Charlie's Cafe Exceptionale

Minneapolis might seem like a slept-on food city, but, even as it becomes more and more well-known for its growing number of nationally renowned chefs and restaurants, the city is not new to food fame.

Over the years, especially within the early-mid 20th century, Minneapolis has been home to several food meccas known around the country. A small handful still remain - like Murray’s and the Jax Cafe.

One lost to history, but well-remembered by those of the older generations, is Charlie's Cafe Exceptionale. Its clientele was star-studded, including the likes of Bob Hope, President Richard Nixon, and Jack Dempsey. Perhaps the most famous, though, was local celebrity and Charlie's regular Cedric Adams, who had a sandwich on the menu named in his honor.

Opened in 1933 by Charles “Charlie” Saunders and Charles “the Finn” Herlin, the restaurant quickly gained a name for itself for quality food and an upscale dining and entertainment experience.

“The President” cocktail (orange, lemon, gin, and a dash of grenadine) was invented by Herlin, a legendary bartender of the Twin Cities, at Charlie’s. Herlin died not long after the restaurant opened, and was then run by Charles Saunders until his death in 1964.

Saunders seems to have been an interesting and somewhat controversial character, having possibly had connections to the local mafia and gangsters of the era; but not much is known about that possible connection.

However, it was well-established that Charlie’s, into the early 1950s was the only high-end Minneapolis restaurant to still be actively practicing discrimination by advocating against guests of “the wrong color”. A Minneapolis Spokesman article from 1953 describes an incident that made this widely known throughout the public.

Frank Fager, a white man and the executive secretary to the city’s mayor at the time, had made a reservation. When seen speaking with his dining partners, two African Americans, he and these individuals were refused service. They were forcibly removed from the restaurant when Fager appealed their refusal to serve them.

Charlie Saunders died in 1964, and the restaurant was taken over by his wife, Louise, who left a successful Minneapolis law practice to run the joint. By 1974, Charlie’s had a seating capacity of 358, a staff of 175, and was serving 320,000 meals a year. Almost everything was made from scratch, and Louise’s “famous” potato salad still has an enduring reputation. You can find the recipe floating around online.

By the early 1980s, Louise sold the building. The contractor building a high rise in its place offered her the opportunity to re-open Charlie’s in the lobby of the new building, but she opted to close and retire, preferring to have the restaurant “remembered as it was”. So, after 49 years, Charlie’s closed in 1982.

There are still remnants of the famous eating establishment to be found in the community. A couple of years ago, the Minneapolis Club renovated their restaurant, and re-opened as “Charlie’s”, using the same gothic font as the original in its logo. They purchased the restored bar, saved in its completeness (including the original frieze) before the building was demolished by a local restaurant owner, the late John Rimarcik.

So, though the building is gone, memories of the famous cafe can be brought back to life through a drink at its bar and a meal inspired by its menu at the “new” Charlie’s, in the Minneapolis Club downtown.