Uptown vegan restaurant Matriarch closes abruptly; Saturday Dumpling Co. opens at Malcolm Yards

Plant-based restaurant Matriarch, which opened in June at 1601 W. Lake St. in Minneapolis, has closed, according to a video statement shared to the restaurant’s Instagram account by owner Michelle Courtright and business partner Crystal Brown.

Courtright, who previously operated Fig & Farro, another Uptown vegan restaurant, launched Matriarch and a neighboring low-dose cannabis store, Jane, replacing a string of restaurants that have taken root on that corner since the 1990s.

Most recently, the address was home to Placemaker Hospitality’s Pinoli, and before that, Amore.

Jane is currently still open.

The Twin Cities has a new way to get their hands on the prized little pockets from Saturday Dumpling Co. Its stand at the Market at Malcolm Yards officially opened Aug. 25 at 501 30th Av. SE., Mpls.

On the menu are, of course, the same signature dumplings you can get at the flagship restaurant, 519 Central Av. NE., Mpls. But look for new menu items, too, including scallion pancake wraps and “dumpling poppers” in several flavors.

And there’s even more in the works, with another brick-and-mortar location for SDC coming to south Minneapolis later in the fall, at 5401 Penn Av. S.

“We’re aiming for the ‘New Loon’ to be open as many minutes or days” before the festival as possible, potentially Sept. 3 or 4, said co-founder Mark Schiller.

The new distillery with a 56-foot ridgeline skylight, at 115 5th St. W. in downtown Northfield, will be the backdrop for what Schiller is billing as the first peat-smoked whiskey using Minnesota peat and Minnesota specialty malt.

It will also be home to a pizzeria — and a flour mill that grinds Minnesota grain for the dough.

For updates, follow along at loonliquors.com.

Our favorite (OK, only) gourmet gas station dinner series is hitting the accelerator. The crew behind El Sazon Tacos & More, tucked inside an Eagan BP, is now inviting guest chefs to join co-owner and chef Cristian De Leon on a 24-inch flat top for a high-octane, six-course meal with mocktail pairings.

Aurora Restaurant & Bar at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center (30 S. 7th St., Mpls.) has tapped Benjamin Cherwien as its new executive chef. Cherwien launched his career at the legendary La Belle Vie, training in French technique before moving on to Kincaid’s, Radisson Blu, Union Rooftop and other Twin Cities kitchens.

He’s already refreshing Aurora’s menu with dishes like Beer Battered Ellsworth Cheese Curds with hot honey, and plans more Minnesota spins on Italian and French cuisine, plus local, seasonal ingredients. The hire comes as the hotel restaurant continues its multimillion-dollar refresh.

Cafe de Paris is now open in Apple Valley (15322 Galaxie Av. W.). According to the restaurant website, the owner grew up in Paris and wanted to bring a taste of the City of Lights to the Twin Cities. The menu includes items such as croissants, fruit tarts and quiche as well as classic French desserts such as Opera Cake and Paris-Brest.

It seems everywhere we turn, there’s a new golf-simulator place opening up. And this next one has a beloved east metro restaurant space attached to it. ParT Barn, featuring a restaurant and golf simulator, is slated to roll out in Lake Elmo, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

The restaurant and golf venue with nine golf bays takes the place of Machine Shed, the popular farm-themed eatery that closed early this year after a 24-year run (8515 Hudson Blvd.). If things go as planned, ParT Barn will make its debut before the end of the year.