Owner Adam Johnson serves a group of hungry subcontractors from a nearby construction site.

Photo by Jeremy Stratton

NORTH LONGFELLOW—As you’re walking along the stretch of East Lake Street near 27th Avenue, where a string of restaurants is forming a new “eat street,” the flames of saganaki and vivid décor draw you to Calypso Café, a new Greek fusion restaurant on 27th Avenue, open since mid-November.

Owner Adam Johnson said the reason he wanted to open Calypso goes back to his childhood. “I can always remember as a child helping serve in my father’s restaurant,” said the 25-year-old Johnson, whose father owned Omar’s Oasis at Seven Corners in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Johnson spent his summers here as a child — away from his home in Washington, where he lived since age 3.

Johnson moved back to Minneapolis a year ago because most of his family lives here. His father inspired Johnson to open Calypso, his first business. “We grew closer,” said Johnson. “This was his idea, and he helped a lot, in many ways.”

Johnson said the fusion element comes from “the Greek foundation: hummus, lamb souvlaki, moussaka, with a lot of things not Greek but that go with the menu: hamburgers, steak, mashed potatoes, omelettes. A lot of it’s an American twist,” he said, “and some comes from other parts of the world.”

Saganaki, a flaming kassari cheese with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, is a favorite of the steadily increasing clientele. Johnson said another favorite is the Calypso pasta — roasted bell peppers, spinach, kalamata olives, capers, roasted garlic, with white wine sauce and feta cheese, and with shrimp or chicken options. The Trifecta vegetarian plate is another very popular dish — carrots, broccoli, tomatoes and artichoke hearts sautéed with onions, garlic and complex spices in white and lemon wine sauces.

Johnson said the falafel is unique from other restaurants in the Twin Cities. “Most [restaurants] use mostly garbanzo beans. We use cilantro, jalapeños and special spices and parsley, which gives it a dark green color people aren’t familiar with.”

Calypso offers one side with lunch and two sides with dinner — you can choose from six salads and eight vegetable dishes. Lunches range from $7 to $9, with a couple shrimp dishes at $11. Dinners range from $13 to $17, with items such as lamb chops and New York Steak in the mid-$20s.

The music also has a fusion quality, something Johnson feels is important in a restaurant. “You hear Greek, but also jazz, classical, Arabic, blues — eclectic,” he said.

Johnson solicited area art schools to display and sell local students’ art work on the restaurant’s walls, which are painted burnt orange, cherry red and lime green. The two rooms are a well-crafted mix of modern and antique décor — hardwood floor on one side and fine ceramic tiles on the other, divided by faux-marble pillars and glass paintings.

Johnson hopes the complement of food and décor will provide a special experience for his customers, “perhaps turning a crummy day into a pleasant evening,” he said, adding that he enjoys feeding his customers “and catering to their every last need, because I love to make people happy.”

Taste for yourself:
The Calypso Café
3009 27th Ave. S
612-724-8071
Hours: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday,
11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday,
11 a.m.–11 p.m.
Closed Tuesday

last revised: July 25, 2007

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