THE HOT FIVE Here's what's new and notable in the restaurant world.
BARRIO
The latest and greatest from the team behind La Belle Vie, Solera and Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque and Pirate Bar features an enormous tequila selection, a long list of Mexican-accented small plates and a lively setting.
925 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-333-9953
LA CHAYA BISTRO
Mexican and Italian flavors are given separate-but-equal treatment at this south Minneapolis charmer, a former KFC that looks nothing like its predecessor. Dishes range from pizzas and pastas to halibut finished with a pumpkin seed sauce or a bean-spinach-beet salad.
4537 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., 612-827-2254, lachaya.com
POP!!
Clark Knutson has sort of cloned his northeast Minneapolis gem, giving downtown St. Paul the casual, affordable lunch-and-dinner destination that it has been missing. The eclectic menu includes Swedish meatballs, shrimp and chorizo with couscous, a chicken-hominy soup and a pulled-pork sandwich topped with coleslaw.
6 W. 6th St., St. Paul, 651-228-1002, poprestaurant.com
SALTY TART
Super baker Michelle Gayer's outpost in the Midtown Global Market is the place to go for beautiful brioche, lovely fruit-filled pastries, delicious chocolate goodies and exceptional grab-and-go sandwiches built on fine house-baked breads.
