Photos by Caitlin Abrams
Women-Owned Restaurants
Grand Cafe, Young Joni, and Hai Hai
My email inbox is filling up with women heading here to the Twin Cities for the big annual Women Chefs and Restaurateurs conference April 21–23 at the Hewing Hotel. It’s the first time this meet-up takes place here in the #BoldNorth and far from the coasts, and all the out-of-towners are asking me for a top list of women-owned restaurants to check out. Why not share it with everyone, I asked myself? So here you go! Start visiting, you’ve got nothing to lose but the patriarchy, and nothing to gain but an excellent night out.
The Kim Bartmann empire
WCR president Kim Bartmann owns a great many local restaurants, and she’s responsible for a lot of the good feminist energy pulsing through the Twin Cities these days. Her signature properties include: Retro bowling alley and Belgian beer specialist Bryant Lake Bowl, burger champion Pat’s Tap, French corner-bistro Café Barbette, sustainable diner Tiny Diner, Wisconsin-style supperclub Red Stag, and mid-century California eatery Book Club.
The Grand Café
Chef-owner Jamie Malone is one of the most buzzed-about talents in town, with her Food & Wine Best New Chef Award and her new earthy, sensuous take on French fare.
Hai Hai
Chef-owner Christina Nguyen making Vietnamese food for the next generation—and if you leave town without trying her banana blossom salad, you’re missing out.
Glam Doll Donuts
Sassy, sexy, and silly, but very serious about quality, Glam Doll is the brainchild and passion project of Arwyn Birch and Teresa Fox. It’s where all the hip late-night donut hunters end their evenings.
Pizzeria Lola and Young Joni
Chef and owner Ann Kim has gotten James Beard nominations, been called one of the best pizza makers in the country, and been spotlighted by GQ. But we love her because she’s a pizza fanatic, and makes a pie crust worthy of the angels.
Twin Spirits Distillery
Raise a glass to all that women can accomplish in the food and beverage world, and do it with a sip of Mamma's Moonshine in Michelle Winchester's cocktail room.
Chef Shack
Lisa Carlson cooks and Carrie Summers makes everything feel special at this barbecue-and-whatever-they-feel-like-eating restaurant, which started as a food truck and grew and grew.
Spoonriver
The Alice Waters of Minneapolis is a local legend named Brenda Langton. Not only did she start her first café when Jimmy Carter was in the White House, she went on to almost single-handedly found the Cities’ locavore scene and our most beautiful farmers' market, Mill City. Where healthy, visionary, and good meet, that’s where Brenda’s been breaking ground for decades.
Salty Tart
Most coastal types know chef-owner Michelle Gayer for her work as the author of Charlie Trotter’s critically important pastry cookbook, but we here in Minnesota, we know her for her quick wit and her brilliant croissants—and her new St. Paul breakfast/lunch spot, where her savory side shines.
Rainbow Chinese
Minnesota’s dumpling queen Tammy Wong has been a hometown hero since 1987—and if you miss her Szechuan dumplings, you’ll be sad forever.
Breaking Bread Café
Chef Lachelle Cunningham is redefining soul food in the north. Don’t miss her coconut corn bread and vegan greens.
Gyst
Sister-owners Ky and Mel Guse own the Cities' best bar to find natural wines—and curate a damn fine cheese plate.
Urban Growler
Looking for a cold one? Jill Pavlak and master brewer Deb Loch of the first local woman-owned brewery, Urban Growler, will pour you a Blue Ribbon-winning Midwest IPA from their comfortable and relaxed taproom.
Marla’s Caribbean Café
Chef-owner Marla Jadoonanan came from Trinidad to make the people of Minneapolis happy with her unbelievably spectacular curry channa and jerk chicken.
Rise Bagel Co.
Sisters and co-baker-owners Jen and Kate Lloyd are the new artisanal bagel artists in walking distance of the WCR headquarters at the Hewing Hotel—start your day with some sister-power, and an Everything with scallion cream cheese, why don’t you?
El Burrito Mercado
Milissa Silva-Diaz runs one of the most dynamic spots in the state—it’s a market, a restaurant, and the heart of a community. Also, the chicharron prensado burrito is a wicked mistress who cannot, and should not, be resisted.
Birchwood Café
Owner Tracy Singleton has pushed integration with her supplier-farms into such rich territory she’s discovered additional seasons—ask what Frost means to the Birchwood for a very interesting answer.
MN Nice Cream
Owner Katie Romanski is bringing all the sparkle-happy-pretty-joy to soft serve—with freshly baked cakes to add in to your shakes.
Nightingale
Chef-owner Carrie McCabe Johnston runs one of the most popular brunch spots in the Twin Cities—though late-night is our favorite time to visit, for a chic cocktail and that delicate fish plate.
St. Paul Bagelry
Why are all Minnesota bagel shops run by sisters? No one knows, but sisters Peggy Teed and Dodie Green make the chewy, pliant, irresistible bagels here in south Minneapolis (and of course, St. Paul).
Honey & Rye
Baker-owner Anne Andrus makes a killer challah and angelic madelines—it’s a bakery of wonderful extremes.
French Meadow
When owner Lynn Gordon founded French Meadow in 1985, it was organic before organic was a thing, and later became the first organic-certified bakery in the entire country. Today chef Beth Fisher (who has worked with local farms and farmers her whole career) works with Lynn to continue to push forward what healthy, accessible food means.
Gardens of Salonica
Anna Christoforides makes some of the Cities' best Greek food—it's wholesome, real, and inspired.
The Leslie Bock Empire
The most fun you can have in Northeast is defined by America's only punk rock princess who owns a private ferris wheel: Minneapolis' own restaurateur Leslie Bock, of Psycho Suzi's and Betty Danger's.
Now, those are some of my editor picks for the out-of-towners' list. But, if you’re a local—who did I miss? Post in the comments, we need to shine a light on the terrific women who make Minnesota great.
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