August/September 2024 Issue
Taste of the Twin Cities: Your Guide to Minneapolis Cuisine
By Carrie Dennett, MPH, RDN
Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 26 No. 7 P. 28
If you’re headed to FNCE®, get ready to enjoy award-winning and more casual restaurants that make the most of locally sourced foods across a range of cuisines. Use this dining guide to start planning—and anticipating.
Home to 22 lakes and the birthplace of Prince (may he rest in peace), Minneapolis boasts great restaurants and breweries, picturesque parks, and biking trails galore. While you’re visiting this half of the Twin Cities, local dietitians say you’ll find plenty to enjoy when you’re not busy conferencing.
The city’s food scene excels when it comes to fine dining and global flavor, says Theresa Helfer, MS, RD, LD, owner of Nutritional Spark. “We have several James Beard Award-winning and nominated chefs. The most difficult part about the food scene is that we live in a city of foodies, and these restaurants get booked out far in advance. We have to plan way ahead now to eat at some of our best restaurants. Most do have walk-in options, but call ahead!”
Minneapolis’ long, cold winters mean once temperatures start to rise, everyone wants patio seating, says Hannah Thompson, RDN, owner of the personal chef company Fed and Watered. “We value a restaurant with beautiful outdoor seating.” To enjoy one of the best patios in Minneapolis—and get a taste of the Swedish culture that runs strong in Minnesota—Nicole Eikenberry, MS, RD, LN, owner of Mindful Food & Motion, suggests visiting the Fika Cafe at the American Swedish Institute (https://asimn.org/visit/fika-cafe, 2600 Park Avenue, Minneapolis, 612-871-4907), which offers a seasonal menu focused on regional ingredients and New Nordic cuisine. The patio has a view of the courtyard gardens of Turnblad Mansion, one of eight remaining structures built during Park Avenue’s heyday from 1885 to 1921, when the street was known as Minneapolis’ Golden Mile.
Planning to dine out with a group? Helfer recommends one of Minneapolis’ great food hall options. “They have larger table options and, of course, more food choices to please everyone. Graze Provisions & Libations (www.grazenorthloop.com, 500 N 4th Street, Minneapolis, 612-259-8965) and The Market at Malcolm Yards (www.malcolmyards.market, 501 30th Avenue SE, Minneapolis, 612-886-1022) are my top picks as they have great food and great ambiance.” Thompson suggests visiting Midtown Global Market (midtownglobalmarket.org, 920 E Lake Street, Minneapolis, 612-872-4041) for a one-stop shop to experience many of the cultures that make the Minneapolis food scene so great. “This iconic Minneapolis experience offers local restaurants, artists, merchants, fresh produce, and more all under one roof.”
Eikenberry and Jillian Tholen, MS, RD, CSSD, owner of Cultivate Counseling and Wellness, say another classic, local, must-taste experience is the “Juicy Lucy” (sometimes “Jucy Lucy”), a cheese-on-the-inside burger hotly contested to have originated at either Matt’s Bar (www.mattsbar.com, 3500 Cedar Avenue S, Minneapolis, 612-722-7072) or the 5-8 Club (www.5-8club.com, 5800 Cedar Avenue S, Minneapolis, 612-823-5858), both dive-y iconic spots. “The Blue Door Pub (www.thebdp.com, multiple locations, including 1514 Como Avenue SE, Minneapolis, 612-367-4964) makes a tasty one, well matched with a side of tater tots and cold local beer or kombucha,” Eikenberry says.
Neighborhoods of Note
The convention center and FNCE® hotels are in Loring Park, just southwest of downtown. To the north is North Loop, also known as the Warehouse District, bordered on one side by the Mississippi riverfront, with bike trails and a city park offering views of the Minneapolis skyline. Once an abandoned, largely neglected area of the city, North Loop is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of its large warehouses and factories have been converted into apartments, boutiques, and award-winning restaurants. For example, a former horse stable is now James Beard Award-winning chef Gavin Kaysen’s acclaimed restaurant Spoon and Stable (see “Farm-to-Table”).
Plant-Forward Dining
While many Minneapolis restaurants offer intriguing vegan and vegetable-centric dishes, some make that their delicious focus. If you like the idea of a Juicy Lucy, but only if it’s plant-based, Francis (www.francisburgerjoint.com, 2422 Central Avenue NE, Minneapolis, 612-208-6870) has you covered. This 100% vegan burger joint serves up burgers, fries, chicken sandwiches, salads, and more, along with an appealing beverage menu (with or without alcohol).
Thompson likes the vibe at Reverie Café + Bar (www.reveriempls.com, 1517 E 35th Street, Minneapolis, 612-987-7080), one of the Twin Cities’ most beloved vegan restaurants. The crispy cauliflower tacos and kimchi BLT (made with tempura tempeh bacon) are highlights, as are the dark chocolate beignets. “They have fun outdoor seating where you can enjoy the colorful neighborhood while you relax and eat,” Thompson says. “I really enjoy the classic Caesar with tempeh bacon.”
Eikenberry recommends Tao Café and Eatery (www.taoherbery.com, 2200 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 612-377-4630), which has featured a sustainably sourced, low-allergenic, and organic menu featuring smoothies, bowls, sandwiches, and salads since 1968. “This has always been a spot you can go to have a meal that is prepared with care that not only tastes good but feels good for your body,” she says. She also likes The Herbivorous Butcher (www.theherbivorousbutcher.com, 507 1st Avenue NE, Minneapolis, 612-208-0992), featuring made-from-scratch vegan meat and cheese alternatives, served up in sandwiches and paninis.
Farm-to-Table
Minnesota may have a shorter growing season than, say, California, but that doesn’t stop Minneapolis chefs from creating menus that focus on what grows locally. “I love how much you see the seasonality of our climate and growing season reflected in so many of the offerings from different places,” Tholen says. She especially recommends farm-to-table pioneer French Meadow Bakery Café & Bluestem Bar (www.frenchmeadowcafe.com, 2610 Lyndale Avenue S, Minneapolis, 612-870-7855), which began in 1985 as the first certified organic bread bakery in the United States. About half the options on the menu are vegan, and all focus on local, organic, and sustainable.
One of Thompson’s picks is Hen House Eatery (www.henhouseeatery.com, 114 S 8th Street, Minneapolis, 612-345-4664) in Downtown. “I absolutely love this woman-owned restaurant. It’s an iconic, peppy breakfast spot with an endless menu of options,” she says. “They have a great little market with local merch, too.” On weekends, she likes to go to The Buttered Tin (www.thebutteredtin.com, 2445 NE Marshall Street, Minneapolis, 612-234-4224) “You really can’t go wrong with anything you order. I particularly love The Buttered Tin Hash with salmon, veggies, and hollandaise.”
Eikenberry recommends Wise Acre (www.wiseacreeatery.com, 5401 Nicollet Avenue S, Minneapolis, 612-354-2577) for a delicious, locally sourced breakfast, lunch, or brunch—some provisions are sourced from their farm 45 minutes away. Another pick is 112 Eatery (www.112eatery.com, 112 Third Street, Minneapolis, 612-343-7696), sister restaurant to chef/owner Isaac Becker’s Bar La Grassa (see “Award-Winning Chefs and Fine Dining”). Mpls.St.Paul Magazine calls 112’s burger legendary and the foie gras meatballs a new classic.
Spoon and Stable (www.spoonandstable.com, 211 N First Street, Minneapolis, 612-224-9850) focuses its cuisine on the seasonality of the Midwest, with inspiration from the French cuisine for which Chef Gavin Kaysen is known. Heritage grain pasta dishes are married with seasonal ingredients such as ramps and blue foot mushroom or trout with spruce tip beurre blanc. In 2018, Food & Wine magazine included the restaurant in its “40 Most Important Restaurants in the Past 40 Years” list. “I always feel like I should be a little more dressed up going here,” Eikenberry says. “I love that they serve food late. The ambiance and French fries are reason enough to end a night out in the trendy North Loop here.”
Global Flavors
If you’re looking to take your tastebuds on a trip, Thompson says she can’t say enough about Chimborazo (chimborazorestaurant.com, 2851 Central Avenue NE, Minneapolis, 612-788-1328), an Ecuadorian restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis. “I’ve been visiting this restaurant for over 10 years and have watched it grow and get better and better,” she says. “The service and food are impeccable, no matter how busy they get. I love the back door entrance that allows for a view of the kitchen as you head to your table.”
In the mood for sushi? Momo Sushi (momosushimn.com, 1839 Central Avenue NE, Minneapolis, 612-789-9190) is Thompson’s favorite spot, offering Japanese and Tibetan cuisine in Northeast Minneapolis. “Every dish is beautifully executed and flavorful. The restaurant is inviting and quaint.” She also raves about the Nepalese Himalayan Restaurant (www.himalayanmomo.com, 2910 E Lake Street, Minneapolis, 612-332-0880) “This restaurant has some of the most flavorful dishes I’ve ever tried,” Thompson says. “Lots of vegetarian options. I love the aaloo-aachar [spicy potato salad].” Eikenberry says Quang (www.quang-restaurant.com, 2719 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, 612-870-4739) is the place to go for traditional Vietnamese dishes such as pho, Bahn mi sandwiches, and noodle salads.
Can’t decide between a burger or tacos? Hamburguesas Del Gordo (www.gordoburgers.com, 4157 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis, 612-722-1087) offers both, plus burritos, hot dogs, and sides—all with Mexican street flavors. “The fries are hand-cut and hands down the best in Minneapolis,” Thompson says. “A lot of times you hear about the ‘Juicy Lucy’ in Minneapolis—I think the burgers at Hamburguesas del Gordo are the true hidden gem of our city!” The menu includes vegan options. Just want tacos? Try Tholen’s recommendation of Centro (www.centrompls.com, 2412 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, 612-452-9785).
Eikenberry recommends the Argentinian-Italian influenced Martina (www.martinarestaurant.com, 4312 S Upton Avenue, Minneapolis, 612-922-9913). James Beard nominee Daniel del Prado was born in Argentina and has Spanish and southern Italian heritage. His other Minneapolis restaurants include the Oaxacan Mexican-influenced Colita (www.colitampls.com, 5400 Penn Avenue S, Minneapolis, 612-886-1606), featuring a menu of barbequed meats and creative tacos, with hand-ground, cooked to order corn tortillas, prepared in a gluten-free kitchen, and Porzana (see “Award-Winning Chefs and Fine Dining”). A partnership between del Prado and Shigeyuki Furukawa, the only Kaiseki chef in the Midwest, Sanjusan (www.sanjusanrestaurant.com, 33 N First Avenue, Minneapolis) blends Japanese and Italian cuisines with dishes such as pizza with spicy raw tuna, or pasta with pistachio, basil, and toasted nori.
Award-Winning Chefs and Fine Dining
Eikenberry says Minneapolis lost some fine dining restaurants during the pandemic, but many excellent establishments remain. She notes that while Minneapolis doesn’t have a single Michelin-rated restaurant, if it did, Owamni and Restaurant Alma would likely earn it.
Owamni (www.owamni.com, 420 S 1st Street, Minneapolis, 612-444-1846) is an Indigenous restaurant opened by Sean Sherman, The Sioux Chef, in 2021. The seasonal menus are based on precolonial Indigenous food systems, using only ingredients that are native to North America, such as wild game, fish, corn, beans, foraged plants, and heirloom grains. Sherman is a three-time James Beard Award winner, including Best American Cookbook for The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen in 2017. He was also named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2023. “The location itself is fantastic, right along the Mississippi River in the Mill District downtown,” Eikenberry says.
Restaurant Alma (www.almampls.com, 528 University Avenue SE, Minneapolis, 612-379-4909) celebrates regional and local ingredients with seasonal tasting menus Thursday through Sunday. “The restaurant has had a few different iterations—now with a café and small guest hotel upstairs—but it’s still the reliably delicious, small, neighborhood place by the University my high school classmate Alex Roberts started 25 years ago,” Eikenberry says. The café offers breakfast and lunch daily.
Tholen and Helfer both recommend Myriel (www.myrielmn.com, 470 Cleveland Avenue S, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 651-340-3568) as a fine dining farm-totable option. The restaurant marries James Beard nominee Karin Tomlinson’s love of farming with her French training and minimalist approach. In a 2022 review, The Washington Post called it “elevated farm food, untouched by tweezers.” Helfer raves about her experience dining there: “They source almost exclusively local ingredients and every bite provided a cascade of flavors.” It’s closed Monday and Tuesday.
Tholen is a fan of Young Joni (www.youngjoni.com, 155 13th Avenue NE, Minneapolis, 612-345-5719). James Beard Award-winning chef Ann Kim serves up a menu of globally influenced dishes and signature pizzas, all inspired by woodfire cooking. The back bar tucked off the alley behind the restaurant serves craft cocktails and pizzas Wednesday through Saturday. She also recommends James Beard nominee Steven Brown’s Tilia (www.tiliampls.com, 2726 W 43rd Street, Minneapolis, 612-354-2806), which serves familiar favorites, elevated.
Housed in a former coffee warehouse, Gavin Kaysen’s Demi (https://demimpls.com, 212 N Second Street, Minneapolis, 612-404-1123) offers seven- and 11-course tasting menus that focus on local ingredients while also incorporating special and rare ingredients from around the world. The restaurant’s 20 seats are at a large U-shaped bar counter surrounding the kitchen. It’s closed Monday and Tuesday.
Named 2022 restaurant of the year by the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Minnesota Monthly, Mara (www.mararestaurantandbar.com, 245 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 612-895-5709) is Kaysen’s Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel. The menu draws from the coastal cuisines of 22 countries with entrées such as chermoula spiced chicken, salt-baked branzino, and chicken liver and ricotta ravioli. For something simpler, the bar menu offers mezzes, skewers, and desserts.
Thompson says, “Every experience at Tenant (www.tenantmpls.com, 4300 Bryant Avenue S, Minneapolis, 612-827-8111) is remarkably perfect in its understated and refined ways. This small restaurant serves a six-course menu in a humble, unpretentious atmosphere with thoughtful touches. I don’t think there’s anything more Minnesotan than a casual six-course dinner. Most of the seats face an open kitchen, and the food is served by the chefs.” She suggests booking early but notes that you can call the day of to get on the cancellation list or follow them on Instagram to find out about open seats.
Eikenberry says there’s something for everyone—including fantastic nonalcoholic cocktails—at the Laotian restaurant Khaluna (www.khaluna.com, 4000 Lyndale Avenue S, Minneapolis, 612-345-5199) “The atmosphere is elegant, bright, cheerful, and upbeat,” Thompson adds. “The food is incredibly delicious and so flavorful and colorful. You absolutely must save room for dessert. Even with four courses, the menu here won’t leave you feeling heavy or stuffed. You will leave with a pleasantly full sensation and be reminiscing about the great experience on your way back to your hotel.” They both praised the stunning, covered outdoor seating. At press time, Chef Ann Ahmed was a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest.
The casual, neighborhood-style Bar La Grassa (www.barlagrassa.com, 800 Washington Avenue N, Minneapolis, 612-333-3837) offers Italian classics and new creations from James Beard Award-winning chef Isaac Becker and Nancy St Pierre. Or, if you’re looking for a luxurious fine dining restaurant, Thompson suggests Porzana (www.porzanampls.com, 200 N First Street, Minneapolis, 612-489-6174). This is Chef Daniel del Prado’s classic, yet modern, Argentinian steakhouse, which offers both familiar and unique menu options that include several pastas, vegetable sides, oysters, and a cold seafood bar—all with North Loop vibes from the exposed brick and subtle lighting. There’s also a dimly lit downstairs bar where you can relax with a cocktail.
Casual-but-Delicious Eats
Fine dining is fine, even exceptional, but sometimes you want to shed your conference clothes and grab something tasty that you didn’t have to make a reservation for two months ago. Thompson offers a useful tip: “‘Bar food’ isn’t a derogatory phrase in Minneapolis—we take pride in serving delicious, modern takes on bar food favorites. You’ll rarely be disappointed with the menu at any bar on the corner.” Or go for some chicken. Thompson says Brasa (www.brasa.us, 600 E Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 612-379-3030) is one of her go-to restaurants. “It never disappoints. They serve rotisserie chicken, pulled pork, and American creole dishes like sweet potatoes, cornbread, collards, and rice and peas. I have consistently great food every time I order. They also have delicious vegan options.”
Hungry after an evening networking event? Eikenberry says the best late-night dining is at Nightingale (www.nightingalempls.com, 2551 Lyndale Avenue S, Minneapolis, 612-354-7060), which serves inventive bar snacks, small plates, and shareable entrees—including many seafood and vegetable-forward options. She says the casual-but-classy Lake & Irving (www.lakeandirving.com, 1513 W Lake Street, Minneapolis, 612-354-2453) is also open later than most restaurants. “They are creative with their menu, have one of the best burgers in town, in my opinion, and the staff is wonderful.” The menu includes American classics as well as influences from many global cuisines. Poke nachos, miso Caesar salad, and ginger scallion tofu are a few examples. Plentiful vegetarian and vegan options.
If you’re looking for breakfast or lunch options, Black Walnut Bakery (www.blackwalnutbakery.com, 3157 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 612-353-6552) is celebrated for their bread, pastries, tarts, confections, and sandwiches. The egg and cheese sandwich—fluffy egg custard, gruyere, and fines herbes chevre spread on toasted croissant bread—has been called iconic. Or try Cardamom (www.cardamommpls.com, 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis, 612-375-7542). Chef del Prado teamed up with Shawn McKenzie—2023 James Beard Finalist for outstanding pastry chef or baker—to create this part counter-service cafe, part refined-casual dining restaurant at the Walker Art Center. The cuisine is influenced by North Africa, southern Europe, and the Middle East, with a carefully curated menu that’s rich in vegetables, herbs, and spices. Think Greek salad with rosewater vinaigrette and za’atar, cauliflower, and burrata with carrot harissa mayo and chives. McKenzie and del Prado are also partners at Café Ceres (www.cafeceresmpls.com, multiple locations, including 100 S Washington Avenue, Minneapolis, 612-345-4866), a coffee shop and bakery offering traditional and Turkish coffees and a variety of unique pastries and grab-and-go sandwiches. McKenzie’s dark chocolate zephyr cookies, made with rye flour, win raves.
Pizza more your speed? At Rosalia (www.rosaliapizza.com, 2811 W 43rd Street, Minneapolis, 612-345-5494), del Prado offers his take on woodfired pizza, along with salads, dips, and sides that combine Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors. For other great pizza options, Thompson says Northern Fires Pizza (www.northernfirespizza.com, 1839 E 42nd Street, Minneapolis, 612-424-1428) has the best pizza overall in Minneapolis, with locally sourced wheat, meat, cheese, and veggies. Wrecktangle Pizza (www.wrecktanglepizza.com, 729 N Washington Avenue, Minneapolis, 612-695-6525) is another great choice with the best deep-dish pizza in the area.
No matter your tastes or culinary preferences, Minneapolis restaurants truly have something for everyone. So, if you’re headed to FNCE®, don’t fill up on too many Expo Hall snacks and save room for a satisfying taste experience you’ll remember long after the conference is over.
— Carrie Dennett, MPH, RDN, is the nutrition columnist for The Seattle Times, owner of Nutrition By Carrie, and author of Healthy for Your Life: A Non-Diet Approach to Optimal Well-Being.
Dining Resources
• Eater Twin Cities: https://twincities.eater.com
• Minnesota Monthly: www.minnesotamonthly.com/food-drink
• Mpls.St. Paul Magazine: www.mspmag.com/eat-and-drink/foodie
• Meet Minneapolis Breweries, Beer & Cider: www.minneapolis.org/food-drink/breweries