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The Oak Grill recipes return to Minnesota as Social Kitchen
The Social Kitchen & Libations is located in the Macy’s at Ridgedale Center with a menu that Macy’s Regional Chef Brad Saylor says may look familiar.
MINNETONKA, Minn. — It was the place you’d stop to grab a bite to eat after holiday window shopping at the Dayton’s later turned Macy’s in downtown Minneapolis.
Judy Goldstein will never forget her first job back in 1959 working at the Oak Grill – back then it was a men’s only club. Judy tells us it was ‘THE’ exclusive place to dine and the most popular item on the menu was the Popovers.
“They were THE kitchen,” Judy said. “Dayton’s was known for its popovers long before I began working there. I had one for lunch today, and there was no translation in error in the original compared to what I had today.”
The Oak Grill got its start back in 1947 and served its last popovers and pot pies in 2017 – that is, until now.
“Macy’s has a tradition of food,” said Macy’s Regional Chef Brad Saylor. “We have been around for 115 years and the legacy restaurants in Minneapolis, like the River Room in St. Paul and the Sky Room in Minneapolis and the Oak Grill, we wanted to bring tradition to trend with a new restaurant but kind of a throwback to the old as well.”
The Social Kitchen & Libations is located in the Macy’s at Ridgedale Mall with a menu that Chef Saylor says may look familiar.
“If I had gone with grandma at holiday to the Oak Grill and the Popovers came to the table and the heat came out of it when I spread honey butter on it… it’s the memory,” said Chef Saylor. “I captured the memory in that moment so now I come back to a place like the Social, it’s like ‘Oh yeah that’s it, that’s the memory, I remember this food.’ It’s awesome.”
Chef Saylor has hundreds of Macy’s recipes in the company’s historic archives dating all the way back to the 1920’s including some known favorites:
Popovers with Honey Butter, Deli salads, like the popular Mandarin Chicken Salad, Pot Pies and Soups. Apparently what’s old is new again and still tastes great.
“We also have very trendy bold flavor items but we connected tradition to trend and that’s what’s really cool,” said Chef Saylor. “To walk around and see the smiles going ‘Oh popovers,’ this is cool.”
Something else people will remember – the original chandelier from the 12th floor of the downtown Minneapolis Dayton’s is now the centerpiece to the Social Kitchen. They added a modern cage to give it an updated vibe.
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The “Westopolis” name is meant to highlight the cities’ vibrancy and proximity to Minneapolis.
The marketing and tourism organization formerly known as Discover St. Louis Park has rebranded this fall with a bold, new name:
The organization, which launched in 2011 and grew to also incorporate Golden Valley in 2017, began using the “Westopolis” name this month. According to Westopolis President and CEO Becky Bakken, the name is designed to highlight the vibrancy and urban character of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which both border Minneapolis and have a combined population of nearly 75,000.
“A lot is behind the name,” Bakken said. “Westopolis just kept speaking to us. In this process, we really leaned into the fact that we are the closest neighbor to downtown Minneapolis. To be honest, we are closer to downtown than parts of Minneapolis are. And it really felt like our primary differentiator.”
Bakken said the change to “Westopolis” is also meant to help the organization communicate better with event planners and out-of-town vendors, who sometimes confuse “St. Louis Park” with St. Louis, MO. Between St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, the cities boast nine hotels with nearly 1,500 combined rooms, and the tourism organization now known as Westopolis plays a key role in drawing visitors and filling those rooms.
“When people are looking for a place to go, that aren’t from this area, they know the big city. They know Minneapolis. We wanted to make sure they knew how close we were to that, and once they’re here they discover all the other things,” Bakken said. “The name is unique, it’s different. It’s not on a map, we understand that. We think the name is edgy, and when we’re working with planners, they’re gonna lean in and say, ‘tell me more about this place.'”
This week, Westopolis is enjoying a nice boost from the Twin Cities Film Fest, a staple of St. Louis Park that draws talent and crew members to the city’s West End from across the country. It’s the kind of annual event that Westopolis would love to see more of in the coming years.
“The West End was sort of the rationale for why Discover St. Louis Park — and now Westopolis — exists. It’s this great area that is a real driver for visitors,” Bakken said. “But both communities have their thing. Golden Valley has a big chunk of Theodore Wirth that we love to claim, and Brookview that has a lot of outdoor activities, so we really like to lean into this urban oasis.”
To unveil the new brand, Westopolis rolled out a website and held a launch party this fall.
“Change is change, and that’s always interesting,” Bakken said, “but mostly people are really excited about the new name and we’re ready to market the new name.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey questioned the legality of the new measure while issuing his veto on Wednesday.
MINNEAPOLIS — The City of Minneapolis will move ahead with new carbon fees after a contentious back and forth at City Hall concluded with the council overriding the mayor’s veto.
The new fees, which target carbon emissions from city businesses, will be implemented on July 1, 2025, according to the council.
Minneapolis already has a pollution fee system, known as the Pollution Control Annual Registration or PCAR. The fees go into the city’s Green Cost Share program, helping pay the costs companies incur bringing down their emissions.
The current PCAR system covers emissions of other air pollutants, including volatile organic compounds, heavy particulates, and sulfur oxides, nitrous oxides, lead, and carbon monoxide. Companies are required to report their emissions levels to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which, in turn, charges fees of $100 per ton.
The City Council voted Oct. 2 to add carbon dioxide to the list. The resolution seeks to impose a $452 per ton fee for carbon dioxide.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey questioned the legality of the new measure while issuing his veto on Wednesday.
“I am all on board for PCAR fees—but it’s time the Council stops playing games and follows the processes in place to enact lasting change,” said Mayor Jacob Frey, in a statement to KARE.
Before his veto was overridden, Frey had told KARE that if the measure were to move forward, companies hit with the fees would likely sue the city and win.
Council Member Robin Wonsley, who co-authored the measure, took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to Frey’s veto on Wednesday night.
Wisconsin law enforcement said Katrina Baur, and her partner, Jesse Vang, are facing charges in connection with 3-year-old Elijah Vue’s death, including obstruction.
TWO RIVERS, Wis. — About a month after 3-year-old Elijah Vue’s remains were recovered from a private property in Wisconsin, state authorities announced Thursday that charges have been filed against the boy’s mother and her partner.
Wisconsin law enforcement said Katrina Baur, and her partner, Jesse Vang, are facing charges in connection with 3-year-old Elijah Vue’s death, including obstruction.
Vue went missing in February and it wasn’t until September that his body was recovered and identified.
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