It always feels as if a few movers and shakers have left the confines of the downtown Minneapolis skyway system and parked themselves at Vincent over the noon hour. With good reason. The gracious dining room is tailored for discreet conversations without sacrificing an all-important see-and-be-seen energy. The service staff ranks among the city's smoothest crews. Chef Vincent Francoual's classic French fare, which also manages to reflect his years in the United States, seldom disappoints. Then there's Francoual, Le Grand Fromage ("The Big Cheese," the title he has stitched onto his chef's coat) himself. If he isn't teaching charm lessons at a postsecondary institution, he should be. 1100 Nicollet Mall, Mpls.; 612-630-1189; vincentaÂrestaurant.com
Runner-up: Meritage
Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame: A class-by-class list of all members
This retired journalist changed professional wrestling from Mankato
