New Roseville restaurant founded by Woodbury neighbors with a passion for food

Nina Raemont, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
·2 min read

Mar. 16—How far can a weekly dinner take you? For the Williamses and the Estevezes, the answer is: from eating steak with Woodbury neighbors to serving fried chicken sandwiches at their new Roseville restaurant.

The two families started hosting weekend family dinners in 2020, where Ernest Williams would show off his cooking skills with his wife, Katelyn, and Sophie Estevez served the meanest desserts with her husband, Emilio. "It became a tradition," Emilio Estevez said. The dinners not only brought together the two neighbors and their six kids — it also inspired a food trailer and eventually a restaurant.

The Williamses and the Estevezes opened Two Mixed Up, their new restaurant in B-Dale's Club, last December in Roseville. The counter-service-style restaurant serves up a modest variety of bar favorites — diners can find chicken sandwiches and wings, sauteed jumbo shrimp, burgers and birria tacos on the menu, with sides of Monte Cristo balls, mac and cheese and more. Throughout Lent, Two Mixed Up will fry up some Friday night fish and shrimp. And don't overlook Sophie's cheesecake, a customer favorite that Estevez has worked tirelessly to finesse.

Estevez quit her job as an insurance auditor to become the restaurant's full-time baker, and Williams quit his job as a press operator for RR Donnelley to become Two Mixed Up's full-time chef. "I was getting that feeling in my gut that I didn't belong in my job anymore," Williams said. "I was driving to work every day and asking myself, 'Do I really want to be doing this for the rest of my life?'" What he really wanted to be doing was cooking food from all over the world, so when Emilio offered him and Sophie the opportunity to do so, he jumped in.

Besides some high school jobs at franchises and a hot dog stand, the Williamses and Estevezes are new to the restaurant industry.

Two Mixed Up began operating their food trailer in August of 2021 and opened the restaurant in the club, which seats around 200 guests, four months later. Currently on winter hiatus, the Two Mixed Up food trailer will return to roaming around the metro area this June to cater weddings and other large gatherings.

Since opening, the restaurant has adjusted to the needs of its community through pricing and menu items. They've seen immense support from the Roseville community and are gradually getting to know their customers. "It's kind of become a mixed-up family. We've got a big pot of people who are part of this and who are helping and driving us," Williams said.

Two Mixed Up

— Hours: noon — 8 p.m., Mon — Sat

— Address: B-Dale's Club, 2100 N. Dale St., Roseville

— On the web: www.twomixedup.com