[Archived] Uptown Retail & Restaurant News 2012-17

[buzz]

Haha, I have to admit sometimes I go to a restaurant based on the exact location - like when I'm starving & I knowing it's easy to park there . If Lake & Irving has good parking it would probably be on my go to places if the food was good.

"Cluncky + Boring" is an awesome nickname!

[twincitizen]

The Rusty Quarters space next to BLB found a new tenant pretty quickly, as promised: http://blogs.citypages.com/dressingroom ... _space.php

[twincitizen]

Something has replaced the former Army recruiting storefront between Milio's and Moto-i at Lyn-Lake. I'll have to get a closer look this afternoon.

Ah, here we are, Serendipity Road:
https://www.facebook.com/serendipitympls
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_ ... inneapolis

Minneapolis' Lyn-Lake area is getting a men's and women's boutique addition. The shop will offer a mix of clothing ranging from casual T-shirts to higher-end, raw denim. Jewelry and gift items also are part of the offerings. To find the shop, just look for the mannequin of the centaur -- half man, half horse -- in the window display.

[twincitizen]

(yo)gurt[lab] (aka Yogurt Lab) will open in The Walkway: http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... s-new.html

I will definitely be spending some $$ there next summer. I've been to the West Calhoun location and it does not disappoint. I've checked out a few of these froyo joints now and I have to give the edge to Forever Yogurt @ West End for being open til midnight on weekends. Perfect for a post-movie date snack.

Now if Yogurt Lab can drag MyBurger, their West Calhoun neighbor, along with them that would be even better.

[TheUrbanGopher]

(yo)gurt[lab] (aka Yogurt Lab) will open in The Walkway: http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... s-new.html

Beat me to the punch! Anyways, the one in the Edge on Oak in Stadium Village is also very good. Both this place and Chilly Billy's in Dinkytown seem to be doing well.

[mplser]

I never knew there were so many other locations! I have just been to the one in the crystal court

[seanrichardryan]

Agra Culture-

...Agra Culture will serve salads, protein bowls, smoothies and hand-pressed juice. It will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with most entrees in the $7 to $10 range. The menu will have gluten-free and vegan offerings.

...The first Agra Culture location is going into The Walkway development that is almost finished in Uptown, near the intersection of Lagoon Avenue and Girard Avenue. That one will open in early March next door to a new Yogurt Lab.

There goes two retail spaces. What's left, there were four on Girard, one facing Lake and another on Lagoon right?

[QuietBlue]

I never knew there were so many other locations! I have just been to the one in the crystal court

The one by me in Eagan is usually packed. It's become quite a popular teenager hangout.

[Didier]

I'm glad this area is getting a few smaller, more casual places. Outside of Mesa Pizza there's not many food places where you can just stop in and grab a random bite to eat.

[PhilmerPhil]

I saw tonight that the delicious food truck Vellee Deli will open a pop up restaurant next to Crema at 34th and Lyndale.

By pop up, does it typically mean strictly temporary or "let's see how this goes before setting down roots" or both?

[FISHMANPET]

So, does 25th & Hennepin count as Uptown?

A friend went to Nico's Taco Bar, and apparently it's terrible. So there's that.

[David Greene]

So, does 25th & Hennepin count as Uptown?

A friend went to Nico's Taco Bar, and apparently it's terrible. So there's that.

I would agree with that review. Better stuff for less money at Salsa a la Salsa.

[seanrichardryan]

I've been there four times and each meal was all kinds of bad.

[MNdible]

I saw tonight that the delicious food truck Vellee Deli will open a pop up restaurant next to Crema at 34th and Lyndale.

By pop up, does it typically mean strictly temporary or "let's see how this goes before setting down roots" or both?

The pop up will be in Crema, not next to it. Temporary through May, when they'll revert to their truck (or make enough money to start their own bricks and mortar, I'd expect).

[HiawathaGuy]

Wine bar chain eyes Uptown location
A small but growing wine bar chain from Des Moines is eyeing Uptown for its fourth location.
The concept is called Louie's Wine Dive and features a long list of wines plus burgers, comfort food and pastas.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... ation.html

[twincitizen]

I went to Nico's last night. Overpriced, sure, but what isn't these days? I didn't think the food was bad at all. The overpriced guacamole was delicious, as was my $10 burrito. Beer and margaritas were priced a little high as well. After one drink, I switched to $3 Pacificos, to the disappointment of my taste buds.

Expensive, but not terrible. No complaints about the service, they were very attentive.

[FISHMANPET]

I checked out Hammer & Sickle on Wednesday night. Not much signage, so it was a little hard to find, but the food and drinks were pretty good. The tab for my wife and I was $118 which is about what I expect when she has 3 $12 cocktails.

[woofner]

What is their food like? Their website still says 'coming soon' (which is sort of what their space looks like). I love Eastern European food but am wary of Eastern European-inspired food.

[seanrichardryan]

Wine bar chain eyes Uptown location
A small but growing wine bar chain from Des Moines is eyeing Uptown for its fourth location.
The concept is called Louie's Wine Dive and features a long list of wines plus burgers, comfort food and pastas.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... ation.html

This sounds terrible, at least from my first peek at the menu. Will they have to change their name, like Sauce/Cause had to?

[FISHMANPET]

What is their food like? Their website still says 'coming soon' (which is sort of what their space looks like). I love Eastern European food but am wary of Eastern European-inspired food.

I'd say it's Eastern European. I had stroganoff, my wife had a cabbage roll, we also had some pierogies. They've got borscht. Etc etc.

But I think Moscow on the Hill in St Paul might have a more authentic Eastern European menu. If nothing else, there's is bigger.