Best Restaurant Design - Glass-Covered Rooftop at Union - 2013 Best of MN

When Crave head honcho Kam Talebi sunk several million dollars into the rooftop patio to end all rooftop patios at the former Palomino in downtown Minneapolis, little did anyone know that he would outdo himself — a year and half later, and a block away — at Union. But that's exactly what he did, capping a blighted two-story building with a German-engineered retractable glass roof. Blizzards, thunderstorms, winter-coat temperatures, all are ignored under the great barrel-vaulted glass roof. It may be this winter city's most dramatic dining-and-drinking venue — and the menu often matches its surroundings — and it's certainly an instant landmark. 731 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls.; 612-455-6690, unionmpls.com