The Top List of Great Restaurants - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
Minneapolis/St. Paul: More than just a Frozen Tundra by Jake Kulju
The Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area is fast becoming one of America’s best-kept secrets. Minnesota’s Twin Cities have been one of the nation’s largest immigrant communities since the turn of the 20th century, when German and Scandinavians populated the countryside. Over time, many others have come, and with the influx of different cultures comes the various spices and foods from their traditions. Now, with all of the amenities of a thriving urban center, the land of 10,000 lakes has never tasted so appealing.
THE BARBARY FIG 720 Grand Ave., St. Paul, MN 55103 (651) 290-2085 Tucked away on St. Paul’s bustling Grand Ave., The Barbary Fig has been serving some of the country’s best Mediterranean-fusion cuisine for over 15 years. With menu items like slow-cooked lamb, pear-fig chutney and avocado mousse, the Barbary Fig pleases the finest of palettes. Featured as one of the Food Channel’s Top 100 American Restaurants, this quaint eatery draws gourmets from around the nation, and helps put St. Paul on the map as a major dining destination.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $20 - $30
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
TROTTER’S CAFÉ & BAKERY 232 N. Cleveland Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 (651) 645-8950 The Merriam Park neighborhood of St. Paul is known for its riverfront parks, the historic homes of Summit Ave., and Trotter’s Café. The family owned restaurant is committed to serving food made with local and organic ingredients, and adds a personal panache that keeps their customers coming back for more. With an accomplished and daily-changing soup menu, a full-service organic bakery and a cornucopia of breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees, Trotter’s Café is one of the healthiest and most delicious street-side cafés in the Midwest. Most notably, the kitchen serves a tremendous breakfast menu, making Trotter’s a famous morning hotspot. Ask for the “Potato Tornado!”
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $10 - $20
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Closed, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
BARBETTE 1600 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408 (612) 827-5710 Elegant and trendy, Barbette brings fine French cuisine and an impressive wine list to Minneapolis’s already hip Uptown area. As much attention has been given to the café’s ambiance as the menu, and it marks Barbette as one of the area’s classiest dining experiences. Candlelit and swanky in the evening, and bright and fresh in the morning, Barbette’s menu spans from delicate and attentive breakfast fares, to rich and flavorful dinner entrées.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30 - $50
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
ST. PAUL CAFÉ 350 Market Street, St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 224-7455 The St. Paul Café serves traditional American favorites in a classy and comfortable environment. Adjacent to Rice Park, and in close proximity to the beautiful architecture of International Square, the restaurant offers the best of downtown St. Paul to its patrons. The dining environment is near both the riverfront and the Orpheum Theater, ensuring a night full of enjoyment.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $20 - $30
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
MICKEY’S DINER 36 W. Ninth St., St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 222-5633 Anyone in the Twin Cities will tell you that you have to eat at Mickey’s Diner before you die. A pre-World War II mainstay, the rail car-turned-diner has been serving Minnesotans since the 1930s, and has been open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week nonstop. Not only has it made appearances in several Hollywood movies, it serves the best late night breakfast around.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $5 - $8
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
THE GROVELAND TAP 1834 St. Clair Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105 (651) 699-5058 So you call yourself an American? Then you best get your grub on at the Groveland Tap. This All-American grill is as down-home as you can get. Serving a local legend, the Jucy Lucy—two burger patties fused together with a molten melted cheese center—has made “The Tap” a Twin Cities favorite. Locals from the neighborhood come for the dependable good food and to catch the Twins games, while out-of-towners come to check another Twin Cities landmark off their list of must-dos.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $5 - $10
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
PIERRE’S BISTRO 2221 W 50th St., Minneapolis, MN 55419 (612) 928-0582 South Minneapolis’s unofficial chef in residence, Pierre Gardien, has created a culinary gem on 50th and Penn Ave. Pierre’s is as French as they get, Gardien is from Burgundy, and where Uptown is trendy and St. Paul is down-home, Pierre’s in South Minneapolis is pure class. Serving real French food with real French wines, the only surprise at Pierre’s is why you aren’t there right now.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30 - $50
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
NOKOMIS GRILL 5406 34th Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55417 (612) 729-3906 Breakfast is breakfast, right? Wrong. Stop by the Nokomis Grill on 34th Ave. in South Minneapolis and breakfast will never be the same. An unobtrusive-looking place, the Nokomis Grill simply has a sign out front that says “Good Food.” They couldn’t be more right. This mom and pop shop knows just how you like your hash browns, makes eggs over easy like they’re trying to put everyone else out of business, and has a menu that ventures from Cajun to Caspian. Build your own omelet, get a stack of granny-style buttermilk cakes or melt the day away with a homemade waffle.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $5 - $8
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
CAFÉ OF THE AMERICAS 3019 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55406 612-276-0803 A Lake Street landmark, the Café of the Americas is a Minneapolis institution. Serving traditional Latin American food for reasonable prices, visitors here leave with satisfied stomachs and cultured minds. The beautiful artwork, the delicious south of the border scents and the friendly service are what keep this place in business. And did I mention they have the best cup of fair trade coffee in town? Treat yourself to food as authentic as it gets.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $5 - $10
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
MURRAY'S 26 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402 (612) 339-0909 While the slogan "Home of the Silver Butter Knife Steak" might not make much sense to you at first, when you come out of this place it will be the only thing on your mind. Murray’s hides itself in Minneapolis’s bustling downtown skyline, and serves up steak so tender you can cut it with a spoon. If you like steak, you’ll love Murray’s.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30 - $40
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
CAFÉ BRENDA 300 1st Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55401 (612) 342-9230 Gourmet vegetarian restaurant and favorite of movie stars and rock musicians alike, Café Brenda is a staple of Minneapolis’s warehouse district. Contributing to the ever-evolving creative approaches of blending traditional gourmet cooking with New American cuisine, this chic eatery delivers mouthfuls of veggie pleasure.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $20 - $30
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
The Top List of Great Restaurants - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN