About Us
Growing up in a small & poor farming village a short distance from the Mediterranean Sea in Southern Greece, Andy Atsidakos always dreamed of a better life.
He arrived in America in the summer of 1966 with only $7 in his pocket. His first job was working for his Uncle’s restaurant in Downtown Minneapolis. Andy started at the bottom, cleaning pots & pans & working very hard for little pay. After 6 months, he received a promotion & became the Baker. As the Baker, he worked 60-70 hours a week for a $40 weekly paycheck. Andy understood that he was working long hours for little money, but he was always thankful for the opportunity to live the American Dream.
After establishing the Crystal Steakhouse, Andy went back to Greece to visit his family. Little did he know it would be on this trip that Andy would meet his future wife, Libby. The two were married via arranged marriage by Andy & Libby’s parents. They both returned to the United States & formed an excellent partnership in life. Libby was always supportive of Andy’s hard work ethic & very understanding of the long hours that restaurants require.
In 1983, after owning & operating the Foolish Steer Restaurant in Spring Lake Park, Andy started a new chapter in his life. Andy purchased the original restaurant in Downtown Minneapolis that brought him to America so many years earlier.
In 2003 Andy sold the restaurant and retired. This retirement lasted five years before Andy, with a little coaxing from wife Libby, had the urge to open another restaurant. In 2008 Andy & Libby in conjunction with their grown children George and Joanne would open Cottage Grill in Rogers. The focus would be the same high quality homemade food, & gourmet home-style cooking that Andy & Libby spent a lifetime creating.
During that same year The Original Minneapple Pie was created. Inspired by their father Andy’s baking, George had the idea to make individual apple pies and deep-fry them. Andy and Libby were skeptical, but one day Joanne made one of these new creations and it turned out delicious! After 9 months of modifying the recipe Libby perfected the pie crust. The Original Minneapple Pie was born!
During the summer of 2009 they began taking the pies to fairs and festivals. In 2011 The Original Minneapple Pie began to sell at Target Field with the Minnesota Twins! In April of 2011 Cottage Grill was reopened as Minne’s Diner. Now Minneapple Pie is at the MN State Fair and traveling across the country to other Fairs!
In 2017 the diner was closed with the goal of focusing on local fairs and bringing the Original Minneapple Pie to YOU!
Find us at a fair! We look forward to feeding you!