Lenny Russo made his name at St. Paul’s beloved and now shuttered Heartland, cooking with local ingredients long through the cold winter season back when that was a revolutionary approach. After he made the decision to close that restaurant at the end of 2016, he went on to do some consulting work, including re-jiggering the menu at the Commodore in St. Paul’s Cathedral Hill. Now, he’s taking all that experience to a whole, new city and a different kind of venue.
According to the Star Tribune, Russo has taken the title of food and beverage director for the Hotel Landing at the end of the main strip of Wayzata’s Lake Street. When it opened, in the summer of 2017 that position was held by Ryan Lund. Lund was the longtime chef at Lucia’s in Minneapolis, another landmark, seasonal restaurant. Lund departed in mid-December to relocate to North Carolina and open his own restaurant.
Russo is getting up to speed and is expected to revamp the menu some time in March.