Minneapolis restaurants Boludo, Cafe Ceres quietly expand

First, did we know Cafe Ceres was coming to downtown Minneapolis? No, we did not. Are we thrilled to be able to find chef Shawn McKenzie's baked goods and those warm-spiced lattes inside the former Penny's location at 100 Washington Av. S.? Yes, we are. The new cafe is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

And Boludo, the beloved pizza and empanada restaurant that just opened its third location on Como Avenue in Minneapolis, improved our pizza access by opening a fourth location in Uptown. Check out the newest outpost at 2935 Girard Av. S. Both locations are open for dinner daily and for lunch Tuesdays through Sundays.

It was a short but savory Twin Cities tenure for MB Foodhouse. The mobile food venture owned and operated by chef/artist Kristen Martinez is closing April 2 as Martinez heads to Arizona. The business began as a pop-up serving El Paso-style Tex-Mex, then moved to Galley food hall in the North Loop before settling into its current mobile operation now stationed in Five Watt Coffee and HeadFlyer Brewing in Northeast. You have all month to get your breakfast tacos at 861 E. Hennepin Av., Mpls., mbfoodhouse.com.

The timeworn problem of where to eat a Northern Waters Smokehaus Cajun Finn has finally been solved.

The treasured Canal Park deli is moving from its petite corner shop of more than 20 years to a place with ample space for indoor tables and chairs — and it's even in the same building. Northern Waters will replace Amazing Grace Cafe and Grocery in the basement of the DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace, slated for an early summer opening.

Amazing Grace, another longtime Duluth institution, closed last weekend. Northern Waters owner Eric Goerdt said spending time there as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard in the late 1990s is what inspired him to open his own shop in the historic building.

The "five times larger" basement space is connected to the Smokehaus' processing and smoking rooms, putting the operation all on one floor. And no more shared lines for sandwich and deli orders. Cheese, freezer and smoked products will be separated, and more importantly, staff will have room to talk with customers about food.

Goerdt hopes at some point to host live music and events like Amazing Grace did, things the current space doesn't allow. With the newfound kitchen real estate, soups and maybe more hot sandwiches, fish and charcuterie boards will roll out, but it will remain a quick service shop, likely with expanded hours.

Amazing Grace, beloved for its cozy patio and nooks, open-mic nights and homemade bread, ended its nearly three-decade run because of effects from the pandemic, owner Connor Riley said in a statement. It was first opened by Chip Stewart and Doug Zaun (husband to Mayor Emily Larson) and was later run by Stewart's partner and Riley's mother, Marcie Stoyke, after Stewart died in 2009.