1 In the program notes for "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," director Peter Rothstein of Theater Latté Da wrote that it is his favorite musical. He and his collaborators treat it as such at the Ritz Theater, with a show that grabs you at the outset and refuses to let go until the last whistle is blown. As the lacerating title barber, actor Mark Benninghofen paints a comprehensive picture through his voice and performance. He is matched by Sally Wingert's scratchy performance as landlady Mrs. Lovett. Together, the two are slightly magic, producing the kind of evening in the theater that has you imagining yourself years from now, content that you caught this gig. theaterlatteda.com

4 "The Martian" is by far the most inspiring entry in director Ridley Scott's ample catalog. Matt Damon plays Mark Watney, a droll botanist stranded on the red planet. With wonderful dramatic pacing, acting, subject matter, ABBA soundtrack anthems and "Lord of the Rings" jokes, it's a clever feel-good movie on an epic scale. Scott is in top form, transforming Jordanian locations into amazing Martian landscapes of blustery red sand. It's a bighearted mash note to science nerds, optimism, grit and guts.

2 Songs about lost characters searching for God, meaning and/or a good time are nothing new for Craig Finn, but they sound remarkably fresh and a lot more somber on the Hold Steady frontman's moving new album, "Faith in the Future." The record trades in the twangy Americana arrangements of the Edina native's 2012 solo debut for a more sophisticated urban balladry sound à la the National, and the songs sound similarly grown-up. He's still trying to stay positive, but it's apparently getting a lot harder.

3 At Lowertown's wildly appealing new Saint Dinette, chef Adam Eaton, 27, has fashioned an eclectic menu that celebrates North American culinary cultures. Poached sturgeon becomes the centerpiece of a gorgeous blini-and-caviar platter. Who would have thought that a bologna sandwich (pictured) would be such a showstopper? And Eaton's entry in the double-patty cheeseburger craze is definitely a contender. 261 E. 5th St., St. Paul.

5 In "A Kind of Grief," A.D. Scott's latest installment of her wonderful Highland Gazette mystery series, intrepid reporter Joanne Ross sets off for the north of Scotland, alone, to meet Alice Ramsay, a woman who has been accused of witchcraft. But the plot doesn't take us where we think it will. The 1960s are looming, and this intriguing and unpredictable story is centered on art, forgery and spying. (Released Tuesday.)