Eat at the “Restaurant that fed Gorby” Before it Closes in June

To be completely honest, I am not a seafood...let's say "water food" fan. So, I'm not a big Walleye fan, but, I certainly know people who are, and it's really one of the most requested fish dishes at many restaurants.

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There is one restaurant in Minnesota that is super famous for their walleye, and that restaurant is the Tavern on Grand, which is located on Grand Avenue in St. Paul

Apparently they sell more walleye than any other dish at their restaurant, and more than any other restaurant in Minnesota.  And that is saying a lot, considering how many restaurants sell walleye in Minnesota, as it really is the state fish.

Tavern on Grand is family owned, and they have made the decision to close the restaurant for good this coming June.  It isn't because business is bad, it's really for personal reasons.  There were some other factors, but mostly it's just the right time to do this.

From KARE 11:

We kind of sat down as a family and said we would rather end this on a high note rather than turn it into a grind that we hate showing up to every morning," said general manager Eric LeMay.

Both Eric and his sister Tara Padilla, who manages the front of the house, say rising costs, falling foot traffic and an expiring lease factored into their decision to close, but they say the death of their mother, Mary - who passed away last year after running the restaurant for more than 20 years - is what really changed their perspective.

"For me personally, it's not sustainable to do school, home and family life and then the extended-family (restaurant) life also," Padilla said. "Even if the rent was free, if we didn't have to pay taxes - in my opinion - I would be ready to move to my family's next chapter."

The owners wanted to make sure to get through the Lenten season. Now that that time has passed, they also wanted to make sure that everyone has a chance to get to their restaurant, if they would like to before they close in June.

One of their huge claims to fame (besides the walleye) is that they are the "restaurant that fed Gorby".

...in 1990 when the then Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was here for a luncheon with Governor Rudy Perpich. Because security would not allow Gorbachev to eat at the Tavern on Grand, our walleye was taken down to the governor’s mansion to be served. The Tavern on Grand has since been recognized as “the restaurant that fed Gorby.” You will find his portrait in the back hallway where his birthmark has been altered to look like the state of Minnesota. The caption reads, “Try the walleye.”

So, even if you have never been to Tavern on Grand, and you love walleye, you might want to stop in before it's gone for good