Restaurants
Barrio: A pair of high-energy tequila bars (downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul; a third one is under construction in Edina) that feature a Mexican small-plates menu. Owners: Ryan Burnet and Tim Rooney (and formerly Tim McKee and Josh Thoma).
Bar La Grassa: Four-star pasta place in downtown Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood; the Star Tribune's 2009 Restaurant of the Year. Owners: Burnet, Rooney, Isaac Becker, Nancy St. Pierre and Tom Barnard (and formerly Thoma).
La Belle Vie: A four-star fine-dining beauty, situated inside an old-money Minneapolis apartment (510 Groveland) building. Owners: McKee and Thoma.
Solera: Another four-star spot, focusing on tapas and Spanish wines in the Hennepin Avenue theater district; the Star Tribune's 2003 Restaurant of the Year and one of Food & Wine magazine's "top 10 new restaurants in the world." Owners: McKee and Thoma.
Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque: Stillwater's casual source for Jamaican-style smoked meats. Owners: McKee and Thoma.
