LORING KITCHEN
Located on picturesque Loring Park, this restaurant was tailor-made for park views. Sitting under the flashy Eitel apartments, the Loring Kitchen has filled the building's courtyard with high- and low-top tables, which overlook a cluster of evergreens on the park's rim. And don't forget about the open-air portico, basically a four-season glass porch running the length of the dining room. Look for live music and outdoor cooking later this summer.
PITTSBURGH BLUE
In Maple Grove, this steakhouse is known as the less expensive cousin to Manny's in Minneapolis. After three years, its owners finally built a patio they think will be the envy of their drab suburban neighbors. While it's located at a busy interchange, the sprawling patio is barricaded by walls of trees and capped with a heavy-duty wooden trellis. Check out the daily late-night happy hour.
NGON VIETNAMESE BISTRO
The Frogtown section of St. Paul isn't exactly swimming in patios. But at this sleek Vietnamese dining destination, the garden patio feels like a mini-oasis. Built last year, its cocoon-like setting is walled off from the street by a high wooden fence and topped with a trellis and large umbrellas. The fresh digs (you'll find herbs growing back here) go even better with an order of fresh spring rolls, a vermicelli noodle bowl and any number of the 13 local beers on tap.
KIERAN'S IRISH PUB
Bellanotte's massive patio sat dormant for much of last summer after the Block E nightspot shut down. What was far and away the most attractive street-level patio on 1st Avenue reopened in March under the guise of the relocated Kieran's. The virtues of this outdoor expanse are no secret to the thousands of Twins fans who have ransacked the pub during home games. Owner Kieran Folliard said he plans to add some more Irish detail to his sidewalk lair.
THE UPTOWN CAFETERIA AND SUPPORT GROUP
So goes the name of restaurant magnate Phil Roberts' latest endeavor. Set to open June 15 in Calhoun Square, the restaurant's "skybar" is sure to be this summer's hit outdoor attraction. Attached to the side of the building is a flashy glass elevator that will whisk bargoers upstairs. With cedar covering almost every inch of it, the rooftop features several lounge areas, plus a long covered bar. The "wow factor" is the view. Like Stella's across the street, the Cafeteria has a panoramic view of downtown Minneapolis. Let the rooftop wars begin? (3001 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls. 612-877-7263. www.uptowncafeteria.com.)
