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The next era for Grand Cafe with two Food & Wine Best New Chefs at the helm will kick off this Friday, May 12. Jamie Malone began cooking in the kitchen of the cozy restaurant in South Minneapolis this winter under the ownership of Mary and Dan Hunter. Those two turned the business over to Malone and Anderson at the close of March. The cafe closed briefly for some renovations and now reservations are open for one of the most hotly anticipated restaurant openings of 2017.
Jamie Malone and Erik Anderson first worked together inside Sea Change. She was his sous chef at the critically lauded restaurant inside the Guthrie Theater. Anderson then moved on to open the nationally renowned Catbird Seat in Nashville and Malone stepped in to lead the kitchen at Sea Change. In the summer of 2014 Anderson returned to Minneapolis and the duo began work on a restaurant concept they called, Brut. After many near-starts the opportunity to take-over Grand Cafe presented itself and the two jumped at the opportunity.
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Grand Cafe is a historic restaurant, with wonderfully worn hardwood floors and the memories of many meals inside these walls. The giant oven and open kitchen still command presence when entering the main room. A few things have been updated in the decor, but all still hold a gilded era appeal. Stephanie March of Mpls./St. Paul Magazine, reports that the refreshed side dining room includes a wall of hand-painted wallpaper. There are repurposed round tables and a mix of China all ready for service. The front bar is being replaced by a zinc-topped bar that Anderson and Malone scored from Paris. All the updates are made with a mindful eye, it’s tasteful, subtle and ready to serve a new generation of diners.
[Update]
Anderson and Malone have teamed up with the Perennial Plate to create a video introducing us to the new restaurant and it could not be more gorgeous. Check it out.
- Sneak Peek: The New Grand Cafe [MSPMag]
- Grand Cafe [Instagram]
- All Brut Coverage [ETC]
- All Grand Cafe Coverage [ETC]
