Mediterr-Asian steakhouse from Crave owners opening in St. Louis Park

Kaskaid Hospitality will open Boketto, a new steakhouse in the Shops at West End in St. Louis Park, on Sept. 13.

Set to be a destination for special occasions and expense accounts, Boketto is now accepting reservations on Open Table. Described as combining “the rich traditions of a steakhouse with a whisper of Japanese elegance and a burst of Mediterranean zest,” the menu hasn’t been released yet, but there will be Japanese and Australian-raised wagyu beef, scallops, seafood towers, pasta and more.

Boketto will be open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, with dinner-only service on Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant also plans to remain open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, a rarity in this part of town.

The restaurant (1607 West End Blvd., St. Louis Park, bokettorestaurant.com) fills a long-vacant space in the Shops at West End complex that was once home to Andrew Zimmern’s Lucky Cricket. Kaskaid Hospitality also owns and operates Union Bar & Grill, Union Rooftop, Butcher’s Tale, Brit’s Pub and 10 Crave restaurants.

Beginning with a Sept. 6 soft opening, GoGi Korean BBQ will fire up the grills at 4207 Hwy. 13 in Savage. The restaurant owners posted on Facebook: “We are committed to providing a genuine, traditional experience that stays true to Korean culinary customs.” That means banchan like kimchi and pickled veggies that are refilled throughout the meal, ssam meats with ssamjang sauce, premium marinated meats and more. Beverages will include a selection of soju. Also on tap: hot pot and a robust takeout menu. Initial hours will be limited as they get rolling. Find more info on social media or at gogibarbq.com.

In case you missed it, the aesthetic-embracing coffee shop’s newest location opened this summer inside the Dayton’s Project in downtown Minneapolis. Gray Fox Coffee is known for its elaborate latte art and creative flavor enhancements like doughnut milk or smoked sea salt. Special to this spot is a Dayton latte made with gingerbread-spiced syrup, masala chai, espresso and milk and garnished with the Dayton’s logo. There’s also tea, smoothie bowls and a few savory food items available. Open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., it joins other downtown Minneapolis Gray Coffee locations inside the AT&T building, LaSalle and the Deluxe plazas.

In there, it’s always Friday, but out here it’s feeling like a Monday morning pop quiz as the chain continues to close restaurants amid restructuring. A reader first alerted us to the closing of the TGI Fridays on Normandale Boulevard in Edina, where the sign pasted in the window reads, “Visit us at our other location in:” with the location space left blank. Ouch. The St. Louis Park location reportedly closed last week, too. (Neither location is listed when searching the company’s website.) At both spots, voice mail boxes are full and no online orders are being accepted.

Meanwhile, TGI Fridays at the Mall of America, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Maple Grove and Maplewood remain open.

While we’re on the national chain beat, let’s pour out a basket of Cheddar Bay Biscuits for the Red Lobsters in Golden Valley and Maple Grove. Both have now closed in the wake of its parent company filing for bankruptcy. Locations still in operation locally and outstate include Bloomington, Burnsville, Duluth, Mankato, Maplewood, Minneapolis, Oakdale, Rochester, Roseville and St. Cloud.

El Sazon Cocina & Tragos is partnering with a Latin bartender collective to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with two parties. On Sept. 15, a family-friendly event from noon to 4 p.m. will include music, vendors, food and beverages in the parking lot behind the restaurant (5309 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls.) At 5 p.m., the kids clear out and Behin Da Bar starts pouring cocktails until 10 p.m. There’s no cover charge.

Behin Da Bar is the work of Mike Hidalgo, Angel Torres, Daniel Torres and Danny Guerrero, familiar faces behind some of the top cocktail bars around town who banded together to create memorable events that celebrate culture and tradition while also pushing forward our drinking culture.

The four will work with El Sazon bar director Zoilo Ruacho to create drinks for the event; chef Cristian de Leon will have small bites. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Latino Economic Development Center, a nonprofit that helps Latino emigrants open businesses.