Chef-owner Abe Gessesse of Hyacinth in St. Paul joins Tim on this episode of Niver Niver Land for a conversation about what it really takes to run a restaurant today.

Abe took over Hyacinth in 2023, having been the first-line cook hired when the restaurant opened in 2018, eventually becoming its chef-owner and earning a James Beard semifinalist nomination shortly after taking the reins. 

In this episode, Tim and Abe talk about the realities behind restaurant ownership, including:

• the different phases every restaurant goes through
• how outside forces can suddenly reshape the business
• the massive hit Twin Cities restaurants took during the recent ICE raids
• the emotional and financial weight of ownership
• and what actually makes a restaurant good enough to survive long-term

Hyacinth is a tiny neighborhood restaurant known for its Italian-leaning menu and highly personal service, where guests can often see the kitchen at work and feel closely connected to the people making their food. 

For Abe and Tim, this conversation isn’t theoretical. It’s the lived reality of running restaurants in a city that’s constantly evolving.

If you’ve ever wondered what restaurant owners are really thinking behind the scenes, this one goes deep.

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NiverNiverLand is sponsored by Land O’Lakes Foodservice.

You might be familiar with Land O'Lakes Butter and cheese in the grocery aisle, but did you know they also sell dairy products specifically developed for use in foodservice kitchens? If you're a chef or operator in the industry, check out their offerings like Extra Melt® cheese sauces, shreds, and loaves - providing creamy, melty, crave-able appeal for your menu from smashburgers to baked mac and cheese to signature queso…and so much more.

Farmer-owned since 1921, choosing Land O'Lakes® products for your kitchen helps support more than 1,000 Land O’Lakes farmer-owners.

https://www.landolakesfoodservice.com/

We bring this episode to you today with a heavy heart. Following the tragic killing of Renee Good by ICE officers and the subsequent unrest unfolding across Minneapolis and the country, we debated whether now was the time to share this. We chose to move forward because hospitality is, at its core, the story of our community. To understand where our city is going, we have to look at the spaces where we’ve gathered, worked, and lived for the last thirty years.

This is a reflection of the social and cultural shifts in the United States, seen through the lens of the dining room.

And so in this episode, we’re out of the Mucci's studio and on the street. I take ya'll on a site-by-site tour of my career, discussing how the industry has transformed over the last few decades.

The Stops on the Tour:

• The Hyatt Regency & Aquavit: Where the foundation was laid.
• Town Talk Diner: The spark of a Minneapolis institution.
• The Strip Club Meat and Fish: A legendary run in Dayton's Bluff.
• Saint Dinette: Defining the modern Lowertown vibe.
• Mucci’s (St. Paul): The final stop and the current pulse of my work.

Along the way, I talk all about the changing tastes of the Twin Cities, what it really takes to survive three decades in the restaurant business, and what could be next for the industry.

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NiverNiverLand is sponsored by Land O’Lakes Foodservice.

You might be familiar with Land O'Lakes Butter and cheese in the grocery aisle, but did you know they also sell dairy products specifically developed for use in foodservice kitchens? If you're a chef or operator in the industry, check out their offerings like Extra Melt® cheese sauces, shreds, and loaves - providing creamy, melty, crave-able appeal for your menu from smashburgers to baked mac and cheese to signature queso…and so much more.

Farmer-owned since 1921, choosing Land O'Lakes® products for your kitchen helps support more than 1,000 Land O’Lakes farmer-owners.

https://www.landolakesfoodservice.com/

This episode of Niver Niver Land features a high-energy live recording from the
Falling Knife Brewing Company taproom, where host Tim Niver sits down with the duo behind the Wrecktangle Pizza empire: Jeff Rogers and Breanna Evans.

Recorded in December 2025, the conversation dives into the messy, beautiful, and often hilarious reality of running a rapidly expanding restaurant group while maintaining a partnership. From their rise from food hall startup to national acclaim on Good Morning America, Jeff and Breanna share what it’s actually like to navigate the "massive change" of today's hospitality industry.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Partnership Dynamic: How Jeff (Chef/Owner) and Breanna (COO and "Sunshine Director") balance business growth with their personal lives.
• The "Wrecktangle" Rise: Navigating the shift from a niche Detroit-style pizza pop-up to a multi-location powerhouse.
• Industry Realities: A candid look at the challenges of modern restaurant operations, including the recent closure of Wrestaurant at the Palace and what "exiting" really feels like.
• Live Q&A: The team takes questions from the Falling Knife crowd, covering everything from flavor profiles to the importance of community and "beer and a bump" culture.

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NiverNiverLand is sponsored by Land O’Lakes Foodservice.

You might be familiar with Land O'Lakes Butter and cheese in the grocery aisle, but did you know they also sell dairy products specifically developed for use in foodservice kitchens? If you're a chef or operator in the industry, check out their offerings like Extra Melt® cheese sauces, shreds, and loaves - providing creamy, melty, crave-able appeal for your menu from smashburgers to baked mac and cheese to signature queso…and so much more.

Farmer-owned since 1921, choosing Land O'Lakes® products for your kitchen helps support more than 1,000 Land O’Lakes farmer-owners.

https://www.landolakesfoodservice.com/

NiverNiverLand is sponsored by Land O’Lakes Foodservice.

You might be familiar with Land O'Lakes Butter and cheese in the grocery aisle, but did you know they also sell dairy products specifically developed for use in foodservice kitchens? If you're a chef or operator in the industry, check out their offerings like Extra Melt® cheese sauces, shreds, and loaves - providing creamy, melty, crave-able appeal for your menu from smashburgers to baked mac and cheese to signature queso…and so much more.

Farmer-owned since 1921, choosing Land O'Lakes® products for your kitchen helps support more than 1,000 Land O’Lakes farmer-owners.

https://www.landolakesfoodservice.com/

NiverNiverLand is sponsored by Land O’Lakes Foodservice.

You might be familiar with Land O'Lakes Butter and cheese in the grocery aisle, but did you know they also sell dairy products specifically developed for use in foodservice kitchens? If you're a chef or operator in the industry, check out their offerings like Extra Melt® cheese sauces, shreds, and loaves - providing creamy, melty, crave-able appeal for your menu from smashburgers to baked mac and cheese to signature queso…and so much more.

Farmer-owned since 1921, choosing Land O'Lakes® products for your kitchen helps support more than 1,000 Land O’Lakes farmer-owners.

https://www.landolakesfoodservice.com/

Ed Porter is a creative storyteller who moves fluidly between the worlds of food, music, and media.

Born in Mount Vernon and raised in The Bronx, Ed’s journey took him from the kitchens of acclaimed restaurants like Aquavit, Café Beulah, and Sweet Ophelia’s to the screen, where he appeared on Guy’s Grocery Games (Food Network) and Netflix’s Pressure Cooker.

He trained at the Culinary Institute of America, but his foundation was built earlier: in music. That early passion still informs his perspective on the world. For Ed, creativity is a language that transcends medium—and storytelling is the vehicle.

In this episode, we talk about:
 – the parallels between food and music
 – the limits of traditional fine dining
 – how he embraces the modern concept of "personal brand"
 – and why he’s more interested in storytelling than prestige

It’s a conversation that sits at the intersection of flavor, feeling, and philosophy.

Yo, fam!

Peter Bian and Linda Cao, the founders of Saturday Dumpling Co., join us on Niver Niver Land to unpack their journey: from making frozen dumplings during the pandemic to opening their first restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis and expanding into food halls.

They share how family recipes, creative risks, and community values shape every dumpling, rice bowl, and new menu idea.

This episode is all about hope, grit, and what it means to build something meaningful in the hospitality industry.

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NiverNiverLand is sponsored by Land O’Lakes Foodservice.

You might be familiar with Land O'Lakes Butter and cheese in the grocery aisle, but did you know they also sell dairy products specifically developed for use in foodservice kitchens? If you're a chef or operator in the industry, check out their offerings like Extra Melt® cheese sauces, shreds, and loaves - providing creamy, melty, crave-able appeal for your menu from smashburgers to baked mac and cheese to signature queso…and so much more.

Farmer-owned since 1921, choosing Land O'Lakes® products for your kitchen helps support more than 1,000 Land O’Lakes farmer-owners.

https://www.landolakesfoodservice.com/

Presented by Land O'Lakes Foodservice

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What up, fam??

Jonathan Janssen, General Manager and Partner at Vinai, joins me to share what it’s been like to run one of America’s top new restaurants. From The New York Times to James Beard, Vinai’s ascent has been swift, yet for Jonathan, the heart of the job remains in the day-to-day: creating a space that honors Hmong heritage, leading a team in the spotlight, and keeping hospitality human at every table.

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NiverNiverLand is sponsored by Land O’Lakes Foodservice.

You might be familiar with Land O'Lakes Butter and cheese in the grocery aisle, but did you know they also sell dairy products specifically developed for use in foodservice kitchens? If you're a chef or operator in the industry, check out their offerings like Extra Melt® cheese sauces, shreds, and loaves - providing creamy, melty, crave-able appeal for your menu from smashburgers to baked mac and cheese to signature queso…and so much more.

Farmer-owned since 1921, choosing Land O'Lakes® products for your kitchen helps support more than 1,000 Land O’Lakes farmer-owners.

https://www.landolakesfoodservice.com/

Presented by Land O'Lakes Foodservice

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What up, fam!

Jason Hansen and Peter Sebastian join us to trace their restaurant journey, from the cozy Southern European soul of Estelle, to the retro-sandwich comfort of Mario’s, and now Liliana, a modern Italian pasta bar in Woodbury. They share how they balance culinary ambition with community vibes, and why their newest joint feels both familiar and fresh.

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NiverNiverLand is sponsored by Land O’Lakes Foodservice.

You might be familiar with Land O'Lakes Butter and cheese in the grocery aisle, but did you know they also sell dairy products specifically developed for use in foodservice kitchens? If you're a chef or operator in the industry, check out their offerings like Extra Melt® cheese sauces, shreds, and loaves - providing creamy, melty, crave-able appeal for your menu from smashburgers to baked mac and cheese to signature queso…and so much more.

Farmer-owned since 1921, choosing Land O'Lakes® products for your kitchen helps support more than 1,000 Land O’Lakes farmer-owners.

https://www.landolakesfoodservice.com/

Presented by Land O'Lakes Foodservice

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Hey fam!

Today’s guest needs no introduction — but we’re going to give him one anyway.

Marcus Samuelsson is one of the most celebrated chefs on the planet. Dozens of restaurants, books, shows, and cultural moments. But behind all that success is someone who cares deeply about food, people, and the stories that connect them.

This week on Niver Niver Land, I sat down with Marcus for a conversation that goes far beyond the kitchen. We talked about what it means to build restaurants that reflect community, and how joy, generosity, and grit show up in his work.

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NiverNiverLand is sponsored by Land O’Lakes.

You might be familiar with Land O'Lakes Butter and cheese in the grocery aisle, but did you know they also sell dairy products developed to perform in foodservice kitchens? If you're a chef or operator in the industry, check out their offerings like Extra Melt® cheese sauces, shreds, and loaves - providing creamy, melty, crave-able appeal for your menu from smashburgers to baked mac and cheese to signature queso…and so much more.

Farmer-owned since 1921, choosing Land O'Lakes® products for your kitchen helps support more than 1,000 Land O’Lakes farmer-owners.

https://www.landolakesfoodservice.com/