Restaurants
Best of the Twin Cities | Local PicksDirectory List
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WAREHOUSE DISTRICT. One of the best reasons you have for venturing into the Warehouse District, this cozy, award-winning kitchen, run by Chef Isaac Becker, applies youthful enthusiasm to the art of creative cookery. Featured main dishes run the gamut, from nori-encrusted sirloin with ponzu to sea urchin risotto to tagliatelle with foie gras meatballs. If something a tad more mainstream fires your craving, then the signature 112 cheeseburger is probably the way to go. It won't take long for you to figure why this is one of town's top restaurants, the preferred haunt of Minny foodies.
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UPTOWN. This hip, sleek member of the Wolfgang Puck family of restaurants is right at home in Walker Art Center, where museum-goers enjoy haute New American fare with a decidedly Asian kick. Views of the Minneapolis skyline are prominent as you feast on fresh butterfish, short ribs, tempura shrimp, and roasted Cantonese duck. Ingredients are amazingly fresh, allowing for the food's true flavors to come bursting forth. Don't miss the signature dessert Spoon, Cube, and Cherry which mimics the famous Claes Oldenburg sculpture, Spoonbridge and Cherry, in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.
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SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS. Corner Table places a premium on serving up dishes that incorporate locally-grown ingredients, particularly meat and produce from small, family-owned farms. Though the digs are snug, guests are made to feel right at home by the calm vibe. The dining room's capacity for comfort only deepens when waitstaff delivers dishes like braised beef shank with whipped parsnip and broccolini, pan-roasted trout with Brussels sprout leaves and roasted potato, and pappardelle pasta with lamb ragout.
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DOWNTOWN. Keeping pace with the sleek, sexy aesthetics of the Graves 601 Hotel requires a restaurant designer's A-game, and that's just what happened when the plans were drawn up for Cosmos. Modern and cool, the space features furniture with low-profiles and clean, distinct lines, giving it a dramatic vibe that suits the downtown Theater District just right. The dinner menu lists inventive numbers like celery root tart and vanilla-butter poached lobster with sweet onion curry. Sunday "blunch," meanwhile, includes tasty benedicts, corned beef hash, and after 11am, even grilled pork loin and grass-fed Minnesota rib-eye.
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LORING PARK. Fresh flowers, fine crystal and china, and snow-white tablecloths define La Belle Vie, where the French and Mediterranean cuisine is as elegant and tasteful as the decor. A local newspaper once dubbed this establishment "the best restaurant in the history of Minneapolis," and it's not difficult to taste why. Whether ordering veal tenderloin with tarragon and sweetbreads or grilled chicken with chanterelles from the à la carte menu or exploring the five- or eight-course tasting menu, you'll be impressed by the quality and aesthetic of the cuisine. The full wine bar is a relaxing spot in which to enjoy a glass from the 300+ selection.
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DOWNTOWN. This appealing steakhouse, reminiscent of an old-fashioned men's club, serves USDA-certified, dry-aged beef and does so in portions that are certain to demand a doggie bag. The menu changes daily but often features a mouth-watering porterhouse or New York strip, along with lemon-pepper chicken, shrimp, salmon, tuna, veal, lamb, and pork chops. The typical crowd dresses in everything from rhinestones to blue jeans.
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WAREHOUSE DISTRICT. A hidden treasure tucked away in the Warehouse District, this Japanese eatery offers first-rate elegance in both food and ambiance. Sushi and sashimi are wonderfully fresh and expertly crafted, and yose-nabe, served in an enormous clay bowl, offers generous portions of noodles, seafood, chicken, and vegetables. Other options include tempura, teriyaki salmon or chicken, and grilled scallops. First-come, first-served reservation policy.
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DINKYTOWN. An expansive tasting menu that changes almost daily and a bustling dining room made light and cheery with blond wood accents keep things lively and bustling at Alma. If it's fresh, organic, and seasonal, it's probably on the menu, which is designed with local farms and suppliers in mind. The three-course tasting menu is $45; representative courses include parmesan flan and soft quail egg with maple syrup, buckwheat crepe with smoked portobellos, leeks and spicy mustard, and sautéed wild Alaskan halibut with red kimchi purée. You'll have to order dessert separately, but with choices like chocolate-banana cake and passion fruit meringue pie, the splurge is well worth it.
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