Photos courtesy of Jester Concepts
The North Loop is buzzing with excitement at the upcoming opening of Butcher & The Boar. After closing in 2020, the business was purchased by well-known restaurant group Jester Concepts. Jester is a company focused on instilling genuine hospitality and elevated service in all of their restaurants. They already know the ins and outs of the Twin Cities restaurant scene due to their other hot spots P.S. Steak, Borough, Parlour, Monello, and Constantine. The new owners don’t want to completely overhaul Butcher & The Boar, but honor, enhance, and reinvigorate instead. A prime example is the new menu, guests will see legacy dishes from the original menu like Smoked Beef Long Ribs and Wood Grilled Oysters next to new dishes created by Executive Chef Mike DeCamp (a Minnesota native) and Chef de Cuisine Ian Gray including Muffuletta Salad, Fried Sweetbread, and Bananas Foster made tableside. Butcher & the Boar’s previous affinity for whiskey persists in the new location with one of the largest and most exclusive whiskey offerings in the Twin Cities. The new Char Bar will feature handheld fare like the Butcher Burger, Rib Sandwich, and Bone Marrow Dumplings and a drinks menu that is the brainchild of Bar Director Mike Liay and Bar Manager Michael Lindgren. Guests will find creative cocktails, an extensive wine list, and whiskey options organized by flavor profile. The team is also working to resurrect the barrel program that Butcher & The Boar became known for and hopes to offer the signature cocktail classes and whiskey dinners in due time as well.
Outside, the large patio will open this summer, complete with raised deck and fire pits to enjoy. Inside, the modern décor is inspired by the industrial style of the North Loop and there are multiple private event spaces. The largest of those event spaces is named after Butcher & The Boar’s late head chef, Jack Riebel. To further honor him and all the love that he put into the original restaurant, one percent of all profits from Butcher & The Boar will be donated to the Jack Riebel Memorial Culinary Scholarship at Saint Paul College.
While the restaurant may be setting up shop in a new location with new owners, the heart of Butcher & The Boar remains intact. All the decisions that Jester Concepts made are in the interest of honoring the restaurant’s legacy and bringing its magic back to the Twin Cities. So, make your reservation at “Butcher 2.0” (as Jester Concepts has dubbed it) to partake in this new chapter for an old favorite.
Visit Butcher & The Boar’s website to learn more about the reopening and to take a peek at the new menu.
