North Loop Neighborhood

[mister.shoes]

Great! They're halfway there, then

[jet777]

on the Dunn Bros thing - how much is a liquor license? probably don't have to sell much to make it worthwhile, but who goes to a coffee shop for a beer?

[Nathan]

A LOT OF PEOPLE. Seattle has a number of really decked out Starbucks locations that sell seasonal beer and wine, and they are PACKED.

http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/st ... s-evenings

*they also have live music and such too. (I wish they would instal some stores like those around here. they could do really well. The design is totally different than what we have)

[jet777]

I like assuming that because things work in other cities they would work well here. I can see the concept working well in Seattle. At a Dunn brothers here it sounds lame. Unless like you say they completely change the concept, in which case they should change the name too because it would no longer be a Dunn Brothers.

[Tom H.]

The Dunn Bros in the old Smith-Douglas-More farmhouse in Eden Prairie sells beer and wine. It's right off of the SWLRT bike trail, so it's a popular pit stop along the way. Liquor sales there appear to pretty good.

[Nathan]

I think a lot of grad students would like it... lol

[Wedgeguy]

On my way walking back up Washington from ten I did some investigating. The Brunsfield Place look fantastic and really bring a new texture to the street line with the angled balconies. Your eyes are drawing up to it. Went to see if they had started on the remake and expansion of the small building behind it, which at this point it did not. Then I saw the Gurley Lofts renovation. They say January opening, I say later, but I was impressed with yet another old warehouse being transformed. Across the street is the 800 3rd apartment building While it seems very flat the variation of the two colors really give this building some life. I can't wait To see all the trees with leaves on them come spring and summer with the perennials are up and giving some more green to the street scape. I like that they did a lot of trees along that stretch of the block. Like that they did a double sidewalk that will give those living at street level a bit more privacy.

Back on Washington they were working to get the patio brick laid for the Blue Plate restaurant in the 701 building which used to house HGA Architects before they moved to the Ford Center. Still looks like a lot of work to do yet inside the restaurant as well. From what I saw I feel that this will be a welcome addition for the Loop residences.

[jet777]

Hit up Freehouse now that it's open. Very mixed bag, because I want to like everything in the neighborhood. The space is quite large. While it was humming with people this week during opening, not sure it will always be a great space. Large windows and design help this a bit. The biggest disappointment is that it's still a blue plate concept. Their $15 "1000 dollar" burger was Meh. Hard to make a living doing that when you have Parlour and Haute Dish serving very good burgers for close to that or less. Their beers were ok- much more mainstream and less daring than the other breweries in town, but sometimes that's ok. Eater did take notice that they are selling $7 cans of Coors light. They have definitely not proven their ability to get away with that after the newest restaurant on the block shine wears off.

[min-chi-cbus]

Is there such thing as a "hip" place that's also not so damn expensive?! Some of us (ahem, myself) do not want to pay $15 for a "burger" (usually it's overdone with spices and dressings that don't belong on burgers) and then $7 for a draft beer (I drink a lot, so one draft beer isn't going to do much of anything). I cherish my discretionary income (hahaha, who am I kidding -- what discretionary income?)!

I'd rather go to Ruddfuckers, where I can get a damn good burger (emphasis on the taste, not too fancy) for half the cost and beers are $1-$2 a piece during happy hour. If only there was one of those in North Loop!

Is there anything like that in the area??

P.S. They should rename the restaurant "Poorhouse" (or even "Pourhouse", to be even more ironic), because that's how its customers will be living if they frequent the place (zing)!

[talindsay]

Slightly OT but when Longfellow Grill first opened it became our default place to eat - it was fairly cheap, fairly quick, good beer list. But then the prices started rising and the food started getting overly "clever" while still just being meh food. We spent $50 on burgers (without booze) one of the last times I went there and we haven't been back. Blue Plate had a really good thing going when they were three basic unpretentious new-American diners and a pub (Highland Grill, Edina Grill, Longfellow Grill, Groveland Tap). They decided to become hipster, move up market, and start trying to play the Parasole game of out-chaining the suburban chains with "clever concepts" and it sucks. I don't want to eat a concept, I want to eat food.

[mattaudio]

Agreed. At least Groveland Tap is still decent, but I now avoid the others. Longfellow/Edina/Highland used to be predictable, affordable, not-large-chain neighborhood joints.

[xandrex]

P.S. They should rename the restaurant "Poorhouse" (or even "Pourhouse", to be even more ironic), because that's how its customers will be living if they frequent the place (zing)!

That might work if there wasn't already a Pourhouse.

Assuming you can get an entree and a beer for around $20-25, I'm sure this place will do just fine. I know that's my sort of upper range that I'll pay for a dinner out (unless it's a special occasion). And considering the likely middle/upper-middle/upper class incomes of the neighborhood, I don't foresee prices in that range being an issue. Yuppies and DINKs have money to spend.

[jet777]

Yeah well you may be right to some extent that if it doesn't succeed it won't be because of the prices. It will be because there are much better options. More $ doesn't equal good food or experience. Give me black sheep across the street.

[5th Ave Guy]

This place is a totally different concept than Black Sheep... that's the point. How many other places serve breakfast in the neighborhood? Cuzzy's, Be'wiched, and that's about it. Like the concept or not, their other places are packed. Check out the Lowry on a Saturday or Sunday morning / afternoon.

[MNdible]

Eater did take notice that they are selling $7 cans of Coors light.

This is an affront to basic human dignity.

[woofner]

I can see how the attempt at humor would be lost at a place that has $11 grilled cheese sandwiches, but the Coors Light thing has to be a joke. Pints of their house brews are $6.

[gpete]

One of the owners tweeted something along the lines of "Well why would you want a national brand a local brewery?" I think they were just trying to be overly clever, and they are getting some press out of it (not all good, but any press is good I suppose).

I have a hunch that they'll quickly drop the prices on Coors... how many people will order a Coors expecting it to be the cheapest beer on the menu and be angry when they get their tab? They'll get some push back.

[Didier]

Slightly OT but when Longfellow Grill first opened it became our default place to eat - it was fairly cheap, fairly quick, good beer list. But then the prices started rising and the food started getting overly "clever" while still just being meh food.

Agree 100 percent.

[jet777]

How many other places serve breakfast in the neighborhood? Cuzzy's, Be'wiched, and that's about it.

Moose and Sadie's, Pizza Luce. Smack Shack and Bachelor Farmer on the weekends. Maybe they know some secret about pent up demand for weekday breakfast in the loop, but I've never seen a line at BeWiched on a Tuesday. I'm not down on the Freehouse concept at all, it's not even that I disliked my experience. It just ranked lowest in food value (food quality/food cost). Black sheep is an example where the numerator is high, and the denominator is small.

[mattaudio]

I wouldn't complain if I could have Black Sheep pizza for breakfast....