Photography provided by Jester Concepts
Borough was basically an instant Minneapolis food scene staple when it hit the North Loop back in 2013. Since then, the acclaimed eatery from Jester Concepts (the Twin Cities hospitality group behind P.S. Steak, Monello, Constantine and more) has been serving up modern seasonal fare and racking up accolades. It’s an approach that’s worked for nearly seven years — so if it ain’t broke, should you fix it?
The head honchos at Jester Concepts decided to do just that, with a brief weeklong shutdown earlier this month to give the industrial chic space a face-lift (courtesy of interior design firm Studio Grey). Elements like cozy banquets and globe light fixtures soften the vibe, while a captain’s table partitions the dining room and allows for private dining on occasion. The back bar, meanwhile, now boasts lighter wood and ample seating.
Executive chef Mike DeCamp’s fare also underwent a refresh, with just two beloved items (the tartare and the octopus) surviving the shift from old to new. The menu was aptly adjusted to reflect how people like to dine these days and largely comprises snacks and small plates ranging from succulent bites of sea urchin to melt-in-your-mouth salmon crudo. There will also be ticketed multi-course chef’s tasting menus offered at the chef’s counter.
Another fun addition is the on-the-hour trolley, which is helmed by different chefs and makes its way around the dining room with delectable bites during weekend evenings. It’s perfect if you’ve arrived hangry (guilty!) and need something like a tasty two-bite lamb bao ASAP. Diners get a chance to interact with the eatery’s top-notch talent and watch the finishing touches be applied tableside.
But most notable has to be the whole-animal butchery. When we recently dined, Berkshire pork was on offer, with limited quantities of specific cuts available. The pork chop was hands down the best we’ve ever tried and had us savoring every succulent bite. The pork belly, meanwhile, was prepared to perfection and paired with a complementary plum sauce.
So was this reinvention warranted? And worth it? Absolutely, on both counts. In today’s restaurant world, we reward the hottest new thing, and it was wise for Jester Concepts to evolve an eatery even as beloved as Borough. Turns out an old favorite, if done right, can be made new again.
