Broccoli Request Salad from Kozlak’s Royal Oak in Shoreview

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Broccoli Request Salad

This dish was served at Kozlak’s Royal Oak in Shoreview, Minnesota, in the 1980s.
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch of broccoli, trimmed to three-inches of stems and flowerettes
  • 12 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crushed
  • ½ c. raisins
  • 1 c. unsalted sunflower seeds
  • 1 small red onion, sliced thin
Dressing
  • 1 c. mayonnaise
  • ½ c. sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. vinegar

Instructions

  • Wash and drain broccoli, then coarsely chop. Place in bowl. Add bacon, raisins, sunflower seeds and onion.
  • Combine dressing ingredients in bowl, then toss with salad.

About Kozlak’s Royal Oak

Location:
Shoreview, Minnesota

Status:
Permanently closed

Dates active:
1977-2014

Joseph and Gertrude Kozlak opened Jax Cafe in Minneapolis in 1943. Their son Jack grew up working in the restaurant, and in 1977 he and his wife Ruth set out to open their own establishment with the knowledge he gained at Jax. 

In 1977, the couple purchased the abandoned and derelict Sandpiper Restaurant property in Shoreview at auction. A grove of towering oak trees surrounding the property gave the restaurant its new name — Kozlak’s Royal Oak Restaurant. Kozlak’s offered fancy dining in the north metro and a place to celebrate special occasions for nearly 40 years. 

After Jack Kozlak died in 2012, the ownership of the business was turned over to Lynn and Mark. Jack’s estate put the building and land into a trust. Within a year of Jack’s death, rumors started that the estate was negotiating with a developer to sell the land Kozlak’s sat on. There was nothing Lynn and Mark could do to stop it. The couple arranged a deal to keep the restaurant open for a year after the deal closed. They hoped that would buy them time to find a new location for Kozlak’s.

As 2014 grew closer, Lynn and Mark could see the writing on the wall. Kozlak’s would close for good. The couple was unable to find a new property in a tight commercial real estate market (keep in mind that proceeds from the sale of the property went into the trust.)

Once the closure was announced, many diners returned for one last meal and to say goodbye to the north metro’s timeless eatery. Kozlak’s served their final dinner on Saturday, March 15, 2014. The building was demolished to make way for senior apartments.

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