A local favorite has found some new flavor.
Albertville’s popular Prairie Run Café will be resuming dinner service this Saturday after a two-month hiatus, during which the restaurant’s ownership changed hands.
New owner Frank Thalacker took over in mid-September and has been working to put his own spin on the café’s traditional fare.
Originally from a small town in Wisconsin, Thalacker has been in the restaurant business for over 30 years, working his way through everything from country kitchens to fine dining. Most recently, he worked as the General Manager of Harriet’s Inn in Minneapolis.
Thalacker hopes to provide a culinary experience that’s “somewhere in the middle…quality comfort items” for the residents of St. Michael–Albertville.
“I want to give the Albertville community what they had before,” he says, “a quality breakfast, but also something delicious for dinner that they don’t have to drive all the way to Maple Grove to get.”
While the breakfast menu at the café is largely the same, dinner will feature some new twists from Thalacker’s diverse restaurant background as well as a few recipes from his own personal repertoire. Lunch and dinner guests will now find four signature burgers, a southern pulled pork sandwich, and smoked whole wings, to name a few.
Taking the lead in the kitchen is chef Dan Zimpel, who previously worked alongside Thalacker at a restaurant in downtown Minneapolis.
Prairie Run Café will also feature a happy hour from 2 to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. They are currently waiting on their liquor license but plan to eventually resume serving beer and wine.
For restaurant hours and to view the full menu, visit prairieruncafemn.com.