18 recent restaurant and takeout-kitchen openings in the Twin Cities

Even while dining rooms remain closed, more restaurants, pop-ups and ghost kitchens are launching in the Twin Cities. Here are a few recent additions. Stay current on openings and closings with our restaurant roll call.

Bebe Burger: A weekend-only burger trailer outside the ice cream shop Bebe Zito has been drawing long lines for brisket-and-bacon patties topped with gooey American cheese, for only $5.95. (704 W. 22nd St., Mpls., bebezitomn.com)

Brother Justus Whiskey Co.: The six-year-old craft distillery, which has been riding out COVID-19 by making and donating hand sanitizer with two other local distilleries as a founder of All Hands MN, has scaled up. The company opened a 14,000-square-foot spot overlooking Columbia Park and Golf Course in northeast Minneapolis. The new distillery and whiskey-focused cocktail room is now offering takeout whiskey and cheese pairings from House of Gristle. (3300 NE. 5th St., Mpls., brotherjustus.com)

Burgers & Birds: A new ghost kitchen operating from Book Club in Minneapolis' Armatage neighborhood offers six kinds of chargrilled burgers, wood-fired grilled chicken and sides. (Delivery only, burgersnbirds.com)

Clucker's Crispy Fried Chicken: Kaskaid Hospitality has made room in its Crave restaurant kitchens for a second delivery-only side project devoted to fried chicken meals and sides. The chicken is brined in sweet tea and buttermilk, and only lightly spiced for "Midwesterners' moderate palates." (Delivery only, crispycluckers.com)

Cocktail Lounge at Skaalvenn Distillery: Inspired by the distillery owners' trips to Japan, this new cocktail lounge merges Japanese flavors with its own Minnesota vodka, rum, habañero rum, aquavit and bourbon. When on-premises consumption resumes, the speakeasy-like bar will be a reservations-only affair. (8601 73rd Av. N., Brooklyn Park, skaalvenn.com)

Dirty Sams: Monello, the modern Italian restaurant in downtown Minneapolis (and its basement counterpart Constantine) kept two of its pastas on the menu. Otherwise, it's taken on a new name — Dirty Sams — and put out a new menu of hearty sandwiches that could easily feed a family. (1115 2nd Av. S., Mpls., monellompls.com)

Fire & Nice Alehouse: Nearly two years after a fire delayed plans to open in the former Heyday spot, this pizza-and-beer restaurant has finally launched with thin-crust, wood-fired pies to go. Pizzas are named after Minnesota icons: the Prince is topped with figs, Gorgonzola and prosciutto; the Kirby Puckett with goat cheese cream sauce and spicy fennel sausage. Appetizers of roasted garlic cheese bread and roasted vegetables and beer to go round out the menu. (2700 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., fireandnicemn.com)

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill: Gyros, rice bowls and salads can be customized with loads of proteins — lamb, shrimp, salmon, falafel and more — at this expanding national fast-casual chain that just opened its first Minnesota location in Maple Grove's Arbor Lakes. (7860 Main St., Maple Grove, thegreatgreekgrill.com)

Luce Line Brewing: Plymouth has its first craft brewery and taproom, which is now open for curbside pickup. Grab a crowler of Mesabi Iron Range Lager, Heartland hefeweizen, Sault Line Stout and more, along with a frozen pizza or chocolate chip cookies. (12901 16th Av. N., Plymouth, lucelinebrewing.com)

Med Box Grill: A longtime Turkish food truck in the Twin Cities has gone brick and mortar, with bowls and plates for doner kebabs, spicy chicken, falafel and more. (600 Market St., Chanhassen, medboxgrill.com)

Minny Row Market: This new boutique grocery in Hopkins puts an emphasis on Minnesota-made and ethically sourced foods from local vendors such as Quebracho empanadas, T-Rex Cookies, Rise bagels and cheese from Redhead Creamery. (740 Mainstreet, Hopkins, minnyrow.com)

Nucky's Speakeasy: State Sen. Jim Abeler has opened a Prohibition-era-inspired cocktail lounge in the basement of a historic former post office in downtown Anoka. It's just only offering takeout for now, but when indoor dining reopens, guests are encouraged to dress in 1920s attire to earn a discount. A small food menu includes sauteed prawns with steak bites, a meat and cheese board, wings and fries. A list of signature cocktails, classics and mocktails is much longer. (300 E. Main St., Anoka, nuckysspeakeasy.com)

Pluck'd: Chicken galore (both meat and plant-based) is on the new menu operating from First Draft, the pour-your-own tap bar with sandwiches, tenders, wings, bowls, fries and mini doughnuts. (324 6th Av. N., Mpls., firstdraftmn.com)

P.S. Noodles: A new ghost kitchen from Jester Concepts, P.S. Steak is now P.S. Noodles, with a lightly Japanese menu of ramen, yakisoba and dumplings. "We've learned a bit from the previous shutdown," DeCamp said. "We realized people don't really want to eat a $60 steak out of a cardboard box." (510 Groveland Av., Mpls., psmpls.com)

Revolver Ribs: Hot Indian chef Janene Holig's new rib-centric ghost kitchen delivers ribs in five flavors — for now, with more to come. On the first menu: kung pao, beer cheese, salt and vinegar, apple butter BBQ and Thanksgiving (stuffing spice rub with a side of gravy). (Delivery only, instagram.com/revolverribs)

Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks: Three years after the legendary St. Clair Broiler closed, a Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks opened in the storied space on the corner of St. Clair and Snelling avenues in St. Paul with Philly-style cheesesteaks and Sicilian-inspired thin-crust pizzas on the menu. It's Tono's second location; the first is in Maplewood. 1580 St. Clair Av., St. Paul, tonomn.com

Union Hmong Kitchen: Union Hmong Kitchen has moved to Mid-City Kitchen for takeout and delivery until chef Yia Vang's restaurant Vinai opens in spring 2021. Look for the usual favorites, such as Hmong hot dish and sticky rice, plus spins on bar food like fish sauce-soaked chicken wings and the "Hilltribe" fried chicken sandwich. (693 Raymond Av., St. Paul, unionkitchenmn.com)

Vivir: Chef/co-owner José Alarcon, with pastry chef Ngia Xiong, offers seasonally minded dishes, tortas and salads, guava glitter rolls and mole cupcakes and all-day breakfast at this Mexican market, deli and cafe in northeast Minneapolis, once home to Popol Vuh. (1414 NE. Quincy St., Mpls., vivirmpls.com)