Photograph by Caitlin Abrams
Blondette
Notice a new neon glow in the mix of the downtown Minneapolis skyline? She’s been waiting for you to pay attention: Blondette, the new Daniel del Prado restaurant, has been heating up the fifth floor of the Rand Tower Hotel, and the retractable glass ceiling just might be letting a bit of the glam leak out into the night sky.
Savvy diners and the creative class pack the place for “punk girl French” food and standard-setting cocktails. Del Prado’s woman-led management team brought this space together with a wink. It’s all about comfortable elegance, attractive lighting, and a refreshing lack of rules for how you might assemble big or small plates of French food to make the meal.
Check out the adjacent Miaou Miaou bar, with its nod to that neon sexy vibe we’ve missed from 1980s dining. Sip a house martini—make it as dirty as you want with the side dropper of olive juice—and sup on escargot, duck à l’orange, perfectly seared scallops, or the 32-ounce bone-in côte de boeuf steak for two.
527 Marquette Ave. S., 5th floor, Mpls., 612-224-3750
