The owners of St. Paul's Muddy Pig are branching westward, thanks to their landlord.

That would be John McCarty, the breakfast-lunch mogul behind the New Louisiana Cafe and the Grandview Grill in St. Paul and the New Uptown Diner in Minneapolis. McCarty recently purchased Pearson's, the 50th-and-Ewing dining landmark, and quickly converted half of it into the 50th Street Cafe. He's filling the other half of the building by coaxing his Muddy Pig tenants — Mark van Wie and Paul Schatz — over to 50th and France.Well, a block east, anyway, at 50th and Ewing (the building, pictured above, shortly after Pearson's closed in February).

"We had to jump at it, even though it's the other side of the river," said van Wie with a laugh, sounding like ever the St. Paulite, despite having been a former resident of the Fulton neighborhood. "It's amazing how much 50th-and-France has developed over the years. The restaurants are booming, and we're going to be a total complement to that."

When it opens — probably in August — Pig & Fiddle will be a "cozy, warm, sit-down-and-relax kind of place," said van Wie. "The food concept, such as there is, because we hate to get locked into a concept, is peasant food. You know, someone in France, or in England, they don't have a lot of money, so they buy cheap ingredients and make them into something interesting and fun. Everyone knows what cassoulet is, but does anyone ever make it?"

In other words, not pub grub. "It'll be more restaurant focused, where the Muddy Pig is more bar-food focused," he said.

The partners haven't locked down a chef yet, but they've been talking with a Minnesotan who is currently cooking on a private 100-foot yacht in the Caribbean.

"We haven't come to an agreement yet, so I don't want to name names," said van Wie.

Fans of the former Pearson's will take comfort in the fact that the new enterprise will take over much of the former restaurant's semi-formal dining room. A new kitchen and bar are going in, along with windows along 50th St. The room's distinctive fireplace and woodwork will remain.

"It's got a good feel," said van Wie.

Like the nine-year-old Muddy Pig, its southwest Minneapolis sibling will be bullish on beers, with 36 taps.

"We like good beer," said van Wie.