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The Minnesota Farmers Union’s first restaurant just debuted in the former Spoonriver space, bringing the historic Mill District neighborhood a new sit-down spot for hyperlocal meats, cheeses, and produce. Farmers Kitchen + Bar opens as a coffee bar with caffeinated concoctions such as a State Fair maple cream nitro starting at 7:30 a.m. daily (750 S. 2nd Street).
Executive chef Kris Koch blends his Midwestern upbringing and extensive experience to create a lunchtime menu full of appetizers, soup, salad, sandwiches, and picnic platters from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (There is talk of “supper,” though that menu hasn’t been released just yet.) Minnesotan-influenced dishes like walleye “tots,” bison wild rice meatballs, fried cheese curds, and wild rice Waldorf salad will change with the seasons.
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Sit-down service for farm-fresh meals is just a slice of the setup. A market features seasonal produce, locally sourced eggs, meats, cheeses, and bottled jams, and maple syrup. A pantry section also sells a curated selection of shelf-stable items that’ll rotate in and out.
As of now, there are a total of 27 farmers and friends listed on the site. The grassroots organization’s main mission is to “protect and enhance quality of life for farmers, ranchers, and rural residents alike.”
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