TokiDoki Burger opens March 1 from Ramen Kazama's chef/owner Yuichiro Matthew Kazama at 3406 Nicollet Av. in Minneapolis, right next to the ramen shop.
Kazama told the neighborhood newspaper Southwest Voices that the menu is inspired by Japanese McDonald's, where teriyaki burgers and tonkatsu cutlets are served with rice. There also will be vegetarian and vegan burgers with a house combo of tofu, edamame, oatmeal and more to replace the beef patties.
TokiDoki Burger (tokidoki means "sometimes" in Japanese) will be open for dinner Tuesdays through Sundays.
Hell's Cafeteria abruptly ends service
Hell's Cafeteria, the lunch tray-led quick-serve spot in downtown Minneapolis, has closed. According to a social media post from sister restaurant Hell's Kitchen, the restaurant, which opened in 2022, was meant to serve the returning lunch crowds post-COVID, and those crowds never came. Meanwhile, the original subterranean restaurant (80 S. 9th St., Mpls., hellskitcheninc.com)reports a significant increase in business. The employee-owned company is shifting gears to focus on the full-service restaurant instead.
Kingfield's Filipino restaurant closing
After five years of adobo and pancit on Nicollet Avenue and 43rd Street, Apoy has announced it will close on March 23. The bright spot in the sad news is that Apoy will revive its food truck some time after closing.
Brothers Sherwin Resurreccion and Shawn Nafstad opened the restaurant in the fall of 2018 as one of the few sit-down Filipino restaurants in the metro area. "The Minnesotan palate has evolved," Resurreccion said at the time.
The closure was announced on social media, where the restaurant owners expressed gratitude for the support and fans remarked with dismay over its closure.
Fresh coffee is brewing by Minnehaha Creek
This week marks the opening of the anticipated SunBean Coffee at E. 46th Street and 34th Avenue S. in Minneapolis. The new shop is the work of Fred and Annie DuBose, who used crowdfunding and a lot of elbow grease to open the shop. In addition to being a great place to get a cup, the DuBoses have a mission to provide training and mentorship for youth "with barriers to employment" as well as supporting just wages and conditions for coffee farmers and partnering with BIPOC- and women-owned food vendors."
SunBean, at 4553 34th Av. S., is open Mon.-Sat. from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; find more information at sunbeancoffeemn.com.
Coming soon: Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteak's first Minneapolis location
It's been seven years since Michelangelo's went dark. This spring, a new tenant will finally take over the corner of 50th St. and Washburn Av. S. in Minneapolis: Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks. It's the first Minneapolis location for the rapidly expanding restaurant, which initially launched in Maplewood and has since put down roots in St. Paul and in suburbs across the metro.
"We really wanted to encircle the cities and give every little pocket the opportunity to not have to drive all the way across town to taste us," said Shaz Khan, who co-owns Tono with Antonio Gambino.
Gambino is from the family behind Frank and Andrea Pizza in Minneapolis, and Tono's foray into more suburban locations was a distinction for the brand, in addition to a radically different style of pizza (wood-fired, vs. New York style).
The restaurant is aiming for a May opening. This comes on the heels of opening in Maple Grove in January — and more are in the works.
"We're on the road to 10," Khan said.
Each Tono location shares a core menu, but also has a few items specific to that restaurant. Gambino is still working on his recipes aimed at south Minneapolitans.
"We're so excited to open in this area," Khan said. "It's a very vibrant community."
Pizza on the horizon
Maple Grove's former Max's on Main is slated to become a Broadway Bar & Pizza. But they'll be slinging more than just dough at the new spot, at 7890 Main St. (broadwaypizza.com) The thin-crust mainstay will also house an axe-throwing space courtesy of Broadaxe. Blades will begin taking flight this spring.
Reserve a ticket to a Vinai preview
Anyone else can't wait for Yia Vang's next restaurant Vinai to open? Apparently, we can count Vang on that long list of people. The Union Hmong Kitchen chef is hosting a series of preview dinners in March with some really cool friends in anticipation of the restaurant opening. Collaborators include Paris Dining Club's Jamie Malone (March 5), the team at Restaurant Alma (March 13), his new neighbors Kate and Gustavo Romero of Oro by Nixta (March 19) and Marque Collins of the Hewing Hotel's Tullibee (March 26). Watch for tickets — the first two dinners are selling quickly — on Tock.
Northfield restaurant news
There's another addition to the Northfield dining scene: Gong Loco, a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant from Freetime Restaurants. In addition to signature burritos, bowls and salads, diners can create their own fusion, building everything from bowls and poke to nachos and quesadillas. Ingredients straddle both Latin (cilantro rice, marinated chicken, beans and salsa) and Asian (lo mein, seared ahi tuna, stir-fry vegetables and an array of sauces), and most menu items are between $10 and $15.
Gong Loco is at 1910 Honeylocust Dr. in Northfield and opens daily at 11 a.m. More information at gongloco.com.
Staff writers Sharyn Jackson and Nicole Hvidsten contributed to this report.
