"The Secret Garden" is the theme of this year's Macy's Flower Show, with Gardens by Bachman's. The show runs through April 6 at 700 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. Enjoy the sights and scents with a meal.
Dive into the skyway culture and get in line at the Brothers Deli, a Burstein family business with roots dating to 1935. Corned beef, pastrami, beef brisket and turkey are stacked into all manner of sandwiches, and chilly early spring weather is warmed by steaming bowls of cabbage borscht or chicken soup with matzo balls. The liverwurst on rye is a keeper, and breakfast includes four $2.49 specials, including a pair of buttermilk pancakes with bacon, or an egg, hash browns and toast. Breakfast and lunch weekdays.
50 S. 6th St., Mpls., 612-341-8007, www.thebrothersdeli.com
At Marin Restaurant & Bar, the sleek and soothing setting suits chef Mike Rakun's imaginative, nutrient-conscious cooking: marvelous quinoa waffles heaped with blueberries, beautifully composed salads, a swoon-worthy pork tenderloin, quite possibly the city's best hummus and generously garnished whole-grain flatbreads that will put pizza back on the table for even the most calorie-obsessed among us. Breakfast weekdays, lunch and dinner daily; brunch weekends. Free valet parking 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.
901 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., 612-252-7000, www.marinrestaurant.com
As it has done since 1947, the Oak Grill concentrates on classic department store fare: meatloaf, chicken potpie, wild rice soup and quiche. But there's also an impressive burger, a grilled naan flatbread and an on-trend plate of greens and roasted vegetables tossed in a maple vinaigrette — and popovers, of course. During the flower show, the bar is shaking up a half-dozen floral cocktails, and diners receive a free German chocolate cupcake with any entree. Lunch and dinner daily. Reservations suggested.
700 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-375-2938, www.macysrestaurants.com
