Minneapolis, MN
The Twin Cities’ Most Anticipated Fall Restaurant Openings
Minneapolis and St. Paul are fresh off a season of big new restaurant openings, including, most recently, a cozy neighborhood bistro dishing up ravioli du Dauphine and salted chocolate chip cookies, a supper club-y new St. Paul restaurant from the owners of Lake Elmo Inn, and a fancy new sports bar from chef Daniel del Prado, among others. Fall has even more in store: Stay tuned for an ultra popular dumpling pop-up-turned-permanent-restaurant and a hifi wine bar coming to Northeast Minneapolis; a revived cocktail lounge and New Orleans-style restaurant opening on Lake Street; a low-key Japanese cafe coming to the North Loop; and more. Here are this fall’s most anticipated Twin Cities restaurant and bar openings.
Zenska Glava sommelier Sarina Garibović and songwriter and musician Sam Cassidy have teamed up to open Small Hours, a bar built for wine and music lovers, in Northeast Minneapolis. Most wines will be served by the bottle, so that customers can “immerse themselves in the culture and story behind each bottle,” per Garibović, though there will be a rotating by-the-glass menu. There’ll be a food menu of small plates that complement the wines, too, like tinned fish served with fresh-baked bread from local bakers Sisters Mpls. Beyond the wine, high-fidelity music is the focus at Small Hours: The bar has an assortment of both new and vintage sound equipment, including a floating turntable and a rotary mixer, not to mention a thorough record collection. Opening September 21. 2201 NE 2nd Street, Minneapolis
Cafe Yoto
Chef Yo Hasegawa, a 10-year veteran of acclaimed omakase restaurant Kado No Mise, will soon open a North Loop cafe of his own, according to Downtown Voices. Cafe Yoto promises a casual vibe, counter service, and a focus on takeout. Earlier this year, Hasegawa teamed up with Kado No Mise chef Shigeyuki Furukawa for a two-night, walk-in-only pop-up called Yo Monday Cafe — its menu of sauteed ribeye bowls, assorted sashimi, and soba noodles crowned with fried tofu may offer a hint of what’s to come at Cafe Yoto. Look for an October opening. 548 N. Washington Avenue, Minneapolis, inside the Duffey Building
Linda Cao and Peter Bian’s immensely popular dumpling pop-up Saturday Dumpling Co. is opening as a permanent restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis this fall, in the former Glam Doll space on Central Avenue. The vision is for a counter-service set-up, where customers can order pan-fried, steamed, or deep-fried dumplings, plus rice bowls and special items like SDC’s popular scallion pancake burritos, per details from Mpls.St.Paul Magazine; there’ll be a deli case, too. Saturday Dumpling Co. has also launched a restaurant fundraiser page where supporters can buy merchandise (not the least of which is a limited edition Saturday Dumpling Co. Baggu bag) and private dumpling classes, or “adopt” a piece of equipment. An opening date hasn’t yet been announced. 519 Central Avenue NE, Minneapolis
Aster House
Aster House — the newest venture from Jeff Arundel of Aster Café and Jefe Urban Cocina — will open in the Brown-Ryan stable house near the riverfront on St. Anthony Main this fall. A supper club-style menu from chef Karyn Tomlinson of Myriel blends modern and retro vibes, featuring straightforward dishes that make use of regional ingredients — think wild rice croquettes, Hasselback potatoes with sour cream and chives, and the like. Keep an eye out for an early fall opening. 25 SE Main Street, Minneapolis
A new bakery is set to open on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue this fall, bringing a menu of challah, pita, slow-fermented sourdough loaves, and bagels (served with schmears and butter, of course) in tow. Razava Bread Co comes from head baker Omri Zin-Tamir (of farmers market mainstay the Bakery on 22nd Street) and owner Steve Baldinger, whose family founded Baldinger Bakery in West St. Paul circa 1888. An opening date hasn’t yet been announced, but in the meantime, keep an eye on Instagram and catch Razava at local farmers markets. 685 Grand Avenue, St. Paul
Du Nord Cocktail Room and Lagniappe
Chris and Shanelle Montana, founders of Du Nord Distillery, are both opening a new restaurant and reviving their south Minneapolis cocktail room, which closed in 2020, in Lake Street’s newly renovated Coliseum building. Lagniappe’s New Orlean-style menu will feature dishes like redfish on the half-shell and shrimp remoulade; the Montanas are steadily rolling out sneak peeks of the cocktail menu, which promises frothy espresso martinis and an apple Old Fashioned. On Saturday, September 21, Du Nord is hosting a free “Krewe Du Nord” New Orleans-style music festival at the Coliseum building — Big 6 Brass Band is traveling all the way from the Big Easy for the event. An opening date hasn’t been announced yet. 2700 E. Lake Street, Minneapolis
A new restaurant from Jeff Watson — executive chef and culinary director for Dani del Prado’s restaurants; also an alum of Isaac Becker’s Bar La Grassa and Burch Steak — is set to open in Northeast Minneapolis’s former Erté & the Peacock Lounge this fall. Per the Star Tribune, expect a menu that delves into East Asian cuisine, especially Korean dishes, featuring barbecued meats, hearty noodle bowls, and plenty of banchan. A bar program from del Prado bar maven Megan Luedtke promises highlights of sochu and makgeolli (an effervescent Korean rice wine). Look for an early fall opening. 323 13th Avenue NE, Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN
Man killed over Louie Vuitton bag, suspect was on bond for suspected carjacking, charges say
Minneapolis police are investigating a homicide on Feb. 24, 2026. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A man is dead after a witness said he refused to give up a Louis Vuitton bag while being robbed by multiple men at gunpoint.
Abdirahman Khayre Khayre, 20, is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery for the incident that happened on the evening of Feb. 24 in Minneapolis.
READ MORE: Man fatally shot in south Minneapolis apartment building
Fatal Minneapolis shooting after robbery
The set-up:
Minneapolis police responded around 10:42 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Abbott Apartments, located on the 100 block of East 18th Street in the Stevens Square neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Officers then found a dead man in the lobby who had been shot multiple times.
A witness to the shooting said he and the victim arrived at the apartments to “hang out” with Khayre, according to the criminal complaint.
The witness said he became suspicious when Khayre he left the room multiple times and “appeared to be stalling.”
The robbery:
The complaint states the witness reported three men then came into the room and yelled “Give me everything.” The men were armed with Glock handguns that had extended magazines as well as an AR-style rifle.
They then stole two guns from the witness, and one of them was handed to Khayre.
When the men demanded a Louis Vuitton bag from the victim, he refused, leading to a fight between them all.
The shooting:
The witness said when he walked toward them, Khayre pointed the witness’ stolen gun at him and racked it.
The witness then got out of the room, ran toward the lobby and heard multiple gunshots. He then saw two of the men flee out the back of the building, but didn’t see what direction they went in.
The victim was then found dead.
The aftermath:
Khayre was then identified by the witness in a photo lineup, according to the criminal complaint.
Police say video footage corroborated much of what the witness reported.
Khayre was on conditional release for a suspected carjacking at the time of the shooting, according to the complaint.
The Source: This story uses information gathered from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County and previous FOX 9 reporting.
Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota’s Iranian community: Mixed emotions on US-Israel strike
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The local Iranian community in Minnesota is expressing mixed emotions following the recent joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran.
Local reactions to the strike
What we know:
The strike resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to President Donald Trump and Iranian state media. Many Iranians in Minnesota feel this could lead to freedom for their country.
Nazanin Naferipoor shared that her sister in Iran was initially happy about the strike, believing it might bring about freedom. However, communication has been cut off since the strike began, leaving many worried about their loved ones.
The other side:
Hamid Kashani from the Minnesota Committee in Support of a Democratic Iran expressed mixed feelings about the strike. While he hopes for change, he is concerned about the potential loss of innocent lives.
Fazy Kowsari emphasized that the attack targeted the government, not the religion, and criticized the political motivations behind the strike.
Upcoming rally at Nicollet Mall
Why you should care:
A rally is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Nicollet Mall and 11th Street. Organizers view the U.S. strike as a rescue operation for Iranians held hostage by the regime, rather than an act of war.
Minneapolis, MN
Ex-MN Twins Pitcher Sentenced For Shooting His In-Laws
AUBURN, CA — Former Major League Baseball pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his father-in-law and attempting to murder his mother-in-law in a 2021 ambush-style shooting at a Lake Tahoe-area home.
A Placer County jury previously found Serafini, 51, guilty of fatally shooting 70-year-old Gary Spohr and seriously wounding Spohr’s wife, 68-year-old Wendy Wood, on June 5, 2021, at their home on the lake’s west shore. Wood survived the attack but died a year later.
In a statement obtained by The Associated Press, Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said that Spohr and Wood were loving grandparents and detailed how Serafini’s crimes had affected the couple’s family members and friends.
“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.
On the day of the shooting, Serafini’s wife, the victims’ daughter, had taken the children to the lake to visit their grandparents.
Prosecutors said the deadly ambush stemmed from a dispute over a $1.3 million investment in a ranch renovation project. The victims had reportedly contributed the money.
In one text message shown in court, Serafini wrote, “I’m gonna kill them one day,” referencing a dispute over $21,000, prosecutors said.
He also sent other threatening messages, including “I will be coming after you” and “Take me to court,” according to ABC10.
Jurors also found Serafini guilty of several “special circumstance” sentencing enhancements, including lying in wait, use of a firearm, and that the attack was willful, deliberate and premeditated. He was also convicted of first-degree burglary.
Prosecutors had also charged Serafini with child endangerment, saying he put his infant and toddler sons at risk by having a gun in the home. Jurors found him not guilty on that count.
The case also involved a second defendant, 33-year-old Samantha Scott, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory in February, according to the New York Post.
A left-hander, Serafini was a 1992 first-round pick for the Minnesota Twins. He also played for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies, pitching for six MLB teams over seven seasons.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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