November brings a rush of restaurant openings before the holiday eating season

Just days in, November is shaping up to be an active month with a handful of hotly anticipated restaurant openings all slated to come before the big holiday rush of merriment begins. Here’s a handy rundown of who is opening what, and when to start plotting reservations.

Up first is Minari from chef Jeff Watson, whom we expect to gloriously add to the city’s dim sum and Korean dining options inside the former Erté (323 13th Av. NE., Mpls.). It’s under the umbrella of Daniel del Prado’s restaurant group, but Watson, his longtime chef de cuisine, is building the menu with dishes he’s long dreamed of serving. We’re looking forward to banchan, dumplings and a shot or three of sochu. Reservations are open, and the first available time slot on Resy is for Monday, Nov. 18.

Russell’s opens Nov. 15 in the space that held Tavern on Grand for more than 20 years. Russell’s is the work of first-time restaurateur Todd Russell. The interior has been given a deep clean and modern redesign. Russell said he’s a sucker for old buildings and all their architectural details; expect those to feature heavily in the room. His goal has always been to open before the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, and he’s right on track. The menu aims to serve the neighborhood with casual offering for weeknights and entrees worthy of special dates. Russell’s (656 Grand Av., St. Paul) hours are 3 to 11 p.m. Tue.-Sun., and reservations are available on Tock.

Diane’s Place, the all-day restaurant from James Beard Award-nominated chef Diane Moua,extends hours into the evening with an expanded dinner menu that blends her Hmong upbringing and fine-dining experience into something new and special. That debuts Nov. 9. Reservations are open on Resy.

Bar Siena and Saturday Dumpling Club are two beloved pop-ups that are just about ready to open full time.

Chef/owner Rhett Roberts will open Bar Siena, a modern Italian American restaurant, in downtown Hopkins at 1601 Mainstreet. Social media posts teased that opening dates should come before the end of the month. Roberts is well known in fine-dining kitchens around Minneapolis, having recently worked at Petite Leon. He’s getting a little help from a friend there, with Travis Serbus of Petite Leon, Little Tijuana and Lynette putting together a cocktail menu for the venture.

Saturday Dumpling Co. is setting up shop at 519 Central Av. NE., Mpls. The business that was born during the pandemic has grown from a small desire for nostalgic tastes for Linda Cao and Peter Bian to a thriving company with a dedicated following. No opening date has been announced, but the final pick-up at their current space, Dot’s Gray Kitchen in north Minneapolis, is Nov. 9. In addition to the usual lineup, there’s a collaboration dumpling with Bûcheron for the occasion.

Francis East Lake is coming together in Longfellow. This is the second outpost of the vegan burger restaurant that took Northeast by storm. The former Peppers & Fries (3900 E. Lake St., Mpls.) has been given a very Francis makeover with a black, white, red and pink color scheme and an eye-catching new sign. The menu will be similar: meat-free burgers, faux cheese, crispy fries and more.

Plus, we’re still watching several more developments — all sure to keep the eating season filled with food news.

Kajiken Ramen, the first Minnesota outpost of the popular ramen chain, begins its soft opening Nov. 7. The menu centers on mazesoba, brothless ramen, and features several versions, a build-your-own option, as well as a brothy ramen bowl option. You’ll also find several donburi, snacks that include karaage fried chicken and Japanese desserts like taiyaki ice cream (that’s the one with the fish-shaped cone). Initial hours for Kajiken Ramen, at 9 E. 66th St. in Richfield, are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fast Eddie’s Pizza at 4747 Nicollet Av. has closed, despite a neighborhood push to save the beloved pizzeria. Fans were disheartened to learn that the restaurant would not be able to renew its lease after the building where it was operating was sold.

According to the Southwest Journal, a petition was started in an effort to save the neighborhood pizzeria. Owner Michael Sloan said nearby Washburn High School students were always some of his most dedicated customers, and they especially loved the cheese-filled breadsticks.

Fast Eddie’s closed Oct. 31, but there is hope that another location will surface nearby.

But it’s not all bad news for that area; a new Argentine-Uruguayan steakhouse has finally opened. La Estancia (4751 Nicollet Av., Mpls.) serves empanadas, salads, a burger, steaks, flan and plenty more. There’s also a full bar with seating available as well as a more formal dining room. Once the warm weather comes back, there will be a patio, too.

Owners Luis Del Hoyo and Daniel Larumbe told the MSP Business Journal that they’re aiming for that sweet spot between special occasion destination and a place to have a quick bite on a weeknight.

La Estancia is open for dinner Tuesdays through Sundays and is taking reservations on Resy.

Gyropolis (2325 W. 90th St., Bloomington, gyropolis.com) has reopened after a major expansion that tripled the restaurant’s size and added a drive-up window.

The Contolatis family business has long been a part of the area, first opening in 1996 as Deli Supreme, where the neighborhood embraced their gyros. In 2005, Gyropolis opened at its current location and recently worked with the city to expand into a vacant gas station next door. The MSP Business Journal wrote an extensive piece detailing how the city and the Contolatis family worked to build this new era. Gyropolis is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat.