As usual, the food and drink scene in 2019 was tumultuous, with lots of closures, but also lots of openings.

We said some tough goodbyes, in particular to Supatra’s Thai, Salty Tart, Corner Table and Happy Gnome. Then there was the sad story of Elephant Bar, which both opened and closed last year.

But we also welcomed some new bright spots, including Estelle, Baldamar, P.S. Steak, Hot Hands Pie and Biscuit and Monkey Temple.

We can’t predict who will close in the coming year, but we do have an idea of which openings are on the horizon, and it’s looking like another great year for the Twin Cities.

Here’s what we know about which new restaurant and drinking establishments are on the horizon for 2020.

January

Tori

Tori Ramen’s new St. Paul address, in the former Chicago’s Taste Authority on West Seventh, is getting ready to open any day now. Jason Dorweiler is putting the finishing touches on the iconic streetcar space and hopes to open the restaurant, renamed Tori, before the end of the month. The new space is allowing Dorweiler to expand on the previous offerings. “The space offers us more capacity to do a lot more with food experimentation, a full bar and the ability to add a patio,” Dorweiler said. “We have a unique train car that will operate as a dining room, and an added space which will function as a bar, kitchen and lounge.”

In addition to ramen that Tori Ramen is known for, Tori’s menu offerings will include a cold bar with seafood (think items such as sashimi) as well as things like duck tataki. Not only will the menu be made up of a la carte items, but tasting menus that will include vegan-friendly options will also be available. Expect a full cocktail program that includes sake shots, too. The format for the 75-seat space will be fast-casual in the afternoons and transition to full service in the evenings.

Details: 603 West Seventh St., St. Paul; website will be updated soon at toriramen.com

February

Coffee Cup on Randolph

The Rice Street spot with a cult following for its breakfast platters and more has been closed since an electrical fire last July. The operation is now getting ready to open in new digs — in the former Copper Dome space on Randolph and Hamline avenues across the street from Elite Repeat boutique and near The Nook and Oxendale’s Market.

While this will be a new location for Coffee Cup, there will be plenty of things that will be familiar in the new diner space. “We will have the same cooks, servers and menu as the Coffee Cup on Rice Street. We have just added a few Randolph Ave specialties,” said owner Amanda Elazab, who is hoping to open the week of Feb. 17th.

The menu will be made up of breakfast served all day with dishes such as Coffee Cup’s popular French toast as well as omelets, breakfast platters and egg sandwiches. In addition, some new items will be added such as biscuits and gravy and Belgian waffles. Beyond breakfast fare, look for soups, salads and burgers will be available.

Details: 1333 Randolph Ave., St Paul; facebook.com/coffeecuponrandolph

Yumi

Excelsior-based Yumi Japanese Restaurant and Bar is moving into the former Fabulous Fern’s space on Selby Avenue in St. Paul. It’s the second location for the growing local restaurant, which already has a spot in Excelsior and will also open a location in Southdale Center soon. If the menu is similar to the Excelsior spot, there will be an extensive sushi selection, but also noodle and rice dishes, appetizers and side dishes. Fabulous Fern’s was a staple on Selby Avenue for 27 years before closing in 2018. Reps tell us Yumi will open in early February, so soon!

Details: 400 Selby Ave., St. Paul; yumisushibar.com

Pillbox Tavern

This sports-themed restaurant, which just named up-and-coming chef Graham Messenger, formerly of The Fitz, to helm its kitchen, is set to open in the latter part of the month. The owners of Jersey’s Bar and Grill in Inver Grove Heights are behind the project, which Jersey’s co-owner Bill Ashton said is named for the short-lived Saints stadium on 12th and Robert that was known as “The Pillbox.” The ballpark field was so small that if a player hit a ball over the wall of left or right field, it was considered only a single.

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St. Paul’s newest hotspots for your holiday guests The restaurant, though, is definitely not tiny — it will sport a respectable 180 seats. Messenger said that some items, including its award-winning jalapeno popper juicy lucy, will carry over from Jersey’s, but that he’ll develop most of the menu from scratch. He’s working on a new burger, a pot roast sandwich and pot roast entree, among other pub food made well with good ingredients.

Details: 400 N. Wabasha St., St. Paul; pillboxtav.com

Mallard’s

The former Baja Sol in a busy Inver Grove strip mall near its movie theater will become an outpost of the seafood/Cajun restaurant Mallard’s. The restaurant started in Bayport and has expanded to Forest Lake and New Richmond, Wis. The newest location, set to open in February, will feature a similar menu to the others.

Details: 5681 Blaine Ave., Inver Grove Heights; mallardsmn.com

Pajarito

Three years after opening Pajarito along St. Paul’s West Seventh Street, chef/owners Stephan Hesse and Tyge Nelson are opening a west metro location at 50th and France in Edina. Dishes will be similar to the St. Paul location featuring contemporary Mexican fare in the form of appetizers, small plates, tacos, entrees and side dishes with favorites such as pork chop al pastor with pineapple, grilled octopus and Brussels sprouts elote style. Hesse and Nelson also anticipate the Edina location will have an expanded menu to take advantage of two wood-fired ovens on the premises. The space, formerly occupied by Mozza Mia and, before that, Tejas, is twice the size of the east metro location and will seat 150 on the main floor and 65 in a downstairs event space. Like the St. Paul location, the spot will also feature a full-service bar with Pajarito’s signature cocktails. The duo hope to roll out the carpet in mid- to late-February.

Details: 3910 W. 50th St., Edina

Trax Burgers and Bar

With the new Element Minneapolis Downtown “eco-centric” extended stay hotel comes Trax Burgers and Bar with a big local chef name behind it to boot. The owners have brought in David Fhima to consult and design the “gastropub-style” menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and craft burgers with an emphasis on locally-sourced. Spirits and beers will also emphasize locally-sourced. The 80-seat North Loop restaurant is expected to roll out Feb. 3, ahead of Element Hotel and Fillmore Minneapolis, a 1,850-capacity entertainment space, that are also part of the development. The latter two are slated to open to the public Feb. 12. As part of it, Grammy Award winner Brandi Carlile will be kicking off a 3-night Grand Opening celebration running Feb. 12-14.

Details: 525 N. 5th St., Minneapolis; traxburgersandbar.com

Stilheart

Stilheart, a two-story distillery and cocktail lounge, is headed to the hot hot hot North Loop. Look for 30 different cocktails on the menu. Low-alcohol and no-proof concoctions will be part of the mix, as will a limited number of specialty cocktails in partnership with Bittercube Bitters. Stilheart is led by Kirsten Karnitz, formerly of Lawless Distilling Company, the small-batch distillery in south Minneapolis.

Details: 124 Third Ave. N., Minneapolis; stilheartdistilling.com

Wahlburgers

An outpost of Wahlburgers is slated to open Feb. 11 at The Village at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove. This will be the second Minnesota location for the Wahlberg brothers (chef/Wahlburgers founder Paul Wahlberg and actors Mark and Donnie Wahlberg, also of New Kids on the Block fame) after their one at the Mall of America. The family has partnered with Hy-Vee to build, own and operate 26 Wahlburgers in the Midwest. The restaurant, which features burgers, salads, fish, chicken and vegetarian dishes that can be washed down with adult frappes and floats, recently expanded to include an additional 40 menu items. The Mall of America location is currently serving up the new menu, which includes starters and sides, salads, sandwiches, burgers and desserts, and the Maple Grove location will do the same.

Details: 1182 Elm Creek Blvd. N., Maple Grove; wahlburgers.com

March

Cafe Lilla

This cafe, serving cuisine from Spain and Italy, is from Jon Oulman, of Amsterdam Bar and Hall, 331 Club and The Sheridan Room. The restaurant, which will be on the corner of Payne and Jessamine avenues, will be adjacent to a new art gallery from Oulman that will feature rotating artists.

An initial menu posted online includes small, shareable plates, including Spanish bites like lettuce boats filled with smoked tomato guacamole and crab and broccolini dusted with smoked paprika. There are also Italian-inspired dishes like wild mushroom and duck confit risotto and lamb meatballs. Oulman said construction is going smoothly and as long as the permitting process doesn’t hold things up, the restaurant should be open sometime in March.

Details: 1110 Payne Ave., St. Paul; cafelilla.com

Spring

Cleveland Wok

It’s been almost a year since the Highland Park spot was forced to close after a fire. The owners are working on securing building permits, which they hope will happen before the end of the month, so construction can begin. If this last stretch goes smoothly, the projected opening will be sometime in April, said owner T. Bui. When the spot reopens, the buffet will be no longer. Instead, the a la carte menu will be expanded to include additional healthy food options.

Details: 767 Cleveland Ave. S., St. Paul; 651-699-3141; clevelandwok.com

Stillwater Proper

The team behind LoLo and Lolito restaurants have joined forces with another St. Croix Valley hotspot, 45th Parallel Distillery out of New Richmond, Wis., for a new establishment in downtown Stillwater. Stillwater Proper will operate as two different entities — a restaurant and bar in part of the space and a distillery with a tasting room in the other. On the restaurant side, look for details such as an open kitchen and a circle shaped bar for patrons to gather. As far as the food, a menu that will rotate regularly and change with the seasons is planned. The bar program will focus on the partnership with 45th, but will also rely on other local spirit makers from the Midwest such as J. Carver, Tattersall, Grey Duck, Loon Liquors and Prairie Organic, to name a few. Cocktails will fall under two categories, pre-prohibition and modern. And the local spin goes a step further — gin infused with cheddar cheese-jalapeño popcorn from Candyland down the street, anyone? Stillwater Proper is projected to roll out in March or April.

Details: 227 Main St. S., Stillwater

The Apartment By Borough

The team at Borough have taken over a studio apartment above the restaurant and have been renovating it for use as a private event space with menu items custom designed by Chef Mike DeCamp that reflect the cuisine of Borough. In addition to private gatherings, look for ticketed events open to the public. The space, expected to debut in March, accommodates up to 20 guests.

Details: 730 N. Washington Ave., Minneapolis; boroughmpls.com

Bricksworth Brewing

Cooper Johnson, son of BlackStack Brewing owners Scott Johnson and Shawne Murphy-Johnson, is opening a new brew pub in Burnsville in the spring. Johnson, who was an integral part of getting his parents’ brewery up and running, is striking out on his own with this project, which is in a business park adjacent to the Burnsville Transit Center and just up the street from the suburb’s Heart of the City development. The brew pub will brew its own beer, of course, everything from IPAs, which BlackStack is known for, to lighter and barrel-aged beers. Since it’s a brew pub, which means they can’t distribute outside the taproom, they’ll also have guest taps and a full bar, including a cocktail program from Matt Theison, who currently works for BlackStack and has worked in the past with Bittercube and other companies.

A lunch and dinner menu will focus on Detroit-style pizza, which is usually square in shape with a crisp, thick, focaccia-like crust. The 200-seat space will feature a 10 barrel brewhouse designed by Architect Aaron Wittkamper, who designed the Tattersall Distilling cocktail room and the Wild Mind Artisan Ales taproom. The plan is to eventually add outdoor seating as well.

Details: 12257 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville

Summer

Sooki and Mimi

James Beard winning chef Ann Kim along with Conrad Leifur (Pizzeria Lola, Young Joni, Hello Pizza) are busy at work on their latest project in the former Lucia’s in Uptown. Sooki and Mimi — named after Kim’s maternal Korean grandma (Sook-Young or “Sooki”), who influenced her love of food and cooking, and her American grandmother figure Thelma (“Mimi”), who introduced her to Western culture — is slated to open sometime in the summer. Details are still being worked out, but what’s known is that the food will be tortilla-focused and that the 145-seat restaurant will be full-service with a full bar. A basement cocktail bar is also part of the blueprint.

Details: 1432 W. 31st St.; sookiandmimi.com

Fall/Winter

Earl Giles Distillery

The local elixir company has long been consulting at top bars and restaurants, integrating its syrups and cordials in cocktails. Now, Jesse Held and Jeff Erkkila are planning for a more than 16,000-square-foot distillery, 165-seat cocktail lounge and private event space in Northeast Minneapolis. A production center where the brand’s spirits, syrups and ginger beer will be produced, bottled and canned will be part of the lineup. On the food side, look for “Central American-inspired pizzas for all dietary needs, salads, sandwiches and oven-roasted small plates,” according to a press release. The spot will also feature a sidewalk cafe patio and an indoor botanical and herb garden for ingredients used in making food and spirits on the site. How fun is that?

Details: 1325 Quincy St. N.E., Minneapolis; earlgiles.com

Malcolm Yards Market

The former Harris Machinery Co., which was on the verge of becoming ruins, has been resurrected by The Wall Companies and will become a restaurant-centric food hall in spring.

The company has partnered with Denver’s Eclectic Collective, which is responsible for creating a handful of food halls in that area.

The 18,500-square-foot Malcolm Yards will have 10 vendors, all serving food, with a central, full bar and seating. You’ll order at each station, or from your phone, and bring the food to your own table, but cocktail servers will help get your drinks to you, if you prefer. There will also be a rooftop deck.

Each chef or restaurant will lease space from the development and create its own space and menu. While co-owner Patricia Wall said they were not comfortable releasing specific vendors until leases are signed, she said we can expect Japanese, steak sandwiches, a third-wave coffee shop and other farm-to-fork foods.

Details: 501 30th Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; malcolmyardsmarket.com

In the Works

Dayton’s Project

This mix of office space, retail and restaurants will occupy the former Dayton’s building on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern, in partnership with Robert Montwaid, creator of Gansevoort Market in New York City, will be in charge of the 40,000-square-foot space dedicated to food. The creators say the market will be a mix of “well-known food vendors, local treasures, fresh food purveyors and food makers.” The developers said they could not yet share who the vendors might be. The project was expected to open in 2019, and spokespeople for it said they don’t have an updated timeline.

Details: 700 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; thedaytonsproject.com

Vinai

Chef Yia Vang of Union Hmong Kitchen, who has been doing pop-ups around the cities for years and has garnered a lot of attention for his innovative approach to his native food, is in a very active search for a bricks-and-mortar location. Vang, a St. Paul resident, will call his new concept Vinai, which is the name of the Thai refugee camp where he was born. In the tradition of Hmong hospitality, the restaurant will focus on communal dining, and the center of the Vinai kitchen will be a wood-fire grill, a method of cooking Vang learned from his father.

He’s in the process of selecting a location (here’s hoping it’s in his hometown!) and will be launching a crowd-funding campaign in February to help pay for the opening. Vang’s impressive resume includes stints at Nighthawks, Borough and Spoon & Stable before he started his pop-up run. The Kickstarter campaign will begin Feb. 4, with a launch party from 6-8 p.m. at Able Seedhouse and Brewing, 1121 Quincy St. N.E., Minneapolis.

Chicken Guy

Since the first location debuted in Disney Springs in 2018, Guy Fieri of the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” fame along with restaurateur Robert Earl have been adding locations of their fast-casual chicken tenders concept ever since. Now, a Mall of America outpost is getting ready to open, becoming the Chickey Guy’s fifth location and first in the Midwest. Look for a menu of chicken tenders brined in lemon juice, pickle juice and buttermilk with choices of 20 signature sauces along with salads, sandwiches and sides. While an official opening date has not been set, the spot is expected to open soon.

Details: Mall of America, third level, north end; chickenguy.com

Wafels and Dinges

Also expected to open soon at the Mall of America is Wafels & Dinges. The New York-based outfit that became famous for spreading the joy of its Belgian waffles all over New York including Central Park, Times Square and Bryant Park via food trucks and kiosks, will soon get a Minnesota address. Not only should it appease authentic “Liège style” Belgian waffles aficionados, but those looking for a coffee, espresso, ice cream shake or lemonade fix, too.

Details: Mall of America, third level, west end; wafels.com

Unnamed Birchwood/Farmer’s Union project

A new partnership between Birchwood Cafe and the Minnesota Farmers’ Union will open in the former Spoonriver space in Minneapolis.

Birchwood Cafe, which has assisted with the growing food presence at the Minnesota Farmers Union stand at the Minnesota State Fair, will focus on local, seasonal and sustainably sourced ingredients at the new restaurant. The collaboration with 14,000 farmers in the union puts a whole new spin on the farm-to-table movement.

Local design firm Shea will help re-create the space. Further concept and menu details will be forthcoming. The new restaurant is scheduled to open in 2020.

Details: 750 Second St. S., Minneapolis