10 Twin Cities area restaurant openings and events you should know about

The all-day-and-night comforts of Nicollet Diner have landed inside their new location at 1333 Nicollet Mall in the former Ichiban space. Head down to hash-brown town for breakfast any hour of any day — a restaurant rarity. The diner is just one part of the plans for this location; next will be the 100-seat Roxy Cabaret Theater.

The former Libertine rooftop has found new life as Arts and Rec, a rooftop bar with crazy fried snacks (like Dorito-crusted cod) that's open at 4 p.m. Mon.-Thu. and 11 a.m. Fri.-Sun. — weather-permitting. Cocktails include a tableside mini-keg, boozy popsicles and more. The open-air spot is phase one of an artist-led experience that will eventually include mini-golf, artist-decorated spaces and more. Find it at 3001 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., artsandrecuptown.com.

The ambitious Stewart Woodman vehicle Shiloh, previously announced to replace Prime Deli with chef-driven kosher fine dining, is no longer in the works in a St. Louis Park strip mall (4224 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park). Instead, look for the imminent opening of Sato, a sushi restaurant that adheres to Jewish dietary guidelines. Sushi is one of the easiest cuisines to adapt to that dietary framework, proprietors say; the most obvious omission on the menu will be shellfish. The restaurant will also offer American bistro fare. Look for a late-August opening.

St. Paul's Bootstrap Coffee Roasters is now Backstory Roasters in what they say is a move to align with the stories they tell through their coffee. With that change comes another: a new location at 528 Washington Av. N. in Minneapolis' North Loop. Founded in 2014 by Micah Svejda, the roastery opened its first coffee shop at 432 S. Wabasha St., St. Paul, in 2018; the new shop should open this fall.

If you're noticing an uptick of vegan fare, it's because we're in the midst of the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge, which runs through August. Diners eating at participating restaurants can vote on their favorites. Find the extensive list of restaurants and vote at exploreveg.org. The winner will be announced at Twin Cities Veg Fest on Sept. 18 at Harriet Island Park in St. Paul. The challenge is being held by Compassionate Action for Animals.

Nixta's Gustavo Romero and Tullibee's Marque Collins are joining forces for a popup on Aug. 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the Hewing's back alley (300 Washington Av. N., Mpls.). A $35 ticket will get you two street tacos, a Revel Avila tequila tasting and live music. Get tickets at hewing.com/events.

The Butcher's Tale (1121 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., butcherstale.com) is holding a limited-release bourbon dinner Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. guided by a Beam Suntory representative. The event is in Butcher's spiffy new beer garden and will feature three courses — scallops, smoked wagyu brisket, spare ribs and lobster tail are all on the menu — paired with one of the limited spirits. Cost is $150; call 612-236-4075 to reserve a seat.

The Taste of Lakeville is Aug. 17 from 5-9 p.m. at the Lakeville Arts Center (20965 Holyoke Av., Lakeville). Two options: a VIP experience ($150) gives you exclusive indoor access to premium wine and spirits, pairings, tastings, entertainment and more. The standard ticket ($50 in advance, $60 at the gate) celebrates local restaurants, caterers and more with samples and tastings. The event, for ages 21 and older, is a fundraising event for the city's Rotary club. Get tickets at tasteoflakeville.org.

The Eagan Food Truck Festival is Aug. 12 from 4-9 p.m. at the city's Festival Grounds, 1501 Central Pkwy. The event is free, and there will be more than 20 food trucks as well as live music and beer, wine and seltzer.

A traveling bake sale highlighting the talents of Asian American and Pacific Islander home-based and professional bakers is coming to Minneapolis. Preorders are now open for a selection of 18 desserts curated by With Warm Welcome (withwarmwelcome.com), a group that promotes Asian Americans in hospitality. Featured bakers include Linh Nguyen of Mi-Sant Bahn Mi Co., Michelle Kwan of Keefer Court Bakery and Tiff Singh of Laune Bread. At $100 per order, 10% of proceeds benefit the Hmong American Partnership organization. Order at exploretock.com/withwarmwelcome for pickup Aug. 28 at Ingredient, 575 SE. 9th St., Mpls.