In early December 2010, Native Minnesotans -- and brothers -- Andrew and Adam Sieve opened Hazel's Northeast (named for their grandmother) on the corner of 29th Avenue and Johnson Street in NE Minneapolis, just two doors up from Amici Pizza and Bistro. As luck would have it, the restaurant's opening weekend was the same weekend as one of the largest Minnesota blizzards on record, with more than 17 inches of snow. Amazingly, people came. Remembering the opening, Andrew shook his head and smiled. "We had cross-country skis and sleds out front. We hoped people would embrace Hazel's, but never expected a response like that!"
Local residents weren't the only ones cheering on Andrew and Adam. Jodi and Jenni Lund from The Coffee Shop Northeast wished them good luck on opening morning, as did the women at Sarah Jane's Bakery, who asked for takeout menus to give to their customers. Sam from Easy Way Foods offered his own sign to advertise. Clearly, the neighborhood was glad to have Hazel's, which was a relief, since it had almost ended up in the suburbs instead.
Turkey CommercialThe Sieves grew up in Alexandria, Minnesota, where their father and uncle have owned the Traveler's Inn for forty years. Adam, Andrew, and their seven brothers and cousins all worked at the Traveler's Inn while they were growing up, learning the ropes of the food and service business. When the brothers decided to open their own place last year, they knew they wanted a strong neighborhood that felt a little old-fashioned. The space formerly occupied by Pop in Northeast Minneapolis -- where they eventually ended up -- was the first they looked at. While they liked Northeast Minneapolis, their father worried the kitchen was too small. So the brothers looked in the southern suburbs and the western suburbs; they looked as far north as Blaine. Many of the places they saw were in strip malls, and others were plain old "big boxes." None of them had the community feel Andrew and Adam wanted. They returned to the Pop space and decided they'd rather have a small kitchen in Northeast Minneapolis than a big one somewhere else.
One of the first things the brothers did was hire several alumni from Pop, which explains why many of the friendly faces look familiar. Currently Andrew and Adam are almost the only Hazel employees who don't live in Northeast Minneapolis, but that's just for now. Andrew is hoping to rent or buy in Audubon Park this spring. A few of Andrew's photographs decorate the walls, along with works by other local artists, like Linnea Doyle. Along with the art, all of the beer at Hazel's is sourced locally, including Liftbridge, Fulton, Summit, Rush River, and Grain Belt Nordeast.
Banana French ToastBut don't just go for the beer. When I asked Andrew if a particular niche has developed since they opened, he laughed and said they're as likely to have someone order the fish special and a bottle of wine as they are to get an order for a burger and beer. Some of the menu items have quickly gained popular followings. At breakfast, it's the Banana French Toast and Hippie Cakes -- pancakes infused with house-made granola and topped with berry compote. Be sure to get a cup of coffee, which will be attentively refilled; the beans are roasted by Truestone in St. Paul. At lunch, the Audubon Sandwich is tops; it's a turkey club on Sarah Jane's Bakery's wild-rice/cranberry bread. At dinner, their Turkey Commercial is a mountain of turkey over mashed potatoes with gravy on top of thick-cut toast. The market fish, sourced from The Fish Guys, is a frequent choice for diners looking for something more refined, like a recent special of Nantucket Striped Sea Bass with Sweet Potato Cake, Green Pea Puree, and Haricots Verts.
Andrew rubbed his eyes a few times while we talked -- Hazel's is open seven days a week (including three meals a day Monday through Saturday), and it's been an intense first few months for him and his brother. They're hoping for a few days off in the near future.
Another goal is to include more locally sourced food. Hazel's currently buys food from Appert's, a Minnesota supplier of food for independent restaurants that the Sieve family has worked with for decades. While Appert's works with local suppliers, they also source from across the country. Going into spring and summer, the Hazel's kitchen team hope to shop the weekly farmers' market at 27th Avenue and Johnson Street NE, and to work with Appert's to include an increasing number of local foods.
For now, though, Adam and Andrew say they're overwhelmed by the positive reception they've gotten from the Audubon Park neighborhood. With a growing set of regulars, Hazel's hopes to be an accessible neighborhood spot serving classic diner food with a few surprises.
Hazel's Northeast is located at:
2859 Johnson St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
612.788.4778
Hours:
Monday to Thursday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for brunch.
Kristin Boldon is a frequent contributor for Simple, Good and Tasty, who also writes for the Eastside Food Cooperative's newsletter on health and wellness, and for her own blog Girl Detective. Her last post for us was "Feeding the Family: Simple Good and Tasty Oats."
