Remodeled Dakota finally reopens in Minneapolis with New Orleans music and food

After a long pandemic hiatus, the world renowned Dakota music club and restaurant will finally celebrate its reopening with a double musical bill Friday — Twin Cities revelers Davina & the Vagabonds and Louisiana zydeco star Chubby Carrier — and a passel of new things.

Chef, menu, sound system, lighting, chairs, floor, paint job, touchless toilets and sinks, hand-painted plates and valet parking, to name a few.

"Gosh, we just had a lot to do," said Lowell Pickett, founder and co-owner of the downtown Minneapolis venue. "It was an opportunity to enhance the experience for everybody — the guests, artists and team members. It's still the Dakota."

And, of course, there are new COVID policies: Vaccinations or tests required; wear a mask when not eating or drinking.

"We wanted to make sure when we reopened that we reopened safely," Pickett said. "In order to present live music, vaccinations were going to be required. There is a concern among the touring community to make this as safe as possible. Artists want to work."

While other Twin Cities music spots with full-service kitchens, including Crooners and Icehouse, have been open for a while, the Dakota had challenges those clubs didn't: no outdoor space for COVID-safe performances plus supply-chain issues with its renovation.

In fact, as of Labor Day weekend, they were still waiting for new TV monitors, a digital sign board and a Steinway piano.

The Dakota made other tweaks, including enlarging the stage and repositioning or eliminating some booths to provide better sightlines for concerts.

Pickett declined to put a price tag on the renovations. The Dakota received $2.515 million in pandemic relief money from the federal government as part of the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant program that sent $173 million to 215 Minnesota theaters, museums, zoos, music venues and presenters.

"That whole program saved live music in America," Pickett said.

Now in its 18th year in downtown Minneapolis after 18 years in St. Paul's Bandana Square, the Dakota had an invite-only soft opening last week featuring the Southside Aces.

Twin Cities musician John Munson attended. It was his first visit to the Dakota since his group, the New Standards, livestreamed a performance there in December, but without an in-person audience.

"It was truly emotional for me to be in the room," he said. "Our streaming show was nothing like being in the room when it had an audience in it and a band that was happy to be playing for people. It was very moving.

"I really appreciated, almost for the first time, the concept of the place. With the brick wall, it has kind of a dive or joint feel to it, but it has a white-tablecloth kind of dining feel to it. It struck me as a super unlikely marriage that just completely works. The new menu really plays to that in a great way because New Orleans cuisine is such a natural fit."

Said Pickett: "We're just happy to be able to have people back in this room. It's hard to realize it's been a year and a half."

As the Dakota returns, there will be limitations. Capacity has been temporarily trimmed by about 40% to 150. The place is not open every night partly because of a staffing shortage — about 60 to 70% of the wait and kitchen staffs have returned — and also because some scheduled performers, notably Mali's Vieux Farka Toure and England's Joanne Shaw Taylor, have encountered visa problems.

Dakota mainstay Nachito Herrera, the celebrated Cuban American pianist, will play with his Habana Social Club for three nights starting Monday. The schedule is a mix of local favorites, including Keri Noble and Patty Peterson, as well as such internationally known musicians as Joan Osborne, Charles Lloyd and Graham Parker.

Since the George Floyd protests, there have been safety concerns about downtown Minneapolis. To allay those apprehensions, Pickett has added a valet parking service ($12) for the first time in 16 years. And he encourages patrons to park in the underground garage at Target ($6) and take the skyway to the Dakota; he noted that Target has added extra security personnel in the skyway.

Pickett knows that "different people respond differently" to going downtown.

"Quite a number of people are comfortable with it," he said. "The reality is, where we're located has felt pretty safe."

Friday: 7 p.m. with Chubby Carrier, sold out. Sat.-Sun: 7 p.m., $20-$25, dakotacooks.com, 612-332-1010. Where: The Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls.