By all indications, it would appear that Twin Citians are living in a vegan golden age.

Think about it. There was last years debut of the runaway success story that is the Herbivorous Butcher. Then theres last months opening of J. Selbys in St. Paul, a plant-based restaurant that was so flattened by its enthusiastic opening weekend response that it had to close for a few days to regroup (its back open).

Now comes the news that Colin Anderson, the entrepreneur who launched the Twin Cities first vegan croissant pop-up in April, has already landed a brick-and-mortar home for his Eureka Compass Vegan Food. Even better: hes not limited himself to dairy-free laminated dough pastries.

After receiving a warm welcome at his pop-up last month, Andersons original plan was to start slow by tapping the kitchen of a St. Paul pizzeria during its otherwise dormant nights.

But in the interim, opportunity knocked: Eden Pizza quietly went out of business. Now Anderson plans to use the space located at 629 Aldine St. in St. Pauls Hamline-Midway neighborhood -- for a series of vegan-focused dining options. He already has plenty of plans for his one-man, 12-seat show.

Im really inspired by Japanese sushi counters, where theres one chef behind the counter, and hes doing all the food preparation, and talking to the guests, said Anderson. Thats what Im looking to do here.

In the mornings, the place will operate as a bakery counter, showcasing his vegan croissants, along with scones, muffins and other baked goodies. A limited-menu lunch could include a pair of entrees and a pair of salads.

Itll be a constantly rotating menu, he said. Ill be looking at whats available, and what looks good at the farmers market.

Monday and Tuesday dinners are another component of the plan. Anderson will use a ticketed model to sell prepaid reservations for a $40, five-course, family-style suppers.

The first will focus on that lowly but mighty staple of the world, rice, he said. It might include spring rolls with rice noodles, or a roasted biryani, or a simple tapioca rice pudding, or different pilafs, maybe using Minnesota wild rice, even though, yes, its a grass.

The point is, its an evolving business model. Theres a pizza oven there, so Ill probably be doing pizza at some point, he said. Maybe something like, Hey, its Friday, stop by for a classic New York slice, and a soda, for five bucks.

To demonstrate his butter-free baking prowess, Anderson is offering a two-day pop-up that will focus on pain au chocolat and croissants filled with raspberry preserves and cashew-based cream cheese, at $4 a pop (they're pictured, top). Hot, right out of the oven,said Anderson. Hes got two dates lined up: 3 to 6 p.m. on Friday, May 26, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 27.

Meanwhile, if all goes as planned including a Kickstarter campaign with a $25,000 goal Anderson hopes to have the facility up and running by mid-July.

Original post:

A vegan bakery (croissants!) and restaurant is landing in St. Paul - Minneapolis Star Tribune