Tender Lovin' Chix is shifting into park for its new full-time home on Lyndale Avenue. The food truck from Marques (Ques) Johnson and Billy Tserenbat of Billy Sushi will set up a full restaurant at 2700 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls. The former home of Fire & Ice Alehouse will undergo a light remodeling with a target date of reopening next year.
It's a return to the neighborhood, of sorts. Tender Lovin' Chix began as Chix, a walk-up window founded by Johnson and others who have since moved on from the business. Johnson then joined forces with Tserenbat, who began his career with a food truck, to launch the mobile operation earlier this year.
In addition to the fried chicken and the Tokyo fried rice that TLC serves, the new space will allow room for a full bar. Follow the progress on Instagram at instagram.com/tender_lovin_chix.
Sean Sherman honored with Julia Child Award
What will groundbreaking Indigenous chef and activist Sean Sherman do with the $50,000 grant he received from the Julia Child Foundation? Give it away.
Throughout his moving acceptance speech at last week's Minneapolis gala, Sherman spoke about the difficult paths Indigenous people have faced — and are still facing in countries including Brazil and Ukraine. It seems only right, he said, to give the money to the people who are doing the work on the ground, and announced he'll donate the money to José Andrés' World Central Kitchen. (Andrés is a past Julia Child Award recipient.)
Sherman is the founder of NATIFS (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems), the nonprofit that now operates Owamni. The award, in its ninth year, honored the chef for his activism and advocacy in helping reclaim and celebrate Indigenous communities and culinary traditions around the world.
The gala, emceed by Andrew Zimmern, was held outside Washington, D.C., for the first time, and the menu of Indigenous food was prepared by Owamni chef Lee Garman. Speakers included former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, Native chef Elena Terry and Toni Tipton-Martin, now editor-in-chief of Cook's Country and last year's recipient of the Julia Child Award.
Sushi and fun back on Grand Avenue
This week marks the return of Saji-Ya and Emmett's Public House to St. Paul's Grand Avenue. Saji-Ya is a pioneering Japanese restaurant; Emmett's a casual Irish pub with an extensive whiskey list. Both closed in late 2021, when the building they occupied was torn down to make way for a mixed-use development including apartments. Now both have returned and are open for business at 695 Grand Av., beginning Nov. 1.
