Restaurants to the Max Hotels -- and their high-profile restaurants -- are popping up in historic downtown Minneapolis buildings like morels after a rainstorm: The Chambers, the Westin, the Ivy, the soon-to-open W Foshay. Now there's another player joining this fraternity. It's the Hotel Minneapolis and Restaurant Max (215 S. 4th St., Minneapolis).
The 224-room hotel (part of the Doubletree brand) is opening Aug. 1 in a 10-story former bank-office building that dates to 1905. Both the hotel and restaurant are being run by Morrissey Hospitality Cos., the firm behind the St. Paul Hotel, the St. Paul Grill, Pazzaluna, M Street Cafe and Tria Restaurant, Bar & Market.
Chef Matthew Holmes was recruited from T-Cooks at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix. Los Angeles-based Linda Snyder Associates is designing the restaurant and bar, which are in the building's marble-covered former banking lobby. The bank's former vault is being converted into a 1,000-bottle wine storage area.
Fired up in Roseville Flame (836 Rosedale Center Plaza, www.flamerosedale.com) opened on Tuesday, the latest addition to the Hemisphere Restaurant Partners family (Via Cafe & Bar, Mission American Kitchen, Atlas Grill). The restaurant specializes in roasted and grilled meats.
Two tasty events Nosh around at a number of Twin Cities restaurants -- including Chambers Kitchen, Solera, Oceanaire Seafood Room, Saffron, Indio, Sanctuary and more -- at Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation event at the Chambers Hotel (901 Hennepin Av. S., Minneapolis) on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds of the cocktail-and-hors d'oeuvres event go to ending childhood hunger. Tickets are $38; go to www.tasteofthenation.org/minneapolis.
Eat pancakes, raise money. The cause: The Northeast Farmers Market. The place: the basement of the market's host address, St. Boniface Catholic Church (University and 7th Avs. NE., Minneapolis). The date: June 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost: $6 adults, $4 children 12 and under. The meal: flapjacks (flipped by Jim Grell, owner of the nearby Modern Cafe), sausages (made at the neighboring Sentyrz Supermarket), orange juice and coffee. For details, go to www.stawno.org.
