[MSP] New menu coming to Town Talk Diner

[Jordan]

Town Talk will be launching a new menu in a few weeks' time. They're currently trying out several potential new menu items as specials. I'm not sure what will stay and what will go. However, I can report that one of the proposed new menu items is a, uh, brat burger, which consists of a "burger" made of ground up bratwurst and bacon, topped with sauerkraut and cheese. This may or may not come with complimentary bypass surgery.

[MSPD]

Town Talk Diner is not a diner. They are not trying to be a diner. They probably don't want, and surely don't need suggestions on what dishes belong in a "real" diner.

The diner-like items and the name of the place are to capture the history of, and pay homage to the location and the clientele that had been faithful daily visitors to the original Town Talk Diner for decades.

[faith]

I think they are trying to retain some of the flavor of a diner- with a creative updating. And
I assume any restaurant that is responsive to their clientele will be interested in suggestions for their menu. I think we all understand that they are stepping out of the
exact mold of the old-time diner. And I would like to suggest we refrain from sarcasm
in the interest of open communication on this board.

[Danny]

It took me a while to get past the "diner" thing, and I really didn't like the place the first couple of times I went there because I walked in with a "diner" mentality.

Once I got past that, I really appreciated the place. Aside from having two breakfast items on the menu, I don't see how they are doing (or are trying to do) anything with the same flavor as a diner.

They're doing "approachable fine dining" and kept a couple of things as a tribute to the history of the space and the era in which it thrived. (The cocktails are straight out of another time.)

As for a menu update - they've changed their menus a few times since they opened. (The risotto and lamb weren't always there, the pan roasted chicken was replaced with a pan roasted chicken breast) Is this another seasonal revision, or something bigger?

[katebauer]

I guess I never thought of the diner/not diner distinction since to me Town Talk just oozes this pomo-hipster vibe. Growing up in New York where diners were generally owned by Greek families and had menus miles long, I might have a different view of what's diner food compared to midwesterners. I do know that I always get grilled cheese when I go to a diner and the grilled cheese at Town Talk is awesome.

[Jordan]

"Approachable fine dining" or not, they make a helluva burger.

[Danny]

I also grew up in New York, so my view of diners is the same. I just don't see the commonality between TTD and any of the Greek owned diners on the east coast.

[katebauer]

Yup, I guess that's what I meant. I wasn't very clear. The diners I'm used to serve such a wide variety of food it's hard for me to say what's "diner food" and what's not. I guess if you compare the 13 page menus to Town Talk's menu they're not similar at all.

[FishMPLS]

It's about time they got a new menu. And that brat burger sounds great. But I wonder why a burger, not just a brat?

[katebauer]

If I remember correctly, the brat burger is the brat filling, cooked up as a burger patty. I think there's also bacon thrown in there somewhere...

[faith]

Perhaps they are doing a strange homage to Vincent's multi-phase burger. I feel
they also need some good pie to be a proper diner, and suggested that on my last
visit.

[SungSook]

What kind of diner doesn't have a delicious macaroni and cheese dish? Town Talk Diner. Fix it!

[katebauer]

Ha, a friend of ours tried the brat burger last week and loved it - but it definitely is not an every day, or every week, food.