Dang, she’s not even going to take a vacation! We’re still tricking out her blog space, but Dara sent me this to post:

Finally, the answer to the question: What’s going in to the old Café 28 space in South Minneapolis. Drum roll please…

The Harriet Brasserie! Or Harriet Brasserie. The situation vis a vis the “the” hasn’t been decided as of this writing, but certain things have. Certain things like that it will be beer-focused and casual – after all, that’s what brasserie means – and they’re hoping to have Harriet Brewing beer on tap. So you’ll be able to walk Harriet, drink Harriet, and eat Harriet in a single afternoon—someone want to come up with a clever phrase for this? A triple Harriet’s the best I’ve got.

Anyhoo, Fernando Silva is a longtime Minneapolis restaurant veteran who helped Eat Street Social with their opening menu, and told me his new restaurant will have food in a similar New American vein – better than average burgers, chicken, and the like, as well as a few dishes that draw on his Brazilian heritage. The beer program will be extensive and will celebrate regional beers, and will also showcase ones from farther afield. As to the beautiful old firehouse, Silva told me renovations are still in progress, but they’re hoping for a mid-April opening.

If this seems like a familiar story—if you’ve been paying attention to Minneapolis restaurant openings, it should be. This week the Butcher and the Boar opened – 30 tap lines. Eat Street Social opened a couple weeks ago, and of course offers a couple dozen beers. Further south, on Lake and Knox, Rick Nelson at the Star Tribune has reported a new beer-focused casual place called JJ’s Coffee and Wine Bistro is coming.  Finally, another new south Minneapolis pub – George and the Dragon is opening with a focus on burgers and beer at 50th and Bryant.

That’s a lot of pubs. So, who’s opening the new taxi company?

Harriet Brasserie

2724 W. 43^rd St., Mpls.