Rochester —
Mill Valley Kitchen
Cooking is scheduled to begin on August 5th in downtown Rochester.
Mill Valley, a Minnesota-based brand, Chef Mike and Abby Rakunopens in the last occupied location In PescaraGround floor space at the Student Life Center at the University of Minnesota, Rochester
The Student Life Center, located at 150 South Broadway Ave., was formerly DoubleTree Hotel.
Pescara will close in April 2023 after 14 years in downtown Rochester.
After making a “significant investment” in refurbishing the space, the Lakuns describe the space's new décor as “airy, fresh, casual and contemporary, with soft whites and light woods throughout.”
In addition to a main dining room and bar area, the restaurant will have an open pizza oven and oyster bar. It will have seating for 150 people, with an additional 30 on the patio. When fully staffed, the restaurant is expected to employ approximately 75 people.
As the restaurant's name suggests, the casual yet upscale restaurant pays tribute to Northern California cuisine, a culinary style with an emphasis on thoughtfully, creatively crafted dishes made with fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients.
“We're always challenging ourselves to offer that rare combination of indulgent food without the guilt,” chef and owner Mike Lakun said in announcing the opening. “We focus on using fresh herbs, spices and seasonal ingredients to bring out the best flavor in each dish.”
He explained that Mill Valley's menu will “offer a variety of comfort foods for our on-the-go customers.” The menu will list the calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein and fiber for every dish. The menu will also list whether a dish is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan or vegan-friendly.
Some of the signature dishes include Southern Minnesota Wagyu Sirloin with cauliflower, black garlic, Fresno pickles and coriander, and Miso Sea Bass served with ginger and shiitake quinoa and sweet and sour cucumber. Mill Valley also serves a selection of burgers, salads, sides and flatbread pizzas made with cold-fermented sourdough pinsa.
Contributor / Tanek
The Rochester restaurant, located in the same downtown building as University of Minnesota Rochester student housing, will offer a self-serve takeout area during the day. In the evening, the takeout section will disappear behind a sliding wall, allowing the restaurant to accommodate “more intimate dining and socializing.”
The Lakuns also own the nearby Benedict Morning Heroes restaurant, which employs 25 people. Hilton Rochester Mayo Clinic Hotel. their Northern Hospitality & Co. The company also owns Benedict locations in Wayzata, Minnesota, and Fargo, North Dakota. Longtrees Woodfire Grill The company owns Mill Valley Kitchen in Alexandria, Minnesota, Mill Valley Kitchen in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and Mill Valley Market in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
The Mill Valley addition is the latest change to a building that has operated as a hotel in downtown Rochester for decades.
As part of a deal with the University of Minnesota, which owns the hotel, Titan Development InvestmentThe building is being renovated at a cost of approximately $7.63 million and converted into a “dormitory and dining facility with auxiliary recreational space” and is set to reopen as a student life center in 2023.
The university will lease nine floors, from the third to the eleventh floors, and occupy 200 former hotel rooms, providing up to 400 student beds.
The University of Minnesota's lease is for $3.06 million per year for 12 years, with total rent increases of 1.75 percent each year. The agreement includes the university paying a pro rata share of real estate taxes and utility fees, estimated at $1.01 million in the first year.
