Foreign Legion Wine & Cheese Bar

Foreign Legion’s dark, rich decor presents a contrast to Brasserie Zentral, offering an eclectic experience. Photo courtesy of Premier Restaurant Equipment & DesignOriginally, a local grocer was to rent the space the wine and cheese bar now occupies in the Soo Line building. But when the grocery proprietors backed away, the Kleins stepped in to develop a wine bar that also features cheese and cured meats. It contains a 50-seat main dining room, the 10-seat Hirsch Room, the 40-seat Moon Room and Sky Park (a rooftop party room and deck).

The space for food production contains undercounter refrigeration, a combi oven, work counters, a refrigerated prep table, antique scale, refrigerated display case, a high-speed grill and a manual prosciutto slicer. "The slicer is my indulgence," Klein says. "One of my colleagues who has one said I didn't need it and warned me that I'd have challenges training and cleaning it. I went ahead and brought it in anyway. I don't regret the decision, but he was right."

Café Zentral

A casual grab-and-go environment with ventless equipment allows this café to feature crepes, galettes, grilled paninis, München Dogs and other European street food. Photographs courtesy of Shea, Inc., photography by Travis Anderson PhotographyCafé Zentral, located on the floor above Brasserie Zentral, is a much more casual environment featuring a granite countertop with a curved, stainless steel radius. The menu has its roots in European street food. "Though the service here is quick and less expensive than the brasserie, we bring the same sense of quality and pride to the ingredients we select," Klein says. "We serve real food made by real people or, in other words, don't use prepared, processed foods. Many ingredients are also locally sourced."

To hold the ingredients, one end of the café contains a two-section, reach-in refrigerator and refrigerated rail for sandwiches and salads. Local ordinance prohibits the installation of hoods in this relatively small space, which presents a great challenge for menu development and kitchen designers. Equipment here includes two high-speed panini grills, each with a catalytic converter that extracts the grease. To top off the equipment package, a ventless griddle allows staff to make dishes such as paprika chicken served with roasted red peppers, pecorino cheese, pumpkin seeds, arugula and watercress. Savory and sweet crepes and galettes are prepared on a crepe machine.

Another piece of equipment found here that is rarely seen in a café environment is a hot dog spike, which is used for toasting pretzel buns that staff then fill with house-made sausage. The "München Dog," a name Russell conjured, has become the café's signature menu item.

In the back, a small prep area contains a hand sink, prep sink and a code-required three-compartment sink for warewashing, very limited though it may be.

Unique to this area of Minneapolis and staffed by renowned culinarians, the restaurant serves up food that continues to generate positive reviews and complimentary online buzz. Opportunities to watch the preparation is a strong attraction, and guests find they are not only entertained but educated as well. 

Design Capsule

• Opened: Brasserie Zentral, April 2014; Foreign Legion Wine & Cheese Bar, September 2014; Café Zentral, July 2014; retail wine and liquor store, October 2014
• Scope of Project: A full-service restaurant and bar; a wine and food bar; a grab-and-go café on the skyway level; basement back-of-house support kitchen and storage; private dining rooms; a retail wine and liquor store
• Size: 16,000 sq. ft., which includes 4,000 sq. ft. for Brasserie Zentral; 4,000 sq. ft. for Foreign Legion; 1,000 sq. ft. for Café Zentral; 6,000 sq. ft. for basement kitchen, offices, storage and coolers; 500 sq. ft. for the retail wine and liquor store
• Seats: Brasserie Zentral, 150 in the main dining room and 10 in the private dining area, the Hirsch Room; Foreign Legion, 50 in the main dining room, plus a 45-seat private dining room connected by a partition, as well as another 45-seat private room; and Café Zentral, 25 seats.
• Total Weekly Covers: 2,500 to 3,000
• Average Check: $22, Brasserie Zentral lunch; $60, Brasserie Zentral dinner; $12, Café Zentral
• Total Annual Sales: $5.5 million to $6 million anticipated
• Hours, Brasserie Zentral: lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; midday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; dinner, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday; Sunday brunch, to be determined
• Hours, Foreign Legion: 4 p.m. to midnight, Tuesday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday Hours, Café Zentral: 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday
• Menu Specialties, Brasserie Zentral: Continental European food. Small plates include duck consommé with Hungarian-style duck liver dumplings, crispy shallots and marjoram; corned veal tongue salad with horseradish panna cotta, frisée and beets; paprika-cured Spanish mackerel; and house-made pasta spaetzle and dumplings. Main plates include kavelierspitz (Austrian boiled beef shoulder with bone marrow); stuffed loin of Minnesota rabbit; vegetable holishkes; and a variety of foie gras dishes. Sides include Belgian frites with mayonnaise; artichoke gratin; kasha varnishkas; semolina dumplings; and Austrian potato salad. Plates for two include whole roasted chicken stuffed with foie gras and brioche; whole roasted halibut tail; and 36-ounce dry-aged prime côte de boeuf.
• Menu Specialties, Foreign Legion: Canapes and hors d'oeuvres for receptions including Liptauer Austrian cheese spread on pretzel crisps, duck liver shmear and mackerel tartare. Other menus include spaetzle and sandwiches such as the open-faced smoked prosciutto option.
• Menu Specialties, Café Zentral: Grab-and-go European street food, including breakfast wraps and paninis; salads such as smoked salmon and paprika grilled chicken; soups; grilled cheese and a variety of paninis; crepes and galettes; München Dogs; and pastries and desserts such as the banana bread pudding with caramel sauce
• Staff: 60 employees for all operations
• Total Project Cost: $4 million
• Equipment Investment: $800,000
• Website: zentral-mpls.com Design Capsule

Key Players

• Operators: Russell and Desta Klein
• Executive Chef: Russell Klein
• Financial: Desta Klein
• Executive Sous Chef: Jason Engelhart
• Beverage Director: Nicolas Giraud
• FOH Brasserie Zentral Manager: Brie Roland
• Architect: Shea Inc., Minneapolis
• Interior Designer: Shea Inc., Minneapolis; Amanda Iverson, IIDA
• Foodservice Consultant: Premier Restaurant Equipment & Design, Minneapolis; Brian D. Cepek, CFSP
• Equipment Dealer: Premier Restaurant Equipment & Design, Minneapolis; Brian D. Cepek, CFSP, director of sales
• Construction: Zeman Construction, Golden Valley, Minn.; Chris Zeman, owner

Meet the players

Brian D. Cepek, CFSP

Brian Cepek started in the foodservice industry waiting tables in the late 1980s while attending the University of Minnesota. After graduating from the university with a degree in economics in 1990, he worked at Palm Brothers, a local foodservice equipment dealer and then joined Premier Restaurant Equipment in 2007. Cepek has designed and outfitted many of the local restaurants that make up the dynamic Twin Cities dining scene including six of the last seven Minneapolis Star Tribune "Restaurants of the Year." In addition, he designed and equipped the restaurants for the Twin Cities' three James Beard Award–winning chefs.

Amanda Iverson

Amanda Iverson joined the Shea Inc. team in 2013, bringing experience in design across several industries including retail, corporate office, healthcare and fitness. She has been involved with clients in the areas of space planning, facilities management, furniture and finish selections, lighting design, drafting and construction administration. Iverson's other notable projects include Macy's Oak Grill remodel, Infield's remodel, Macy's State Street Signature Kitchen and Big Bowl Chinese Express at the Lunds and Byerly's locations.

Russell Klein

Russell Klein's restaurant industry experience spans 25 years. A native New Yorker, he attended the French Culinary Institute and trained in the south of France and in Italy. After returning from Europe he worked in New York City's La Caravelle, David Bouley's Danube, Picholine, Judson Grill and Fleur de Sel. He moved to Minnesota in 2002 and took the position of executive chef at W.A. Frost and Company in St. Paul. In 2005 he met Desta, his wife and co-owner of their current restaurant ventures. Klein has received many honors and awards and was nominated for the James Beard Award in 2011 and 2012.