Best Restaurant Neighborhood - North Loop - 2013 Best of MN

The North Loop isn't just a lure for condo, loft and apartment dwellers (2010 population: 4,300 residents, a three-fold increase from the previous decade). The burgeoning near-downtown district is also experiencing a major restaurant boom. Even before such high-profile newcomers as Borough and Smack Shack landed in the district earlier this year, the North Loop was home to such A-list names as the Bachelor Farmer, Bar La Grassa, HauteDish, Sapor Café and Bar, Be'wiched Deli and Black Sheep Pizza, not to mention its fair share of favorite hangouts (Moose & Sadie's, Toast Wine Bar & Café) and local legends (Origami, the Monte Carlo). Next up: a brewpub, from the owners of the Highland Grill and the Lowry, is coming this fall. northloop.org

Runner-up: Lyndale Avenue in south Minneapolis