Hot news for old places: New names and faces from Picosa to Saffron and more

PICOSA SPICES UP FOR A THIRD ROUND…Ah, yes, as the old saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun,” and I sure have had lots of fun over the past 20-plus years at that inviting riverside restaurant, Yvette, that opened in Riverplace in 1984. It was a setting made in heaven. Chicago-based owner Bobby D’jahanguiri and his brother, Mozy, were already famous in the windy city for their jazz supper club with duo pianos. Our version here, with its riverside setting, would feature the local West brothers at the duo keyboards, great bistro-style food, and sidewalk seating with a million-dollar-view of the sparkling city skyline. It was a smash hit and would draw regulars for lunch and dinner from around town, from the business community to local politicians at city hall with the likes of John Derus, Louie DeMars and past Mayor Al Hofstede, to name a few. Their names, along with another two dozen fans and regulars, were immortalized on the wall behind the bar for more than 20 years, mine included. Forgive me for a moment of nostalgia.

Yes, I have a soft spot for this space. I was a real fan and a working partner on their PR projects off and on over the years, helping the brothers at their 1984 opening (one of my first projects) and again 10 years later in their transition. They were famous for holidays and New Year’s, too, when you could see the fireworks over the river from the best seat in town. In 1994, it was Round Two, with brother Mozy and cousin Tony Raissian taking the reins and renaming the space Sophia’s, “Where music was always on the menu” (my slogan, I’m pleased to say). And they continued to offer great, local jazz music for the next decade. In May 2004, we all toasted their 20th year of business, and by September 2004 I hosted my own 20th year-in-business party at Sophia’s for clients and friends, and saw Tony Raissian, who now ran the biz by himself, was looking to retire. He added some new investors and finally sold. He was gone by fall of last year, and by December 2006 they closed—missing New Years’ Eve and the fireworks for the first time in more than two decades.

Now the third round brings us an exciting new dining experience. It’s Picosa (pea-ko-sa, which means a little spicy one) thanks to the new chef and owner, Lindell Mendoza, who wants to create a “nuevo Latino” flavor in menu and music. It’s a perfect choice and setting with his heritage and talent. He’s a first generation American with Mexican parents. He grew up in Chicago, and interned in restaurants and hotels, including the Chicago Four Seasons property after his schooling at Joliet.

It seems like fate—Lindell told me taking over the old Yvette has nostalgic feelings for him because he was at the grill as a cook for the Chicago Yvette as a young chef in 1984. If his name (or face) is familiar it may mean you’ve crossed his path sometime in the past eight years when he was at Hotel Sofitel. Lindell was an executive chef for four and half years, then was Food & Beverage Manager for another 4 years.

In June 2006 he left Sofitel to seek entrepreneurial dreams. He and his wife Jennifer opened the cozy Beyond the Bean coffee shop with a gourmet touch inside the Riverplace office complex. He created light breakfasts, lunches with fancy sandwiches, pastas and soups on site for the building offices and neighbors. Plus, he was adopted by the condo owners in the area for in-home catering and private special events. It was after his success this past year that the landlord asked if he’d like to tackle the 6,000 square foot Sophia space. Lindell grabbed a friend and business partner, Dominique Ransay, for assistance and then grabbed his hammer and apron with a goal of opening the doors this spring.

When I stopped by to say hello last month, they were in the midst of their remodeling and hoped to be open by Cinco de Mayo, (which happens to be a Saturday this year) with a robust celebration for the Mexican Independence Day. It would be perfect! He says his menu will not be Mexican or Spanish but a mix of the new Latin classics with lots of fresh seafood and fresh fruits and vegetables from yucca and jicama to papaya for sauces and accents.

“We hope to be a popular setting for music, cocktails and great food at lunch and dinner with a larger dance floor as well,” he added. And with that view, how can he lose. Ooh la la—or should I say, Olé!


TOAST MORE HOT COLOR AT SOFITEL…Speaking of the Sofitel in Bloomington, they’ve made a few new changes themselves. When you walk into the Fougasse Bar alongside the east side of the hotel (facing their summer sidewalk café) you’ll spot lots of new hot, deep colors. And no, I don’t mean their May flowers are out—although they are famous for the largest and most colorful hanging flower baskets I’ve ever seen on the patio when summer gets rolling. No, the color is coming from the back bar, with a new wall of colors. Think deep red, lemon yellow, hot pink, lime green, deep blue, fuchsia, aqua, orange and shamrock green to name a few. These are just some of the colors that now surround you thanks to the back-lit colored bottles of Level Vodka stacked to the ceiling. They set the stage for the new theme and new name, Level, for La Fougasse’s martini bar. They also added rich, red leather sofa sections in cozy groupings around small glass tables offering the perfect setting for lingering, sitting and sipping.

Manager Sunil Yaradi pointed out the fun little Level Vodka Martini Menu, which asks at the top, “Do you like it shaken or stirred?” There are martinis like the Ice Fishing, (made with tea and rum) or the Flirtini (one of my favorites with vodka, cointreau a touch of pineapple and champagne for bubble), and many more. French Executive Chef Serge Devesa, a native of Marseille, reminded me that you can always order any of the fun Fougasse signature dishes in the bar like his famous bouillabaisse or those tempting three-tiered appetizer trees. And, of course, you always get their free signature rings of Fougasse (baked bread) from the open pizza oven. A perfect pit stop and oasis away from the hectic 494 and Highway 100 traffic any afternoon. Cheers!


HOT NEWS AT OLD JAZZMINE’S…Another old place with a new face can be found in the Minneapolis warehouse district, just across the street from the popular 112 Eatery on North Third Street. The 112 is owned by the husband and wife team of Chef Isaac Becker and Manager Nancy St. Pierre. They’ve been successful and very busy for dinner since opening in 2005. When guests get backed up waiting at the busy 112, they can take a short walk across the street and find a nice surprise at the new Saffron Restaurant & Lounge where Jazzmine’s (and Café Solo) used to be. The red brick office building, with the entrance a short half-flight up from the street, offers guests a dining setting with a wall of big windows that give a great view of the street action.

I found another familiar family team heading up this new Mediterranean menu with a Moroccan twist. Chef/Owner Sameh Wadi and his brother, Saed, who is managing partner, opened Saffron just a few months ago. Sameh, an Art Institutes International culinary school graduate, had great training at the elbow of Tim McKee (of La Belle Vie and Solera) for a couple of years before he cooked at Nick and Tony’s and the Europa. Still in his early 20s, he may be the youngest chef/owner in town, and he’s working hard to make guests happy.

Chef Sameh tells me he chose the name Saffron due to the deep, rich colors of this exotic spice, which he uses in many of his Middle East and Mediterranean recipes for lunch and dinner. They even have a tasty Saffrontini with a saffron syrup, vodka and blood orange on the drink list—try one (and others) on the cheap from 4 to 6 p.m. The setting is peaceful with white tablecloths and candlelit tables each evening, and the room has been painted in saffron spice’s warm, burnished red tone. The brothers chose a beautiful Moroccan pattern for graphic stencils on the windows that soften the daylight and reflect the candle glow in the evening.

On our evening visit we just made a small dent in the menu with tasting size portions from the mezze and small plates listings. There are also half a dozen choices on the entrée list and a short dessert menu. We tried braised beef ravioli, fried clams and scallops with saffron, some veggie fritters, cauliflower flan (as delicate as a dessert) and a foie gras pate that the chef heats on top with a quick glaze and rose petal jam that rivals my favorite seared foie gras. Cheers to the Wadi brothers’ first venture—it looks like a winner! You can see the full menu on their Web site, too, at www.saffronmpls.com.