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Smoked sea trout with beets, flying fish roe, and hazelnuts at La Belle Vie
Photos by Eliesa Johnson
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Au Bon Canard duck breast with romanesco, carrots, and preserved plum coulis at Heartland
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Maine Lobster at Meritage
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Duck two ways with curried lentils and cauliflower with yogurt sauce at Restaurant Alma
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Grilled shishito peppers stuffed with ham, goat cheese, lemon, and rosemary at Travail
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Poached lobster with kale, tortellini, saffron romesco, and sorrel at La Belle Vie
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Roasted beet and pear salad with rosemary, vanilla, and walnuts at Tilia
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Roasted celeriac with crimini mushrooms, chicken skin, parsley, and dill at Heyday
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Roasted eggplant with tahini sauce, mint, and pomegranate at Saffron
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Roasted heirloom carrot salad, with golden raisin mostarda, cumin-flavored puree, pepitas, country ham, and watercress at Corner Table
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Roasted heirloom carrots with foie-radish puree, duck fat powder, and smoked cheese at Piccolo
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Seven seed salad with cucumber, pomegranate, radish, feta, and dill vinaigrette at Burch Steak
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Wild Acres duck with pickled chilis, leeks, ginger, and turnips in miso broth at The Strip Club
Our critics pick the 50 places you should be eating at right now. James Beard Award winners, mentors, innovators, and young bucks—these chefs are pushing the boundaries fearlessly. And we get to relish in the results, so pull up a chair and dig in.
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Tilia
Take note of who is in the oh-so-tiny kitchen at Tilia; it’s very likely they’ll end up behind their own line someday. Steven Brown has had a hand in the careers of many of the big names on these pages—at Porter & Frye alone he hired Erik Anderson and Jamie Malone, Doug Flicker, and a couple Travailians, to name a few. Since Tilia has settled into its Linden Hills neighborhood, Brown’s tendency to lead and mentor has only grown deeper, from the farmers’ market he helped establish to the outdated laws restricting liquor licenses that he helped abolish. So when you see him standing at the pass, proofing a plate of lighter-than-air gnocchi or a sturdy jerk chicken thigh that can never leave the menu, you know that this undercurrent of support and trust is part of what keeps this place clicking. Fresh ideas from fresh cooks will be nurtured and honed into plates that continue to define this warm and friendly place. This is of great importance as it leaves Brown free to undertake another adventure, creating St. Genevieve in the former Lynn on Bryant space, while knowing that Tilia is at once and always in safe hands. ✚ 2726 W. 43rd St., Mpls., 612-354-2806, tiliampls.com
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Photo by Eliesa Johnson
Restaurant Alma
It’s going to be a watershed year for Restaurant Alma, the sustainable, intuitive, and easy-feeling restaurant from which chef and owner Alex Roberts has made his empire (Brasa) and name (a James Beard Award). Here’s what’s coming: Sometime later this year, the coffee shop next door will be replaced with Café Alma, an all-day eatery with a full bar program. Roberts wants to turn the area above the eateries into a six-room inn. (This hinges on city council approval.) Why all the changes? Partly so that the various employees who have been sticking at Roberts’ side for 11, 12, and 13 years can have a new job to grow into, and partly so that loyal guests who want Alma classics like the clam stew with homemade chorizo and white beans can get them whenever they want—freeing the original restaurant for further cheffy explorations. “The challenge for us,” Roberts says, “is how do you grow and change, how do you keep a culture where people can thrive and grow and learn—without creating complacency in the kitchen, and giving the customers what they want?” That is indeed the million-dollar question, and 2015 is the year that Alma tries to answer it. ✚ 528 University Ave. SE, Mpls., 612-379-4909, restaurantalma.com
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Meritage
It is no small undertaking to create the biggest oyster festival in the metro, flying in thousands of fresh bivalves for a hungry crowd of slurpers as Russell and Desta Klein have done for three years. But it’s an even bigger accomplishment to do this just a few months after opening a sister complex of eateries (Brasserie Zentral, et al.) across the river. But Meritage would not be forgotten. It sits comfortably in the middle of downtown St. Paul, confidently and assuredly serving the eaters who have come to wear down the floor tile by pushing their chairs back from a great meal, again and again. Indeed, you can easily rely on the French bistro for your pre-Wild or post-Wits noshing because amid the chaos of expansion, Klein and his team have kept the place humming. Checking in for a soul-satisfying cassoulet or a benchmark steak frites, not to mention a round or six of those oysters, just feels like coming home. ✚ 410 St. Peter St., St. Paul, 651-222-5670, meritage-stpaul.com
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Photo by Eliesa Johnson
Travail Kitchen & Amusements
There’s nothing that can really prepare you for a meal at Travail, unless you’ve been there. It is, by leaps and bounds, the most creative and unique dining experience in the entire state, maybe even the five-state area. And that is because a meal in the hands of Mike Brown, James Winberg, Bob Gerken, and their crew is free of convention, free of restraint, and free of the need to meet your expectations, which they then blow by at the speed of light. Take part in the coursed Travail tasting menu, and you are in for a show. It’s a dance of chefs and plates that is skillfully and joyfully choreographed, down to the mariachi band and the slices of meat hanging above your head (which you are to eat hands-free, like a fish on the line). It is a gleeful surrender that you can trust. But if you feel the need for a bit more control, there’s also The Rookery, which is the open-menu dining room on the back end of the space. There, you can construct your own joyful experience by ordering plate by plate of the same mind-blowing food. ✚ 4124 Broadway Ave. W., Robbinsdale, 763-535-1131
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Photo by Eliesa Johnson
La Belle Vie
Did we all get a little nervous when Gavin Kaysen came to town and poached two of La Belle Vie’s big talents? (Namely affable front-of-house manager and wine-freak Bill Summerville and dessert savant Diane Yang.) This after Johnny Michaels had left the bar. Suddenly, our old favorite spot for glam and elegance seemed in question. Would it, could it ever be the same? Well, no. But what if it’s better? Managing director Matthew Anderson is a gracious and seasoned presence in the dining room, with a bright smile and generous nature. Niki Francioli, no slouch in the pastry department herself, has taken the sweet end of the meal to new heights. Adam Gorski, in the bar, is an old-school soul with the mind of an innovator. He understands the unique hospitality required by a barman. Underneath all of this wobbly disquiet has been the kitchen of Mike DeCamp (a.k.a. YC) and Tim McKee. They never waivered, never sidestepped, just kept creating mind-blowing dishes that crush the definition of fine dining, from butter-poached lobster with kale tortellini on the grand tasting menu to crispy-fried pouisson legs (the most sophisticated fried chicken for your bubbles, ahem) on the bar menu. Even with YC’s fresh departure for the Hotel Ivy, you can be assured there is nothing but an exhilarating next dance for this old girl. ✚ 510 Groveland Ave., Mpls., 612-874-6440, labellevie.us
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Photo by Caitlin Abrams
112 Eatery
Isaac Becker’s freshman effort is still one of the best places in downtown Minneapolis to hunker down for a bit of late-night noshing. The kitchen is open until midnight through the week, and 1 am on weekends for not only the legendary burger, but frog legs, Chinese fried eggs, signature steak tartare, pan-fried gnocchi, and more things way better than a run to the border. ✚ 112 N. 3rd St., Mpls., 612-343-7696, 112eatery.com
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Photo by Caitlin Abrams
Bar La Grassa
It really should be no surprise that this venerable Isaac Becker spot regularly tops our Readers’ Poll year after year. An evening at Bar La Grassa is a solid bet for perfectly prepared Italian dishes, served by a loyal and dedicated team who know hospitality. Whether you’re still gaga for the soft eggs and lobster, need your fix of pillowy gnocchi with cauliflower, or just crave a plate of foie gras meatballs, you are justified in coming back time after time. BLG has become an institution in our local dining scene. ✚ 800 Washington Ave. N., Mpls., 612-333-3837, barlagrassa.com
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Birchwood Cafe
Tracy Singleton and Marshall Paulsen pack a powerful one-two punch. The duo took the well-worn neighborhood café and gave it a loving refresher. The space is now modern with clean lines, yet remains cozy and relaxed. More seating, a private room in the back, and a communal table round out the vibe that pairs perfectly with locally sourced and thoughtfully prepared food. ✚ 3311 E. 25th St., Mpls., 612-722-4474, birchwoodcafe.com
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Black Sheep Pizza
Anthracite doesn’t mean much to most Minnesotans, this is taconite country, after all. But when it comes to pizza, the clean-burning, red-hot coal produces amazing crusts at Black Sheep. Chef Jordan Smith somehow manages to create a chewy crust, with coal-kissed crispness. The toppings are first rate. Now with a third location on Eat Street, and an expanded menu that includes wood-grilled meats, Black Sheep is well on its way to dominating what’s become a truly excellent Twin Cities pizza scene. ✚ 600 Washington Ave. N., Mpls., 612-342-2625; 512 N. Robert St., St. Paul, 651-227-4337; 2550 Nicollet Ave., 612-866-1233, Mpls.; blacksheeppizza.com
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Borough
Though the chefs may have shuffled, Borough remains one of the best places to hang in the North Loop. Diners gather at big tables in the buzzy room for Drew Yancey’s imaginatively turned seasonal plates that surprise yet satisfy. Downstairs, Parlour Bar is a dark den where the kids go for crafted cocktails and a chill vibe (not to mention the legendary Parlour-only burger that has a cultish following). During summer, the loading dock patio bar is the perfect place to grab a chair and relish the richness of city living. ✚ 730 Washington Ave. N., Mpls., 612-354-3135, boroughmpls.com
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Brasa Rotisserie
It doesn’t get much simpler than pulled pork, chicken, and smoked beef. But super-chef Alex Roberts gives it his magic touch with slow roasting, deeply seasoning, and perfectly executing. Crispy yucca, roasted yams and sausage, collard greens with smoked chicken! Roberts designed this place for his family, so lucky for all of ours. ✚ 600 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls., 612-379-3030; 777 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-224-1302; brasa.us
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Broders' Pasta Bar
The Broders clan seems well poised to keep trucking into the next century. South Minneapolis would not be the same without the pasta bar and its no-reservations neighborhood charm. The menu is reinvigorated every time the family heads to Italy and returns inspired. Cucina is a place where kids who’ve grown up on the pizza slices come back as adults to stack their own larders with spicy olive oils, cured meats, and stunningly fresh house-made mascarpone. ✚ 5000 Penn Ave. S., Mpls., 612-925-9202; 2308 W. 50th St., Mpls., 612-925-3113; broders.com
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Butcher & The Boar
How can you possibly have any argument against a place that keeps the beer garden open year-round. In Minnesota. “Live full boar” is not only its motto, it’s a religion. Wild boar head cheese, turkey braunschweiger, and a veritable river’s worth of bourbon are not for the meek. Sure, you can get wood-grilled oysters and addictive-with-a-health-halo red-hot Brussels sprouts, but what you really want is the smoked beef long rib. ✚ 1121 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-238-8888, butcherandtheboar.com
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Fasika
510 Snelling Ave. N., Saint Paul, Minnesota 55104When it comes to Ethiopian cuisine, this is the hands-down winner. An East African meal is a fun and unique experience. Assorted vegetables, lentils, and meats simmered in complex gravies are arranged on a large piece of spongy indigenous flatbread called injera that you tear off in strips to convey bite-sized portions of food from the platter to your mouth. It can be a messy challenge—and to be respectful, only your right hand should be used—but you’ll be rewarded with an amazing spectrum of tastes and textures. ✚ 510 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul, 651-646-4747
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Photo by Caitlin Abrams
Hola Arepa
Need a sunny spot to land and perhaps change your mood or adjust your levels? Just off of I-35W, you can escape to the tropical tones of this small place where simple arepas are stuffed with richly braised meats, accompanied by cocktails of all hues and strengths that come quickly to your spot. Brunch has become an equally great divergent from the arrival of the Sunday night blues with the fried chicken on a sweet corn cake alongside eggs, bacon, and chipotle-maple syrup. ✚ 3501 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-345-5583, holaarepa.com
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Icehouse
If you’re in to music and care a lick about what you actually lick, Icehouse has your ticket. The stage hosts acts from gospel to rock with a menu that is equally as thrilling. Chef Matt Bickford brings the heft of a serious kitchen to this house of merriment. His food is playful but dead-on in technique. We’ve all waxed rhapsodic about the foie burger and the wicked wings, but don’t overlook plates like smoked potato gnocchi or lamb carpaccio with tzatziki. ✚ 2528 Nicollet Ave. S., Mpls., 612-276-6523, icehousempls.com
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Photos by Katherine Harris
The Kenwood
There is nothing more glorious than all-day brunch. And there may be nowhere as snug and welcoming as the House of Plaid that is The Kenwood. Don Saunders took one of those never-successful restaurant spaces and created a new classic. Day-eaters gather for leisurely meals with stunning plates like the huevos rancheros heaped with braised pork and soft eggs or sturdy pancakes touched with black walnut butter or a luscious Kenwood burger with pork belly and fried egg. Oh, and yes, dinner is worth staying for, too. ✚ 2115 W. 21st St., Mpls., 612-377-3695, thekenwoodrestaurant.com
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Photo by Katherine Harris
Little Szechuan Hot Pot
Little Szechuan is still bringing the sizzle we’ve come to love, expanding into Dinkytown to light up a whole new generation of heat seekers. But the best addition to our frozen landscape has to be the revamping of the original location as a hot pot spot. It’s never the same meal twice, depending on which of the more than 100 items you pick, who’s with you to dip things in the pot, and how adventurous you’re feeling. ✚ 422 University Ave. W., St. Paul, 651-222-1333, littleszechuan.com
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Photo by Eliesa Johnson
Manny's Steakhouse
Whether you call us Midwest or North, you should know that steak isn’t going anywhere. Vegetables can trend, vegans can triumph on Kickstarter, but there will always be a thrum of goodwill and red meat at Manny’s. Unapologetically huge cuts of gorgeously cooked beef monopolize your table along with thick fatty slabs of Nueske’s bacon, possibly some sharply crisped hash browns if there’s room, and no one will judge you. ✚ 825 Marquette Ave. S., Mpls., 612-339-9900, mannyssteakhouse.com
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Maya Cuisine
This Nordeast spot has a cult following, partly due to its proximity to taprooms, but mostly due to the amazingly fresh and delicious Mexican food. Recently expanded with a backroom bar and more seating, Maya is still humble in nature, but stellar in flavor. You can’t beat the salsa bar where you can zing up your tacos, tamales, burritos, or tostadas how you’d like, and the brunch buffet is a steal at $11.99. This place deserves a look. ✚ 1840 Central Ave. NE, Mpls., 612-789-0775, facebook.com/mayacuisine
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