The year of Travail continues with Italian Eatery and Umami opening

Reservations are now open at Italian Eatery, and Umami is no longer a pop-up with a full-time stand inside a North Loop food hall.

On the surface, these two restaurant openings don’t have a ton in common. Ie Italian Eatery was a long-serving beloved neighborhood restaurant known for pasta comforts and a killer patio. Umami is a recurring pop-up centered around Asian street food that has made appearances in north Minneapolis, Kenwood and downtown Robbinsdale.

The common thread is Travail. The chef-run restaurant empire has embarked on its biggest expansion to date — and that’s saying something from a restaurant group known for its inventive approach and bombastic menu personalities.

Umami is now open inside the Graze Food Hall by Travail (520 N. 4th St., Mpls., grazenorthloop.com), which the chef collective took over in late 2024. The new stand serves sushi bites, miso sweet potatoes, and dumplings made with their friends at Saturday Dumpling Co. Umami was one of their first pop-ups back in the early days of the company.

Meanwhile, ie by Travail, the revived restaurant near Lake Nokomis, opens Feb. 10 with a menu that’s a mix of fan favorites and new items. Reservations are available on Open Table and are booking up quickly; Italian Eatery is at 4734 Cedar Av. S., Mpls., italianeaterymsp.com.

The days are numbered for those Louisiana-style sandwiches from Mr. Paul’s Po’boys and Jams. The stand at Market at Malcolm Yards and the storefront at the back of Mr. Paul’s Supper Club near 50th and France in Edina will both go dark on Feb. 9. But the storefront is expected to undergo remodeling and return with a new concept they aren’t ready to name just yet.

Mr. Paul’s Supper Club opened in December 2021 with a menu inspired by chef/co-owner Tommy Begnaud’s family recipes from New Orleans. The back sandwich shop served po’boys by day and hosted drink pop-ups from beverage director Nick Kosevich on some evenings. The space has also served as a pop-up for other ideas from the creative crew, including burgers. An Instagram post announcing the change says that whatever comes next, burgers will likely return.

Bank, the restaurant on the street level of the downtown Minneapolis Westin, has closed. The restaurant opened in 2007 and boasted an elegant setting inside the historic Farmers & Mechanics Bank building.

The new restaurant going in will be from New York-based hospitality company Apicii. The company also worked with the Hotel Ivy to open two restaurants in that building, Breva and Masa & Agave. Mpls./St. Paul Business Journal reports that the new concept in the Westin will be another steakhouse. The company said it is drawing inspiration from the 1940s-era building at 88 S. 6th St.

That’s a bold choice considering it’s about a block away from Murray’s Steakhouse, which has been serving its famous silver butter knife steaks since 1946.

The Malt Shop on 50th Street in Minneapolis is closed, but we’re not sure for how long. Requests for comment weren’t immediately returned. A sign taped to the front door states that it was shut down on Jan. 22 for operating without a license.

The restaurant first opened in 1973 and changed ownership and underwent remodeling that added a bar in 2022. Southwest Voices detailed the plans for the restaurant at that time. Stay tuned.

Fresh Mediterranean fare will be served up at Zaffron Kitchen, the new restaurant just about ready to open at Southdale Center in Edina. The menu offers gyros, donair, kebabs, salads and larger platters like roast lamb leg.

The restaurant is taking shape inside the former People’s Organic; that restaurant can now be found next to the mall’s new mega Kowalski’s.

Look for an opening later this month.

Boardwalk Kitchen & Bar, the new restaurant and entertainment center at Shakopee’s Canterbury Park, will be led by executive chef Chris Dmochowski.

Dmochowski was a longtime D’Amico alum, working at Campiello before heading out to CōV in Wayzata. He’ll work alongside co-owner Thomas Pivec to pull together the vision of high-quality dining alongside all the action on the track.

“Shakopee is already so vibrant, but Boardwalk is really bringing something special to the table,” the chef said in a statement.

The menu will be American with grilled and smoked food elements; it will update twice a year to move with Minnesota’s seasons.

Boardwalk is eyeing a spring opening. Follow along on Instagram for updates.

Tattersall Distilling in River Falls, Wis., is holding the second annual Maplefest on Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., celebrating the Midwest’s maple-tapping season. This year’s event will feature more than 15 varieties of maple syrup for a sampling competition, live music and maple-themed food and drinks. Admission includes silver dollar pancakes and breakfast sausages. Tickets are $5 each online (available on Tock) or $7 at the door. Tattersall is at 1777 Paulson Road in River Falls, tattersalldistilling.com.