North Loop Red Cow taps luxury retailer neighbor for a makeover

The North Loop Red Cow will temporarily close Sept. 2 for a five-week renovation with a little help from their friends at MartinPatrick3.

Luke Shimp opened the burger-centered restaurant (208 N. 1st Av.) a decade ago and said it was time for a change: “As a company, we’re always looking to evolve and innovate,” he said.

For the refresh, the restaurant will be taken down to the studs, reconfigured and redesigned with fellow North Loop business MartinPatrick3 owners Greg Walsh and Dana Swindler and interior designers Amber O’Brien and Arielle Slobotski leading the way. It’s the first major restaurant revamp for the retail luxury storefront and design brand, but the project came together as easily as an across-the-fence neighbor chat.

“We’ve catered a few events for them,” said Shimp. “And Greg and Dana are regulars at Red Cow.” When he approached Walsh with the opportunity to give his restaurant a refresh, Shimp recalls the answer was an immediate yes.

The bar will remain in its current space, but the seating, decor and style of the room will shift. Red will remain the signature color, but dining spaces will feel more special and intimate with a mix of booths, high-tops and cozy tables with new chairs. When guests enter, to the immediate right will be a glass wall feature of red wine bottles, and natural light will filter in.

It’s just the start of the changes at Red Cow.

Shimp’s restaurants have always been at the cutting edge of wine service technology, and Red Cow’s system has been updated, allowing them to offer 30 bottles by the glass.

Red Cow just launched a new brunch menu from corporate chef Adam Lerner and culinary director Trevis Langley. When it reopens, diners can expect that savory menu to continue to evolve, along with its classic lineup of burgers and comfort fare.

North Loop is one of several Red Cow and Red Rabbit restaurant locations around the metro area and in Rochester from Shimp and partner Tracy Bachul. The primary motivation for the change is to dive deeper into tailoring the restaurants to regulars. “It’s getting rid of that cookie cutter feel and to capitalize on the neighborhoods they serve,” Shimp said.

Look for the North Loop-tailored Red Cow to return in October.

Tequila Butcher (590 W. 79th St., Chanhassen) closed for a few days this week for a brand refresh along with training and a new menu courtesy of new corporate chef Thomas Boemer. The chef joined Wondrous Collective, Tequila Butcher’s parent company, this summer after closing his Revival restaurants.

According to a social media post from Wondrous Collective, Boemer is “bringing a new menu built on oak-smoked meats, handmade tortillas and Tex-Mex barbecue with real soul.”

Nordic Tap House is now open at 106 Walnut St. in Monticello. Formerly the Nordic Brewpub, the new downtown location offers a rooftop patio along with food and an extensive bourbon collection.

The move is part of the evolution of the business that began as a craft brewery from Zach Barthel before rebranding as a brewpub and event venue and now a full-service restaurant in a smaller space.

The new space still has room for live music, and the decor is a mix of black and industrial colors with antler decor and moody wallpaper. There’s a menu of elevated comfort fare and plenty of beer available — just not ones brewed on site.

Enter to win a chance to dine with the Taste team at Dinner Du Nord, a dining experience featuring an expansive seven-block table for nearly 2,000 guests. The event is Sept. 11 from 5 to 8:30 p.m.

The lucky winner and a guest will get to enjoy a Peking duck experience from Rainbow Chinese; dinner also includes egg rolls, seasonal sides, salad and dessert, as well as steam buns, noodles, rice and nonalcoholic beverages. Mocktails and beer, wine and sake can be purchased for an additional cost.

Dinner Du Nord will feature 40 restaurants, food trucks and other food vendors representing the area’s culinary scene. Attendees choose which table and purveyor’s menu to attend, with all-inclusive tickets ranging from $40 to $195.