The Salt Cellar is Rechristened Fitzgerald’s

Taking a cue from the neighborhood’s most famous resident, the erstwhile Salt Cellar is ready to come roaring back to life later next month. Today the Madison Group announced that Fitzgerald’s will replace the summer shuttered Salt Cellar at the corner of Selby Avenue and Western Avenue in St. Paul.

Fitzgerald’s is named for F. Scott, who famously lived in the area. The new restaurant will attempt to capture the neighborhood with a crowd-pleasing menu revolving around pub fare like nachos, burgers, wings and pizza. Not exactly the things we’d expect ol’ F. Scott enjoyed, but it is the stuff most of us love to eat.

In the kitchen and running the front of house will be two veterans of Ox Cart Alehouse, another restaurant owned by the restaurant group. Graham Messenger will be executive chef and Joe Paton will serve as general manager.

Madison Restaurant Group recently partnered with owners Joe Kasel and Kevin Geisen, who also operate Eagle Street Grille. Madison Restaurant group was formed by Carol March and operates The Handsome Hog and Public Kitchen and Bar. All are in St. Paul.

No word yet on how the room will transform from a roaring fireplace set, more-formal steakhouse setting into the neighborhood hang that will have a cocktail list and focus on beer. But, we’ll have a chance to find out when they open for happy hour, dinner and late night service seven days a week, starting in mid-October.