Twin Cities' Mill Valley Kitchen expands to downtown Rochester

ROCHESTER – Restaurateurs Mike and Abby Rakun are betting that Rochester's billing as "America's City for Health" can extend outside hospital walls and into the dining room.

The husband-and-wife duo will open Mill Valley Kitchen here next week. The menu will feature flavors from the namesake northern California community known for cooking practices that cater to health-conscious eaters.

"A lot of people coming into Rochester are here for health reasons, whether it's preventative care or surgery," said Mike Rakun. "We want them to be able to come in, have a full experience and feel good when they leave."

The Rochester restaurant, downtown in the former Pescara space, will be the Rakuns' second Mill Valley Kitchen after opening the first in St. Louis Park in 2011. It will also mark the restaurant group's second venture into Rochester; the other, Benedict's diner, is one block north of the new Mill Valley Kitchen.

On the menu at Mill Valley, diners can expect seasonal salads, four to five fish entrees, bison and salmon burgers and a lineup of sourdough flatbreads. Most entrees cost between $20 and $40. There will also be an oyster bar in the dining room, a full cocktail and wine menu, and a grab-and-go station set up during the day to cater to university students.

Rakun said the goal is to change up the menu seasonally while working with local vendors to source many of the ingredients. He has already found a beef producer in the area and is "still on the hunt for a local chicken farmer."

"I am a career chef and [using local ingredients] has always been something that is super important to me — for the sheer fact that the fresher the product is, the easier it makes your job," Rakun said.

Rakun acknowledged that downtown Rochester is already home to a number of good restaurants. But he believes there is a void when it comes to healthy eating options. At Mill Valley, he said, food is prepared as close to its whole state as possible and is intended to be flavorful on its own, without relying on heavy creams and large doses of butter.

"The core of my philosophy is to find great ingredients, treat them with respect and care, and let them speak for themselves," Rakun said.

To serve customers with dietary restrictions, Mill Valley will offer a variety of gluten-free and vegan options. The menu will also include full nutritional disclosures, from calories to grams of protein.

The space has undergone significant renovations since Pescara closed in April 2023, creating a brighter, more open atmosphere. The area has also been boosted by the presence of the University of Minnesota Rochester, which began using the former hotel building for student housing this past school year, and a post-pandemic uptick in visitors filling up local hotel rooms.

"With the amount of people coming to that area — and I have even been noticing more and more locals coming downtown — it seems like it's coming back to life," Rakun said.