DeRUSHA Download: My Best New Restaurants, First Look at Italian Eatery, V-Day & Weekend Ideas
Plus how to close with class and MN's most under-hyped restaurants
Wild month. Feels like there’s a year of news every day. Lots of great stuff in this newsletter- thank you for reading! Feedback + ideas welcome - just hit reply!
TOO BUSY TO DOWNLOAD?
Inside my picks for Best New 2024 Restaurants
First look at Travail’s Version of Italian Eatery
Closing with Class: Saint Dinette
Valentine’s Day Ideas
ONE OF THE COOLEST PRIVATE DINING SPOTS IN THE CITY
I’ve been lucky to attend a couple of small dinners in the Mistral room inside Mara at Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis: in the dining room but private with 12 seats, this is great for a special family dinner or a work party. Want some real privacy - I’ve been waiting for someone to invite me to the Marin room, tucked behind the bar at Mara. Trying to recruit someone to your company? Marin is the move. BOOK A DINNER: https://fluence-media.co/4emqULT
Thanks to Mara and Four Seasons Minneapolis for being partners of the Download
DOWNLOAD DIALOGUE: WHAT A MONTH!
Our H.S. senior is on the college rollercoaster: a couple deferred, a couple accepted, Many more out - decisions won’t be made until April.
I freaked about turning 50, turned 50, survived, turned it into a business lesson on LinkedIn, which is about the ultimate “guy in his 50s move.”
I appeared on The Friscalating Dusklight, by Michael Rand’s video podcast where I asked if I had “arm gout.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/42RAZ1h
We put got our apartment at Groove Lofts: IG VIDEO: https://fluence-media.co/4jyZnum
And I finished my first book in my goal: Playground was excellent!
Lots happening in the world and in our state - we’re here for it, especially to highlight the good and the ways you can dive in! Let’s go Feb! -Jason
MY BEST RESTAURANTS OF 2024: Minnesota Monthly’s online version of my BESTS came out this week (subscribe!!) My best restaurant is Diane’s Place. Tough to pick this year with Dario (a spot I feel was overlooked in other lists), Bucheron and Vinai, Usually I pick a Best and then a Best Minneapolis, Best St. Paul, Best Suburbs… check out MNMO: https://fluence-media.co/3WBUXsQ
WEDNESDAY is the INFO MEETING! COME WITH ME TO GREECE: Athens, Mykonos and Santorini. DETAILS: wccoradio.com/Greece
ITALIAN EATERY BY TRAVAIL: We went to the soft opening of ie x Travail on this week - it’s charming to watch the Travail team open their first traditional restaurant. We had wonderful service, about a third of the team is from the old ie. They painted, mushroom cappelletti is still here, prices are still neighborhood friendly, but the menu did get a massive overhaul, and we really enjoyed what Robb Jones did with negronis. Pepperoni negroni? It’s good!
CLOSING WITH CLASS: I admire how Saint Dinette is winding down operations, announcing early they were probably not going to renew their lease, now confirming it with a closing date. Staff gets time to figure things out - we get time to say goodbye. Final brunch on March 2, Final dinner March 22.
VALENTINE’S DAY PLANS
Mara at Four Seasons Minneapolis has a 5-course meal for 2 for $195 a person, a lot of it is sold out.
Milkjam Creamery dessert box with a PB & J ice cream bar
Surly: $20 bottle service; $20 beer + apps
P.S. Steak is booked for 2s, so why not go Saturday 2/15?
Parlour: 2 Burgers & Fries, 2 Old Fashioneds or Queen of Hearts - $72
Saint Paul Hotel 9 courses paired with French wine, $225 each
MASSIVE ICE CARVING FESTIVAL: Ice carvers from around the world will be at the MN Ice Festival. I’ll be there Sat! TIX: https://fluence-media.co/48WsEu7
PANGEA GRILL TO RE-CONCEPT: I loved Pangea Grill in Coon Rapids [my 2022 write-up: https://fluence-media.co/3E5Kwan]. They’ve closed and are reconcepting as Mashawi Coal Fired Grill. Grand opening Feb. 9. RSVP: https://fluence-media.co/4glj9q9
MOST UNDER-HYPED RESTAURANTS: I was inspired by dinner last Friday and a thread by
. Free for the Top 4; paid subscribers get the 20 other picks. READ: https://fluence-media.co/42teX4wTICKETS! GET YOUR TICKETS!
GREAT NORTHERN / K’OOBEN POP-UP: Amazing group SUNDAY - bites from the people behind Oro, Pints & Paddles, Meritage, Black Duck and Alma.
TACO TUESDAY FOR HELP THE HOUSE FOUNDATION: FEB 11, Gustavo Romero and Yia Vang cooking on open fire at the Oro MNIce Bar. $50 = 2 drinks and food, and 100% of the ticket price will be donated to Help The House.
KICKERNICK GALLERY ART OPENING: Alyssa & I will be at this on Wed. Feb 12, grab a ticket now, it’s free. We love this downtown Mpls gallery!
GRAND VIEW LODGE’S WINE WEEKEND: February 28 - March 2: I host this. Wine dinners Friday night, seminars and grand tasting Saturday.
PARTY WITH ME TO FIGHT CANCER! “The Mix:” Custom One did my deck and patio and my recent main level renovation too. Great people. March 1st party in downtown St. Paul - a fundraiser for Custom One Charities.
50% OFF MINNESOTA MONTHLY FOOD & WINE SUNDAY: Food & Wine Experience at OMNI Lakes! 50% off on Sun. March 23rd tickets with code JASON.
WHAT AM I DOING THIS WEEKEND?
Tonight we’re at Sam’s high school choir concert, tomorrow I’m in Eagan at MN Ice Festival, Sunday night we’re using an in-home dinner I bought at an auction for the U of M’s Children’s Hospital (Adam Lerner from Red Cow/Red Rabbit and Ian Lowther are curating the whole thing!)
DIVE IN THIS WEEKEND
CITY OF LAKES LOPPET FESTIVAL: Lack of snow makes the course smaller, but still tons of stuff Sat/Sun at Wirth Park: https://fluence-media.co/42B9wQZ
INDOOR ART CRAWL: Sat & Sun at Bachman’s on Lyndale: https://fluence-media.co/3PXvcPV
FORGOTTEN STAR BONSPIEL: Curling and nonsense tonight, Saturday and Sunday in Fridley https://fluence-media.co/42ulv2V
FOOD FESTIVAL AT ST. PAUL WINTER CARNIVAL: SAT 10a-9p (r)ICE Park: https://fluence-media.co/40E2R5V
GREAT NORTHERN FESTIVAL: Sauna at Malcolm Yards, Ice Bar at Union Depot, it’s the last weekend: https://fluence-media.co/4aqFjWG
DeRUSHA ON AIR HIGHLIGHTS
END THE LEGISLATIVE STANDOFF: Lisa Demuth says I’ve done more than the Gov; plus St Paul’s Rebecca Noecker https://fluence-media.co/4h8TT7U
MOORHEAD’S LUNCH LADY: Ashley Schneider https://fluence-media.co/40TeyXS
IS 5-DAY REMOTE WORK ALMOST OVER: General Mills bringing people back https://fluence-media.co/3Ej1ZfS
TEAM TARGET OR COSTCO: https://fluence-media.co/4hfaqqP
RESTAURANTS YOU MISS: Great segment https://fluence-media.co/40U0zku
WHEN BRAND’S ACT LIKE CULTS: https://fluence-media.co/4hj9CRT
We upload every segment of my show - so you can listen to a full hour or whatever you enjoy. It’s automatic if you subscribe via Apple Podcast https://fluence-media.co/3xTkkNu Spotify: https://fluence-media.co/3VUtph4
ONE MORE THING
We’re experimenting with video streaming my radio show - so you can watch live 3-6pm at youtube.com/wccoradio, then we’re clipping them too.
FYI, you should be happy and happily awaiting your birthday for next year. Keep em coming is my motto!