The indie gourmets

The connection between indie rock and gourmet food may not be immediately apparent, but Gastro Non Grata co-founder Craig Drehmel has it sussed: They both appeal to those who are passionate about their tastes, no matter whether the tongue or the ears are the sensory organs of record. “When I go to shows at Triple Rock, there are always these über-dorks about music,” he says. “But when you introduce beer and good food, it gives them something new to talk about.”

There’s a much more direct connection too, he notes: “Everyone in bands, most of them work in the service industry. And most appreciate good food.” So getting the two together is not only natural, to a large extent it’s already happened. Gastro Non Grata just makes it official: Every show features at least one band with a member who works at the featured restaurant. “That ties it in to the local community, and that’s what Gastro Non Grata is all about.” (The organizers also cross between the food and music worlds—Drehmel’s partner, Jeff Mitchell, was the guitarist for local rockers Volante. Drehmel himself is just a music fan: “I just drink a lot, that’s my only claim to fame,” he jokes.)

Like a house party that just keeps starting back up, Gastro Non Grata has grown since its beginnings at the 331 Club a couple of years back. It’s now held four times a year at punk haven Triple Rock Social Club, with additional dates whenever Drehmel and Mitchell get the urge to host again. Each GNG features a different lineup of guest chefs, brewers, and bands, but the focus is always on the local scene.

“After 2001, it seemed like all the great restaurants in downtown Minneapolis, all my little neighborhood favorites, were closing, and it just sucked,” Drehmel says. “I wanted to focus on small independent restaurants that care about what they’re doing, and include good local music. And hey, it gives people a reason to drink on a Sunday.”

The next Gastro go-round is May 24, which will include beer samples from the Rush River Brewing Company, mushroom pate and Vietnamese grilled pork salad—courtesy of Heather Hartman, chef at Spoonriver—and some handmade chocolate from Rogue Chocolatier. The onstage entertainment is an eclectic mix, ranging from the folky accordion and musical saw of Dreamland Faces to the distortion-heavy punk duo Birthday Suits, as well as His Mischief, The Evening Rig, and singer-songwriter Mr. Fly, who works in the Spoonriver kitchen. And to lay the groundwork for the next Gastro, Northern Brewery will start up a batch of homebrewed beer that will be ready for sampling at a future installment.

Drehmel hopes to keep expanding the scope, noting that already “it’s turning into a small art fair.” Poster artist King Mini designed the GNG logo and has been featured at every show so far; more recently, Minneapolis design collective Overproof made two posters for last week’s Art-A-Whirl edition of the show at the Modern Café.

Though previous Gastros have been free, Drehmel reluctantly added a $3 cover charge and (less reluctantly) T-shirts for sale to help defray expenses—and to achieve the grand dream of being able to legally host a meat raffle. It turns out that there are strict rules about who can raffle meat (nonprofits) and who can’t (everyone else). For now, there’s a “dead meat doorprize” instead.

For future events, check gastronongrata.blogspot.com; Drehmel says he plans to schedule more for the summer, but nothing’s set in stone yet beyond May—that way, he won’t obsess over the details, the better to keep the event casual.

“We’re not looking to get rich," he says. "We just want to keep doing these shows and make it sustainable.”