Friday night's 10th annual Winterfest at the Minnesota History Center could have been seen as something of a blasé affair. Thanks to a healthy batch of new brewers, however, the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild's cold-season showcase was anything but stale.

New from the Land of Sky Blue Waters (for real): Ely's Boathouse Brewpub pushed the boundaries on a couple of its beers, especially the Alten Furz, a German lagered ale topped off with batches of wild rice that give it a unique earthy flavor. Boathouse also had a smoked porter laced with cacao vanilla called Camper's Delight.

New from the Twin Cities: Vadnais Heights' Big Wood Brewing Co. rose to the occasion with a coffee stout (predictably named Morning Wood), plus an excellent Imperial IPA and its truly pine-flavored Forest Ale. Minneapolis' Harriet Brewing Co. wisely set itself apart with a focus on Belgian brews, led by the Divine Ocultist, a surprisingly accessible strong-golden ale.

Best of the rest: Brau Brothers' Rubus Blackberry Imperial Porter was my first beer of the night, and I could've drunk it all night. Town Hall Brewery had the best fruit beer of the night, Pink Eye (its killer honey beer plus red tart cherries), along with the hop-slammed HMF (a strong pale ale) and a decadent Russian Imperial Stout aged in Jack Daniels barrels. The Herkimer offered its golden Czech Pils, probably now the best pilsner in the Cities. And any beer nut who overlooked Summit's Unchained brews would've been reminded of their greatness by the Imperial Pumpkin Porter.

As for Surly: The Twin Cities' rock-star brewer always goes all out for Winterfest. This year, I think it went a little too far out. I just couldn't savor the chili-peppered Molé Smoke. The Abrasive (a double oatmeal, oak-aged, dry-hopped IPA ... uff da!) truly lived up to its name. And I actually saw people wince after sampling the much-ballyhooed Pentagram, a dark ale fermented in 100 percent Brettanomyces yeast that's as sour as Glenn Beck. Pentagram did win the best-in-show award, though, so clearly plenty of people deemed its sourness a sweet success.

Surly Brewing unveiled bold plans Monday for a $20 million facility that would house a restaurant and beer garden, and could make it the state's biggest brewer. Before it can break ground or even pick a location, though, the Brooklyn Center-based beermaker will need a change in Minnesota liquor law.

The new facility would have an annual capacity as high as 100,000 barrels, a little more than either Summit of St. Paul or Schell Brewing of New Ulm. The legislative issue is the linchpin. Only small-scale Minnesota breweries are allowed to sell beer for on-site consumption.

The legislative matter could be a difficult fight. Just ask Jamie Pfuhl, president of the Minnesota Grocers Association, which is now in its third decade of trying to change state laws to allow grocery stores to sell regular beer and wine. Pfuhl did note one positive that might help Surly's case at the Capitol: "Right now, no revenue stone should go unturned," she said.

After dropping the online single "Minnesota Nice" to hype next week's Welcome to Minnesota Tour, Atmosphere announced details of its first full-length album in three years. Titled "The Family Sign," the disc will land April 12 and reportedly touches on "themes of fatherhood, loss, love, disappointment and jubilation." Pretty much Slug's life story of late, then. Guitarist Nate Collis and keyboardist Erick Anderson are once again all over the record alongside Ant. The group is planning its most ambitious tour itinerary to date, including another Soundset festival, scheduled for May 29 at Canterbury Park. At press time, the only stops not sold out on next week's exclusively in-state tour were Bemidji (Wednesday) and Rochester (Feb. 25). Those slackers.

The beloved annual tradition of the Art Shanty Projects on Medicine Lake is taking a year off the ice. After a small, humble beginning in 2004, the art event that gives customized, themed ice houses an artist's touch had continually expanded for seven years. So why stop now? Director Caitlin Rae Hargarten said it has to do as much with financial stresses as logistical concerns. "Instead of turning the project out year after year and exhausting our resources, we decided to take some time to do some organizational planning to ensure a sustainable future," she explained. Hargarten also says the crowds have been something of a concern for the Medicine Lake community. She hinted at some surprises for the art shanties in 2012: "Let's just say in addition to Medicine Lake, shanties might just be sprouting up in your own back yard!" The organization will hold a fundraiser next Saturday at 801 Washington Lofts that will feature shanty favorites like the Knitting Shanty, the Dance Shanty and the ArtCar Taxi Shanty. --Jahna Peloquin

After 37 years at 50th Street and Ewing Avenue S., Pearson's Edina Restaurant -- technically, the restaurant was a block east of the Edina/Minneapolis line -- called it quits on Sunday. But the building didn't stay quiet for long. Three days later, the space was rechristened the 50th Street Cafe (3808 W. 50th St., Mpls.). The new owner is John McCarty, the breakfast-lunch mogul behind the New Louisiana Cafe, the Grandview Grill and the New Uptown Diner. McCarty is following the same formula at 50th and Ewing, with an all-American breakfast/lunch format.

Pearson's fans will be pleased to learn that, along with the super-cool retro setting, McCarty is retaining a few standards, tagged under the "Pearson's Favorites" label: a hot turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and green beans, chicken pot pie, salmon casserole, Swedish meatballs and a Reuben sandwich. No word on whether Pearson's lutefisk holiday tradition will continue. Let's hope so, it's a dying local art.