Minneapolis, MN
Two federal lawsuits filed against Derek Chauvin and the city of Minneapolis allege excessive force stemming from 2017 incidents
The Schupfnudeln on St. Pierre’s appetizer menu is rich and creamy. (Joy Summers/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The food: Befitting the name, there’s a long list of steaks, fish and seafood. But you might be distracted by the even longer list of vibrant appetizers, butter-rich sides and dumplings in multiple formats. Go with it. Thick slices of tangerine-colored harissa-cured salmon come with a crespelle, or crêpe, filled with housemade cream cheese ($16). A slice of Patisserie 46 toast is slathered in foie gras mousse, cut into diamonds, and topped with four curlicues of garlic-drenched escargot ($18). Schupfnudeln, or thick, gnocchi-like hand-rolled dumplings, bathe in Gorgonzola cream sauce ($19). Slices of semolina dumplings are buried under a blizzard of Parmesan cheese ($15). And to cut through the richness? Briny crab and seabean salad, a returning Burch favorite ($23).
We didn’t order the pici, one of our favorite Snack Bar menu items ($22), but were happy to know we could still come back for the chewy strands of thick spaghetti with pistachio and ricotta.
The zabuton steak, from Niman Ranch, is served with a trio of sauces. (Joy Summers/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Maybe because we were filling up by the time we got to the entrees, we were less entranced by a breaded lobster cutlet ($38) and the less-than-tender 6-ounce Zabuton cut of prime Niman Ranch beef ($50). The loup de mer, a whole grilled white fish with stewed artichokes ($32), was an impressive entree we’d order again.
But our party agreed we would most likely return to indulge in the starters, sharing round after round of small bites. Almost like a, well, snack bar.
The richness of the foie gras and escargot toast makes it a good dish to share. (Joy Summers/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The drinks: Cocktails were stiff and fruity, including a blood-orange-yuzu-pomegranate cosmo; an autumnal drink built from gin, rosemary honey and a Sicilian amaro; and a spicy fresno-pepper-infused tequila cocktail ($15-$16). Equal attention is paid to nonalcoholic concoctions. And the “gin parade,” a holdover from Snack Bar, lets you choose-your-own G&T adventure. Wines by the glass start at $11.
The vibe: While there are hints of the former Snack Bar on the menu, it’s really the space that keeps its memory alive. It looks the same: supper clubby red booths line the exposed-brick outer wall, perfect for canoodling, with a view of the bar from every table. But for all the intimacy of the room, we wouldn’t call it quiet inside. And eclectic doesn’t begin to describe the attention-grabbing playlist during our visit.
Minneapolis school board members Tuesday night began detailing difficult cuts they expect to make to close a $75 million budget gap for next school year — including cutting more than 100 positions tied to special education.
District leaders had previously signaled school nutrition and special education would be affected by cuts. Some layoff notices had already been sent. As they met Tuesday night, the board’s finance committee said the total number of position cuts coming hadn’t been finalized.
Protesters at the meeting pushed back on talk of reductions, at one point standing and chanting “Who’s schools? Our schools!” They called on board members to sign a pledge not to touch student-facing special education positions.
Daniel Degnan, a parent with a son in a special education program, told board members his son had attended a Minneapolis school with an underfunded special education program in the past and the difference was drastic.
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“I’m not worried about if my son will regress, but by how much,” said Degnan, adding that his son is flourishing now with the help of speech device and proper support. “These cuts would not be simple restructuring of staff and resources at Dowling Elementary. It would be a complete and utter denial of education for our most vulnerable.”
Board members said they were focused on cutting positions that weren’t student-facing and were trying to minimize direct effects on classrooms. They said cuts to math and literacy staff were minimized. They said no programs aimed at helping students of color were eliminated.
Among the money-saving proposals, board member said plans include:
Collin Beachy, chair of the school board, praised the staff for its work providing the board detailed budget data and options.
“I’ve been saying to you guys for months now about how much hard work I know that you’re all doing and how painful and stressful it can be,” Beachy said. “You know, we’ve asked for transparency and I think that we’ve gotten it on steroids here.”
Now the state’s fourth-largest district, Minneapolis has struggled for years with budget deficits driven largely by shrinking enrollment. Last year as the district faced an even larger budget gap of $110 million, it drew from its reserves, cut jobs and left nearly 5 percent of its open staff positions unfilled to make ends meet. Some of the cuts included positions in finance, human resources and cleaning staff.
Officials in recent months have also been examining the district’s building use for possible savings. They’ve estimated Minneapolis Public Schools is operating now at 65 percent of the enrollment the buildings could ideally support, though district leaders haven’t said whether they plan to close buildings and they did not speak to the issue Tuesday night.
The full board is expected to approve a final budget in June.
A recent survey by the Association of Metropolitan School Districts shows all but a few Twin Cities area districts are dealing with deficits, many in the millions of dollars.
Added together, districts expect to see a shortfall of $280 million. That would slip to $264 million if Gov. Tim Walz’s budget proposal is approved. Those numbers are slightly better than the more than $300 million in expected shortfalls districts reported last year.
The new values are based on sales that occurred between October 2023 and September 2024. A handful of high-profile downtown office buildings, including the Wells Fargo Center and Ameriprise Financial Center, have sold for deep discounts in the time since.
When determining valuations, assessors take a variety of factors into account, including: real estate market conditions; sales prices of similar properties; neighborhood location; and the size, quality and condition of the property.
Property owners who disagree with their assessments can appeal them. To do so, the city instructs taxypayers to first contact the assessor listed on their valuation notice. Many issues are resolved through a conversation, though those that are not can be appealed to the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization or state tax court.
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