Like many downtowns, Minneapolis has struggled to regain a working population in the years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two restaurateurs are doubling down: Brent Frederick’s Jester Concepts has a steakhouse, an Italian restaurant in a hotel, and a North Loop upscale restaurant. Now he’s leading the rebirth of a restaurant that soared to heights before the pandemic, Butcher and the Boar. Plus, Vincent Francoual has been the premier name in French cooking in the Twin Cities, his self-named Vincent A Restaurant was among the top restaurants in the state. Now he’s a dad and running a French bistro named for his young daughter, Chloe.