King & I Thai Opens, Bark & the Bite Readies to Roll, Pimento Jamaican Kitchen Eyes Eat Street

When the King & I Thai shuttered, fans were bereft. Not only was it a beloved spot for pad Thai, but also drinks, music and all in a lovely setting at the edge of downtown Minneapolis. Just a couple of short years later, the restaurant is making its return, but this time in the suburbs. The new Mendota Heights location is now open serving beer and wine along with the Thai dishes fans have missed.

The Bark and the Bite food truck is ready to get smoking. The venture from Chef  Noah Miller and bartender Toph Heubach (both formerly of Sapor) will feature barbecue unlike any we've tasted in the Twin Cities before. They will draw barbecue inspiration from all over and channel it into things served on the truck. One intriguing dish they are working on is a vegetarian barbecue: jackfruit, crisped up and served like carnitas. The duo have a crowd funding campaign that is entering the final stretch. There are also scratch made sauces, hush puppies and, of course, bark-crusted, slow and low meats.

Another smoking new spot using Kickstarter is Pimento Jamaican Grill. The team behind this new venture includes a Russian Georgian born chef, a Kingston born MBA and a "Jewmaican". Sergey, Tomme and Yoni already have some experience running this restaurant after a successful run on Food Court Wars, a Food Network reality competition. In addition to some heavily seasoned food, the team would also like to serve the community by partnering with RefillMN. A portion of their proceeds will go towards feeding Minnesota neighbors in need. The restaurant has already found a space on Nicollet Avenue. Now, they just need a few more funds.