On the eve of Southdale's opening on Oct. 8, 1956, the Minneapolis Tribune called the new center "an astonishing combination of modern retailing and the traditional town square in an always-summertime atmosphere," as the Star Tribune recounted in its history of the mall. That fall, 75,000 people came to see the first fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall in the country.
Seventy years later, that always-summertime idea is doing new work. The newest arrivals on the south end of France Avenue are not quick tests. They are long-term commitments by operators who chose a climate-controlled address on purpose. The calendar for the first weeks of November reads like the proof.
Seventy candles, then a steakhouse
Southdale held free birthday celebrations in Center Court on Oct. 3 and Oct. 10, with DJs, cupcakes, photo stations and a historical exhibit. A week after the second party, Smithson Steak & Seafood held its grand opening on Saturday, Oct. 17.
The timing fits a longer story. Since 2012, owner Simon Property Group has spent about $400 million reworking Southdale. Casual chains like Buffalo Wild Wings and P.F. Chang's left, and a luxury wing that Tiffany & Co. completed this spring took their place, according to the Star Tribune. The same report cites Placer.ai data showing foot traffic in spring 2026 up nearly 30% over 2019. A restaurant group deciding where to build its most ambitious room would weigh exactly that kind of number.
Randy and Sharon Stanley, who also own 6Smith in Wayzata and Baldamar in Roseville, built Smithson as their most upscale restaurant yet. Randy Stanley told the Star Tribune how they approached it:
"We spent a lot of time thinking about what we wanted Smithson to be — not just on opening day, but 10, 20 and 50 years from now. We wanted to create a legacy restaurant that feels special enough for a celebration, but comfortable enough that you want to come back every week."
Hoodline's account of the opening, drawing on the Star Tribune report, says general manager Adam Rosenkrantz described the space as designed to be there 100 years. The room matches the claim. There are leather booths, coffered ceilings, brass and marble at the entry, and a 13-foot brass-framed glass entrance designed by Minneapolis firm Shea.
How to use Smithson on a weeknight
A legacy room only matters if it gets used between celebrations, and the menus suggest the Stanleys planned for regular weeknight visits as well as birthdays.
- Where it is. Suite 2160 at Southdale Center, on the north side of Macy's, with parking at the north end of the mall.
- The splurge. The Star Tribune lists an 8-ounce certified prime filet at $65, a 22-ounce bone-in rib-eye at $90 and caviar service at $80.
- The weekday option. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. Food comes in $6, $9 and $12 tiers, from truffle deviled eggs and popcorn chicken to smashed sliders, steamed mussels with 'nduja and four oysters on the half shell.
- The weekend option. Brunch runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the happy hour menu is available in the bar area during those hours on Saturday and Sunday. The brunch menu includes lemon-ricotta pancakes, stuffed French toast, duck hash and steak and eggs.
On those $12 happy hour plates, the steakhouse's bar works like a neighborhood spot, which is the kind of regular visit Stanley had in mind.
Why Foxwell crossed France Avenue
Smithson chose this corridor from the outside. Foxwell chose it after six years at 44th & France, which shows the same pull from a local business that already had a home in Edina.
Foxwell is an interior design studio and lifestyle shop founded by Heather and Brad Fox. It opened at 44th & France in 2020 and announced in June that it was moving to the west side of Galleria Edina. Heather Fox told Mpls.St.Paul Magazine that years of road construction around 44th & France had changed shopping patterns and foot traffic. "We never fully saw things return to what they once were," she said.
The new store is set up for staying power more than walk-in sales. Plans include a dedicated conference room where the design team can meet clients and review plans next to the retail floor. Fox described the goal as "an immersive design experience." Galleria's directory lists the shop as open, nearest Door 1.
Foxwell's grand opening week runs Nov. 2 through Nov. 8. The first 25 customers get a giveaway Monday through Thursday. Friday through Sunday, a $100 purchase earns a $20 bonus card. Saturday brings a coffee cart, and on Sunday Nickey Robo does live chain-stitch personalization.
The November calendar, block by block
With a steakhouse built for decades on one side of France Avenue and a design studio that relocated for steadier traffic on the other, November's schedule shows what that indoor setup supports once the weather turns.
| Date | Place | What's happening |
|---|---|---|
| Thu., Nov. 5, 5–8 p.m. | Galleria | Sweet Ivy's "Cheers to 10 Years" with a Christi Andringa book signing |
| Through Sun., Nov. 8 | Galleria, near Door 1 | Foxwell grand opening week |
| Sat., Nov. 7, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | Galleria | Pottery Barn Holiday Open House |
| Sun., Nov. 15, 10–11 a.m. | Galleria | Pottery Barn "Decorate a Merry Mantel" workshop |
| Sat.–Sun., Nov. 21–22 | Galleria, east end near Pittsburgh Blue | The Standard Vintage Market: Holiday Edition |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Southdale | Closed for Thanksgiving |
| Fri., Nov. 27, 6 a.m.–9 p.m. | Southdale | Black Friday hours |
The Standard Vintage Market brings vintage dealers and local makers. Saturday early entry starts at 10 a.m. and requires a ticket. General admission runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. For anyone furnishing a room before the holidays, a Foxwell visit early in the month, the Pottery Barn mantel session mid-month and the vintage dealers before Thanksgiving make a three-weekend sequence within a few hundred feet.
Southdale's posted holiday hours continue with 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 29, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30. Neither mall had posted a Santa photo schedule or tree-lighting date by the time this went to press.
Dessert, and the indoor park next door
Two smaller stops round out the corridor, and both are indoor.
Mooni Mooni opened in September at 7575 France Ave. S., a shop devoted entirely to Japanese-style cheesecake. The cakes are baked fresh daily in original, chocolate, pistachio and a savory version topped with chicken floss, priced from $17 to $23 per cake, per the Star Tribune. The menu also covers cheesecake puddings, egg tarts, butter mochi, boba milk tea, gelato and shaved ice. A whole cake makes an easy contribution to a Thanksgiving table.
A few blocks east, Edinborough Park at 7700 York Ave. S. is the city's own version of Gruen's indoor idea. Its November calendar includes a Raptor Center program on Nov. 5 at 10:30 a.m., following a sensory-friendly playtime on Nov. 1 and an Art Cart session in the amphitheater on Nov. 3, according to the city calendar. Registration for Edina's winter and spring Parks & Recreation programs opened to Edina residents at noon on Nov. 4 and opens to everyone at noon on Nov. 10.
Victor Gruen, Southdale's architect, wanted the mall surrounded by housing and parks, a new kind of place for suburbanites to gather. Southdale now sits on a multi-block site with apartments, a hotel, a grocery store, coworking and a county service center, and Edinborough Park, Galleria and Mooni Mooni are all within a short drive.
Foxwell's move is a reminder that rooms sell the idea of a place. When you're ready to give your own home the same attention before a listing, a remodel or the holidays, Your Home By Design pairs certified staging with design and project oversight. Start Your Home By Design and schedule a free Market & Staging Consultation.