Best of
the Twin Cities
Making the perfect martini is an artform. (Making a bad martini is a crime against humanity.) The good folks at the Monte Carlo in the North Loop have fine-tuned theirs thanks to a century of practice—they opened in 1906. Sipping one on the spacious patio during a sunny day will cause you to question why you bother drinking anywhere else. This won’t be a run-of-the-mill martini experience. Outdoor service is done with a flourish, as your server dramatically flings the ice cubes chilling your glass into the bushes, pours a few drams of delicious liquor for you, and leaves the rest inside the shaker at the table, keeping it cold while you down the first half. By the time you get around to pouring the rest, you’re feeling no pain, convinced you somehow got two martinis for the price of one. Or four for the price of two, since the Monte Carlo’s are so good it’s impossible to stop at one.
