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Linden Hills continues to cultivate the neighborhood's reputation for fantastic eating. The area already boats Tilia, Clancey's Meats, Harriet Brasserie, Sebastian Joe's and more, but there is always room for more talent. Today Erick Harcey told Stephanie March of Mps/St. Paul Magazine about his plans to renovate the old Bayer's Hardware building at 4312 Upton Ave.
The "upscale casual" restaurant will serve brunch and dinner every day and overlook Upton. Prices will be mid-range with all entrees coming in under the $20 mark. The area just inside the front door will be a lounge serving beer and wine with cozy seating. There will be a separate bar menu with kicky little bites. While there will be a burger, it will not be Victory 44's burger. The style and flavor will be uniquely suited to the neighborhood. The open kitchen will be in part fueled by an Argentinian wood-fired grill.
On the north side of the building will be a small shop with no seating for grab and go items including rotisserie chicken. As Harcey told March, "The idea is that you can stop in and pick up a grilled whole bird or a half bird with a few healthy sides and feed your family of four for under $40." Not only will you get the bird, but they will have recipes and fixings for turning the leftover poultry into soup to extend the bird's usefulness. In the mornings, the shop will serve pastries from Patisserie 46, coffee, salads, a daily sausage, house-made condiments, sides and a little retail space for cooking implements and cookbooks.
Meanwhile, in the rear of the space Harcey will put in a special kitchen lab with functioning demonstration kitchen where there will be events. There will be classes, possibly themed or kid-focused, plus the space will be available for events as the neighborhood needs.
Four nights a week, that area will serve as a dining room where Harcey can run wild with his special brand of creative cooking. Some nights there will be ticketed interactive events playing to the dinner as theater crowd, creating memorable experiences with Harcey's innovative food.
Construction is underway and the initial opening date is set for some time in February.
