The long goodbye for St. Paul’s Saint Dinette will end March 22

St. Paul’s Saint Dinette restaurant from James Beard Award semifinalist Tim Niver has confirmed its final days via Instagram: The last brunch will be March 2, with the last dinner service on March 22. Reservations for March open on Feb. 1.

Niver and his team opened Saint Dinette in 2015 during a resurgence in the Lowertown neighborhood surrounding the farmers market. He’s been vocal in recent months about the decision to end when the current lease is up, telling the Minnesota Star Tribune this fall: “How do you know when you’ve arrived at the end?”

The change in office building occupancy and darkened street-level businesses have changed the tenor of the area. Restaurant closures such as Barrio and all of the Lowertown Madison Restaurant Group eateries near Mears Park meant fewer neighbors and diminished foot traffic.

“This is another good story I got to write,” said Niver. “And you know, we want people to come into the restaurant and have a great meal and enjoy this. You never really understand when you first open a restaurant what it will be. It isn’t until people come in and help it grow that it becomes that beautiful thing. It can be a conduit for happiness.”

Last week Niver was recognized as a semifinalist by the James Beard Awards in the national category of hospitality for his other restaurant, Mucci’s. The Italian American eatery is located in St. Paul’s West 7th neighborhood.

The Clover in Rosemount will serve its final round on Jan. 31. The modern pub opened in 2021 from the owners of Lucky’s 13 Pubs, Me & Julio, Pajaritos and Yankee Tavern.

We will miss that Angelina sandwich with roast beef, caramelized onion, Brie, roasted garlic aioli balsamic and arugula.

The announcement came via Facebook, inviting fans to stop by and send the place off in style. “We hope you’ll join us for our final days.”

Outstanding gift cards can be redeemed at any of the other restaurants in the group.

Another Wuollet Bakery has been shuttered, and this time it’s the outpost near 50th and France in southwest Minneapolis.

It’s the latest in the slow-motion downfall of bakeries once known for Princess Torte and fresh-baked treats. A statement suggests promise of a “new and improved” location in the area, which is similar to sentiments shared when the Grand Avenue location closed in September. And that was before the downtown skyway location closed in December.

Its Hastings and Wayzata bakeries also were closed last year.

But bakery owner Eric Shogren, who purchased the legacy business in 2019, paints a rosier picture, claiming that he and his partners are in the process of recapitalizing the business.

“This restructuring to reorganize includes making changes to some of our Wuollet bakery business locations but does not mean we’re going out of business,” Shogren told the Star Tribune in December.

Remaining Wuollet locations are in Uptown and Robbinsdale. The same company also owns A Baker’s Wife in south Minneapolis and Hans Bakery in Anoka.

In a letter to its member/owners, Fair State Brewing Cooperative announced that it will close its production facility in St. Paul. The good news for fans is that the taproom — where Farina Rossa recently moved in — will not be affected. Beer will still be produced and poured there.

“We expect to still be producing all of our favorite year-round beers like Mirror Universe and Pils, and folks will still be able to get them at bars, restaurants, and liquor stores throughout the state,” said Fair State CEO Evan Sallee.

The letter, signed by Sallee, also said the brewery would pursue production partnerships at other facilities.

It’s another challenge for the state’s first cooperative brewery, which exited bankruptcy with plans to invest in THC beverages and brewing equipment. (They filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2024.)

The Minneapolis taproom is at 2506 Central Av. NE., fairstate.coop.

In other bummer beer news, Foremost Brewing Cooperative in Owatonna announced its final day will be Feb. 28. In a Facebook post, its board of directors said, “After four years of serving our community and sharing our passion for craft beer, we have made the difficult decision to close the brewpub.”

Production will continue until its announced Bob Fest on Feb. 22 and then supplies will run out through the end of the month. Gift card holders are encouraged to use them up as soon as possible. Foremost is at 131 W. Broadway, Owatonna, foremost.coop.

In the world of weird food holidays, National Croissant Day on Jan. 30 seems like a reasonably easy one to celebrate.

One way would be to order Marc Heu’s twirly, faintly sweet buttered stuffed beauties at Qamaria Yemeni Coffee shops. The all-day and late-night coffee cafes in Little Canada and Blaine have been a huge hit with locals, and now the lauded St. Paul pâtisserie joins the sweet-stocked treat cases inside the metro locations.

Qamaria has also been in expansion mode and just confirmed that a Rochester location is coming soon. Eden Prairie and Burnsville locations are also expected to open this year.

Marc Heu’s croissants are also available inside his namesake St. Paul patisserie at 156 N. Dale St.

Another option: hit Dahlia’s pop-up at Marty’s Deli from 8 to 10 a.m. on Jan. 30 (400 Lowry Av. NE., Mpls.). The popular pop-up will have pistachio swirl, pillows of passion fruit, cinnamon roll croissants and more.

The K’óoben pop-up is back on Feb. 2 as a part of the Great Northern festivities happening around the Twin Cities. Founded as a collective of Latino culinarians, the group takes its name from a Mayan word that loosely translates to “kitchen.”

Held at Glass House in Minneapolis, the event roster includes Gustavo Romero and José Alarcón of Oro by Nixta, Noe Lara of Pints & Paddles, Russell Klein of Meritage, Jason Sawicki of Black Duck, plus Alex Roberts and Maggie Whelan of Restaurant Alma.

Pouring drinks are several members of the Behind a Bar collective, including Mike Hidalgo, Danny Guerrero, Daniel Torres and Angel Torres. Tickets are $75 and available on the Great Northern Festival’s website, thegreatnorthernfestival.com.