New Longfellow restaurant Lynette is built on deep-rooted success

The building just needed to cooperate. What was expected to be a quick turn ended up being a monthslong process of removing walls and uncovering the secrets they held, one being outdated wiring. “We wanted to save as much as we could, but ultimately … I think we only have one wall that remained,” said Travis Serbus-White.

Lynette would take neighborhood service a step further and be open all day. Breakfast would include coffee and pastries; lunch could be lingered over on the patio facing the garden center across the street. And the dinner menu needed to strike a balance between young families and romantic evenings out. They needed a chef who could handle a lot.

Luckily, there was one who lived in the neighborhood. Brian Sharpe came from CōV, the popular Edina restaurant. “They were talking to me about volume,” Sharpe said. He was deft in handling the surges of a spacious suburban eatery that also has regulars with high standards. Creating three separate menus that would meet the neighborhood where it was at didn’t phase him one bit.

With design help from Studio Grey, Melissa Siers-Rients and Billie Serbus-White created a soothing space: tartan-wrapped bar chairs, gold fixtures, a wide-open room with a pastry counter tucked into the front, and dining spaces with chairs and booths that could function for small groups, families with squirmy kids or adults who want to linger and catch up. “The goal was English cottage meets New Orleans,” said Ben Siers-Rients.

As with any restaurant opening, there were plenty of last-minute details to pull together.

“There’s a lot of weight to carry with a restaurant,” said Siers-Rients. “I liken it to working out. Doing a squat — you start out with a bar loaded down with weights and you’re going to fall. You’re going to get hurt. But, start with the bar, add a little weight, a little more and suddenly it’s like, yeah, I can carry that.”