Tryg's Restaurant is closing (bring on the apartment tower!)

The 10-year-old restaurant is falling victim to the local apartment boom.

January 21, 2015 at 9:32PM
In this file photo, people gather around the fire at Tryg's Restaurant in Minneapolis.
People gathered around the fire at Tryg's Restaurant in Minneapolis. (Colleen Kelly — STAR TRIBUNE/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Time is running out for fans of Tryg's.

Owner Tryg Truelson is closing his great-looking restaurant and bar on Jan. 31.

He's not making it easy to get in and enjoy a last meal, and a last peek at the dining room's massive fireplace. Hours are limited to 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays for the next two weekends.

The 10-year-old restaurant is falling victim to the local apartment boom. The building is being demolished this spring and will be replaced by a 164-unit apartment building.

The Truelson family has been associated with this particular Lake Calhoun address for decades. First there was Porky's drive-in (the family also owned the St. Paul branch of Porky's, which ruled University Avenue for nearly 60 years before it closed in 2011; it was replaced by senior housing). In 1979, Nora Truelson converted Porky's to cozy Nora's, and its value-minded comfort food fed several generations of Minneapolitans. In 2004, Tryg Truelson – Nora's son – demolished the restaurant and started over in a much more upscale manner. His Tryg's opened a year later.

about the writer

about the writer

Rick Nelson

Reporter

Rick Nelson joined the staff of the Star Tribune in 1998. He is a Twin Cities native, a University of Minnesota graduate and a James Beard Award winner. 

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