Five Things to Know About Eastside, Opening in Downtown Next Week

Training inside Eastside is nearing completion. The Shea, Inc. designed room is getting just a few final touches. Chef Remy Pettus is finishing the fine tuning of the menu. This is what to expect when those doors swing open.

1) Sherry, Baby.

Dan Oskey of Tattersall Distilling, Easy & Oskey bitters and all around local celebrity barkeep has authored the drink list, which will include a sherry program. It's something the owners hadn't even considered, until they tasted what Oskey was working on. Add this drink list to the ever-growing selection of low-proof, drinks made to pair with meals.

Eastside

Tattersall and sherry dominate the bar menu. Photo courtesy Eastside

2) You can afford to drink here.

All the cocktails are $10. The wines are primarily American which adds to their affordability (although, there are still special occasion bottles that will be stocked.) The taps will flow with mostly local, craft brews with a few select beers that are brought in from outside Minnesota.

Eastside/Website

Getting the bar ready. Photo courtesy Eastside

3) There's no place like home.

This is a homecoming for chef Pettus. He used to live in this neighborhood before leaving the Twin Cities to make his way in the culinary world. His last Minnesota project was to assist another company launch a restaurant and the experience left him hungry to lead his own team. He had been gathering all the necessary paperwork to launch his own restaurant when he heard Ryan Burnet was looking to open this place in this under-served part of town. (Unless you count bail bondsmen - plenty of those in walking distance.)

Not skimping on the lobster. Photo by Joy Summers

4) Plenty of knowledge and skill goes into those simple dishes.

After attending Hyde Park's Culinary Institute of America Pettus came up with his own extended training program to learn with the best America has to offer. The pressure cooker, pinnacle of New York's kitchens. The re-imagining of technique and transformative ingredients in Chicago and the year-round growing season with pristine produce of Sonoma. The result is a menu with plainly stated dishes that will change ever-so-subtly depending on the produce delivered from area farmers. The aggressively salted chicken skin, belies the buttery, juicy meat below and will be served on harvested vegetables-of-the-moment. Owner Ryan Burnet described the menu as being filled with, "what people crave. We want our neighbors to be be able to eat here every day."

4) When to go.

The restaurant will be open daily at 4 p.m. for happy hour and the full dinner menu will begin being served at 5 p.m. Watch for those doors to open at 4 p.m. on September 29.