6 Twin Cities restaurant openings to put on your calendar, from the Butcher's Tale to Buttered Tin

One of the prime locations in downtown Minneapolis is back in business, just in time for patio season.

The Butcher's Tale (1121 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., butcherstale.com) is now open in the former Butcher & the Boar space with a fresh look and an updated menu, but familiar faces.

Chef Peter Botcher and general manager Chad Waldon are back, along with several other key staffers. They're serving up favorites like the smoked long rib and fresh seafood, as well as housemade sausages and locally sourced charcuterie and wagyu beef. A top-notch bar program and well-chosen desserts round out the menu.

Butcher's Tale is locally owned by Kaskaid Hospitality, the group behind Crave, Union Rooftop and Brit's Pub, among others.

The main dining room is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.; the beer garden opens at 4 p.m.

Betty Danger's Country Club — the only Twin Cities bar and restaurant equipped with a Ferris wheel — has been rebranded as Betty Danger's Animal Farm (2501 NE. Marshall St., Mpls., bettydangers.com). And no, a petting zoo has not been added to the list of attractions.

"Tonight we're going to party like it's 1984," reads the cocktail menu, one of many Orwellian references that the fun-loving operation is now tossing around.

The food menu continues to include playful bar fare, including deep-fried bacon-cheese-corn balls, chicken tenders with jalapeño sauce, burgers and pulled pork sandwiches. Weekend brunch features platters (bacon, scrambled eggs, mini doughnuts, silver-dollar pancakes and more) serving two and four. Doors — and the mini-golf range — open at 3 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. weekends.

On the next block, the Buttered Tin (2445 NE. Marshall St.) will be taking up residence, hopefully by late July. The bakery/cafe (home to the Twin Cities' best homage to the Hostess Twinkie, among many delights) will follow the breakfast/lunch format of its popular eight-year-old predecessor in St. Paul's Lowertown (237 E. 7th St., St. Paul, thebutteredtin.com).

"Like our building in Lowertown, our new corner location is surrounded by glass, bright light and friendly faces," said owner Alicia Hinze in a statement. "We hope to become a welcoming staple where the Northeast community can gather around wholesome food, relax, have a drink with friends and family and share celebrations."

Another opening — the timeline is "early summer" — is Farmers Kitchen + Bar (750 S. 2nd St., Mpls., farmerskitchenandbar.com), the work of the Minnesota Farmers Union.

When the project was announced in November 2019, it was a collaboration between the MFU and the Birchwood Cafe. After running a pop-up out of the space last year, the Birchwood bowed out.

The restaurant — which is located in the former Spoonriver — will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, along with grab-and-go items, products from local food makers and farm-fresh produce, eggs and meats. Chef Kris Koch, a Patisserie 46 and Wolfgang Puck veteran, will be running the kitchen.

"Being a part of this project is a dream come true," he said in a statement. "Farmers Kitchen + Bar's mission aligns with my passion and cooking philosophy, which will allow me to continue to work with independent farmers and using fresh, local and seasonal ingredients."

The North Loop's latest is the Rooftop Bar (515 Washington Av. N., Mpls.), located on the top of the four-story Maytag Building.

Managed by the team behind Nolo's Kitchen and the Basement Bar, the open-air destination serves beer, wine and a long list of cocktails, including favorites (margaritas, daiquiris) from the bar's slushy machine. Chef Peter Hoff is preparing sandwiches, appetizers and salads.

The no-reservations setup is open 4 to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, through the end of August.

There's another newcomer at Midtown Global Market: Soul to Soul Smokehouse (920 E. Lake St., Mpls., soulsmokehouse.com), started by three longtime friends — Anthony Simmons, Charles Robinson and Jewuan Marshall. Smoked meats, wings, sandwiches and a hefty variety of sides round out the scratch-made menu, accented with sweets like Pecan Bourbon Butter Cake and banana pudding.

Soul to Soul is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.