Tyler Shipton, one of the opening chefs at Minneapolis' Borough, has opened a new eatery in the picturesque town of Lanesboro, Minn.
Shipton, along with partner Ame Putman, opened Juniper's ( 109 Parkway Av. S., Lanesboro) in the former Riverside on the Root. The two-story restaurant serves a focused menu of dishes like pork Bolognese over Aliment pasta, roasted mushroom soup and a double-decker smashburger.
It's a homecoming for Shipton, who returned to his family's farmhouse after years of working oceanside in San Diego. "My family has been here since before the railroad came through town," he said.
The pandemic forced him to return home for a recalibration, which included time walking in the woods and working at Estelle's Eatery & Bar in nearby Harmony, Minn. It was while working alongside Matt Brown, another chef who left city life to put down roots in a more rural setting, that the idea of buying a business came to him.
"One day we were just rolling egg rolls and a woman from the bank came in and said they had a building they were looking to sell," said Shipton.
Juniper's, named after the couple's daughter, is a cozy space that will go from 36 seats in the winter to 150 in the summer, with two balconies, a patio and a deck overlooking the Root Rriver. Hours are 4-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat.
Saji-Ya closes ... temporarily
After more than 40 years on St. Paul's Grand Avenue, Saji-Ya (695 Grand Av., sajiya.com) will serve its final meal in its original location on Dec. 31, temporarily closing to make way for a new project that will replace the building containing Saji-Ya, Dixie's on Grand and Emmett's Public House.
The five-story, 80-unit mixed-use building on the lively thoroughfare is planned to reopen in 2023 with a newly designed Saji-Ya on the ground floor. The new development will also have indoor, ground-level parking and large windows with Grand Avenue views.
