Download: Weekend, Unions, "It's Just F***ing Dinner" Aspen
I’m still coming down from the experience at FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, my first national food & wine show. It was cool to watch Gavin Kaysen telling several hundred people about Spoon & Stable, Demi, Mara, Cooks Bellcour (not bell-eh-cour, bell-cour). It got my mind swirling about our food scene, about possibilities for content and partnerships, about how lucky we are to have Andrew Zimmern and Gavin and Justin Sutherland on a national scale singing our praises. Why don’t we have our own food festival? We love bringing sports events here, why not food? - Jason
TOO BUSY TO DOWNLOAD:
Union Push At Many Local Restaurants
TONS of places newly opened
Pick Of the Week: Music & North Loop
What I’m Excited About This Weekend
Podcasts: Andrew Zimmern,
Aspen Recap - all the links you need
Read to the end for an question about St. Paul Post- Science Museum Eats
ASPEN RECAP: Celebrity chefs - check. Insightful conversations about the future of restaurants and inspiring Next Gen diners - check. Eating wagyu beef cooked over an open fire on a mountainside silver mine - check.
FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen was epic. I have so much content for you to enjoy.
PODCAST: A special podcast with interviews from the 3 Top Chef finalists, including the winner Danny Garcia. Also Milwaukee’s Dan Jacobs and North Carolina’s Savannah Miller. Plus Minnesota interviews: Gavin Kaysen on stage, Luke Shimp in downtown Aspen, and Justin Sutherland on that mountainside silver mine. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3VPlu5Y | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
INSTAGRAM: Celebrity chefs - tasting food from Stephanie Izard, Shota Nakajima, best new chefs https://fluence-media.co/4bcmWDC
INSTAGRAM: Watch Danny Garcia and me chat about WI Fish Boils: https://fluence-media.co/3z4Fg4k
VIBES - WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR RESTAURANT: Every chef in a seminar I went to on Next Gen diners talked about “vibes” and it’s more than just the Instagram wall. What’s it mean? Who has vibes in the Twin Cities? MNMO Mag: https://fluence-media.co/4c65DFG
IT’S JUST F***ING DINNER: New York Chef Kwame Onwuachi gives the impression he gives zero F’s, but his pedigree indicates otherwise. YOUTUBE: https://fluence-media.co/4eoGg3s
COOKING WAGYU IN A MINE: Check my Instagram vibes video: https://fluence-media.co/4c6yz0n
ISSUE WATCH - UNIONS AND CITY LABOR BOARDS: More workers at local restaurants are trying to organize their workplaces into a labor union. (I’m in a union, I love it, have been since 2003). First it was Ann Kim’s team at Kim’s in Uptown, now it’s Daniel del Prado’s staff at Colita and at Cafe Ceres. (Eater article: https://fluence-media.co/4eq5UFf) It’s often less about pay and more about having a seat at the table, or the way people perceive they’re being treated.
Even though much of the online debate is about “RECOGNIZE THE UNION!” The hard work is the contract. It takes 18-24 months, typically over that time you have turnover, as happened with Tattersall. Do workers really want to not get cut when the restaurant is slow? Do they really want a full-time schedule and two weeks PTO instead of the flexibility to work 25 or 30 hours a week and then go take a couple weeks off to backpack or tour with their band? I don’t know! But this strategy of going after high-profile chefs by UNITE HERE Local 17 is not going to go away. So smart restaurants are already thinking of how they’re going to handle it. Thoughts on the “chaos” from Steph March: https://fluence-media.co/4bfKgAL
PARIS BAGUETTE: This international bakery chain is popular in Asia and New York and now is in the Restaurant Capital of Minnesota, Maple Grove. Soft opened this week, a line so long my son made the ill-fated choice to skip the line and go to the new Panchero’s next door. Official grand opening this weekend: https://fluence-media.co/3KSkUOn
DARLING: What happened to the former Birchwood Cafe? It’s now Darling, owned by the owners of Peoples Organic and the owner of Hi-Lo Diner. The menu may remind you of Birchwood - with the Breakfast burrito, “the waffle” as in savory as in the icon from Birchwood - it’s a brunch situation Tuesday - Saturdays 7am - 3pm until the liquor license comes through. Former Birchwood chef Marshall Paulsen has been consulting on menu, costing, training staff through his LLC. WEBSITE: https://fluence-media.co/4c5kGiO MARSHALL PAULSEN LLC: https://fluence-media.co/3L05CXP
AVA: Ben Taheri (remember Tangiers?) is opening a 7-day-a-week neighborhood bar/lounge with finger food/American tapas from StepCHLD chef/owner Kamal Mohamed Wednesday. A North Loop neighborhood hang in the former Stillheart Distillery, downstairs is the party, designed to be a vintage European-feel discothèque. Press release: https://fluence-media.co/3VsGnCs. Axios Twin Cities reports “space for multiple DJs with different genres of music on each floor and glittering pink walls in the basement partially inspired by Chino Latino's exterior facade, The ground floor will be open daily for walk-ins, but the basement is only available Thursday through Saturday and requires reservations for a table.” https://fluence-media.co/4bdx0fJ
BEST BURGERS + THEIR ORIGIN STORIES: What restaurant owner said he didn’t expect his burger to be “our Anthony Edwards?” Which one described the creation of their burger as a way to shut-up a bar manager complaining about drunk guests? I love this cover story I did for Minnesota Monthly: https://fluence-media.co/4aNRvj8
DU NORD RETURNS WITH A RESTAURANT: Du Nord Cocktail Spirits is back with a cocktail lounge and New Orleans restaurant in the neighborhood ravaged by pain and protest and violence in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Chris and Shenelle Montana are bringing Lagniappe (pronounced LAN-YAP) in August tothe newly renovated Coliseum Building, which used to house a Denny’s across from the old Town Talk Diner. FACEBOOK: https://fluence-media.co/3KMWTs4 More from MSP MAG: https://fluence-media.co/3VO5f9k
LE BURGER 4304: Sick of Linden Hills getting all the good stuff, but this is how life works. Jonathan Gans (former executive chef at Bachelor Farmer) and his business partner Josh Hoyt are opening a burger joint at 4304 Upton. Gans & Hoyt helped build the concept for Churchill St. in Shoreview. Gans told Mpls St Paul Business Journal the concept is like “if a couple American guys went to Paris and opened a burger place.” https://fluence-media.co/3VwzCzu
KHUE’S KITCHEN COMING TO SAINT PAUL: Finally! A Saint Paul opening! Khue’s Kitchen was a pop-up at Bar Brava most of 2023, Eater Twin Cities’ editor Justine Jones reports that chef Eric Pham is moving in to the former Ngon Bistro on University Avenue in August. Please bring the five-spiced fried tofu and the amazing fried chicken sandwich. EATER: https://fluence-media.co/4bbfSr9
PICK OF THE WEEK - Berlin Mpls: Wednesday night, Alyssa and I went to the North Loop to listen to some jazz music and sip on some classic cocktails. Berlin has no cover charge on most weekdays, you just pop in and enjoy some music and bites. The menu (designed by Paris Dining Club’s Jamie Malone) is small and tight and perfect for noshing while enjoying music. The cocktails are classics, with a you-call-it situation for the spirit. Want a gin Last Word or a mezcal one? Negroni - gin or mezcal? Collins with aquavit or Tequila? We had a lovely dessert as well, a rose and semolina cake with pistachios. The acoustics here are terrific, designer Aaron Wittkamper tells me “There is a remarkable amount of sound absorptive matetial hidden in that space.” Vibes are on point, it certainly renewed my desire to get a condo or apartment in the North Loop. MUSIC CALENDAR: https://fluence-media.co/45vqdNj
NASHVILLE TRAVEL GUIDE: I summarized some of my faves in the newsletter last week - see my pictures and more ideas for Nashville from my visit a couple weekends ago on my website: JASONDERUSHA.COM: https://fluence-media.co/3VvlOGM
DRIVETIME ON DEMAND
ANDREW ZIMMERN + STARS NEW PBS DOC: Optimistic message about preserving our waterways, Hope In The Water: https://fluence-media.co/4be9bEw
I’M AGAINST SOCIAL MEDIA WARNING LABELS: Why? Plus an opera in the Basilica? https://fluence-media.co/3xqVXGI
HOW DFL POLITICIANS STOPPED SPORTS GAMBLING: Sen. Erin Maye Quade on blocking members in her own party. https://fluence-media.co/3zce8k4
LAKE ELMO GRILL ADDS UNION DEPOT: I ask if John Schiltz is crazy, opening inside St. Paul’s Union Depot. https://fluence-media.co/4c77YQU
96 PAGES OF IN-HOME DAY CARE REGULATIONS: What are we doing? https://fluence-media.co/3VPPMFr
COCKTAILS AT U OF M STADIUMS & ROYCE WHITE ON THE DAILY SHOW: This is a fun 30 minutes of stuff https://fluence-media.co/3VwNWrO
FIND DRIVETIME WHEREVER YOU GET PODCASTS!
We upload every segment so you can listen on your own time!
You can always ask a GOOD QUESTION to me at Jason@JasonDeRusha.com
Michelle Barry asked on Instagram: “Recommendations for a light dinner after Seeing dark skies at the science museum? First thought would be the patio at WA Frost, but today is not looking good for that, so plan B?”
Gus Gus
Estelle
Saint Dinette
Mucci's
Red Rabbit
How’d I do? What would you add to the list? Jason@JasonDeRusha.com I’ll share your tips next week!
WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WEEKEND:
Friday my oldest, Seth, turns 19
Saturday: MN Aurora is at home at 3pm, then off to a tasting menu dinner at PS Steak I bought through the TB1 Fund silent auction.
Saturday night: Little Mekong Night Market, 5p-11p https://fluence-media.co/4cxePTg
Sunday: Hola Arepa,10 year anniversary pool party, Noon-8pm https://fluence-media.co/3RyP8tF
Sunday: Broder’s 30 year anniversary party, https://fluence-media.co/3XAasmq
E-MAIL ME!! HAVE COMMENTS? A GOOD QUESTION? WANT TO PARTNER? The partners make it possible for me to do this — so do you! Thank you for reading!! I love seeing your feedback - so please share thoughts and news tips to Jason@JasonDeRusha.com.
HANG WITH ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA
X: @DeRushaJ, @DeRushaEats
Instagram: @DeRushaJ
Facebook: TheJasonDeRusha
Copyright © 2024 Jason DeRusha / Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.