No restaurant? That's no problem for these resourceful Twin Cities area chefs

Food trucks and residencies are among the ways chefs are choosing to bring their craveable cuisine to fans.

December 22, 2022 at 10:58PM
Chef Jo Seddon at her seasonal restaurant Gia at the Lake, at the Winery at Sovereign Estate in Waconia. (Renée Jones Schneider, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Running a restaurant isn't always the ultimate goal for a chef. In these increasingly mobile times, some top-notch kitchen artisans are avoiding the rigmarole of operating brick-and-mortars and instead are finding creative ways to get their food from commissary kitchens straight to the people who crave it. And that goes from first-time startups to acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs.

James Beard Award-nominated chef Jamie Malone, for example, has been stocking customers' dining rooms, from the food to the dishware, for French-tastic dinner parties via Paris Dining Club. Many of the selections available for your choosing will be familiar to fans of Malone's work at the dearly departed Grand Cafe.

Eric Pham, a member of the family that owns Quang and an alum of Spoon and Stable, launched Khue's Kitchen, with a delivery-only hit of a spicy chicken sandwich, and just announced a long-term residency at Bar Brava.

In order to take control over their hours — and expand their ability to serve their beloved breakfast tacos, MB Foodhouse departed the North Loop Galley food hall, instead launching a food truck stationed at Headflyer Brewing/Five Watt. Kristen Martinez's El Paso-style flour tortillas are handmade to order, and they're outstanding.

The wildly popular burger truck Angry Line Cook also rejected the food hall life, stopping just short of opening a stand at the Graze food hall in the North Loop. Instead, co-owners Mona Negasi, Colby Swanson and Jesse Hedman continue to take the Twin Cities burger scene by storm from their food truck.

Jo Seddon gave up the restaurant chef life (she was at Bellecour) just before the pandemic to strike out on her own. This summer she set up shop outside at the Winery at Sovereign Estate in Waconia with a seasonal Italian fantasy called Gia at the Lake. This winter she brought Gia indoors to Cave Vin. We'll be watching to see where it goes next.

And Yia Vang's much anticipated Vinai restaurant might not be brick-and-mortar yet, but the chef's ode to his family continues to make strides and feed people along the way. This year, a Vinai residency at Steady Pour gave guests a sneak peek into the meaningful and wildly flavorful dishes he will serve when the restaurant finally opens.

Chef Jamie Malone packs takeout meals for Paris Dining Club at her Minneapolis studio, Petite Atelier. (Renée Jones Schneider, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Things are spicing up at Khue’s Kitchen. (Sharyn Jackson, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Among the dishes at Vinai’s Steady Pour residency is Garden Noodles in a toasted cashew tahini sauce with red curry Bolognese. (Sharyn Jackson, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The Angry Line Cook, a food truck known for its smashed burgers, opted out of opening a permanent location. (Provided/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Sharyn Jackson

Reporter

Sharyn Jackson is a features reporter covering the Twin Cities' vibrant food and drink scene.

See More