Organic chicken from Gather, left, and Rosa Mexicano's bar and lounge. Photos by Tom Wallace and Bre McGeeGather

The big news at the Walker Art Center -- next to the John Waters-curated "Absentee Landlord" exhibition -- is the switch-up at the museum's restaurant: Wolfgang Puck's 20.21 is out, and D'Amico & Partners' Gather is in. The lunch-only restaurant has a locavore focus, which comes out in chef Josh Brown's stunning, seasonally focused salads. Brown has a flair for seafood, and his long tenure at Italian-focused D'Amico means he knows his way around pasta. There are thoughtfully composed sandwiches, most notably a banh mi for the ages, made with hoisin-glazed short ribs, crisp daikon radishes and carrots pickled in mint and chiles. Pastry chef Randee Zarth's work includes a luscious panna cotta with a tangy goat cheese bite. The bar specializes in imaginative, booze-free libations, service is smooth and enthusiastic, and prices hover in the $8 to $14 range. The room's redesign takes its cues from a Halston showroom, circa 1972, with rich eggplants and bronzes softening the room's white angularity. The gasp-inducing views remain, although they're even better outdoors on the rooftop patio, particularly on Thursday evenings, the one night when the restaurant serves dinner, and the museum waives its admission fee. Visit on the first Thursday of the month, when Brown invites a guest chef into his kitchen -- recent guest stars have included Heartland's Lenny Russo and 112 Eatery's Isaac Becker -- to add a few dishes to the menu's small-plates repertoire.

Rosa Mexicano

This newcomer deserves a little Minnesota love if only because the New York City-based chain has done what locals have failed to do for years -- and that's revive, big time, the moribund 6th-and-Hennepin corner of City Center, which has sat empty since T.G.I. Friday's pulled the plug in 2005. But there's so much more: A sprawling, dramatic setting, for starters. And a phalanx of cocktails as colorful as the jewel-toned interior. Along with a flashy guacamole (the company runs through 1.2 million avocados a year among its 12 locations) that's prepared tableside, the menu focuses on contemporary Mexican flavors, from pork belly-scallop tacos and crab empanadas with tomatillo salsa to ancho chiles stuffed with slow-braised pork and garlic toast spread with roasted bone marrow and cane sugar-chipotle sauce. The best news of all? A lively 100-seat patio, with heaters to keep Minnesotans in the fresh air until the snow flies. With this kind of proximity to Target Field, the Twins' 2012 season can't come fast enough.

Wilde Roast. Photos by Bre McGeeWilde Roast Cafe

While it's not new, the recently relocated Wilde Roast Cafe certainly feels that way. The seven-year-old coffee/cafe/wine/beer hybrid moved a few blocks to a wildly spacious and attractive riverfront setting, a fine venue for the kitchen's easygoing and affordable breakfast, lunch and dinner options. Owners Dean Schlaak and Thomas DeGree have tripled their square footage but have still managed to retain the comfy coffee-and-conversation aura that made the original location such a draw. They've added all kinds of bells and whistles, including a scenic sidewalk patio. There's now table service, too. Oh, and a gelato scoop case, which is exactly what this stretch of walkable Minneapolis was missing. Dessert lovers, not to worry: The famous and fabulous flourless chocolate cake, once featured on the cover of Bon Appetit magazine, made the move. The thick, fudgy brownies, which could qualify as a Schedule 1 narcotic, have also survived intact. Phew.

Q&A: Dean Schlaak Co-owner, Wilde Roast Cafe (with Tom McGree)

  • How would you describe the vibe at Wilde Roast's new location? [It's an] awesome riverfront location with views of the skyline and the river with a new expanded menu -- Oscar Wilde would be proud. We didn't want to move, but we love the new location and thank our customers for their loyalty and patience.
  • How would you describe your culinary point of view? Homemade comfort food with a twist.
  • Favorite menu item: The Reuben with our special spicy sauce.
  • What do you love most about cooking in Minnesota? This is a place where ketchup is a spice and gravy is a beverage. Also, Miss Richfield 1981.
  • Favorite celebrity chef: Paula Deen. Everything is better with butter and bacon.

Crave

The sound that reverberated across downtown Minneapolis in June was when all $5 million worth of Crave landed with a bang in the former Palomino. The growth-minded homegrown chain has distinguished its first urban location from its suburban brethren by creating the last word on rooftop patios, complete with trees, a full kitchen and a four-sided bar. Theatergoers, Twins fans and downtown revelers have jammed the joint, and at night the open-air hangout became a major destination for people-watching, drinking, noshing (ahi tuna salad served to 2 a.m. weekends) and dancing. Downstairs, the vast "Real Housewives of New Jersey" setting is a pedestal for Crave's patented, something-for-everyone menu, which covers sushi, pizza, pasta, salads, seafood and other familiar, all-American pastimes, along with plus-size desserts. Sunday night means all-you-can-eat prime rib for $19.95, and Monday evenings are when the kitchen cranks out burgers (lamb, turkey, a classic bacon-Cheddar and more), sweet potato fries and malts.

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Hell's Kitchen. Photo by Tom Wallace

  • 8TH STREET GRILL: American. Sandwiches, burgers and more. During the warm-weather months, the restaurant operates a large, shaded and very popular patio.
  • ANDREA PIZZA: If you want a NYC-street-style slice -- big, hot, floppy and foldable -- Andrea Pizza is your best bet. Cheap and unpretentious, Andrea does a fine job of bringing one of the best street foods from the Big City to the Twin Cities. --James Norton
  • BAND BOX DINER: Breakfast/lunch. Vintage 1930s diner serves up classic short-order grub including pancakes, hash browns, burgers and fries, for breakfast and lunch.
  • BOMBAY BISTRO: Indian. A wide variety of Indian lamb, chicken, seafood and vegetarian entrees, most under $10.
  • HELL'S KITCHEN: Breakfast. A distinctive, fun-loving breakfast (and lunch and dinner) destination. Do not, under any circumstances, miss the lemon-ricotta hotcakes; the house-made maple-glazed bison sausage is pretty special, too, as is the hearty wild rice porridge.
  • MY BURGER: American. Small, cheery, counter-service shop has made the fast-food burger relevant once again by keeping things simple. The burgers are tops in their class.
  • OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY: Italian. Inexpensive and simply prepared Italian favorites, with a kids' menu of popular choices.
  • ZEN BOX IZAKAYA: Japanese. The just-opened gastropub spinoff of the tiny skyway staple Zen Box is now serving its Japanese comfort-food fare at lunch and dinner.

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A sampling from Barrio. Photo by Carlos Gonzalez

  • BARRIO: Mexican. Headliners of the Mexican chain-restaurant stable -- tacos, enchiladas, tostadas -- are given an invigorating new life through a potent blend of ingenuity, enthusiasm, cooking prowess and impeccable ingredients.
  • BRADSTREET CRAFTSHOUSE: American. Designer cocktails and small plates in a swanky Graves Hotel street-level setting.
  • BRIT'S PUB: English. Traditional English fare including Scotch eggs, bangers and mash, Cornish pasties, as well as salads, burgers and vegetarian dishes. Upper-level patio with outdoor dining and grass lawn for lawn bowling.
  • DANCING GANESHA: Indian. Chef Swamy Mariyadas starts his menu with eggplant fritters, spicy bits of grilled chicken paired with a cool mint chutney, a pastel-tinted shrimp-pomelo salad and puffy saffron-scented naan. Entrees include a long list of robust lamb, chicken and shrimp stews, along with specialties such as a paper-thin rice and lentil crêpe stuffed with potatoes and onions, and a host of meat-free options.
  • ELI'S FOOD & COCKTAILS: American. A neighborhood-style bar and grill for downtown.
  • IKE'S FOOD & COCKTAILS: American. Bar and restaurant with a retro theme, serving Americana classics and more sophisticated fare for lunch and dinner.
  • KINDEE THAI: Nuntanit Charoensit, a Bangkok native, is cooking her heart out; we're crazy about her lettuce wraps, her spring rolls and her rich, aromatic curries.
  • KING AND I: All the Thai basics, served in handsome surroundings.
  • THE LOCAL: Irish. Authentic Irish pub atmosphere, traditional pub food and a beverage list that includes Guinness, Irish whiskies and scotches.
  • MASA: Mexican. Masa's strong suit is style and presentation, foreign flavors adapted to American tastes, in a stylish contemporary ambience with Mexican accents. Traditional south-of-the-border fare, given a haute cuisine treatment.
  • THE NEWS ROOM: American. A newspaper theme, with each dining area dedicated to a different section of the paper. Prices are mostly reasonable and the menu is much more varied and imaginative than the usual theme restaurant.
  • NICK AND EDDIE: American. Much of the muy-affordable menu could be described as contemporary comfort food. Pot roast, mac-and-cheese, fish and chips, steak and potatoes, they're all here, but in lighter, brighter versions.
  • ROCK BOTTOM BREWERY: American. First-rate beers, microbrewed on the premises, plus a varied and imaginative menu.
  • SPOONRIVER: American. Owner Brenda Langton is still dedicated to locally grown and organic ingredients, with surprising and delicious twists.
  • THOM PHAM'S WONDROUS AZIAN KITCHEN: Asian. Chef/owner Thom Pham's remake of Azia features many of the same popular dishes (see: cranberry puffs) and drinks, but in a sprawling, kitschy downtown location.

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BANK. Photo by Steve Rice

  • ATLAS GRILL: Middle Eastern. By day, the clublike atmosphere attracts a large business crowd, who come for well prepared noon-hour fare. At night, the food takes a Persian turn, with fire-roasted seafood and meats. Seating in an indoor atrium.
  • BANK: American. The Westin Hotel transformed the former F&M Bank lobby, a 1941 Art Moderne landmark, into a drop-dead-gorgeous restaurant/bar. The kitchen's work is worthy of the singular setting. Fine power breakfasts, winning pastries, spectacular soups and imaginative daily specials are all on the (pun-overloaded) menu.
  • BASIL'S RESTAURANT: American. The menu -- breakfast, lunch and dinner -- highlights the use of fresh herbs, including basil, of course.
  • CAFE LURCAT AND BAR LURCAT: American. This D'Amico venue has a one-two punch: An eye-catching atmosphere and chef, a terrific New American menu, arranged in a la carte fashion, with simple, beautifully prepared fare. The bar, a Beautiful People magnet, pours more than 40 wines by the glass and has a great small-bites menu. Service is generally first-rate.
  • D'AMICO KITCHEN: Italian. Chef Justin Frederick's passionate cooking at Le Meridien Chambers is both rustic and detail-oriented. Noteworthy pasta dishes include one tossed with tiny clams and zesty sausage. Scallops, the roast chicken and hanger steak are all excellent. Breakfast is a standard-setter. Check out the unbeatable lunch special -- three items for $10.
  • FIRELAKE GRILL HOUSE AND COCKTAIL BAR: American. The menu is eclectic, but most of the fare is classic Americana with only a few "gourmet" touches, prepared with care from high-quality ingredients.
  • FOGO DE CHÃO: The prom-queen-popular Brazilian steakhouse chain is basically an upscale Old Country Buffet-meets-Outback. It can also be a lot of fun, with an over-the-top salad bar followed by an unending cavalcade of 15 varieties of spit-roasted meat and poultry.
  • MCCORMICK & SCHMICK'S: Seafood. Menu changes daily but offers two dozen ocean- and freshwater fish selections, along with a dozen varieties of oysters on the half-shell.
  • MISSION AMERICAN KITCHEN: American. Downtown's most popular business lunch destination is the place for contemporary all-American comfort food.
  • PORTER & FRYE: American. The swank Hotel Ivy's restaurant and bar has gone from high-flying culinary flights of fancy to a more low-key locavore approach.
  • RESTAURANT MAX: American. This former bank lobby in the glitzy Hotel Minneapolis shines at lunch, when the kitchen creates tasty, surprising variations on such standard themes as Cobb salad and an egg salad sandwich. There is much to admire at dinner, too: rack of lamb, duck, a New York strip steak. But the menu becomes hyperactive at times, even as the prices soar into the stratosphere.
  • SANCTUARY: American. A cozy destination that showcases the talents of veteran Twin Cities chef Patrick Atanalian. Not many downtown restaurants offer such imaginative cooking.
  • SEA CHANGE: Seafood. The Guthrie Theater hired the area's highest-profile chef, Tim McKee, and is offering a sustainable-seafood focus in the former Cue space. Much of the food is sublime, and the prices are kept reasonable. Tantalizing small plates await you at the raw bar.
  • SEVEN SUSHI STEAKHOUSE, ULTRALOUNGE AND SKYBAR: Steak/sushi. A frothy mix of nigiri, sashimi, cocktails and flirting. Perfectly competent fare at slightly higher-than-competitive prices. No surprises, no disappointments.
  • SOLERA: American. An homage to the Spanish tapas tradition, Solera hoists the humble appetizer onto a pedestal and worships it for all it's worth, with a menu of 50-plus tapas choices.
  • SPILL THE WINE: American. When the food here is good, it's great. You can't be displeased by the tender, subtly spicy calamari and the cool, nicely plump shrimp cocktail. Salads are excellent. There are nicely grilled lamb chops and a tender pork chop.
  • VINCENT: French. Chef/owner Vincent Francoual's elegant restaurant offers such dishes as seafood cappuccino, pan-seared scallops and sesame-crusted halibut. At lunch, order the well-prepared omelets. Looking for a memorable dinner? Book the kitchen table and enjoy a five-course meal, served back behind the line.

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La Belle Vie. Photo by Steve Rice

  • CAPITAL GRILLE: Steak. Steakhouse specializing in dry-aged Angus beef in a clubby atmosphere.
  • LA BELLE VIE: American. High-art dining in high-art surroundings. Chef Tim McKee's eight-course tasting menu may be the ultimate Twin Cities dining experience, a three-hour parade of courses. The chic lounge is the place for a beautifully rendered cocktail by mixmaster Johnny Michaels and a roster of carefully prepared small plates. McKee was named Best Chef: Midwest by the James Beard Foundation in 2009, the first Minnesotan so honored.
  • MANNY'S STEAKHOUSE: Steak. Locker-aged steaks and polished service in a classic steakhouse setting. Huge portions are meant for sharing.
  • MURRAY'S: Steak. Famous for decades for its Silver Butterknife Steak, this downtown landmark also offers chops, fish and seafood in a classic setting reminiscent of the '40s.
  • OCEANAIRE SEAFOOD ROOM: Seafood. Elegant hotel restaurant specializing in seafood. Menu includes yellowfin tuna, crab cakes, lobster and mahi-mahi. There's also a full oyster bar.
  • RUTH'S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE: Steak. This New Orleans-based chain offers all the steakhouse amenities: prime beef, polished service, elegant ambience.

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