Take a sandwich wrap, but not a regular sandwich wrap — a cool Wrap. That's what's opening soon inside Graze Provisions + Libations food hall in Minneapolis' North Loop.
Breanna Evans and Jeff Rogers always seem to be brimming with new ideas that come at just the right time. It's their fault we only want to spell rectangle with a "w." The duo and their pan pizza-making band of merrymakers first arrived on the scene at North Loop Galley food hall with Wrecktangle, the Detroit-inspired pizza counter that became a full-on sensation and forever changed the way we want to eat pizza. (With crispy cheese lacy bits on the corners.) The idea caught on and more Minneapolis locations opened: in Market at Malcolm Yards and a stand-alone spot at Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue S.
Then came Wrestaurant, a collaboration with the owners of First Avenue and the Palace Theatre in St. Paul. The restaurant expanded its menu to serve more than pizza and stays open late to serve downtown St. Paul and showgoers.
Now, the duo and their crew are coming for the humble sandwich wrap. Take what's familiar in deli cases and crank up the volume to 11. Homemade tortillas will twirl around all manner of zesty ingredients. When the concept operated as a pop-up, wraps included a breakfast burrito, meatball with marinara, club sandwich and more.
Wrap moves into the stand formerly occupied by Avocadish. Construction is underway and they expect to open this spring. Follow Wrapmn on Instagram for updates. Graze is at 520 N. 4th St., Mpls., grazenorthloop.com.
A new skyway breakfast spot
What was once downtown's Taco John's has been transformed into a quick-serve breakfast spot with kawaii food cartoons. Eggflip (601 Marquette Av. S., Skyway level) is now serving South Korean-style egg sandwiches, split bread stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs and add-ins like bacon, avocado, Spam and more. Breakfasts can also be served in burrito or bowl form, and there are optional tots on the side. Eggflip is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
North Loop lines up for cereal Treats
The newest location of Treats is now serving in Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood. The ice cream with cereal mix-ins and boba drew big lines over the past weekend, according to the restaurant's social media page.
Siblings Trisha Seng and Minh Dinh opened the first Treats on St. Paul's Grand Avenue in 2019. The brightly colored shop mixed childhood sugar cereal nostalgia with neon signs and Instagrammable moments. A second location soon followed in Blaine, and next up is a Mall of America outpost.
The North Loop location at 314 N. 2nd St. opens at 8 a.m. daily. Closing time is 8 p.m. on weeknights and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Barcelona wine bar chain targets North Loop
Because the North Loop still somehow has room for more restaurants, Barcelona is under construction in a street-level space on Washington Avenue, right next to the Duffey lofts. With locations in 11 states, Barcelona wine bars typically serve largely Spanish and South American wines with an array of tapas, a few entrees, weekend brunch and cocktails. If all goes according to plans, we'll be here sipping sangria by summer.
Origami Uptown appears to have closed
What we know for certain is that Origami Uptown is not open right now — and hopes are diminishing that the sushi restaurant is coming back. After changing ownership last year, the restaurant (1354 Lagoon Av., Mpls.) closed in January for maintenance with the expectation of returning after a month. But, the lights are still out and both the website and phones have been turned off.
Special Ramadan hours at Mrs. Dessert
Mrs. Dessert & Kumpir has new hours during Ramadan — daily from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. — as well as special Ramadan desserts, including qatayef and zalabiyeh. The Middle Eastern pastry shop (339 22nd Av. NE., Mpls., mrsdessertandkumpir.com) has both sweet and savory dishes, including a variety of kumpir (Turkish-style stuffed baked potatoes), crêpes, rolled ice cream and more.
