New Little Bird Delicatessen in Mpls. will have sandwiches, gelato and pup treats

When Little Bird owners Alison and Steve McMullen lived in New York City’s West Village, there was an embarrassment of deli riches.

“Bleecker Street was full of great sandwiches,” Alison said. When the couple moved back to Minnesota, she said “there were two things we were missing: gelato and a great sandwich culture.”

The couple took on gelato first, launching Little Bird Gelato and quickly growing its wholesale business. It’s now found at several Twin Cities restaurants and in select freezer cases, much to delight of its legions of fans.

Now they’re ready for the next step with Little Bird Delicatessen — a gelateria and sandwich shop that will open this fall inside the former Abang Yoli space on Nicollet Avenue near 38th Street.

The McMullens noted the recent growth of local sandwich options, including Marty’s, North Star and Kinsley’s delis, and said they believe they have more to add to the culinary conversation.

When we spoke with Alison, they were deep into bread testing, seeking out the perfect balance of integrity and crust. Fillings are still in the research and development phase, and they weren’t ready to spill exact menu details yet.

“For Steve, it’s more about quality of ingredients. If someone can make it better than us, we’ll do that,” Alison said. “Like bread and meats — we’re working with Lowry Hill Meats and Wild Acres for poultry.”

There also will be dog treats — Little Bird is named after their dog — and a special kid’s menu.

Steve is finishing up his run leading the kitchen at Porzana in the North Loop, and they’ll soon focus full time on building their first restaurant.

Expect more news of an opening to come later this fall.

Those famous dark chocolate cookies will be within reach of downtown workers as the former Cafe Ceres location on Washington Avenue will soon reopen as a Rustica outpost. It’s a full circle moment for chef Shawn McKenzie, who worked on the menu for the former cafe and runs the bakery program for the new one.

Diners can expect coffee, bread, and sweet and savory pastries along with those iconic bittersweet chocolate cookies.

The menu leans into burgers, baskets of tots, walking tacos and other comforts with a focus on keeping dishes affordable, with almost everything on the menu $12 or less. The newest outpost replaces the 508 Bar, and will offer plenty of screens to catch the game, plus hours that stretch from lunch through late night.

A grand opening party on Sept. 9 kicks off its new Minneapolis era.

In a blog post on the Nicollet Avenue cafe’s website, Butter Bakery Cafe owner Dan Swenson-Klatt wrote a heartfelt explanation outlining why he’s ready to move on, and that he’s hopeful that someone new will step into the business.

“As a Social Benefit Corporation, Butter Bakery has an ongoing mission to sustain,” he wrote. “It has a history and community that has shaped its life and can continue to shape its future. It will take someone (or perhaps more than one) who understands this and heartily shares this mission.”

Open since 2006, the cafe has long been committed to social consciousness. When it relocated to its current address (3700 Nicollet Av.) in 2012, they partnered with a local nonprofit working to end homelessness and strive to give youth supportive work experience.

Trio Plant Based Eatery served Minneapolis its vegan comfort fare for six years in the Lyn-Lake area, but it has announced that Oct. 31 will be its final day at its current address (610 W. Lake St., Mpls.) as its lease comes to an end.

Sharing the news via Instagram, the ownership wrote, “This chapter may be closing, but we’re not done writing the story.”

Until the final day, there will be more cauli wings, For Your Soul bowls and barbecue jackfruit.

The Camden Social announced a temporary closure of its restaurant at 4601 Lyndale Av. N., Mpls.

“It’s become clear that in order to ensure our long-term sustainability and continue serving you effectively, we have to make the necessary decision to temporarily close our regular restaurant operations,” the owners said in a statement.

While closed for in-person dining, Camden Social will continue catering operations until its hopeful reopening as a community hub.

Momo Sushi is working to rebuild after a fire forced the Northeast restaurant to temporarily close. As it rebuilds, fans can support the restaurant by visiting its other Minneapolis locations, Ama Sushi and Momo Cafe.

There’s also a Go Fund Me collecting donations for the rebuild that has raised more than $11,000 so far.

Opened in December 2018 at 1839 Central Av. NE., Momo Sushi was founded by chef Sonam Nyorie, a Tibetan immigrant who worked as a sushi chef on the East Coast before moving to Minneapolis. The restaurants blend his sushi skills with Tibetan dishes — namely those signature momos.

After only being open since May, Celio has already closed, citing technical issues. The restaurant took the place of Sonder Shaker at 130 E. Hennepin Av. in Minneapolis. We reached out for information and to ask if there are plans to reopen, but requests for comment were not returned.