El Sazon bringing its Mexican magic to Stillwater, and more restaurant news

El Sazon, the south Minneapolis Mexican restaurant that got its start in an Eagan gas station convenience store, is opening its second stand-alone restaurant, this time in Stillwater.

Operated by Cristian de Leon, a chef trained in French cuisine, and Karen de Leon, a longtime restaurant manager, El Sazon Tacos & More made a splash at a suburban BP, not only for its regular menu but for the couple's occasional Night at the Gas Station tasting dinners, with drinks by Zoilo Ruacho.

Those tastings were a preview of what was to come: last October, the de Leons and Ruacho opened El Sazon Cocina & Tragos at 5309 Lyndale Av. S. (The gas station stand is still operating, too, at 1815 Diffley Road, Eagan.)

For their new operation in Stillwater, called Xelas by El Sazon, "We are switching gears a little bit and going deeper into chef Cristian's roots, putting a bigger focus on Guatemalan cuisine," said Karen de Leon.

Ruacho, the de Leons' partner in the restaurants, "will be the master behind the bar," she added.

The exact location is still under wraps, but Xelas is slated to open in September after a remodel. Follow @xelas_by_elsazon for updates.

The most beautiful restaurant in Minnesota?

When it comes to restaurant design, our state is no wallflower. But People magazine just named RH Rooftop Restaurant — the glitzy restaurant atop Restoration Hardware near Southdale in Edina — as Minnesota's most beautiful. For its annual Beautiful Issue, the magazine worked with editors of reservations powerhouse OpenTable to crown a restaurant from each state as the country's most beautiful. For RH Rooftop, they cited: "This ultra-glam indoor-outdoor space is a stunning showcase for RH's luxury furnishings, with a soaring atrium and manicured grounds." Beautiful? Absolutely. Most beautiful? Discuss.

Dave's Hot Chicken in expansion mode

Dave's Hot Chicken has announced two more locations in the Twin Cities metro area, bringing the tally to four, with plans to expand to 18 Minnesota locations.

Next up for the Los Angeles-based spicy chicken and loaded milkshakes chain is Apple Valley, where it will move into a former Dairy Queen (7720 W. 149th St.). Look for a mid- to late-June opening.

Then comes Coon Rapids, at 3574 Main St. NW. The two latest locations join 1959 Ford Pkwy. in St. Paul and 1805 Plymouth Road, Minnetonka, the state's first, which opened last summer. St. Cloud and Rochester locations are also in the works..

The Humphries family — former Timberwolves player Kris, his parents William and Debra and cousin Alex — are fueling the rapid growth of local Dave's Hot Chicken restaurants as franchisees. Keep track of the openings at daveshotchicken.com.

News for coffee fans

The St. Paul location of Dogwood Coffee is moving — but only down the street — into the former Hodges Bend space (2700 W. University Av., Suite 100, St. Paul). The plan is to open in late June after a renovation. The reason? "Our current landlord for our St. Paul cafe needs our space," the owners, Dan and Angie Anderson, wrote on Instagram. Hodges Bend was a northern offshoot of a Tulsa, Okla., cafe, with coffee and brunch by day, cocktails and dinner by night. Dogwood has two other locations, at 4021 E. Lake St., and 1209 NE. Tyler St. in Minneapolis. dogwoodcoffee.com

In other coffee news, Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. has opened in Little Canada (3 E. Little Canada Road, qamariacoffee.com). Founded by a pair of Yemeni entrepreneurs who import Yemeni coffee beans to the U.S. and roast them in Dearborn, Mich., Qamaria currently operates cafes in Michigan, Illinois and Texas. This is the first Minnesota location for the burgeoning franchise.

Protagonist Kitchen closing in Richfield

Protagonist Kitchen & Bar, at 6601 Lyndale Av. S. in Richfield, is closing. The restaurant, from the owners of the Richfield institution Sandy's Tavern, opened in January 2022 in a former Houlihan's and quickly drew buzz for its Big Mac-esque smash burger, brisket poutine and other neighborhood restaurant staples. The final day of service is May 21, but it might not spell the end for the Protagonist. Proprietors are hinting at a relocation, writing in response to Instagram commenters, "That's the plan," and "We love Richfield. If not in Richfield, hopefully it's close."

In case you missed it

After more than four years on a pandemic-induced hiatus, the Convention Grill in Edina is finally back.

Much of the Depression-era diner looks the same — classic diner counter, brown wood booths, black-and-white checkered floors — despite significant reconstruction of the kitchen, new lighting, new tables and a fresh coat of paint. A sign declaring "Delicious Foods" now greets customers above the exterior door, a detail hidden under the valance that was uncovered during the refresh.

The beloved diner (3912 Sunnyside Road, Edina, conventiongrillmn.com) will officially open to full capacity on May 8. But it's already slinging burgers and malts at limited capacity while it waits for a new grill and some other equipment. It is currently operating daily 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will expand to 9 p.m. this week. (It will be closed on Mother's Day.)

Reopening, so far, has been "incredible," said co-owner Tony Rimarcik. "We've seen so many regular customers already."