Greg Martin works the Synesso

​Waiting on some final inspections at his new Urban Bean location at 24th and Lyndale, Greg Martin is mere days, perhaps hours away from throwing open the doors and seeing faces old and new stream into what was once Muddy Waters. The space looks very different now, with the gleaming Synesso, spare design, and bags of Dogwood Espresso waiting patiently for a chance to give the Wedge neighborhood some highbrow coffee.

Care to take a sneak peek?

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Mo Perry

The hip new downtown Crave opens tomorrow

​The ever-expanding Crave empire celebrates the grand opening of its most ambitious location yet tomorrow. All traces of former occupant Palomino are long gone, and the space has been given a fresh makeover. Walls have been torn down to create an open floor plan, the decor and furniture are slathered in tawny golds and reds, and hipness is already billowing from the place like smoke. And wait till you see the rooftop patio...

The Hot Dish chatted with Crave CEO Kam Talebi and got a few pics of the new digs. Here's our sneak peek.

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Masu Sushi & Robata Japanese meets Nordeast

​Take the pop of a Shea-designed restaurant, add the sizzle of a Tim McKee-produced menu, a dash of sustainable seafood, served with a twist, and you'll find yourself with Masu Sushi and Robata, the latest venture of Minneapolis's own menu whisperer. It seems that no matter the concept, James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Tim McKee knows what what the citizens of the Cities are looking for. 

This hotly anticipated restaurant doesn't open for business until Monday, but we were invited in for a preview dinner. 
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Debbie Tallen

Bacalao with charmoula and spring greens, paired with Evodia Garnacha

​Every month, CRAVE hosts a Wine Academy--a mini class on the basics of appreciating wine, conducted over a 4-6 course pairing dinner. CRAVE Executive Chef Mike Agan creates the menu, and Sommelier Tim Edmunds chooses the wines that will go with each course and teaches the class over the duration of the meal. Each class focuses on the wines of a specific region and is hosted at each of CRAVE's three metro locations throughout the month. April's class focuses on the wines of Spain. The Hot Dish attended Monday's class at the Mall of America CRAVE. Read on for a sneak peek at the Wine Academy.

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Preparing dishes for a VIP Reception at Herb Box in Lifetime Fitness

​Earlier this winter, the Herb Box replaced Zahtar by (David) Fhima at Life Time Fitness in Eden Prairie. The Hot Dish takes a glimpse inside the new restaurant, which offers its fare to club members and the public alike.

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Heidi and Stewart Woodman are opening Heidi's 2.0 on 1/1/11

​Last February, Heidi's was claimed by fire just hours after chef and owner Stewart Woodman was named one of the Top 20 Chefs in the Midwest by the James Beard Foundation. Luckily for Twin Cities food lovers, the Woodmans weren't about to let a little thing like a restaurant gutted by fire get them down. In August, they announced the location of a new home for the restaurant: the space formerly occupied by Vera's Coffeehouse on Lyndale Avenue. They will fling open the doors on Tuesday January 11, hoping to capitalize on the auspicious symbolism of a 1/11/11 birthday.

The Hot Dish was invited to take a sneak peek at the new restaurant at a press preview dinner on Sunday night. Read on for a look at what to expect from Heidi's redux.

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Snuggle up with your honey, here.

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Heartland's former home takes on new life as Blue Plate Group introduces Scusi. Achieving a comfortable atmosphere with checked tablecloths, cozy booths, and twinkly candlelight, Scusi makes a fine neighborhood joint. What's cool: wine on tap, create-your-own charcuterie plates, hearty winter comforts like osso buco, your choice of formal dining room or casual wine bar. It's the kind of place you could go with your grandma, or to snuggle with your honey in a tiny booth, and everything else in between. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, let this Scusi slideshow give you a little peek at all the action you've been missing.

Scusi
1806 St. Clair Ave., St. Paul
651.789.7007

A.J. Olmscheid

At Meritage, a bar is born

​Meritage restaurant in downtown St. Paul reopens this week, with additional seating for 40 diners and drinkers seeking French fare. The owners call the new space a Parisian-style zinc bar, and it's true that the bar counter is, in fact, cool and steely. But while the original zinc bars were dives--a classy bar counter would have been made of, say, mahogany--Meritage's take is decidedly upscale. One wall of the room is lined with plush booths with dark wood tables; large framed mirrors hang above them, reflecting the crowd; and behind the bar, an absinthe fountain rises gracefully above the everyday bar supplies of glasses and spoons. And then there are the oysters.

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Lisa Gulya

Blackbird Café's new digs at 38th and Nicollet

​Blackbird Café is back! Don't worry; the antlers are, too. The Hot Dish stopped by during opening week to give you a peek at the new space. Owners Gail Mollner and Chris Stevens outfitted the corner of 38th and Nicollet with, yes, the signature antlers, but also a wall of framed mirrors, hardwood floors, a mixture of tables and booths, and even a few pews. Despite the puritanical vibe from cushionless pews, the rest of the decor gives the space a warm, funky feel. See our Blackbird slideshow here.

Blackbird Café
3800 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis
612.823.4790

Michelle Leon

Gobble-licious.

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As Chocolat Celeste settles in its new St. Paul space, heavenly creations emerge from the kitchen with that perfect chocolate shine. Chocolat Celeste elevates chocolate making into a fine art, specializing in truffles--ganache-based delights.

CEO/Chocolatier Mary Leonard gave us a little schooling in all things chocolate, explaining the characteristic snap of fine chocolate--the nice, crisp bite you get when you are tasting very fine chocolate, and also proudly showing us the new 200-pound auto-tempering tank, which controls the formation of perfect chocolate crystals. At Chocolat Celeste, they do not mess around.

What's new in the shop for the holidays? Try sea salt caramels, peppermint or cinnamon bon bons, tiny turtles, ingredient chocolate to make your own truffles, and the stunning new Pan Asian Collection: Kona coffee, ginger citrus, plum wine, edible pearl, golden palace pineapple, Asian pear pecan, and cherry blossom truffles. As if all that were not enough, everything at Chocolat Celeste is also gluten free. Take a sweet peek at all the celestial offerings in this new Chocolat Celeste slideshow.

Chocolat Celeste
652 Transfer Road, St. Paul
651.644.3823