Jake Spitzack
Staff Writer
A restaurant featuring traditional American food and Indian cuisine is slated to open on New Year’s Eve in the space of the former Lowertown landmark Black Dog Café. Located on the street level of the Northern Warehouse building at 308 Prince St. E., Fusion Bites will offer a vast menu including sliders, chicken wings, cheesesteaks, seafood, pasta, burritos as well as curry, kabobs and biryani, a rice-based dish with meat and spices.
“Food is my passion,” said owner Ather Jameel, who noted they will also offer vegan and vegetarian dishes and rotate some menu items seasonally. “We’re bringing a fusion of multicultural cuisine so everyone can enjoy, and our party hall will be open for anyone to reserve.”
The 6,000-square-foot space can seat 150, and features an indoor stage, patio, 20-person private dining room, and artwork from artists living in the building. The main hall can be divided into two spaces, which makes it flexible for a variety of events. The restaurant recently hosted three wedding events prior to opening.
In addition to renting the space for parties, Jameel plans to organize special events like Jamaican nights, Mexican nights and Indian nights, and have live music on weekends to help attract people visiting the
neighboring Farmers Market and CHS Field.
Jameel grew up in India and learned about the food service industry through catering large events. He became a restauranteur after moving to the United States more than 20 years ago. He formerly owned three Indian restaurants in the metro area but closed them in 2011 to return to India to help his mother who was experiencing health problems.
He moved back to Minnesota in 2016 and operated I-Grill in downtown Minneapolis until 2021. For the past two years he returned to his catering roots but has been planning a comeback, and the pieces are finally falling into place. He’s opening three other restaurants around the same time as Fusion Bites. All will be named Spice Shack and serve Indian and Pakistani food. Locations
include downtown Minneapolis, Fridley and Bloomington. Fusion Bites will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For more information, call 612-404-7841 or visit fusionbitesmn.com.