RESTAURANTS >>

• BEST BREAKFAST
  Lucia's to Go
  All too often, breakfast comes down to a simple either/or prospect: Either do it up and spend a lot for an expensive brunch, or eat a mess of eggs and potatoes in a skillet. Both have their time and place, but it's nice to be able to break out of the box. At the simultaneously affordable and... More >>
• BEST CHEAP EATS
  The Chicago Dog at the Bulldog
  It will set you back $5.25 (or $5 at the Northeast location) for this meal at the Bulldog, but for the amount of food you get, you'll swear you should be paying more. Those who order the Chicago Dog will be treated to maximum doggage (either meat or a plump and filling veggie dog). Quality... More >>
• BEST CHEF
  Alex Roberts, Restaurant Alma
  Alex Roberts was one of the first chefs in town to pull the white tablecloth out from under fine dining. After more than a decade in business, his Restaurant Alma serves some of the Cities' most creative, flavorful dishes from a spare dining room in a decidedly unsexy University neighborhood... More >>
• BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT
  Evergreen
  At first, Evergreen might be mistaken for a Lutheran church basement, albeit one with Chinese zodiac placemats, plastic chopsticks, and handle-less teacups on the tables. But the humble, windowless digs don't detract from the experience—they just keep diners focused on the food. Taiwanese... More >>
• BEST DIM SUM
  Jun Bo
  When it comes to dim sum, here's a general rule: The best tiny tea snacks are served in the biggest rooms. In the Twin Cities, that means you head to Jun Bo, which seats about 400 people, where the crowds are as abundant as the dim sum assortment. Located in a former Chi-Chi's on I-494,... More >>
• BEST DINER
  Mickey's Diner
  These days, the closest most people will get to eating in a train diner car is going to Mickey's Diner in the heart of downtown St. Paul. But even if this iconic diner isn't going anywhere, you should make the trip. The neon sign and promise of good, pretty cheap food attract a cross section of... More >>
• BEST FREE CHIPS AND SALSA
  Baja Sol
  The enjoyable act of eating free chips and salsa before a meal of Mexican food has never been so perfectly executed as at local chain Baja Sol. When giving away free chips and salsa, a restaurant really could get away with serving up some crappy chips from a bag and room-temperature Pace salsa.... More >>
• BEST FRENCH RESTAURANT
  Meritage
  This St. Paul newcomer hasn't yet received the accolades of some of our favorite French restaurants, such as Vincent and Cave Vin, though it's certainly deserving. Meritage offers all the Gallic standards, from steak frites to omelet du jour, and while the cassoulet and French onion soup might... More >>
• BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT
  Nala Pak
  "This is insane," one woman said to another as she heaped a scoop of curry onto a second plate at the Nala Pak buffet. The former home of Udupi has a new name and new owners, but serves similarly delicious vegetarian Indian food. The weekday buffet, which rings in at just $8.99, is the most... More >>
• BEST IRISH PUB
  The Local
  In terms of Irish-pub street cred, it's hard to top selling more Jameson Irish Whiskey than any other bar in the world (including those on the Isle itself). But that's not the only impressive thing the Local does—it also employs a large and friendly staff who are knowledgeable enough not... More >>
• BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT (CHEAP)
  Broders' Pasta Bar
  If you want to eat an affordable plate of pasta, you have dozens of options around the area. If you want to eat a craftily concocted, beautifully presented, top-quality, affordable plate of pasta, your best bet is heading out to Broders' Pasta Bar and sampling the ever-changing variety of egg... More >>
• BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT (NOT CHEAP)
  I Nonni
  The veal shank osso bucco at I Nonni is the sort of dish that lingers in your memory...the tenderness of the braised meat, the rich, buttery marrow you scooped from the bone with a tiny spoon. It's one of those meals that makes it difficult to order anything else on the menu. But if you can bear... More >>
• BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT
  Obento-ya
  For many Americans, sushi is the alpha and omega of Japanese cuisine, give or take a bowl of edamame and an order of tempura shrimp. You can get those things at Obento-ya, and they'll be served up with grace, skill, and gusto. But the beauty of this newly opened Japanese bistro near Dinkytown is... More >>
• BEST KOREAN RESTAURANT
  Dong Yang
  Of course, we love King's Fine Korean in Fridley—who doesn't?—but when we want our kimchi a little more low-key, i.e. sans karaoke, we head up Central Avenue and stop at Dong Yang. Inside the massive Asian grocery, which sells everything from household furniture to gallon jars of... More >>
• BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT
  Masa
  Still mourning the loss of Pineda Tacos #2, the no-frills pit stop in the old Hi-Lake Pizza Hut? Here's what you do: Head over to Masa and start to console yourself with one of the six top-shelf margaritas. Once the alcohol starts to take effect, notice how the light streams in through the... More >>
• BEST MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT
  Saffron
  Say you love a good street-cart falafel, exploding with onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and leaving a trail of creamy yogurt dressing dripping down your wrist. Say you make weekly trips to Holy Land to stock up on pita, hummus, tabouli, and stuffed grape leaves. What do you do when you want to... More >>
• BEST NEIGHBORHOOD CAFÉ—MINNEAPOLIS
  Café Levain
  Restaurant Levain launched as an ambitious culinary exploration of foie-gras torchon and butter-poached lobster, but the problem was, it was a little too pricey for most to visit if it wasn't a special occasion. The restaurant closed last year and reopened soon after as a more casual... More >>
• BEST NEIGHBORHOOD CAFÉ—ST. PAUL
  Tanpopo Noodle Shop
  This quiet Lowertown noodle shop shows that Japanese cuisine is far more than fun-and-flashy sushi joints. Chef-owner Koshiki Yonemura cooks a home-style menu that's as simple and sweet as her dining room, a high-ceilinged loft with a beautiful, spare rusticity. Appetizers can be as basic as... More >>
• BEST NEW RESTAURANT
  Heidi's
  What happens when a bigwig chef—one who cooked in some of New York City's best restaurants, one who graced the cover of Food & Wine's Best New Chef issue—scales back? Wonderful, wonderful things, that's what. Chef Stewart Woodman, the force that launched Five and Restaurant... More >>
• BEST OKTOBERFEST
  Gasthof zur Gemütlichkeit
  What is it about gulping über-hoppy German bier out of a giant, boot-shaped glass that renders live polka music not just tolerable but enjoyable? Beats the hell out of us, but such is the magic of Oktoberfest at Gasthof zur Gemütlichkeit. For four weekends starting in late September,... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO STUDY WHILE SIPPING BEER
  Common Roots Cafe
  Sure, coffee is a staple for those looking to get some work done fast. But for lower-key job duties or term papers, sometimes you just want a pint. When you want to do some less high-maintenance thinking, Common Roots Cafe fulfills those needs. A cute spot with community in mind, the new-ish... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT—MINNEAPOLIS
  La Belle Vie
  When you want a top-notch, ultra luxe, all-the-bells-and-whistles dining experience, there's really no other choice but La Belle Vie. Chef Tim McKee's perfectly prepared dishes—from seared foie gras with roasted mission figs to grilled veal short loin with celery root fondue—are as... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT—ST. PAUL
  Heartland
  Lenny Russo, chef-owner of Heartland in St. Paul, was doing the whole local, seasonal, sustainable thing way before it was hip. Russo's love for his Midwestern pantry shows through in his poetic menu descriptions: "Pan-seared Singerhouse Farm rabbit loin with black trumpet mushrooms, organic... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR A FIRST DATE
  Tea House
  Here's a quick way to assess your date's snob factor: Drive the possible object of your affection to this forlorn-looking strip mall off I-94 and White Bear Avenue, and watch the initial reaction. Does her nose instinctively crinkle in distaste as she contemplates the dismal surroundings? Do you... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR APPETIZERS
  Café Maude
  In the mood for something light? If you can manage to pick your way through the convivial crowd to the bar at Café Maude, the restaurant has a number of ways to reward you for your trouble. On a cool spring evening, try the smoky, sensual roasted corn chowder with avocado and bacon, and... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR DESSERT
  Cosmos
  At Restaurant Levain and Auriga, pastry chef Khanh Tran developed a reputation for her creative contradictions, mixing crisp and creamy textures, or pairing savory flavors with sweet. Now that she's at Cosmos, the ultra-mod room seems an appropriate backdrop for her stunning, sculpture-like... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR LATE-NIGHT DINING
  112 Eatery
  Used to be, in this town, that late-night dining meant snagging a table at Little T's for a burrito that tasted like it just died and came out of a microwave. But the 112 Eatery changed all that. Designed as a place for post-shift chefs to wind down, 112 Eatery serves full gourmet meals until... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR OUTDOOR DINING
  Stone's Restaurant and Lounge
  Why drive all the way to Stillwater for outdoor dining? For the same reason that, mid-summer, Highway 95 transitions from thoroughfare to parking lot: The historic river town is a beautiful place to walk by the river, stop in the gift shops, and watch all the motorcyclists and antique shoppers.... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR ROMANCE
  Barbette
  What makes a romantic evening? Hell, a bag full of White Castle sliders can do the trick if the stars are properly aligned, so it's impossible to say for certain. But some factors are virtually guaranteed to make a convivial evening. Chic sophistication is good, but you don't want a place that's... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT TREND
  The neighborhood bistro
  How would you like to have a restaurant around the corner from your house or apartment that served up sophisticated food? But didn't charge much for it? And let you eat anything from an after-work bar nosh to a fancy-ass celebratory meal with all the trimmings? In 2001, Barbette proved it could... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING
  Chambers Kitchen
  When you want the rock-star treatment, the best of the best, to really go all-out—i.e., those times when somebody else is picking up the tab—make your reservation at Chambers Kitchen. Real estate mogul Ralph Burnet's sleek, boutique Chambers Hotel has a world-class modern art... More >>
• BEST SEAFOOD ENTRÉE
  Alaska Eatery and Glacier Bar
  The newly opened Alaska Eatery puts a lot of stock in its grilling operation, which dominates the restaurant's foyer and crowds up much of the menu. This is both wise and fitting. The restaurant has figured out a remarkably savory way to prepare food, and is squeezing it for all it's worth,... More >>
• BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT (1 Comment)
  Sea Salt
  Sometimes you want your seafood served on fine china, gussied up with garnishes and sauce. And sometimes you want to eat it just like fresh-catch, pure and unadorned, shucked straight from the shell. When that's the case, head to Sea Salt, where the fish is as fine as if you'd just brought it... More >>
• BEST SERVICE
  Wayzata Eatery
  As a matter of course, you expect waiters and waitresses to at least feign enthusiasm for their place of work and the food that comes out of it. And as a matter of course, the reality tends to clock in somewhere between "phoned in" and "professionally committed." But at the Wayzata Eatery,... More >>
• BEST STEAK HOUSE
  Fogo de Chão
  Here's the problem with most steakhouses: how to choose. New York strip? Porterhouse? Filet mignon? Prime Rib? That's why Fogo de Chão, a churrascaria-style steakhouse, is great for commitment-phobes. Brazilian gaucho chefs dash around the room carrying giant skewers of flame-kissed... More >>
• BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH
  Good Day Café
  There's a good reason that the Good Day Café is always jam-packed—in fact, from the waffles and caramel rolls to the fried-egg sandwiches stacked with ham and avocado, there are a lot of reasons. Besides, did you think Golden Valley's country-club crowd was going to make breakfast... More >>
• BEST SUSHI
  Origami
  Sushi rises and falls based on the fish, and in terms of serving up some of the freshest, most vibrant eats in the Cities, Origami comes through again and again. That, however, is only half the battle. One of the real beauties of sushi (or, more broadly, fine Japanese dining in general) is the... More >>
• BEST TAKEOUT
  Brasa Rotisserie
  Takeout can be such a troublesome beast. Think of what, say, a souffle loses in just a short ride on the passenger seat. How many once-delicious meals have been popped in a Styrofoam clamshell and, by the time you arrived home, emerged a soggy, listless mess? Not so with the Latin soul food... More >>
• BEST THAI RESTAURANT
  True Thai
  What is "real" Thai food? There's no simple answer, but there are certain hallmarks worth searching out: assertive heat, deep muskiness, depth of spice, shots of citrus, silken textures, and a blend of flavors that evokes life in one of the world's most gastronomically sophisticated countries.... More >>
• BEST VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT
  Spoonriver
  Quick: When you think of vegetarian food, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Beans and rice? Pasta? Tofu à la king? Not so at Brenda Langton's Spoonriver, which proves that vegetarian cuisine doesn't have to wear Birkenstocks or smell like patchouli. Spoonriver is the... More >>
• BEST VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT
  Ngon Vietnamese Bistro
  Great pho is the foundation of any respectable Vietnamese restaurant, and Ngon Bistro has it in spades. The soup's beef broth is subtle, slightly sweet, oniony, and anise-flavored. It can be ordered as simply as with rice noodles and chicken, or as an all-beef blowout of thin-sliced beef, both... More >>
• BEST WINE LIST
  Toast Wine Bar & Café
  The most useful wine lists are those carefully pared down to just the essentials. Who needs a zillion bottles to choose from if you're only going to order one? Scott Davis, a onetime partner in Auriga (he ran the front of the house and served as sommelier), is a talented editor when it comes to... More >>