James Adams cares about sandwiches.

It's a New Jersey thing: He grew up in south Jersey, where he'd sometimes stop into a deli three times in the same day.

"I would get a cannoli, a sandwich, a coffee," he said. But in Minnesota, where he's lived the past five years since marrying a Minnesotan, his idea to open a deli of his own didn't take off right away.

The chef, who worked in restaurants on the Jersey Shore and started a line of resort-style pool bars in Costa Rica, got hyper-focused on one thing when he got to Minnesota: pastrami, which he makes from brining and smoking whole brisket.

He notices the popularity here of pop-ups, something that hadn't really been around when he'd first gotten into the restaurant business. So, he decided to launch his own, in between his job cooking at Doug Flicker's south Minneapolis bar the Bull's Horn. But "people were just kind of like, pastrami? Huh?" Adams said.

His calls went unreturned. "And I was getting pretty down on myself, like, maybe they don't care about sandwiches here. Because in New Jersey, it's sandwiches everywhere."

Finally, in late 2023, Bar Brava gave him his first break, letting him use the kitchen to introduce his scratch-made pastrami Reubens to Minneapolis. It sold out fast. From there, the pop-up, Kinsley's Deli, took off. Since last fall, it's been in residence on Sundays at Nova Bar in Hudson, Wis.

It turns out Adams wasn't alone in caring about sandwiches.

And now, he has found a stationary home and a "beautiful" smoker for his pastrami. Kinsley's Smokehouse Deli will open April 28 at the Market at Malcolm Yards (501 30th Av. SE., Mpls.). It fills the space, and the smoker, vacated by Revival Smoked Meats.

"It's pretty awesome. Everything has all the feelings. Overwhelming, amazing. We're just doing it all," he said.

Adams plans to offer the Reuben on griddled caraway rye, plus a cold pastrami sandwich called the New Yorker, matzo ball soup, and other menu mainstays he's cultivated over the past couple of years. Besides pastrami, he'll be smoking turkey, corned beef, even tofu, and will eventually put out a dinner menu with other barbecue items like a beef long rib. One side dish he's most excited about is a savory bread pudding made from leftover rye.

East Coast-style delis don't always land easy in the Midwest. Other than Cecil's, many of these meaty sandwich shops have come and gone. But Adams believes Kinsley's can cross over with its barbecue-style appeal.

"I've been here for five years and I've seen what people want, and we're just going to elevate the comfort food a little bit," Adams said. "We want it to be East Coast meets Midwest. And hopefully, we're going to stick around."

Smorgie's is expanding

Smorgie's, the affordable downtown St. Paul restaurant across the street from Xcel Energy Center, is about to dive into downtown Minneapolis, just a few steps away from Target Center in the former 508 Restaurant and Bar location.

The restaurant is known for comforts at pocket-friendly prices, like an $8 smash burger and tots on the side. The second location (508 1st Av. N., Mpls.) is still in development and we should have more details soon.

Vellee Deli closes for good

Seven months after closing its Northeast location, Vellee Deli has decided to end operations at all of its restaurants.

What began as a food truck adventure blending Asian and Mexican dishes became a beloved skyway restaurant that regularly drew enthusiastic lines with fans vying for dragon melt quesadillas and duck confit bánh mì. Operations expanded to a full-service restaurant and bar in early 2020 at the base of the NordHaus Apartments in northeast Minneapolis.

A semi-permanent pop-up space was added in Brooklyn Park in 2024, but the folding of the Northeast outpost in September 2024 temporarily closed all locations. The lights came back on in the skyway and Brooklyn Park, but as owners William Xiong and chef Joyce Truong wrote in the closure announcement on Facebook and Instagram, "We knew the clock was ticking."

Comfort me with dumplings

With tariffs dominating the news and Chinese staple ingredients like black vinegar getting harder to source, no one would blame Linda Cao and Peter Bian for making tough business decisions for their restaurant Saturday Dumpling Co. (519 Central Av. NE., Mpls.). But instead of cutting back and raising prices, they're practicing an abundance of hospitality.

"Prices for things are rising everywhere, and we hate to see import fees being passed on to the customer. After lots of internal conversations, we've decided that instead of passing on the cost to you, we're doing the opposite," they announced on social media.

Orders are increasing from six to eight dumplings and they're adding more sauce to servings. "We believe food should nourish, bring people together, and offer joy — even when things feel tough."

Annie's Parlour adds boozy shakes to the menu

Just in time for patio season, Annie's Parlour's (313 14th Av. SE., Mpls.) famous shakes are getting a grown-up upgrade. The more than 50-year-old restaurant near the University of Minnesota has been known for its burgers and malts — until now. Starting April 24, the bar options will vie for that attention as boozy shakes join the menu with flavors like Cinnamon Toast, Espresso Martini, NanaChata and Orange Dreamsicle.

Meteor and Spoon and Stable bars up for national award

Nods for the annual Spirited Awards from the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation recognizes some local talent.

On the long list is Meteor Bar in Minneapolis' Near North neighborhood, recognized as Best U.S. Bar Team and Best U.S. Cocktail Bar in the central division. And Spoon and Stable was recognized as one of the Best U.S. Restaurant Bars in the central division.

Finalists will be announced June 9 and the winners will be celebrated July 24 at the 19th Annual Spirited Awards Ceremony in New Orleans. The awards are part of a yearly convergence of beverage industry professionals from around the world for conferences, classes, demos and events celebrating the art and industry of great drinks.