New Hopkins restaurant celebrates the versatility of vegetables

Don’t like beets? Michael Shaughnessy will try to convince you otherwise.

At his new restaurant Pink Ivy, the chef is making sure you get your recommended servings of vegetables. Fortunately, they’re prepared in such a way that reminds you of their thrilling versatility, eradicating all memories of sad, microwaveable bags of broccoli.

Shaughnessy was the opening executive chef at the similarly veg-forward Young Joni, then executive chef at Mill Valley Kitchen. He went on to launch his own omnivore stand at the Market at Malcolm Yards, Advellum Vegetable Eatery. Now, he and his wife, front-of-house veteran Viorica Shaughnessy, have made a yearslong dream come true in opening their own restaurant, on an increasingly foodie strip of Hopkins’ Mainstreet.

Where: 712 Mainstreet, Hopkins, 952-600-7290, pinkivymn.com. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. and Tue.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.

The space: The former Cam Ranh Bay got a makeover, almost all of it the vision of Viorica Shaughnessy. Curvaceous booths have been reupholstered an emerald green, the bar and kitchen tiled in fishtails of splashy aqua that contrast with carnation pink stools and dining chairs, even glassware. Flowers appear in arrangements and in artwork throughout the brightly lit restaurant, including on a rich pink and green wall mural bursting with blooms.

The food: To be clear, vegetable-forward does not mean vegetarian — though you will find enough meatless dishes to make a well-rounded vegetarian dinner. The menu has three categories: small plates, or appetizers; large plates, or entrees; and “for the table,” or sides. Sharing a couple from each is the suggested format.

I began with tuna tataki ($19), its delicate, pale pink edges atop a bright green pureé of green curry-edamame hummus reflecting the color scheme of the restaurant. And the creamiest chicken liver mousse ($15), bánh mì style, served in a jar with pickled cucumber and raw radish, topped with a handful of diced carrots and cucumbers and a layer of apricot jam.

I ordered the grilled salmon ($28) for my entree, and though the fish was cooked perfectly, it was the carrot-tahini purée, smooth as mousse, that won me over. Michael Shaughnessy takes particular pride in his chicken-bacon meatballs in shawarma cream sauce ($23), their smoky edge calling up the flavors from a street cart’s grill. There is a burger ($18) I’ll be going back to try.

On the side: Roasted delicata squash ($12), with its crunchy skin and little jewels of caracara orange, was a textural pleasure. And those beets? The $13 dish will make you question what you know about the earthy root. Deep red cubes are punctuated with pickled blueberries and candied jalapeños, all tossed in yuzu vinaigrette and served over lime yogurt. It’s safe to say there’s no other beet salad like it.

The drinks: A concise cocktail menu of classics with a twist comes from Michael Lindgren, who contributed to the creative drinkscape at the Butcher & the Boar reboot. It leads with “The Pink One” ($13), a quenchable, rosé-colored drink akin to a spiked lemonade — with sumac-infused vodka. There is an after-meal drink menu, and a list of zero-proof beverages.

Viorica curated the wine list; she recommended an Argentine chenin blanc with such enthusiasm, I couldn’t not get a glass ($14). She was spot on. Without much room for wine storage, expect the list to evolve as she seeks less common bottles, such as a Turkish rosé.

Good to know: From one end to the other, Hopkins’ Mainstreet is an appealing food and beverage district, with Brasa, Bear Cave Brewing, K’kinaco, Pub 819, Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe and now, Pink Ivy. A progressive dinner wouldn’t be unthinkable in this walkable district (with plenty of parking).