Inside the Dining Studio What does a chef do when he or she gets a bit fried on the restaurant business, but isn't ready to give up a passion for cooking? Why, catering of course.
That's what Philip Dorwart has been doing for the past two years, ever since he exited his last restaurant gig at Tryg's (diners may also remember his work at the former Table of Contents, as well as a stint at Tejas). Now Dorwart and his spouse, Desiree, are borrowing from his restaurant past to fuel their catering future. They've opened the Dining Studio (1121 Jackson St. NE., Minneapolis, 612-331-3310), a private-dining venue for their Create catering business.
"I wanted a restaurant, but I didn't want the lifestyle. I don't want to work 90 hours a week," he said. "We can afford this place because it's out of the way, and I can still feed people, but still have a life. I might start a trend with chefs."
The flexible space, designed to accommodate groups from six to nearly 100, was carved out of a former boiler factory. During the summer, the Dorwarts stock the kitchen with produce they raise at their Wadena, Minn., farm. The Dorwarts built a demonstration kitchen surrounded by a 15-seat bar and an 18-seat communal table made from a tree felled at the couple's farm.
And the menu? "It basically changes with every party," said Dorwart. "It's fun because we get to cook stuff that is tough for restaurants to do and still make money doing it. Last week, we did an eight-course dinner with eight wines, and today we're doing an interactive company Christmas party for nine people, where everyone is going to cook with us for an hour and a half and then we'll feed them for another hour and a half."
Tempeh reubens are back Four months after city inspectors shut it down, the Hard Times Cafe (1821 Riverside Av., Minneapolis) is reopening. The vegetarian cafe/coffeehouse, a worker-managed, late-night, West Bank staple for 15 years, is reopening Saturday at midnight.
