Yia Vang featured on cover of Bon Appetit magazine

Yia Vang was supposed to go to New York to visit the offices of Bon Appétit magazine.

That trip didn't happen, of course. But it's hard for him to be too disappointed given that his food is on the cover of the next issue.

The May issue is devoted to "Recipes to Transport You," and right under that cover headline is a tantalizing full-page photo of Vang's Tri-Tip Steak with Tiger Bite Sauce.

It's one of the dishes that Vang's pop-up Union Hmong Kitchen is known for. And it's a dish that embodies the flavors and techniques of the cuisine of his heritage, which he serves from a food trailer parked outside Sociable Cider Werks in northeast Minneapolis (1500 NE. Fillmore St., Mpls., 612-758-0105, unionkitchenmn.com).

The magazine features several more recipes from Vang, including grilled chicken, sweet and spicy cucumber salad, and a Hmong twist on a potluck chopped salad.

The collaboration with the magazine was in the works since December. In February, a team came to Minneapolis to photograph his food.

"I'm proud that the steak is a recipe my dad taught me growing up. In a million years, I never thought that Hmong food would be in Bon Appétit magazine," said Vang

"I feel there are more important things right now than starting a restaurant," Vang said. "Taking care of your family, taking care of people who are sick."

The Lyn-Lake breakfast cafe the Egg and I has closed permanently. Its St. Paul sister restaurant, known informally as the Big Egg, will stay open.

"When they shut down all the restaurants, we made the decision to consolidate to one store. It just happened to be this store works out better for us," said owner Eric Grotbeck, referring to the St. Paul location (2550 W. University Av., St. Paul, 651-647-1292, eggandimn.com).

The original restaurant in Minneapolis had been a venerable presence at 28th and Lyndale since it opened in 1980. A large "Egg and I" mural stands over its parking lot.

The St. Paul location opened in 1987, and is currently doing takeout orders. Business there is down 90%.

But the coronavirus was the final straw. "It had a lot to do with not knowing what the future would bring," Grotbeck said.

Sleepy V's, the northeast Minneapolis doughnut shop, closed this month, but it's not only because of coronavirus.

Sleepy V's first opened under the name Rebel Donut Bar in October 2017. It was known for its bite-sized doughnut flights, popular for weddings and to mix-and-match at the small cafe at 1226 NE. 2nd St.

The operation faced a number of bumps in the road, including the early name change to avoid trademark litigation. Co-owner Vince Traver said he also contended with lease issues, labor costs and slow business this past winter.

In February, Traver and business partner Kiah Gumeringer took over the former Maeve's Cafe space and transformed it into Mary Ellen's Bistro (300 13th Av. NE., Mpls.). Traver already considered consolidating Sleepy V's to weekends only, and spending more time at the new cafe.

And he's still doing it. Traver is now selling his colorful doughnuts at Mary Ellen's Bistro, which is open for takeout. The North Dakota-themed cafe carries a small selection of greatest hits from Sleepy V's. So, "it's not super sad," he said.

Traver sensed the Twin Cities doughnut market was slowing down, anyway. "It seems like everyone moved on to biscuits."