entirely online.

Seven years after painstakingly moving the history-steeped restaurant from Eat Street to Northeast, Market Bar-B-Que has put its building up for sale and shuttered the business for now.

The move was the fourth Minneapolis address in its history, so there is hope this long-run family business will return somewhere, someday.

Founded in 1946 by brothers Willard and Sam Polski after returning from World War II service, Market Bar-B-Que first opened at 130 N. 7th St., named for its then-proximity to what had been the Minneapolis City Market.

In 2018 Market Bar-B-Que moved to the current location at 220 Lowry Av. NE. The building is listed for sale by owner as a turnkey business opportunity, while Market Bar-B-Que’s website lists the closure as temporary.

Minari, the Korean- and Asian-influenced dining spot that went into the Erte space in northeast Minneapolis, is paying tribute to the restaurant’s former bar and lounge. Starting Friday, Minari’s bar area will roll out as the Pikok Lounge with a different food and drink menu from the restaurant, at 323 13th Av. NE.

Owner Daniel del Prado said the move is meant to pay tribute to Erte’s former Peacock Lounge. It’s also a way to offer more casual fare at lower price points than Minari’s full-service sit down.

“There’s a huge bar culture in Northeast,” he said. “People can come in for a couple drinks and some bites and not spend a lot of money, it’s kind of high-end-low.”

Many of chef/owner Jeff Watson’s menu offerings for Pikok Lounge will range from $5 to $9 with items such as hand rolls (scallop, bluefin tuna, salmon, umeboshi), grilled scallion rice cakes, housemade chicken nuggets and oysters a la carte. Items such as Korean fried chicken, bulgogi salad, Kimchi cheeseburger, pork ribs, caviar nuggets and grilled prawns will run $14-$19. A drink menu, also exclusive to the Pikok Lounge, will feature things such as Korean beers, a shot and a beer and specialty drinks ($8 to $12).

The baker who impressed Prince with her skills is finally opening a bakery of her own. Cheesecake Funk Bakery opened last weekend at 2419 Hwy. 7 in Excelsior. Vanessa Drews started baking cheesecakes in 2003 as a side hustle. The cakes came with her when Drews started working with Paisley Park and she got to share them with the superstar musician. The lore goes that he loved her signature dessert so much, that he shared praise of her sweets, helping grow the business.

Now, in addition to being able to find them on menus around town and at Paisley Park, cheesecake lovers can get their hands on a whole selection of mini, seasonal and standard flavors starting at 10 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Two new restaurants that were slated to take over the former Applebee’s space in Burnsville Center are now open. Chingu Korean Fried Chicken is in soft opening mode as of Sept. 12, and Kyo Matcha launched in early September. Both are located at 914 County Rd. 42 W.

Chingu offers signature Korean wings with a crispy coating, bulgogi and bibimbap. Kyo Matcha is an international chain spotlighting Japanese matcha desserts and drinks in everything from cakes, lattes, teas and slushes. This is the second Kyo Matcha in Minnesota; a Richfield location debuted last year.