Harry's Closes - Mill City Times Exclusive

Harry's Food & Cocktails Closes Doors.

Another scoop for Mill City Times.  I guess the reports of Harry's demise were not so exaggerated after all.  A reader tipped me to a twitter update, which linked to Harry's Facebook page (see below).  Kim and I will be stopping by tonight to see if anyone is still around to fill in the details.  We'll miss the staff and Sunday afternoon food and drink on the patio.

Screenshot from Harry's Facebook page -

Update on Monday, September 27, 2010 at 4:48PM by David Tinjum

I stopped by Harry's at about Noon today to see if anyone was still around, and ran into Co-Founder Adam Smith.  We had a lengthy discussion, which I'll be writing about in a future post.  I'll also reach out to landlord CSM for their perspective on the demise of Harry's Food & Cocktails.  I also expect to hear from some of Harry's management team, according to Mr. Smith.

For now, however, 30 great people are unemployed.  Below is a brief chat with Amanda, while she was still employed:

Baby's First Joke

Why did the tomato blush?

Wait for it...wait for it...

"He saw the salad dressing"

Taken at the Aquatennial Riverfest at Mill Ruins Park in the Mill District of Minneapolis.

This Weekend in Mill City / September 24-26

Events this weekend in and around the Historic Mill District of Minneapolis:

Friday, September 24

Guthrie Backstage Tour

The Soap Factory $99 Sale

Live Music at 501 Club

Exploring Wines from Chile and Argentina

Saturday, September 25

Live Music at 501 Club

Discover Saturday: Magical World of Theatre at the Children's Library

Guthrie Backstage Tour

How'd They Do That Workshop at the Guthrie - The Master Butchers Singing Club

Mill City Oktoberfest

Surdyk's Amateur Iron Fork Competition

Sunday, September 26

Guthrie Backstage Tour

Family Tour: Riverfront Quest

Live Music at 501 Club

Vikings and Lions at the Dome

Weekend Brunch

Saturday

Brunch at Spoonriver

Reservations recommended

10:00am - 2:00pm

See the menu

Sunday

Brunch at Spill the Wine
1101 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-339-3388

brunch buffet 10am- 2pm Sunday
$12/person (kids 3 and under eat free, 4-12 years are 1/2 price!)

includes: eggs, bacon, french toast, hash browns, fresh salad and fruit, pastries, build your own omlette bar and more...

featuring absolut bloody bar for $5.

also offering fair trade coffee and full bar.

Saturday & Sunday

501 Club Hash House Brunch

Spare Change / Hip-Hop at The MacPail Center for Music

Here's a video from their performance at MacPhail in mid September.  Hip-Hop at the MacPhail Center for Music, who'd have predicted that?  Kim and I attended, and were impressed - but you do lose a little in translation from live performance to video (especially recorded on a Flip HD).

Spare Change came together for a joint summer program from MacPhail and McNally Smith College of Music.  The second song on this clip is pretty catchy.

Mill District Non-Profits to Provide Educational Opportunities to Twin Cities Students

The Mill City Museum and the McKnight Foundation, two cornerstones of the Mill District on the Minneapolis Riverfront, are working together to offer free admission to the museum.  What a great opportunity to learn about the colorful history of birthplace of Minneapolis.  We take tours at MCM frequently, and think they do an outstanding job of entertaining while educating.

Details below are from the Minneapolis Public Schools Staff Hotline website:

MPS K-12 Teachers: Free admission to Mill City Museum!
Mill City Museum offers a wide range of educational opportunities for Minnesota's K-12 students. Thanks to the gracious support of The McKnight Foundation, Mill City Museum is able to offer free museum admission and partially subsidized busing for students from qualified public schools. To qualify, schools must be from the Twin Cities metro area, have at least 50 percent of their students enrolled in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program and visit the museum in January, February or March. Registration begins October 1 for schools that did not receive a McKnight Foundation Scholarship last year. Schools that visited the museum on the scholarship last year are welcome to apply starting October 15. Space is limited. Please call 612.341.7556 or e-mail mcmschedulingoffice@mnhs.org for details or to register. Book online at www.millcitymuseum.org.

New Website Launched for Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition

Ok, it's not much yet, but the design competition for the Minneapolis' upper riverfront (the area extending from the Stone Arch Bridge to Minneapolis' northern city limits, along both sides of the Mississippi River) has it's own website now.

Not much there except the key dates for the competition, a link to a project description document and a link to the RFQ.  I hope they publish the design entries and keep us up-to-date on the competition.

Pictured below is the area of focus (shaded yellow) for the competition.

This Weekend in Mill City / September 17-19, 2010

It's another busy weekend in Mill City, my home town.  Events this weekend in and around the Historic Mill District of Minneapolis:

Friday, September 17

Tater Tot Hotdish at Mill City Market & Deli

Midwest Photo Safari "Minneapolis Nights" on the Heritage TrailGuthrie Backstage Tour

Guthrie Backstage Tour

Live Music at the 501 Club

Saturday, September 18

Mill City Farmers Market - Happy Birthday

Secondhand Hounds Walk on Washington

Childish Films - ROCK AND READ at the Central Library

Guthrie Backstage Tour

Midwest Photo Safari St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail Tours

White vs. Whole Wheat: A Tale of Two Flours

Grown Near Home: Make A Salad

Ben Frost & Tim Hecker at the Southern Theater

Pop-up Building Books at Minnesota Center for Book Arts

Live Music at the 501 Club

Sunday, September 19

Minneapolis Riverfront Walking Tour

Minneapolis Bike Tour

Guthrie Backstage Tour

Twin Cities Heritage Ukrainian Festival

Vikings and Dolphins at the Dome

Weekend Brunch

Saturday

Brunch at Spoonriver

Reservations recommended

10:00am - 2:00pm

See the menu

Sunday

Brunch at Spill the Wine
1101 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-339-3388

brunch buffet 10am- 2pm Sunday
$12/person (kids 3 and under eat free, 4-12 years are 1/2 price!)

includes: eggs, bacon, french toast, hash browns, fresh salad and fruit, pastries, build your own omlette bar and more...

featuring absolut bloody bar for $5.

also offering fair trade coffee and full bar.

Park Vista Development Clears Another Hurdle

Updated on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 4:39PM by David Tinjum

The Minneapolis City Planning Commission met last week and approved several items needed by Shamrock Development for the condo project to move forward.  Below are the items from the action report of the Minneapolis City Planning Commission Regular Meeting held on September 7, 2010:

Click to read more ...

MacPhail Center CEO is Departing to the Minnesota Humanities Center

From the MacPhail website -

September 8, 2010 -- David O’Fallon, CEO of MacPhail Center for Music, has accepted the position of President of the Minnesota Humanities Center, beginning November 1. The visionary leader and advocate for music education joined MacPhail as CEO in 2002. During his tenure, MacPhail has become the premier center for music education in the Upper Midwest with a new signature building, more than 60 community partnerships, an innovative music therapy program serving nearly 1,000 people, and enrollment that tops 8,400 students.

According to board chair Andrea Kmetz-Sheehy, David’s greatest achievement at MacPhail is the strong organization that he leaves behind. “MacPhail's programs, its leadership team and faculty, its committed supporters, and its financial position have never been healthier. We are poised to extend our reach to an even broader base of people, thanks in large part to the foundation that David helped build over the last eight years.”

The Humanities Center will give O’Fallon a broad platform from which to continue to advocate for all forms of music and arts. “We are enthusiastic about this next phase of David’s career, and we know that he will continue to be a friend of MacPhail as well as a strong proponent of our mission” Kmetz-Sheehy said.

MacPhail’s directors are determining a succession plan and the process that will bring forward the organization’s next leader. O’Fallon will remain with MacPhail through the end of October.

Contact: Barb Plunkett, MacPhail Center for Music  612-767-5532. 

Free Hip Hop Concert Tonight at the MacPhail Center for Music

7:00 PM Tonight - Hip-hop summer camp students from McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul and MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis are collaborating for a Hip Hop Concert on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. featuring performances by both groups. The concert will be held in Antonello Hall at MacPhail. Admission is free.

The MacNally Smith Hip-Hop camp was held June 26 – July 1, with 36 students ages 13-21. At camp the students studied hip-hop production, hip-hop performance, and music business. Instructors at MacNally Smith included Sean’ Twinkie Jiggles’ McPherson, Brandon and Zach Bagaason, Toki Wright, Frank Sentwali, and Joseph Mabbott.

MacPhail’s Hip-Hop Camp was held Aug. 23-17 with 16 students ages 12-17. During the week students studied beat making, lyric writing, stage presence, mic technique and beat boxing, with a final performance at the historic Capri Theater. Instructors included Desdamona, TruthMaze, Tish Jones and Carnage.

For more information about the concert call MacPhail at 612-321-0100

View Larger Map

City of Minneapolis Seeks Development Proposals for Parcel in Mill District

Note: This property is adjacent to the proposed Park Vista condo development we reported on.

From the Minneapolis Department of Community Planning & Economic Development:

The City of Minneapolis is seeking development proposals for a vacant lot it owns, located at 1100 2nd Street South, one of the last parcels available in the Mill District. The site has spectacular views of Gold Medal Park, Guthrie Theater, and the Mississippi riverfront. It offers great access to downtown, open space, trails, transit, Interstates 35W and 94, parking facilities, and other amenities. Since a range of commercial and/or residential uses are permitted on the site, the City seeks proposals that maximize the number of jobs and/or housing units created to support the overall contribution to the City tax base. Proposed uses should also contribute to the vibrancy of the Mill District area. The City will sell the property "as‐is."

More info and a link to the RFP

Park Vista Condos Looking Like a Go

The Department of Community Planning and Economic Development – Planning Division issued their recomendation yesterday to approve all aspects of the Park Vista Condo development, except for the zoning variance request to have more than maximum allowed number of parking spaces per unit.

This development by Shamrock Development will demolish 2 abandoned 1 story commerical buildings at 110 and 124 12th Avenue South and 1102 2nd Street South on the East end of the Mill District.

The Council met yesterday, we'll report on the results later this week.

Read the entire report here...

American Academy of Neurology and ArtSpace Projects Looking Like They'll Get the Green Light

The American Academy of Neurology and ArtSpace development projects proposed for the 800 block of Washington Avenue South, across from the Guthrie have been recommended by the Minneapolis City Planning Commission for approval.  This will be a great addition to the Mill City neighborhood.  The land sale by the city and the subdivision into 2 parcels has been recommended.  Read the full report here...

The Reports of Harry's Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated

Ever since the story in the Downtown Journal in July, people have been asking what's happening with Harry's Food & Cocktails.  Is it true they're closing?  When are they closing?  So Kim and I decided to stop by Harry's see how they're doing.

(on this trip last week there was a line outside the door waiting to get in)

Pretty well, I think.  Based on conversations with various sources over the last several weeks, they may be here for a long time to come:

They've weathered the loss of the Twins to the other side of downtown

They have an awesome staff who have all been there since before we moved to the neighborhood, a real team

Business is pretty good

They have 5 years left on their lease

They DO NOT plan to close the doors

The contrast from the Downtown Journal story is perplexing.  2 months ago the article stated "They will soon be shutting their business down" yet they're still here with no plans to close, and by all accounts doing well.

We love the staff (and the food!) at Harry's, so I want to know what's really going on.  At best, the way this has been publicly handled is just plain wrong.  At worst...I won't speculate here, but I will say that if this turns out to be a corporate power play to take over the business, Kim and I will never set foot in the door of the new establishment.  I bet we wouldn't be alone.

I think there's much more to this story than what's been published, stay tuned. 

Signs of Mill City

Ceresota Flour

Traffic Armageddon, Not

The media blitz ahead of the September 2nd dual Twins and Vikings games seems to have paid off, at least in the Mill City area.  Every newspaper, radio station, TV station, and local web site published repeated warnings and advice on how to get to the games and avoid gridlock.  The shot below is looking down Washington Ave. S. from in front of Mill City Market and Deli on 10th and Washington, towards downtown.  Time is 5:30PM.  Traffic heading out of downtown Minneapolis seemed a bit heavier than usual, but I did not observe any gridlock.

This Weekend in Mill City / September 3-5, 2010

Events this weekend in and around the Historic Mill District of Minneapolis:

Friday, September 3

September 3, 2010 - Live Music at the 501 Club

Saturday, September 4

September 4, 2010, Saturday - Minneapolis Riverfront Walking Tour

September 4, 2010 - Live Music at the 501 Club

September 4, 2010 Saturday - Italian Cultural Center at the Mill City Farmers Market

Sunday, September 5

Architecture Tour of the Guthrie Theater

Brunch at Spill the Wine
1101 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-339-3388

brunch buffet 10am- 2pm Sunday
$12/person (kids 3 and under eat free, 4-12 years are 1/2 price!)

includes: eggs, bacon, french toast, hash browns, fresh salad and fruit, pastries, build your own omlette bar and more...

featuring absolut bloody bar for $5.

also offering fair trade coffee and full bar.

Mill City Cornerstones Mentioned on Arts.gov

NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman is spending 6 months traveling around the country to learn how art works in neighborhoods and towns across America.

(left to right - (l-r) Justin Huenemann, NACDI President and CEO; Sue Gens, Minnesota State Arts Board Executive Director; Heid Erdrich, Author; and Vickie Benson, McKnight Foundation Arts Programming Director (and President of the Board of Directors, Grantmakers in the Arts).

He just returned from a tour of the Twin Cities, where his host was the McKnight Foundation, right here in the Mill District.  He also spent time visting the Guthrie Theater and the MacPhail Center for Music:

We began our next day, in Minneapolis, with a breakfast at the McKnight Foundation, our host throughout the day. I met Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis, who’s been there a long time and really gets it. We talked about how you have to have a local political structure that’s dialed in, and Mayor Rybak totally understands the importance of the arts in the community. He was very generous with his time, very open and welcoming.

After breakfast, we took a tour of the impressive Guthrie Theater with my old friend Joe Dowling, and then we had a tour of the MacPhail Center for Music with David O’Fallon. At MacPhail, they’re doing a lot of interesting work with music and cognition and the role of music and art—both in very early child development and in geriatrics. We’re hoping that that may be a point of intersection with us and with the Department of Health and Human Services, and we want to know much more about the work the center is doing.

Read the whole article on Arts.gov - http://www.arts.gov/artworks/?p=3816

Signs of Mill City

From Grumpy's

McKnight Foundation Names 2010 Awards Winners

One of the award winners, Jerry Fleischaker of Minneapolis.

The McKnight Foundation, located in the Historic Mill District of Minneapolis, announced the 2010 Virginia McKnight Binger Awards in Human Service recipients yesterday.  The awards are described in a press release on August 25, 2010:

The $10,000 awards honor Minnesota residents who give their time to improve the lives of people in their communities. This year's recipients include a restorative justice program provider who serves youth offenders; a street outreach advocate for the homeless; a provider of stable, dignified housing to low-income families; a childcare provider offering nurturing care to infants and toddlers in need; a coordinator of a biking program for victims of torture; and a community builder with more than 30 years of direct service engagement.

The Star Tribune did a profile on Jerry Fleischaker here.

View the press release here...