Town Talk Diner

Address:
2707-1/2 E. Lake St., Mpls., 612-722-1312, towntalkdiner.com

The Scene
Sixty-one-year-old Town Talk Diner sits on a gritty stretch of Lake, just kitty-corner from Manny’s Tortas. Shuttered for the last few years, Town Talk has been remade in all the right ways, but the best vintage elements have been preserved, including the diner counter that now serves as a bar. A bare brick dining room feels comfy in the warmer months, but seems spare on dark winter evenings. Town Talk is simply decked out in linoleum and fresh paint, with none of the overdone bells and whistles that typify so many restaurants these days. The crowd adheres to a strict schedule: Food lovers and curious diners go early, the hipsters and chic bar crowd come late. They’ve made TTD the hot new hangout.

Our Take
Town Talk rocks with an organic buzz and energy; its four owners seem to be having fun without taking themselves too seriously. Ex-Cosmos frontman Aaron Johnson is always behind the bar, except for hourly forays through the diner dispensing miniature versions of his lethal specialty cocktails. Aquavit alum Tim Niver runs the dining room, even serving tables when needed and running food from the teeny kitchen manned by 20.21 and Levain veteran David Vlach (alongside sous chef Tor Westgard). From the scallion-battered cheese curds with homemade ketchup to the sweet potato bread pudding that plays well alongside the perfectly cooked crispy half chicken, the food is all from scratch. Be sure to try a Farmer’s Platter, loaded with homestyle pickles, sausages, artisan cheeses, roasted mushrooms, sauerkraut crackers, and slivers of pickled pike. The tri-tip sirloin, a cut seldom seen in Minnesota, makes for one of the best steaks in town and is a steal at under $20. Burgers, salads, and sandwiches are tasty, and there are always pancakes on the menu. Brunch at TTD is a groovy scene: Go for the bananas Foster French toast, which is about as decadent as breakfast gets. And if sweets are your thing, grab a malt (why no silver canisters?) or the ethereal lemon pudding cake.

Canary in a Coal Mine
While Town Talk Diner’s delayed opening had this eatery in danger of becoming the first restaurant in memory that I was tired of before it opened, these young restaurateurs have found kismet. Everything about this place works, but only time will tell if opening a restaurant that marries upscale takes on classic diner fare with a chef’s passion for “showing his chops” in a neighborhood where few of its customers seem to live can be successful in the long run. In an era of abundant niche restaurant choices, where success seems to be predicated on opening where your patrons live, how TTD fares may prove to be very influential in whether interesting new restaurants break out of the southwest Minneapolis axis of affluence.