Counter intelligence: Never Enough Thyme

Caterer Cynthia Olson is branching out. The owner of Never Enough Thyme in south Minneapolis is taking over the former Lufrano's space at 43rd St. and Nicollet Av. S., just across the street from her catering kitchen, and opening NE Thyme. And yeah, that's short for Not Enough Thyme, not Northeast Thyme.

Her 50-seat restaurant dovetails with the growing trend toward cozy neighborhood we-can-walk-here destinations, with an affordable wine-friendly menu she described as "American bistro." The chef is Andrew Zachow, who's cooked in shops all around town, most recently for Brenda Langton at Cafe Brenda in downtown Minneapolis.

Look for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Monday. "It seems like a lot of places where we like to eat are closed on Monday, so maybe we would do well to be open on Monday when they're closed." Olson hopes to have the restaurant cooking by the end of October.

On the move

Stillwater's loss is also its gain. Mark Hansen, chef/ owner of the Harvest Restaurant & Inn, has been looking for a buyer for his six-year-old place. In the meantime, he's going ahead with plans for a new wine bar and grill a few blocks away on Main Street at the site of the former Silver Lake Restaurant.

Space -- or a lack thereof -- is prompting the move. The Harvest is in a small 19th-century wood-frame house, the city's oldest, and kitchen space is at a premium. "I can't wait to get on Main Street," sighed Hanson. "All that room."

The new place -- as yet unnamed -- will be more casual than the Harvest -- "along the lines of Figlio [in Uptown Minneapolis], with a Zander [Cafe, in St. Paul] look," said Hanson.

And the food? "I'm leaning towards Italian, but something that will allow me to do different things," he said.

Hanson's new project will debut in eight to 10 weeks. In the meantime, the Harvest remains open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

River city

If you know Bay City, Wis., a don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it Mississippi River town an hour southeast of the Twin Cities, it's hard to imagine it as home to a small European-style bistro offering a four-course tasting menu. But believe it.

It's the River Bay Cafe (located at W 6379 Main St., 1-715-594-3232) and it opened quietly two weeks ago. The kitchen is run by Timothy Kovacs, whom co-owner Ila Enders characterizes as a "22-year-old fireball chef." The Michigan native landed in Minnesota eight months ago and logged a few short stints at Palomino and Aquavit before heading to Bay City, where he's turning out the aforementioned tasting dinner ($37 to $40, with beef, duck, lobster or locally raised trout as the entree) along with a short, innovative and ever-changing list of a la carte items (entrees run $17 to $20) and house-made desserts. There's a full bar, too, and plans to expand to breakfast and lunch in the next few months.

There's even a river view. "Well, a very minuscule view," said Enders, who owns the restaurant with her husband Kent. "If you really stretch your eyes, you can see it."