St. Paul's Forepaugh's could return in time for Halloween, and more restaurant news

Forepaugh's Restaurant, located inside a grand historic mansion near Irvine Park in St. Paul, may be closer to reopening. The Highland Villager reports that the St. Paul Heritage Preservation Commission has approved plans for a new porch for the restaurant.

Tom Duffy, owner of Burnsville-based Turn-Key Associates, spoke to the paper about working with Taher Inc., the restaurant's owner, to clean the interior, restore the porte-cochère and replace the porch, which was a total loss.

Taher didn't respond to requests for comment.

Known for its antique setting and resident ghost, the restaurant named after the 1871 mansion's original owner has been operating at 276 S. Exchange St. since 1976. Foodservice company Taher took over in 2007. The restaurant closed in 2019 amid declining profits and the sudden death of executive chef Kyle Bell at age 32 from complications of the flu.

Mojo Monkey Donuts took a break from regular shop hours this summer, but has been popping up around town with its decadent doughnuts. Flavors that include torched s'mores doughnuts topped with bruléed marshmallows, pumpkin old fashioneds with maple glaze, cinnamon sugar doughnut holes and more have been showing up on Mojo's occasional menus. The next pop-ups are Oct. 28 at Barrel Theory Beer Co. (248 E. 7th St., St. Paul) and Oct. 31 at Quixotic Coffee (769 S. Cleveland Av., St. Paul). Preorder is available online at tinyurl.com/e92h4cpr.

The Lodge of Lazarus Crowe and Hourglass Cafe and Bar is set to open Oct. 27 inside a historic building that was the longtime home of the Wulff Godbout Funeral Home (760 W. 7th St., St. Paul, lazaruslodge.com).

The Pioneer Press reports that the business is owned by Jamie Fassett-Carman who, along with his mother, Karen Fassett-Carman, also operates Trapped Puzzle Rooms in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The Hourglass Cafe and Bar will be in the former chapel of the funeral home and will serve a menu built for grazing. Food will mostly be prepped in countertop-type equipment — think panini presses and air fryers. Diners can expect to find a handful of flatbreads, grilled sandwiches, mac and cheese and more.

Cocktails and N/A beverages will continue the fun with drinks that glow under black light and are served in unexpected vessels. Online reservations are already open for the escape room.

Cafe Cerés, the bakery and cafe from James Beard Award-nominated chef Shawn McKenzie and Daniel del Prado, has confirmed it will open another location this year. The new spot will occupy the first floor of the Wakpada Apartments building at 4603 Minnehaha Av. S., Mpls., close to Minnehaha Falls Park. The menu is expected to be modeled on the cafe's downtown Minneapolis locations, with Turkish-style bagels, Zephyr cookies, a coffee program and more fresh-baked goodies. Look for an opening before the end of the year.

Neon Tiger is the next cocktail hot spot taking shape in Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood, which is already teeming with great watering holes. The alley-entry spot is under construction at the back of the about-to-open Public Domain (119 Washington Av. N.). Also owned by PD's Stefan Van Voorst, Neon Tiger will be a fun playground for the not-so-serious cocktail fans. While Public Domain will pour an encyclopedic number of classic drinks, its back bar will employ more than a few blenders. Something like a really good piña colada with coconut and warm spice. Public Domain is expected to open in early November, with Neon Tiger following soon afterward.

Wednesdays are getting loud at Skaalvenn Distillery (8601 73rd Av. N., Brooklyn Park). Starting this week, the three-year-old cocktail room will transform into Metal Dave's Metal Bar from 5 to 11 p.m. on Wednesdays. Bartender David Colbert has long dreamed of this concept, and Skaalvenn owners Mary and Tyson Schnitker are letting him rip it up with music and his own menu of cocktails.

It's part of the company's celebration of the room and the creative staff who have been making the cool drinks that draw fans to the suburban office park. We've also heard word of a new spirit that will soon be produced by the Skaalvenn team that might rhyme with "din."

Brush up on your baking skills ahead of the holidays with two of Minneapolis' best-known bakers and cookbook authors. Zoë François and Sarah Kieffer are hosting a fundraiser, Bake a Difference, on Nov. 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. to benefit José Andrés' World Central Kitchen nonprofit, which feeds people in places of conflict and natural disasters. The authors will be baking (pumpkin basque cheesecake and chocolate chip cookies) and sharing tips throughout the event. Tickets are $150 to join them at the Lynhall in Minneapolis, $80 to livestream the event, or $30 to get access to a recording of the class later.

The youth-driven nonprofit bakery Cookie Cart is celebrating its 35th anniversary, and one of the key events is the 15th annual Cookie Cart Chefs' Dinner on Nov. 4 at St. Paul's Union Depot (214 E. 4th St.)

The fundraising dinner was started by media matriarch Sue Zelickson, one of Cookie Cart's first board members, and chef Pat Weber. This year, instead of a tasting dinner, guests will have seven chef-curated food and beverage stations by local chefs, ranging from Vincent Francoual (Chloe by Vincent) and Gerard Klass (Soul Bowl) to Alicia Hinze (The Buttered Tin) and Matteo Mackbee and Erin Lucas (Krewe and Flour & Flower).

There also will be live and silent auctions. Tickets are $175 each; for more information or to buy tickets, go to one.bidpal.net.

Chloe by Vincent chef/owner Vincent Francoual has been collaborating with chefs from across the state as part of his Minnesota Chef Series Dinner. The next event is Nov. 5 at 5 p.m., featuring Scott Graden of the New Scenic Cafe in Duluth. The chefs will be alternating preparing courses in the five-course tasting dinner held at Chloe (700 S. 3rd St., Mpls.).

Cost is $130, which includes wine or N/A pairings and gratuity. (Graden also will be signing copies of his latest cookbook, "New Scenic Cafe: The Second Cookbook.") This is the second dinner in Francoual's series, which aims to promote collaboration with chefs outside the Twin Cities. For reservations, go to chloebyvincent.com. Additional dinners will be announced in January.