Twin Cities chef feeds Strip Club nostalgia at Mendota pop-up

Chef JD Fratzke is stoking a little restaurant nostalgia with a limited-time menu at the Mudd Room, a speakeasy bar within a restaurant in Mendota.

A selection of dishes that hark back to the Strip Club Meat & Fish, Fratzke's lamented St. Paul restaurant that closed in 2017, will be served from June 2 through July 2. Fans of the seminal Dayton's Bluff spot will undoubtedly remember the beans and toast, cannellini beans on toasted focaccia with fried sage, parsley leaves and a little lemon olive oil ($7); or the crispy, pickled and fried giardiniera ($8). Other returning dishes include duck tataki, spiced seared duck breast dressed with red chile and ginger ponzu and finished with fresh radish sprouts and orange zest ($13). Fratzke will create a handful of other dishes and cocktails, which will complement the Mudd Room's regular menu.

"You know I'm not normally one for nostalgia," said Fratzke. "I had a whole other menu in mind, but when I walked into the Mudd Room, the stone walls — even the color scheme, I said, 'I know this. I know how to do this.' " He said the room demanded a little "Strip Club love," a restaurant that also featured stone walls.

The Mudd Room (1352 Hwy. 13, Mendota) is run by chefs and restaurateurs Tyge Nelson and Steve Hesse. The duo is currently bringing in chef friends — upcoming turns will include Tim McKee, Lenny Russo, JD Sutherland and Sameh Wadi — to run limited-time menus to augment those already served at the bar.

Erik Anderson, the nationally lauded chef, has received all kinds of recognition for his work at San Francisco's Coi, Nashville's the Catbird Seat, Barndiva in California's Sonoma County and more. But before the Michelin stars, Anderson rose to prominence in Minneapolis running the kitchens at Sea Change and Grand Cafe with Jamie Malone.

Now he's coming back to town to throw an exclusive drink and dining party with the team at Mr. Paul's Balloon Emporium, the whimsical cocktail experience overseen by legendary drink shaker Nick Kosevich, on June 17 and 18, with seatings at 5:30 and 8 p.m. Cost is $250 and includes a 10-course food and beverage pairing, tax and gratuity. Get tickets online at mrpaulssupperclub.com.

If that kind of fun is too rich, there's also a new weekend brunch service at Mr. Paul's Supperclub, where chef Tommy Begnaud will bring his bayou-influenced cuisine to the omelet set.

Renovations of the former Crowne Plaza in downtown Minneapolis will include Star Bar & Bistro by restaurateur Kim Bartmann.

The restaurant is expected to open by year's end inside the new boutique hotel Hotel Indigo by IGH (618 2nd Av. S., Mpls.). It will be an all-day American eatery with French influences and a focus on local purveyors, serving breakfast through dinner.

Bartmann's restaurant group is known for opening funky, neighborhood-specific restaurants such as Tiny Diner, Pat's Tap, Barbette, Book Club, Red Stag Supperclub, Gigi's and the Bread & Pickle concession stand by Lake Harriet.

Burnsville Center could see an influx of new activity with a massive new Asian market and international food hall.

The aging retail center had announced in March its intention to lease the ground-level space occupied by Gordmans department store to the national Asian grocer Enson Market.

But additional plans are now in the works to add a slew of both national and local food options, pulling flavors from China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea and Brazil. On tap is another location for Bullvino's, the Brazilian steakhouse in Lowertown St. Paul, which would offer indoor and outdoor full-service dining; Mango Mango, with blended fruit drinks and desserts; Pho2, which serves Vietnamese food; Chatime, a Taiwanese teahouse chain; Tours Les Jours, a French-South Korean bakery; another Bonchon Korean fried chicken outlet; and local bánh mì sensation Lu's Sandwiches.

The proposed project would take over 60,000 square feet of mall space.