jP American Bistro Closed

Sucks.

jP American Bistro got killed by the City of Minneapolis and their inability to efficiently execute a road construction job. Their last day of business was this past Sunday. Chef owner JP Samuelson is quoted in this blog entry on MinnesotaMonthly.com:

"The construction [endless, at Lake and Lyndale] finally got to us. With the economy, the construction, Minneapolis property taxes--after our first year, because the property had been redone, our taxes went up by three-thousand dollars a month. Nobody had budgeted for that. The construction was supposed to happen in one year, but they came back and started on Lake Street, and at some point you have to cut your losses."

I'll miss your smoked paprika fries, JP. And your margherita pizza, and your vegetarian seasonal pastas. Come back soon.

There was also that one restaurant that opened for a week then closed because of the construction: Arona's, is it? I'm sure all the restaurants on that corner are having a tough time. Sad to see such a good one go.  I hope my boy Blake at The Herkimer is doing alright, especially since he's about to open moto-i in the old Machu Picchu space.

Comments

[David Foureyes]

Lame. This was our Sunday go-to spot for what was probably the best half-priced wine night in town (their markup was so reasonable it made the wines less than retail). We know Andrew has moved on to new things, and wish the best for the rest of the staff as well. jP's will be missed.

[geoff]

moto-i website fails the most basic test of effectiveness...doesn't answer the question, "what is it / what does it do?"

I assume it's a japanese restaurant of some sort...but I shouldn't have to assume anything, should I?

[Alexis]

Geoff, most of the information is in Rick Nelson's August 20th column:

Blake Richardson, owner of the Herkimer (2922 Lyndale Av. S., theherkimer.com), is channeling his fascination for Japanese pop culture into a speakeasy-style bar and cafe just a few doors down from his popular brewpub.

Although the chef's name is still under wraps, the menu takes its cues from Asian street foods -- ramen bowls, dumplings, beef bulgolgi, squid jerky -- with most prices falling in the $10-and-under range. Following another Minneapolis trend, the restaurant will feature an open-air rooftop venue. Smart & Associates, the Minneapolis architecture firm (and the crew behind nearby Fuji Ya) is handling the design duties. Richardson says there's more, but he's not sharing what that is ... yet. Stayed tuned.

There should be another Nelson column coming out soon to accompany moto-i's opening later this month (I believe). As for business, I heard from Blake today:

We are actually doing well and enjoying growth over last year. I feel
pretty lucky for all of the obvious reasons.

It is a bummer about JP. They were a great neighbor. And the furthest
thing from being competition. They were our ally in so many ways.

[geoff]

sounds like a cool place.

[JStone]

jP's calamari with an Asian twist was my favorite ... Hope Andrew is doing OK. We had many fine meals there over the years. Miss it already.

[Brian]

I made the Moto i preview this weekend and, yes, it is cool. Doors should have opened at noon today so, check it out. Food is good, especially the small plates, and the Sake is amazing. Hats off to Blake and his crew.