Pure Pork for The People
By Andrew Zimmern
Alex Roberts and his peeps finally signed a lease for the 777 Grand Avenue space for the new Brasa outpost. Alex says the space, which is next to Punch Pizza, “will have about ninety seats inside and some additional patio seating (when and if approved) wrapped around the front and side of the building. We will begin demo immediately and hope to be open for business in May sometime.”
Roberts says that the larger and newer kitchen will allow his team to grow the menu a little: Soups will be there. Think tortilla soup, chicken and dumplings, and spicy fish and coconut milk. Specialty meats such as fried fish, thinly sliced meats grilled cecina-style, and smoked chicken wings will also be offered, and Roberts says he is currently working on recipes “for homemade, natural cane sugar soda that will be keg dispensed and not an Italian-style soda.”
Like the mother ship, the St. Paul locale will be walk-in seating, and take-out will be available, but—and this is a big but—“we will have one large table that seats twelve people with a big lazy Susan in the middle. After the craziness of the first few weeks, I plan to allow reservations for the large table only. If is not reserved, it will be used as communal seating. The new kitchen will also allow us to expand our catering capacity from a maximum of exit to between 200 and 250.”
Holy bacalao, Batman!
Alex says the design and construction will favor the existing Brasa DNA since “the planning/design/building process will (again) be a collaboration between Site Assembly and Shea Design.”
Why mess with a sure thing? I need me some smoked chicken wings ahora!
Roberts says that the larger and newer kitchen will allow his team to grow the menu a little: Soups will be there. Think tortilla soup, chicken and dumplings, and spicy fish and coconut milk. Specialty meats such as fried fish, thinly sliced meats grilled cecina-style, and smoked chicken wings will also be offered, and Roberts says he is currently working on recipes “for homemade, natural cane sugar soda that will be keg dispensed and not an Italian-style soda.”
Like the mother ship, the St. Paul locale will be walk-in seating, and take-out will be available, but—and this is a big but—“we will have one large table that seats twelve people with a big lazy Susan in the middle. After the craziness of the first few weeks, I plan to allow reservations for the large table only. If is not reserved, it will be used as communal seating. The new kitchen will also allow us to expand our catering capacity from a maximum of exit to between 200 and 250.”
Holy bacalao, Batman!
Alex says the design and construction will favor the existing Brasa DNA since “the planning/design/building process will (again) be a collaboration between Site Assembly and Shea Design.”
Why mess with a sure thing? I need me some smoked chicken wings ahora!
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Hallelujah!
Is it just me or is St. Paul really picking up their food scene? May will not come soon enough.
Posted by: HungryinSW on January 29, 2009 at 4:48 PM
I hope, hope, hope that all the recent activities and media attention of Alex Roberts and Tim McKee means that someone from the Twin Cities will win the James Beard!
Posted by: Geri on January 29, 2009 at 9:29 PM
First Brasa, next Barrio... yeah St. Paul!!!
AZ - your calls about Grand Ave are being heard and we are all better for it. Awesome news!
Posted by: AT on January 29, 2009 at 10:43 PM
Very good news.
As my grandfather Javier would have said, "Sweet, yo. Put the fork in the pork".
Posted by: hank rotisserie on February 2, 2009 at 9:09 AM
I just drooled on my desk.
Posted by: The Big E on February 3, 2009 at 1:36 PM