Estelle owners planning neighborhood restaurant in Woodbury

An ideally appointed neighborhood eatery can elevate an area of the city from good to great, and that’s exactly the hope for Woodbury’s new Liliana (10060 City Walk Drive).

From the owners of Estelle and Mario’s in St. Paul comes a new eatery with some bold-name culinary talent that aims to be the reason to wander out on the weekend, gather the family for big occasions or schedule a sitter for a special night out.

Owners Peter Sebastian and chef Jason Hansen have been viewing real estate all over the metro area for the Italian place both were dreaming of opening for years.

“We were searching for the right feel,” said Sebastian. The minute they saw this location, they knew it was the one. Sebastian said it felt like a small-town main street, with shaded walking trails and a pond nearby.

“Plus, there’s a parking lot!” Hansen said with a laugh. “Our first restaurant with real parking.”

Ease of access is only one thing to get excited about: Another is the pasta.

“When Estelle first opened, it was based on my travels through Spain and Portugal,” said Hansen. “So many great Italian restaurants like Hyacinth and Bungalow Club had just opened in St. Paul.”

But in his heart, there was a deep love and desire to cook more of the foods from Italy. Now he has the chance, and he’s building the right team.

Leading day-to-day operations inside Liliana’s kitchen will be Kenzie Edinger, who is just wrapping up an impressive run at Saint Dinette. Before that, she led the kitchen at Mucci’s.

“We are going to be doing a lot of in-house pastas,” said Hansen. And there will be a pasta room built into the room, where diners can watch the magic happen."

Like Estelle, Liliana will serve a mix of small plates with seasonal vegetables and a few staples.

“We’re trying to capture that neighborhood vibe,” said Sebastian. “We’re hoping we get that community of regulars and we’re their restaurant.”

It will begin with dinner service, there are but hopes to expand to lunch and brunch hours. And, like Estelle, there will be a thoughtful kids' menu available.

Hansen and Sebastian are working with Collage Architects of Minneapolis to finalize the space and expect to open midsummer.

The highly anticipated Cafe Yoto from chef Yo Hasegawa opens at 548 Washington Av. N. in Minneapolis on March 4. On social media, Hasegawa said, “I’m so excited to share with you the Japanese soul cooking that I grew up eating.”

On the menu are housemade udon, donburi (rice bowls), temaki (cone-shaped hand rolls), kozara (small plates) and more. There’s also beer, wine and sake, plus, if early reports are to be believed, some special Marc Heu Pâtisserie desserts. The casual setting is counter service and situated just below street level inside the historic Duffey Building.

Cafe Yoto began as a Monday night pop-up inside Kado No Mise, where Hasegawa worked for the past decade for his mentor, Shigeyuki Furukawa.

Initial hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Just shy of its one-year anniversary, Fitchn will close on March 7. The fast-casual restaurant with a health-focused menu from Hailie Hoschka and Joe Clark opened at 1024 Washington Av. S. near the end of March last year.

In an Instagram announcement, Fitchn wrote in part, “We have had so much fun bringing this dream to life. This isn’t the outcome we wanted, but we feel proud of what we built and are hopeful for what’s to come.”

The restaurant will remain open for lunch with limited hours through the end of the week.

Char Blu Riverside will open with a steakhouse menu, outdoor music space and boat parking in the Mississippi Crossings development in Champlin. A new concept from the owners of Willy McCoys and McCoys Copper Pint, the restaurant will act as the food anchor for the redevelopment project.

According to a statement, the restaurant will offer “a casual yet elevated dining experience, featuring a diverse menu and a stunning outdoor patio.” The Mpls./St. Paul Business Journal reports Char Blu will take its culinary inspiration from places like Baldamar, Crave and Bar Harbor on Gull Lake, with more affordable prices.

Willy McCoys is known for its crowd-pleasing menu that runs the gamut of American bar food (flatbreads, fried pickles, burgers) and 2-for-1 all-day happy hour drink specials. Locations are in Andover, Albertville, Big Lake, Bloomington, Champlin, Chaska and Ramsey.

Ground has just broken, but the projected opening is later this year.

Chef Soleil Ramirez of Crasqui and Arepa Bar is ready to tackle the basket of mystery ingredients on the March 4 episode of "Chopped" on the Food Network. The Venezuelan born, St. Paul-based chef will appear on the program at 7 p.m. local time to compete.

The show pits chefs in progressive rounds against one another as they cook through a basket of mystery ingredients while a panel of chefs and personalities score their work.

Terzo and the Sparrow Cafe continue to deal with the aftermath of a mid-February water main break near 50th Street and Penn Avenue S. in Minneapolis that left most of the block they occupy under water and ice on a subzero night. Terzo, the Italian restaurant and wine bar from the Broder family, posted an update that they are still assessing the extent of the damage.

Sparrow Cafe also shared that after years of COVID, road construction and other challenges during the 12 years it’s been in business, this is a difficult blow.

Terzo has a crowdfunding campaign to support its employees as they work through options. Sparrow Cafe also has a Go Fund Me to aid in recovery, admitting they don’t know when or if the shop will be able to reopen.

The lights are on and the pool tables are ready inside the 19 Bar. Minneapolis' longest running gay bar was closed after an accident caused a fire that damaged the beloved watering hole. But, after almost a year of renovations, the gathering space is back.

Rustica is opening in Wayzata, taking over the bakery left vacant after Woullet’s closed. Look for a summer opening.