Best of Minnesota 2016: Food
The best restaurants, diners, bar menus, dishes, breakfast, lunch and dinner, and more.
Best brick-and-mortar iteration of a food truck - Hola Arepa
For a case study on successful matriculation from food truck to permanent restaurant, look no further than Hola Arepa. None of its qualities have been…
Best walk-up - Porchetteria at Terzo Vino Bar
A well-placed window in the kitchen at Terzo Vino Bar is now a daytime walk-up called Porchetteria at Terzo Vino Bar, reflecting the all-porchetta menu.…
Best doughnuts - Bogart's Doughnut Co.
At her sparkling, morning-only shop, owner Anne Rucker turns out her trademark brioche doughnuts — developed at her popular stand at the Kingfield Farmers Market…
Best late-night, weeknights - Chino Latino
Yes, post-10 p.m. dining options have expanded dramatically over the years in our early-to-bed metro area, but one venue has led the charge with a…
Best late-night, weekends - Glam Doll Donuts
At retro-dipped Glam Doll Donuts, co-owner Teresa Fox has made it her life’s pursuit to push the boundaries of fried dough, using it as a…
Best really late night - Nicollet Diner
In the rivalry between the two cities, downtown St. Paul’s underdog status has never extended to its Hall of Fame entry in the late-night dining…
Best pre-theater snack - Workshop at Union
Combining dinner with a show on Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis is a lot easier these days, thanks to an ever-growing number of restaurants popping…
Best bar menu - Spoon and Stable
Here’s a tip for getting into hyper-popular Spoon and Stable sans reservation: nab a seat in the smallish lounge. Your reward? Chef/owner Gavin Kaysen’s equally…
Best multicourse dining deal - Sanctuary
Deals on multicourse dinners are out there, particularly on Sunday evening, when three-course suppers are all the rage at the Bachelor Farmer ($34), Cafe Levain…
Best upcoming project - Alma
When Restaurant Alma chef/owner Alex Roberts started envisioning its future, the James Beard award-winner began to think big. The result is an exciting, multifaceted new…
Best crab cakes - Cov Wayzata
Crabcakes: So beloved, and so frequently disappointing. Not at Cov Wayzata, where chef Clay Gibbons churns out a bruiser of thing, one that’s roughly 95…
Best cheap lunch - Sun Street Breads
Noon-hour gold — in the form of a sandwich — can be had for as little as $5 at Sun Street Breads. Dubbed “Linnea’s Choice,”…
Best pork indulgence - Libertine
The menu at Libertine is certainly awash in beef, but it’s the pork dishes that really impress: a treat of a ham steak, thick-glazed Korean-style…
Best fried chicken - Revival and Lyn 65 Kitchen & Bar
Seemingly out of nowhere, fried chicken has become all the rage. Chef Thomas Boemer is killing it, fried chicken-wise, at his just-opened Revival, offering it…
Best cheese curds - Anchor Fish & Chips
Luke Kyle, chef/co-owner of the Anchor Fish & Chips, has a hyperlocal source for Cheddar cheese curds: the nearby Lone Grazer Creamery. “They’re made four…
Best grab-and-go breakfast - Mon Petit Cheri
The spiral-shaped, blueberry-dotted sweet rolls at Mon Petit Chéri Bakery & Cafe are the ultimate in portable a.m. fare because baker Emily Rheingans understands the…
Best frozen yogurt - Green + the Grain
Think there’s no difference between frozen yogurts? Think again. Tiffany Hauser and Dustin Naugle, co-owners of salad-focused Green + the Grain food truck, know better,…
Best vegetarian dish - Brasserie Zentral
Brasserie Zentral chef/co-owner Russell Klein reached back to his grandmother’s cooking, landing on a loving shout-out to stuffed cabbage. The slow-braised veal that was a…
Best steak - Third Bird
Chef Lucas Almendinger has an oak-burning grill, and he takes to it with an enviable discernment. A superb rib-eye stands at the peak of the…
Best waffles - L'Etoile du Nord
After converting a former consignment shop into L’Etoile du Nord Café, baker Olivier Vrambout walked away from the superb croissants, éclairs, galettes and breads that…
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