Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Downtown - North Loop - Mill District - Elliot Park - Loring Park
helsinki
Landmark Center
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Joined: October 9th, 2012, 2:01 am

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby helsinki » January 11th, 2016, 5:33 pm

2014 Restaurant of the Year Brasserie Zentral to close a week from today
http://www.startribune.com/goodbye-spae ... 364754831/
Ate there once, it was tasty but not something I really needed to go back to. Wasn't that busy either and seemed a little...off. Couldn't put my finger on it.
I had the same reaction: something was a little off.

Based on my experience (out of curiosity, getting a beer at the bar), the problem was the following: it was trying to emulate the fancy/cozy feel of an Austrian cafe/bar, but did neither. The interior had just enough pretension to be off-putting, but wasn't sharp enough to be truly elegant. The coziness was lacking because the sight-lines were bad for people-watching, the windows didn't invite you to stare outside, and the staff seemed to hover (not a comfortable feeling). Poor design, all around. Can't speak to the food, but they had good beer on tap.

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Sacrelicio
Union Depot
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby Sacrelicio » January 11th, 2016, 10:24 pm

2014 Restaurant of the Year Brasserie Zentral to close a week from today
http://www.startribune.com/goodbye-spae ... 364754831/
Ate there once, it was tasty but not something I really needed to go back to. Wasn't that busy either and seemed a little...off. Couldn't put my finger on it.
I had the same reaction: something was a little off.

Based on my experience (out of curiosity, getting a beer at the bar), the problem was the following: it was trying to emulate the fancy/cozy feel of an Austrian cafe/bar, but did neither. The interior had just enough pretension to be off-putting, but wasn't sharp enough to be truly elegant. The coziness was lacking because the sight-lines were bad for people-watching, the windows didn't invite you to stare outside, and the staff seemed to hover (not a comfortable feeling). Poor design, all around. Can't speak to the food, but they had good beer on tap.
Yup. Look at that weird table placement in the photo for that article...I just wouldn't want to sit there. We sat at the table right behind them, girlfriend's birthday so it was us two and then her parents and aunt and uncle. I was facing the kitchen and had nothing else to look at except people running food the whole time. It was just odd. And do I need a fancy 12 dollar cocktail, and then a plate of German comfort food, in a big, fancy environment? Nah, I'd rather have some good beer and wine in a warmer, more intimate space with that kind of food. And the article makes it sound like it would succeed because a lot of us are eastern European and German...sure we have the ethnic background, but I wouldn't say Minneapolis has a ton of culture from that region. A bit here and there but not like we're Philadelphia or Milwaukee or Cleveland or someplace where that's more apparent. I have German and eastern European blood but I wasn't raised on that culture at all and didn't see that around when I was a kid.

LakeCharles
Foshay Tower
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby LakeCharles » January 12th, 2016, 8:31 am

I lived in Hungary for awhile and my wife lived in Germany for awhile. This place seemed perfect for us, and we were excited about it. But there are too many good places in South Minneapolis, so we never made it.

Wedgeguy
Capella Tower
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby Wedgeguy » January 12th, 2016, 12:17 pm

I lived in Hungary for awhile and my wife lived in Germany for awhile. This place seemed perfect for us, and we were excited about it. But there are too many good places in South Minneapolis, so we never made it.
There is always the Black Forest on Nicollet and 26th for German Food. I really like their patio when it is in season. Prices are a bit easier on the pocket book also.

LakeCharles
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby LakeCharles » January 12th, 2016, 1:45 pm

There is always the Black Forest on Nicollet and 26th for German Food. I really like their patio when it is in season. Prices are a bit easier on the pocket book also.
Yeah, we have been there! But it is great. Thanks for the recommendation.

HiawathaGuy
Wells Fargo Center
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby HiawathaGuy » January 12th, 2016, 2:15 pm

I lived in Hungary for awhile and my wife lived in Germany for awhile. This place seemed perfect for us, and we were excited about it. But there are too many good places in South Minneapolis, so we never made it.
There is always the Black Forest on Nicollet and 26th for German Food. I really like their patio when it is in season. Prices are a bit easier on the pocket book also.
After spending time in Germany too, I can easily say that we have ZERO German restaurants in the metro (that I know of) that come anywhere close to the amazing food I've had there! To me, Black Forest is like a Taco Bell's version of good Mexican, and Gasthaus is no better! Bleh. I wish we had better German restaurants! Maybe there's another one I'm not aware of - I hope someone can prove me wrong. I had hoped to try Glockenspiel in St. Paul - but it closed a few weeks ago. :(

Dusty Klein (co owner of Brasserie Zentral) is a long-time friend, and as much as I wanted to support their restaurant - the menu was unappealing to me on many levels. It seemed forced and not very 'common' German/European fare. I think if the menu had been more authentic in nature, as opposed to extra chic, they may have had a better go of it. Just my take on things. Perhaps I'm not a foodie - and if that's who they were aiming for, clearly there weren't enough here to sustain their business model.

amiller92
Wells Fargo Center
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby amiller92 » January 12th, 2016, 2:40 pm

I lived in Hungary for awhile and my wife lived in Germany for awhile. This place seemed perfect for us, and we were excited about it. But there are too many good places in South Minneapolis, so we never made it.
There is always the Black Forest on Nicollet and 26th for German Food. I really like their patio when it is in season. Prices are a bit easier on the pocket book also.
After spending time in Germany too, I can easily say that we have ZERO German restaurants in the metro (that I know of) that come anywhere close to the amazing food I've had there! To me, Black Forest is like a Taco Bell's version of good Mexican, and Gasthaus is no better! Bleh. I wish we had better German restaurants! Maybe there's another one I'm not aware of - I hope someone can prove me wrong. I had hoped to try Glockenspiel in St. Paul - but it closed a few weeks ago. :(
Let's take a step back and ask what "German" food means, as there are significant differences from different parts of the country. Not that I'm an expert, but Black Forest and the Bavarian Hunter are both very much Bavarian food. To me, the quality at the Black Forest is not what it once was, but it's reasonably authentic. The Bavarian Hunter used to be a lot better that the Black Forest in my book, but I've only been there once in recent years and left thinking it wasn't as good as I remembered. Maybe I've grown more discerning.

It's been a very long time since I tried to eat at Gasthaus, but way back then (maybe 20 years??), it was not a good idea. Same for Glockenpiel in a similar time frame. (In other words, come to me for reviews of how restaurants were in the '90s)
[Brasserie Zentral] seemed forced and not very 'common' German/European fare.
I don't think it was going for German, was it? More Austrian/pan European? I mean, I'm with you in that it did not have the things I'd be looking for in a Bavarian restaurant (lots of pork, spaetzl and potato salad), so I never rushed out to try it other than grabbing a beer at the bar a few times. But I read the menu as aiming a bit higher on the culinary scale than that. In other words, it was supposed to be a fancy restaurant, not beer hall.

Of course when the signs first went up I was hoping for Belgian beer, moules marinière and frites on the irrational association of "Zentral" with a Belgian place of that name in London, so I know what you mean about the disconnect with expectations.

Tyler
Foshay Tower
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby Tyler » January 12th, 2016, 7:58 pm

Since this conversation keeps going I'll offer this -- Brasserie Zentral was fantastic and one of the few restaurants in the city with legitimate innovation and a modicum of uniqueness. I'd say MNdible has the primary reason for it's failure nailed -- location. I would also offer that for me this felt like a winter-only choice and I never visited in warm weather. Maybe others felt the same.
Towns!

Electricianguy
Block E
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby Electricianguy » January 12th, 2016, 10:47 pm

As a transplant from the Stillwater area, I can tell you there is a pretty good German place there called "Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter". I know this is a minneapolis thread, but thought I would throw it in here to help you out.

ztr421
Nicollet Mall
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby ztr421 » January 13th, 2016, 7:17 am

I felt similarly about the wintertime dining here. It was fantastic food, but also really hardy (maybe not all of it, but the stuff i liked was, like the schnitzel). I'm gonna miss that schnitzel!
Since this conversation keeps going I'll offer this -- Brasserie Zentral was fantastic and one of the few restaurants in the city with legitimate innovation and a modicum of uniqueness. I'd say MNdible has the primary reason for it's failure nailed -- location. I would also offer that for me this felt like a winter-only choice and I never visited in warm weather. Maybe others felt the same.

ztr421
Nicollet Mall
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby ztr421 » January 15th, 2016, 10:30 am

Went to Zentral one last time last night. It was crazy-packed, busier than I'd ever seen it before.

But of more interest, the chef came out and talked to every table, and mentioned that they're hoping to regroup and open something different in the same space. They're post on FB earlier this week said pretty much the same thing. They're talented people, so hopefully they'll come up with something that clicks with the neighborhood.

MNdible
is great.
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby MNdible » January 15th, 2016, 11:25 am

They also presumably have a long-term lease that they'll need to continue paying on, so it's definitely in their interest to not have it sitting empty.

maxbaby
Landmark Center
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby maxbaby » January 21st, 2016, 12:57 pm


amiller92
Wells Fargo Center
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby amiller92 » January 21st, 2016, 1:02 pm

RBC Plaza. Will it be skyway or street level?

grant1simons2
IDS Center
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby grant1simons2 » January 21st, 2016, 1:05 pm

Rbc will be getting a five guys, possibly on the mall
It would only fit one place in the skyway, and that's a tiny space. I'm betting money on ground floor!

Their website says it'll be open 11-10 AND have milkshakes!!!

Silophant
Moderator
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby Silophant » January 21st, 2016, 1:09 pm

The article says 2200 sqft on the first floor, in the northwest corner. So, that's the Nicollet Mall space, between Caribou and the Centerpoint office.
Joey Senkyr
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grant1simons2
IDS Center
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby grant1simons2 » January 21st, 2016, 1:11 pm

Oh no the smokers will have to move! :D

LakeCharles
Foshay Tower
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby LakeCharles » January 21st, 2016, 1:15 pm

That will be really nice to have another storefront there.

PhilmerPhil
Moderator
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby PhilmerPhil » January 21st, 2016, 4:52 pm

This is great news. The lack of quick service, affordable restaurants downtown on the street level is really, really depressing.

MattW
Rice Park
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Postby MattW » January 22nd, 2016, 9:19 am

I'd love it if we could have an old fashioned eggs and hash browns kinda place downtown. You know, the kind that opens at 5am and closes at 2 with a big flat iron griddle.


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