The April Hit List: Heather’s, Eat Street Crossing, Tinto Kitchen, and More

Walk into Heather’s at prime time, and you’ll feel like you’re entering a party thrown by good friends — there’s an overwhelming ambiance of warmth and good cheer. The waitstaff is welcoming, the menu comforting, and the wine list vast enough to fit any mood. Dishes are spread across soups, salads, sandwiches, and burgers, and more substantial entrees, like jambalaya. (The options are the same for lunch and dinner.) There’s a different special every day but take note: If you fall in love with something previewed online, you may want to arrive early to avoid discovering they’ve sold out.

If you’re more of a morning person, stop in for breakfast items, including some amazing crepes (sweet and savory), pastries, and coffee drinks. You can even pick up items from the deli case to have on hand, such as egg salad, guacamole, and the house version of Chex Mix.

While revitalization of the Kmart site that’s blocked Nicollet Avenue for decades is still a work in progress, not so for the former Old Arizona Studio space located just a block north. As of last month, it’s been reimagined as a food hall, one holding a few familiar names as well as fresh concepts. The former includes Bebe Zito, showing up with both burgers and ice cream, including — unique to this location — boozy flavors! Meanwhile, Ouro Pizzaria, a Brazilian pizza shop (think unique toppings such as cold-smoked cachaça-cured salmon, Catupiry cheese) offers sweet and savory selections. You’ll also find sushi, bubble tea, and ramen — which shouldn’t be surprising since two of the food hall’s co-owners are the masterminds behind Zen Box Izakaya. Plus, a bar serving beer and wine, as well as cocktails — almost all of which can be made non-alcoholic.

Find more info here.

With its menu of Latin-inspired favorites, Tinto Kitchen is a sure bet for lunch or dinner. You might be surprised to find out, though, that this dining room in South Minneapolis also serves a killer brunch. While many of the snacks and tacos are available all day, Saturday and Sunday mornings are built around an expanded selection of egg dishes, like carnitas Benedict, empanadas with fried huevos, breakfast burritos, and chilaquiles. Egg even figures into the King of the Hill cocktail, where it’s mixed with bourbon and maraschino liqueur. Other brunchy drinks include The Salty Chihuahua and Bloody Maria, the restaurant’s take on classics, as well as mimosas and micheladas. (Pro tip time: Love Tinto’s hot sauce and tortillas? You can now find them at Lunds & Byerlys grocery stores across the Twin Cities.)

We can finally stop playing the “will they or won’t they reopen?” game with this uber-popular Nicollet Mall spot. After being shuttered for three years because of the pandemic, the Italian restaurant started service again last month — a giant gain (and optimistic sign?) for downtown. The crispy flatbreads are back, as are appetizers like burrata and prosciutto di Parma, calamari fritti, crabcakes, and beef tenderloin crostini. There are pastas, of course — a whole slate of them (including the much-missed lasagna) — all available in two sizes, plus fish, burgers, and steak. The wine list continues to impress and is heavy on California picks, but with a nice representation of Italian reds and whites as well. Once a top power lunch spot, it’s dinner only for the moment (takeout counter Zelino is still closed as well).

Call 612-333-7000 for reservations.

Sure, the name pretty much gives the concept away. What you might not guess, considering the plethora of taco places strewn around the Twin Cities representing all kinds of styles, is that these hew as close as possible to the tacos you’d get wandering down the street in Mexico. What does that mean? No rice and beans (at least not on the side), for starters. Also, no fish or chicken. What you will find are traditional taqueria fillings, like marinated pork (al pastor), braised beef tongue, suadero (aka slow simmered beef — delish), chorizo, and grilled cactus, cradled by two five-inch corn tortillas. If you can’t choose just one meat, opt for the Campechano Taco, which unites two types and adds Oaxacan cheese. The toppings are traditional as well: diced onions, cilantro, salsa, and lime wedges. Add on grilled jalapeños or sliced avocado if you must. And if you still need sides, try one of the corn-based offerings, the on-the-cob elote or the served-in-a-cup esquite.

No reservations. More info here.

That the steaks here get such rave reviews shouldn’t be a surprise. In addition to being involved in places including the original Devil’s Advocate and Chloe by Vincent in Minneapolis, as well as Stillwater’s Joseph’s Restaurant, Erik Forsberg is a partner in Naked Beef Co., a Wisconsin-based venture that offers locally sourced, antibiotic- and growth hormone-free beef. Standard on the menu are a rib eye and a New York strip, both served with bone marrow; other cuts occasionally pop up as specials. The non-steak crowd will find plenty to dig into, too, such as the mozzarella-stuffed meatball bucatini, a Korean barbecue chicken sandwich, burgers, pizza, and the Forsberg Crabcakes — 2¼ pounds worth. The choices at happy hour (weekdays 2-5 p.m. or Sunday from 3 p.m. on) are plentiful and let you knock a few dollars off regular prices. Opt for one of the Forsberg’s Combos, which come with a beer, burger, and shot.

This beloved concept crept into downtown Minneapolis in late February, breathing life into the space vacated by Penny’s Coffee last fall. This is the third location for the café co-owned by Shawn McKenzie, recent finalist for the James Beard award for outstanding pastry chef or baker. (She also provides goodies for Cardamom, the restaurant she co-owns at the Walker Art Center.) As with the spots in Armatage and Linden Hills, the Washington Avenue site has a pastry case brimming over with temptations like a variety of croissants (including a must-try pistachio rendition), Danishes, scones, bagels, cakes, tarts, and cookies. Pair those with a plain espresso or one of the signature drinks: The Ras el Hanout Latte, redolent with the aroma of cumin and ginger; the Dukkah Latte, featuring the savory Middle Eastern spice mix; or a Turkish coffee.

No reservations. More info here.

Pale blond woodwork, lots of live greenery, a showpiece of a wood-burning oven — Josefina is definitely a vibe. You’d expect nothing less from one of the Twin Cities’ star chefs, Daniel del Prado. The best way to tackle the Italian fare (and make sure you get to try something from each section of the menu) is to order family style: a little bit of this, a little bit of that, perhaps a few sides. (Be sure to make one of those the crispy brussels sprouts, perfectly roasted and served with a pine nut gremolata.) Pastas and pizzas cover traditional ground but also veer off into more interesting combos (oyster mushrooms and preserved lemon, pappardelle with braised oxtail and bone marrow), while the quintet of mains comfort with the likes of osso buco and smoked pork chops, perfect for the still-iffy Minnesota shoulder season.

For a pre-Guthrie Theater meal, check out this traditional Thai restaurant that gets kudos for its food and its ability to get you to the show on time. In Thai, “kin dee” means “eat well,” and you’ll do that across a series of curries, noodle and rice dishes, soups, stir-fries, and more. For those whose heat tolerance falls more on the Minnesota end of the spectrum, having the curries laid out from most spicy to least is a helpful guide. Don’t rush out before trying dessert, a short but sweet list that includes sticky rice with mango and fried bananas with a drizzle of chocolate. As with the theater, Kindee goes dark on Mondays, but they serve lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday and dinner on Sunday.

This new bottle store and market is just one more foodie feather in the cap of the Texa-Tonka Shopping Center, joining the likes of Revival, Angel Food Bakery, and Brookies Fish Market. On one side, you can browse through the vast selection of beer and wine, heading to the back of the space for tastings. (Keep your eye on their socials for the latest offerings.) Next door at the market, you can pick up specialty cheeses, charcuterie, gourmet groceries, and grab-and-go foods. Not to be missed? A fun selection of sandwiches named after luminaries with local ties — many specifically with roots in St. Louis Park. Pile grilled marble rye with ham, Gruyère, cheddar, and spicy mustard mayo and you’ve got the Coen Bros. Go meatless with fillings like Gouda and Gruyère, cucumber, tomato, red onion, and chive cream cheese for the Friedman (after New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman).

Find more info here.