Restaurant news: Revival Smoked Meats opens this week in Minneapolis

Chef Thomas Boemer is back to manning the smoker at Revival Smoked Meats. The barbecue-focused restaurant, which he owns with Nick Rancone, will open May 14.

The quick-service stand moved out of St. Paul's Keg & Case food hall last year and into its current location (4537 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls.) as a full-service, dinner-only restaurant. The site will be familiar to fans of Rancone and Boemer. It's the former home of their fine-dining eatery Corner Table, which closed in 2019, but with a refreshed interior and expanded outside patio seating.

Revival Smoked Meats serves barbecue with a Carolina flair along with plenty of vinegary sauce and hearty sides, including the cheddar drop biscuits that were popularized at Corner Table. Entrees start at $15, and the barbecue meats also are sold by the pound. All the goods will be available for order-ahead pickup or delivery via Revival's app.

Boemer and Rancone also operate the popular Revival restaurants, with locations in Minneapolis, St. Paul and St. Louis Park. Details at revivalrestaurants.com.

Northern Taphouse in Lakeville is wasting no time as it readies a second location, the former Grizzly's at 220 Carlson Pkwy. N. in Plymouth.

Patio service begins May 14 and will offer a full menu with select items from both restaurants. Hours will be Sunday through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The dining room will open later this summer.

Northern Taphouse (northerntapmn.com) features an array of burgers (including a Tater Tot hot dish version), pizzas, sandwiches, cheese curds and tap selection.

With her cobblers, macaroons and upside-down cakes selling in grocery stores and in restaurants, Lutunji Abram's brick-and-mortar bakery is finally opening on May 14 and she's celebrating with a grand opening ceremony from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lutinji's Palate Bakery and Cafe (1400 Park Av. S., Mpls.) will serve a dessert-driven lineup — including the popular Famous Harriet's Escape Peach Cobbler and Momma Taught Me Well Lemon Pound Cake — that includes several vegan options as well as Peace coffee. Regular hours will be 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

The cafe also works with community organizations such as Better Futures, Step Up and Dakota County Juvenile Services Center to bring in local teens and adults returning to work after incarceration to learn about baking and running a business.

The dining room atop the Radisson in Duluth is filling up once again.

The former JJ Astor has been remade by Sarah and Brian Ingram as the Apostle Supper Club. The interior is filled with bright colors and plush booths facing out to drink in the rotating 360-degree views of the city. Watch the Aerial Lift Bridge and Enger Tower slowly pass by as you dine on hearty fare like cheesy fondue, pickle-brined fried chicken and a Jell-O cake dessert.

The restaurant is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday.

The Ingrams also own the Hope Breakfast Bars, the Gnome, and are working on a second Apostle Supper Club for St. Paul that's expected to open this summer. apostlesupperclub.com

Another branch of the popular New York-based fried chicken chain Bonchon is now open in Roseville (2191 N. Snelling Av.) thanks to local restaurateur Sam Zheng. Zheng first introduced the Twin Cities to the extra-crispy comfort food in 2018.

That makes six Minnesota locations: Maple Grove, Eagan, Mall of America and two in Minneapolis. If you're super-excited about the Roseville restaurant, hit the grand opening on May 16, when the first 100 people in line will get free chicken. (They open at 11 a.m.) Find the menu at bonchon.com/menu.

If it seems like locations of Crooked Pint Ale House are popping up across the metro, you're not wrong. The latest is now open at 14120 Hwy. 13 in Savage in the former Axel's Bonfire space.

In addition to Crooked Pint's classic pub staples — sandwiches, burgers, tots and more — there are pot pies, tacos, weekend brunches and a wide selection of beers on tap.

Tucked inside the restaurant will be a Green Mill On the Go. The takeout and delivery operation, based on the Green Mill brand, will offer a limited menu but will include pizzas, wings, calzones, cheese bread and select pastas. Order at greenmill.com or 952-942-3489.

Both Crooked Pint and Green Mill are part of the Hightop Hospitality restaurant group. There are 14 Crooked Pints in Arizona, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. This is the second Green Mill On the Go location — the first opened last fall inside the Maplewood Crooked Pint.

Dana Thompson and chef Sean Sherman's much-lauded Owamni has added limited, day-of reservations for lunch. The expanded hours make it ever-so-slightly easier to snag a seat in this stunning restaurant specializing in de-colonized cuisine. Since opening last summer, Owamni has been the most coveted reservation in Minneapolis. But the gorgeous patio, with views of the Mississippi River, is saved for walk-ins.

In case you missed it, Sandcastle, the beloved lakeside stand at Lake Nokomis, opens May 12 for its final season.

First opened in 2013 by spouses Amy Greeley and celebrated chef Doug Flicker and longtime friend and colleague Chele Payer, Sandcastle was an immediate hit with its menu of hot dogs, watermelon salads, horchata and more.

"In all these years, we've done so many things [at Sandcastle]. We've done so much with the community," said Greeley. "We've had kids who worked there when they were 15 and now they're 25. Now it's 10 years later and we need to refocus."

Flicker and Greeley also own and operate the Minneapolis neighborhood bar Bull's Horn.

For its final season, the stand is staffed up and ready to serve its full menu for the first time since the pandemic. The Park Board will soon put out a call for potential tenants to take over the building with its liquor license, with the hope of having someone in place for the 2023 season.

"It can be a new dream for someone," said Greeley.

Sandcastle, at 4955 W. Nokomis Pkwy. in Minneapolis, is open daily from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. beginning May 12. sandcastlempls.com.

Almost from Day One the Lynhall built an impressive reputation for fantastic baked goods from pastry chef Katie Elsing. Now, we're getting easier access to her sweet treats for special occasions (like another gray Minnesota "spring" day). Cakes are available for special order with a lead time of four days. Flavors include a sprinkle-encrusted Funfetti, dolled-up red velvet, springy carrot cake and more. Cakes serve 16 to 20; prices range from $110 to $140 and can be ordered at both Lynhall locations (2640 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., 3945 Market St., Edina, thelynhall.com).