After the excitement of last month’s 2025 James Beard semifinalist announcement, we were immediately trading our favorite orders from the 11 Minnesota restaurants recognized.
This talent-packed list encapsulates what it means to live and dine in Minnesota right now. From the rural-influenced fine dining of Karyn Tomlinson’s Myriel to the bold flavors of Yia Vang’s Vinai that are even better when shared with others, and the intentionality of Shigeyuki Furukawa’s Kado No Mise omakase to the warm welcome from Tim Niver by way of Mucci’s Italian.
Minnesota is a land of plenty, and these recommended dishes are a starting point for feasting on it all.
Shrimp and pork toast at Vinai
Going to chef Yia Vang’s Vinai can be a choose-your-own adventure experience. Date night? Get a few apps and share an entrée (make it the pork chop). Big group? Reserve the special table with the secret menu of Hmong-inspired flavor bombs. Even sidling up to the bar solo — where you should promptly get yourself a beer and a plate of this ultra-savory shrimp and pork toast with sweet-and-funky apricot-chili sauce — can be one of the great pleasures of 2025. (Sharyn Jackson)
$17; 1300 NE. 2nd St., Mpls., vinaimn.com

Camilla pizza at Mucci’s Italian
Hospitalitarian Tim Niver has said he could see himself sitting at the front of Mucci’s years from now, still greeting friends and customers as an old man. It’s that kind of intention that informs the comforts inside this Italian neighborhood restaurant, from the service to the food. To know this West 7th Street eatery is to love something cozy on this menu. And, more often than not, it’s one of the montanara pizzas, where the crust is first cooked by dipping it into a deep fryer. The Camilla, topped with a garlic butter base, mozzarella, hunks of fried chicken and sweet/spicy peppadew peppers and a drizzle of agrodolce sauce, is one of those tasty offerings. (Joy Summers)
$25, 786 Randolph Av., St. Paul, muccisitalian.com

Creamy spinach at Spoon and Stable
It may seem a little out of the box to recommend a vegetable side dish at Gavin Kaysen’s groundbreaking restaurant, bypassing longtime favorites like the melt-in-your-mouth pork chop and Dorothy’s Pot Roast, a loving (and delicious) tribute to the chef’s grandmother. But the creamy spinach is out of the box. The greens are cooked tender and nestled in a smooth but light cream sauce before being topped with a mound of cheese curds, which somehow stay crispy as you take just one more bite. You might question how these two disparate foods work together, but don’t. Just eat your vegetables and enjoy the ride. (Nicole Hvidsten)