Two buzzy new Minneapolis brunches you’ll want to try, and more restaurant news

Two buzzy Minneapolis restaurants have joined the brunch bunch.

Owamni in the Mill District has just added the merger of breakfast and lunch items, now available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The spot highlighting Indigenous foods is serving up a small menu of a half-dozen items ($18-$24), such as a game sausage Benedict, chilaquiles with duck eggs and corned cakes with blackberry.

It’s the next phase for the always inventive, nationally touted, fine-dining restaurant now run by chef Sean Sherman and his nonprofit NATIFS. Owamni (420 S. 1st St., Mpls., owamni.com) won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2022, and was named the Star Tribune’s Restaurant of the Year in 2021, the year Sherman and former business partner Dana Thompson opened it.

Now that Minari has settled into its dinner service, the northeast Minneapolis contemporary restaurant that opened two months ago serving up dim sum and a menu of East Asian-influenced fare has added weekend brunch to the line-up.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., look for an a la carte menu of brunch fare as well as dim sum carts. The brunch menu consists of 18 options including a “snacks” section featuring items such as raw oysters with lemongrass mignonette and hashbrown bites with creamy ginger-ketchup-mayo. Main dishes ($15-$25) include an ox bone soup, sandwiches and Hong Kong-style French toast with sweetened condensed milk. There are also egg dishes, including a “Spram” egg and cheese sandwich, a play on Minnesota’s beloved canned meat product, in which chef Jeff Watson’s makes his own version in house.

During a soft open preview over the weekend, the fully loaded breakfast sandwich was the hands-down favorite of the brunch menu items we tried, with the stuffed French toast coming in a close second. Minari is at 323 13th Av. NE., Mpls., minarirestaurant.com.

Game Time Sports Bar & Arcade opens at noon on Feb. 9 — Super Bowl Sunday — inside Midtown Global Market (920 E. Lake St., Mpls., gametimesportsmn.com). Taking over the area that was once occupied by Eastlake Craft Brewery, the menu of the new sports bar and arcade includes a giant pretzel with smoked gouda cheese sauce, street corn loaded tots, and peanut butter bacon dogs. Drinks pay tribute to local sports legends, with the Mauer Mule and Whalen’s Court-Side Margarita. Regular hours are Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., and Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

The big barn has gone dark as the Machine Shed in Lake Elmo closed after 24 years. The company’s ownership told the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal that there are plans for a renovation for the restaurant at 8515 Hudson Blvd. N., but declined to share further details on what will come next.

It’s the end of the line for Chanhassen Brewing Co. The city’s first brewery opened in 2019 and announced the closing last week on Instagram and Facebook. “It’s been an incredible journey, and we are incredibly grateful for the support and loyalty you’ve shown us over the years,” the owners wrote.

The last day is Feb. 1. Until then, the brewery is still pouring, serving and hosting events for a proper Minnesota goodbye (951 W. 78th St., Chanhassen).

After a buzzy reception to its last pop-up, Morrissey Hospitality is bringing its former downtown St. Paul Italian restaurant Pazzaluna back for another round at the original location.

For three long weekends — Jan. 30-Feb. 1, Feb. 6-8 and Feb. 13-15 — diners can enjoy a four-course prix-fixe menu with favorites like chicken and saffron risotto, gnocchi, veal medallions and more. Tickets are available for $65 on Toast; signature cocktails will be available for additional purchase.

Pazzaluna opened in 1998 in a giant space in downtown St. Paul (360 St. Peter St.) with a vibrant menu and colorful murals depicting Italian countryside life. After closing during the pandemic, the restaurant’s ownership group gave the space a major remodel, but other concepts haven’t found the same success.

Like the October pop-up, there will be Pazzaluna menu highlights and several of the restaurant’s previous staff who still work for Morrissey Hospitality group will return. The company also operates the St. Paul Grill and the St. Paul Hotel.

A hygge-inspired sober pop-up will take place at Steady Pour in Northeast on Jan. 23 from 5-8 p.m. Nomad Sauna will be on site with free sessions (reservations are online). Plus, the Steady Pour crew will be serving free samples of Pentire NA spirits and mocktail specials. Just remember to BYOT — bring your own towels. There will be vinyl and a convivial-in-the-cold kind of vibe. (2125 Hennepin Av. E., Mpls., steadypour.com).

Meanwhile, over at Market at Malcolm Yards, the Great Northern Sauna Village returns as a part of the Great Northern Festival, when Superior Sauna sets up their steam parties in the food hall’s parking lot with more than 20 saunas to try. Tickets are $50-$60 and tickets are available for 60- or 90-minute sessions. Reserve a spot on launch night Jan. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. and it includes food and beverages from Malcolm Yards vendors. More information is available online at the Great Northern Festival.