Northeast’s New Mexican Shop Serves Breakfast Sandwiches and Gifts

Jose Alarcon and Jami Olson’s new Mexican breakfast and bakery and shop in Northeast opens today. Vivir has taken the space that was the forward-thinking Popol Vuh location. The room has been remade to be half retail shop/half quick service cafe. The shelves are stocked with gift ideas including stoneware, snacks, and bottles of wine. While the food side has baked goods from pastry chef Ngia Xiong and breakfast items. There’s a case with sauces, tortillas, and more foods to bring home and cook.

Opening for the first time today, Vivir’s hours will be Tuesday through Thursday, 8am to 8pm, Friday and Saturday 8am to 9pm, and Sun 8am to 8pm.

The taco stand next door, Centro, remains open for takeout, as well.

• Now Open: Viv!r in Northeast [MSPMag]
• The Two Most Exciting Restaurants of 2018 Came From One Self-Taught Chef [ETC]

New Coffeeshop Collaboration in Camden

The Get Down is a new coffee shop opening in the Camden neighborhood, a collaboration between a barber shop/apparel company owner and the owner of Dogwood Coffee. Houston White owns the HWMR barbershop and retail store at 1500 44th Avenue North in Minneapolis will expand into the vacant coffee shop next door. White has partnered with Dan Anderson, who owns Dogwood for the equipment and know-how for the coffee that will be served inside. The shop itself aims to be a “cultural collision” between the business in an underserved part of the community and the third wave coffee company. The shop won’t be open until spring of next year, but the first coffee will be available for purchase beginning November 27.

• The Get Down, a new black-owned coffee shop to open in north Minneapolis [STRIB]

New Food Shelf Open in St. Paul Backed by Restaurants and Food Suppliers

Beginning today, the expansive patio space at The Gnome Pub on Selby Avenue in St. Paul will now function as a food shelf on Tuesdays. Right now, a large tent is filled with tortillas, salsas, fresh bread, fresh produce like Bushel Boy tomatoes and cantaloupes, Thanksgiving-ready food like mashed potatoes, and more. The community collaboration to stock the shelves is lead by the restaurant’s owners Brian and Sarah Ingram. They also run Hope Breakfast Bar that has long had a table out front often stocked with free food for neighbors in need, since the early days of the pandemic. Food distributor US Foods, as well as other local makers like La Perla Tortillas, and more have contributed to the shelves. The food is first come, first served and will be restocked when they can. Follow the restaurant’s social media channels for updates.

Joy Summers

Jester Concepts Restaurants Are Amping Up Takeout

P.S. Steak, for all its opulent beauty, isn’t exactly built for the take out nights on the couch. That is part of the reasoning behind the steakhouse’s new menu. P.S. Noodles is now serving scallion pancakes, potstickers, crab fried rice, smoked pork ramen, yakisoba, and more. Don’t worry, those cocktail kits with Old Fashioned remain available for ordering curbside. Meanwhile, Monello, the company’s upscale Italian eatery is getting down and dirty with a new sandwich menu called Dirty Sam’s with a whole slew of decadent sandwiches named after Pulp Fiction characters. There are still a few Monello and Constantine classics available. Plus, the restaurant will be open and serving takeout Thanksgiving Day for those looking for a Thursday pick up. Even the company’s hit burger and cocktail restaurants, Parlour, are amping up takeout with burger kits ready to make those delectable smash burgers at home.