Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café will bring their slice of Paris to the Twin Cities with four locally owned franchise locations. On the menu will be sweet and savory crêpes as well as a few salads, paninis and other French-inspired treats.
Crêperie and cafe chain expanding to Minnesota with four locations
Plus: Bap & Chicken celebrates Chuseok; new wineries, Summit NA beer and more.
The company was founded in 2012 in Houston with the goal of bringing the art of eating crêpes to the state. Since then, it has grown to include locations all over Texas and is now expanding to Miami and Minnesota. The company has not yet released the particulars of its planned locations.
Local sommelier launches crowdfunding for new wine shop
Leslee Miller aims to open a natural wine shop in Minneapolis' North Loop as an extension of her Sip Better brand and has turned to an Indiegogo campaign to make it happen. The local sommelier and wine educator will sell organic, vegan wines from small producers committed to biodynamic wine practices.
Miller's Sip Better club selects affordable wines to be delivered to members' doorsteps bimonthly or quarterly. Along with the wines, Miller offers buyers access to videos that describe tasting notes, provide more information on the makers and suggest pairings.
The campaign is just getting going and more updates will be announced soon.
Stevens Square coffee shop will reopen
John Kiel and Andrew Clarkson were customers at The Boiler Room (1830 3rd Av. S., Mpls., boilerroom.coffee) and now they own it. The street-level coffee shop and neighborhood gathering spot had closed in June; Kiel and Clarkson expect to reopen it this month and continue to operate it with much of the same menu.
White Bear Meadery opens in new location
Just in time for Ren Fest season, White Bear Meadery is now serving inside its new location at 1320 County Road D Circle in Maplewood (whitebearmeadery.com). The tasting room is open Tuesday through Sunday, serving the age-old alcoholic brew that puts locally made honey in the spotlight. Mead varieties lean into its Viking heritage with names like Berserker, Valkyrie's Kysse, Skål and Valhalla.
Bauhaus launching THC and CBD products
Tetra is coming and it's bringing the chill vibes. The new lineup of beverages from Bauhaus Brew Labs will launch Sept. 19 with four-packs of 12-ounce cans being sold at the Northeast taproom (1315 NE. Tyler St., Mpls., bauhausbrewlabs.com). The first flavor will be lemon-lime, but more are in the works, as are other cannabinoid beverages, including a "full-spectrum" line of THC-infused sparkling waters and a "broad spectrum" of CBD-infused sparkling hop water beverages.
Tetra takes its name from the "T" in THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the intoxicating element inside marijuana.
Bauhaus joins other local brewers like Indeed, Minneapolis Cider Co., Eastlake Craft Brewery and Wild Mind Ales in taking advantage of Minnesota's relatively new legalization of small amounts of THC.
Summit unveils two NA beers
After three years of development, St. Paul's Summit Brewing Co. has debuted its Nialas nonalcoholic beer. The full-flavored beer will be offered in two styles — IPA and Irish-style dark. And about that name? Nialis (nee-uh-lis) means zero, or nothing, in Irish Gaelic. Look for it in six-packs at select stores. For more information or availability, go to summitbrewing.com.
Happy Chuseok
The Korean autumn festival Chuseok is Sept. 9-12 and Bap & Chicken is celebrating. On Sept. 10 from noon-5 p.m. the restaurant will have a make-your-own-kimchi station, food and drink specials and entertainment. Bap & Chicken is at 1328 Grand Av., St. Paul, bapandchicken.com.
Lefse-wrapped Swedish wontons, a soothing bowl of rice porridge and a gravy-laden commercial filled our week with comfort and warmth.