New chocolate shop opens in Robbinsdale

Just in time for sugar season, there’s a new chocolatier in town: Cocoa Flake is now open at 4180 W. Broadway, Suite 400, in Robbinsdale. Owner Denny Rain has already been tempting the Twin Cities with her edible art at pop-ups and shops like St. Paul’s Golden Fig, but now she has a full-time home base.

Cocoa Flake’s chocolates are beauties to behold. Rain coaxes incredible sheen and texture from the chocolate and imparts dazzling designs and colors to each one. Inside, flavors follow her whimsy with options like banoffee, marshmallow crunch, s’mores, lemon curd, passion fruit and more. Her designs also flow with the seasons, with smiling snowmen faces in winter, or eyeballs for Halloween. Each takes at least three days to make, from painting to the exterior to getting the shell and filling just right to be able to pop each out of its mold.

Rain arrived in Minnesota from Italy more than 10 years ago and attended culinary school in Brooklyn. From there she found her way into the pastry world before going all in on chocolate.

The new shop is located at the back of the W. Broadway complex, facing the parking lot. Shop hours for now are mostly afternoons through early evenings Wednesdays through Sundays. Check the Cocoa Flake website for more details.

The beloved taqueria and Mexican restaurant Los Ocampo is finally opening its newest location at 2186 Marshall Av. in St. Paul, near the intersection of Cretin Avenue, nearly a year after announcing plans for the space. In an update posted to the restaurant’s Instagram account, they detailed the delays in opening and invited followers to guess the exact date they’ll open the doors.

In the video, the restaurant that was formerly Bark and the Bite and Heirloom Kitchen & Bar before that has been given a bright makeover, and bistro lights have been strung through the dining room.

Armando Ocampo and Lilia Zagal opened the first Los Ocampo taqueria in 2003. The business has continued to expand with taco stands, sit-down restaurants, a food truck and more in St. Paul, Minneapolis and Woodbury.

Near the end, that first floor of Northstar Center was a desolate spot for a midday walk-through. The hot dog stand limped along, and the empty Arby’s shell looked out at the sparsely populated street. Now, after years of construction and millions of dollars invested, the area is about to come back on line and there will be food options.

One will be Walkin’ Dog. The beloved eatery will be among the dining options on the first-floor atrium. Now retired former owner Dave Magnuson, who will also serve as a consultant, licensed his brand. Northstar Cafeteria will be run by Good Eating Co., with retro-fashioned foods like beef bourguignon, coq au vin, chicken pot pie and sandwiches that are served quickly, with self-pay kiosks. Krona Cafe — an ode to the old Krona Bar — will serve fresh doughnuts and SK Coffee.

“This place is supposed to be a reason not to work from home and a compelling reason to want to be downtown,” developer Matt Legge told the Minnesota Star Tribune.

David Fhima’s casual coffee shop and bakery will open its third Minneapolis location on Oct. 21 in the Mill District at the Vicinity apartment building (205 Park Av. S., Mpls.). Mother Dough specializes in pastries, sandwiches, a few salads and coffee drinks. The original two locations are both in Capella Tower in downtown, one on the ground floor and the other at skyway level. The new spot will serve from breakfast through social hour, when there will be wine and beer available.

The business is part of the growing group of restaurants from the chef/owner, who also operates Fhima’s, Maison Margaux and an upcoming, unnamed Italian restaurant in downtown Excelsior. Fhima also serves as Target Center’s executive chef, helping curate food selections inside the arena where the Timberwolves and Lynx play.

Sticking with the perpetually-in-motion chef, it’s also worth noting that David Fhima’s eponymous restaurant in downtown Minneapolis is getting a refresh and a menu makeover.

When it opened in the historic restaurant space that once housed Forum Cafeteria, Fhima blended cuisines from all of his influences, with much of the menu coming from France and Morocco. Now in its sixth year, the restaurant is getting some attention, with lighter furniture, new tapestries and a menu that dives into the Moroccan cuisine of his childhood.

Because the building is a 1930s Art Deco gem and a designated historic space, the bones of the room won’t change much. But the food will include more tagines, spices and even a falafel wrap. (There will still be pommes frites.) Fhima’s (40 S. 7th St., Mpls., fhimasmpls.com) is open for lunch and dinner on weekdays and happy hour through late nights on weekends.

The former Erik the Red location might finally see light again. In the shadow of U.S. Bank Stadium, Namos Restaurant & Lounge (601 Chicago Av. S., Mpls.) promises the ultimate luxury sports bar experience on its Instagram page, calling it a “fusion of culture, cuisine and live sports.” Downtown Voices reports that Namos will offer an “Ibiza- and Marbella-inspired experience at night” and a calm space by day. Job postings are up and it is expected to open this season.

Namos joins the already opened Dexter’s near 50th and France, with its TVs and caviar French fries, and the expected Rabbit Hole opening in the North Loop — all part of the emerging trend of “sports, but make it fancy” bars.

The lease is winding down on Tattersall Distilling’s Northeast taproom and original production facility. The groundbreaking local distiller will close the location at the end of November and fully shift to its River Falls, Wis., distillery.

As a final hurrah, 375-milliliter bottles of Last Call Bourbon are available for purchase at Northeast only. The bottles are made with the first whiskey produced at the site in 2015. Only 200 bottles are available for $25 each. Head to 1620 Central Av. NE., Mpls., tattersalldistilling.com.