Minneapolis restaurant makes Bon Appétit’s 2025 list of best new restaurants

Minnesotans aren’t known for bragging. Good thing the national food media is doing it for us.

The latest in a string of accolades came Friday, when Bon Appétit named chef Yia Vang’s Vinai one of its 20 best new restaurants. It was one of three from the Midwest recognized.

It appears that Food & Wine, the New York Times, and others can’t stop talking about the Twin Cities dining scene, proving what we already knew: It’s exceptional.

Here’s the latest round of national shoutouts.

Bon Appétit was drawn to Vinai’s personal touches, from the portraits of chef Yia Vang’s parents to the menu peppered with vegetables grown on the Vang family farm and Mama Vang’s hot sauce. Said writer Kate Kassin: “Throughout a history racked with persecution and forced migration, hidden symbols became a means of preserving Hmong culture. At Vinai, Vang offers them up for all to see.” Vang, who opened the restaurant in July 2024, said, “The team works incredibly hard to make Vinai what it is, and we’re committed to continuing that work while giving back to the community that supports us.” He also recognized the recent spate of attention: “I’m thrilled to see the spotlight shining not only on Vinai, but also on the incredible Twin Cities community and businesses here.” Read it here.

1300 NE. 2nd St., Mpls., vinaimn.com

The New York Times’ annual Restaurant List highlights the 50 best places in America right now, and two Minneapolis eateries — Diane’s Place and Bûcheron — are on it. “These places all have delicious food and a mastery of craft, but also a generosity of spirit and a singular point of view,” the Times said of the list. The writers said of Bûcheron, from owners chef Adam Ritter and Jeanie Janas-Ritter, “the restaurant’s real gift to the Twin Cities is that it aims to achieve that standard in a neighborhood setting with staples you can count on.” And about Diane’s Place, from chef-owner Diane Moua: “This is the kind of restaurant that turns you into a regular — if you’re lucky enough to live nearby."

It’s been a banner year for Moua and her restaurant, which also was recently named Food & Wine’s 2025 Restaurant of the Year. The magazine lauded the chef and her approachable take on Hmong cuisine that takes guests from top-tier brunch through dinner. Read it here. And in late August, Bon Appétit singled out Moua’s restaurant as one of the 14 best breakfast spots in the country. Read it here.

Both restaurants recently landed two-star reviews from the New York Times in the same piece, a rare double nod that calls the Twin Cities “the American capital of Hmong food.” Chef Yia Vang’s Vinai opened in July 2024; Moua’s Diane’s Place in April 2024. Read it here.

Bon Appétit also featured this story on women’s sports bars across the nation and places ABOTO inside a growing cultural movement that’s changing how and where we watch women’s sports. Read it here.

2207 E. Franklin St., Mpls., abaroftheirown.com

Ann Kim’s New York-style slice shop in Edina, which opened in 2013, represents Minnesota in Food Network’s “50 Best Pizza Slices by State,” which specifically calls out the Hello Trinity. Read it here.

Chowhound picks Ann Kim’s Korean BBQ pie as the best pizza in Minnesota, adding to its long run as a national favorite. Read it here.

5557 Xerxes Av. S., Mpls., pizzerialola.com

With an illustration of their craveable egg sandwich, this northeast Minneapolis focaccia shop made Food & Wine’s list of “Sandwich Savants” in this month’s issue. More here.