RESTAURANTS >>

• BEST ADDITION TO THE BREAKFAST SCENE
  Even though some of us are still bitter about last year's demise of Rick's Ol' Time Café, Victor's is garnering a larger following with each passing month. There's plenty of standard yanqui breakfast fare, but the Cuban entrées are the real reason to get out of bed to beat the... More >>
• BEST BREAKFAST
  They will accommodate granola-and-egg-white-only appetites, but why not pretend you're on the protein diet for a few hours? Go for the gooey Vagabond skillet with eggs, potatoes, ham, onions, mushrooms, and cheese ($6.25), or any of the several varieties of made-from-scratch pancakes. Also... More >>
• BEST CARIBBEAN RESTAURANT
  The Twin Cities may not be known as a Caribbean-food hot spot, but there are actually quite a few good options: Go to low-key Puerta Azul for pernil asado and other home-style Puerto Rican specialties; head to hot and sassy, cafeteria-style West Indies Soul for extraordinary jerk chicken; hit... More >>
• BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT
  One would rather root, root, root for the home team than pick the out-of-state ringer--in this case Big Bowl, a chain restaurant imagineered by bigwig foodie Bruce Cost and owned by the gargantuan, Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You. But we've got to call them like we see them: Local favorites... More >>
• BEST COFFEE HOUSE
  At this former Hopkins train depot, your caffeine cravings benefit the community: The place was turned into a java joint through the efforts of some Hopkins High School students determined to provide a safe, chemical-free gathering place for teens from around the metro. The Depot offers... More >>
• BEST DIM SUM
  Everyone's got their own favorite spot for dim sum inside My Le Hoa (pronounced "may lee WAH"). Some stake out tables near the kitchen door so that they can pounce the minute a cart bursts in bearing hot fried crab claws, smoky, five-spice quail, or steaming, pork-filled banana-leaf pockets.... More >>
• BEST DINER
  Chuck Berry's classic "Back in the USA" celebrates a return from foreign lands that, among other things, lack diners "where hamburgers sizzle on an open grill night and day." No question Chuck would dig the Band Box. The resilient, funky, cramped Elliot Park neighborhood landmark offers six... More >>
• BEST DRIVE-IN
  Many commuters might not notice Wagner's as they whiz along Highway 7. The little red and white burger hut is parked on the southern frontage road, and you can't leave the main drag precisely at the spot--you have to exit early or late at Louisiana or Texas Avenue. But it's worth the side trip,... More >>
• BEST ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT
  The African-restaurant scene is finally, belatedly picking up steam: Over the past couple of years, small mom-and-pop operations have been springing up all over the Twin Cities, and some, like Cedar-Riverside's Addis Ababa, show real promise. Still, the Blue Nile, the granddaddy of them all,... More >>
• BEST FRENCH RESTAURANT
  Minnesota loves Italy with a fire and a passion that knows no bounds--but France we regard with chilly suspicion. Why? No one knows, but at this point we've got the restaurants we deserve: Often excellent but sometimes heartless café un deux trois (why the overpriced wine list and... More >>
• BEST GERMAN RESTAURANT
  Like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Moriarty, like Godzilla and Mothra, like cats and dogs, Schumacher's and the Black Forest are locked in a battle to the death--who will win the love of the people? And will St. Paul newcomer Glockenspiel topple them both? Maybe one day, but for the time being,... More >>
• BEST GREEK RESTAURANT
  Great ethnic restaurants flourish along Nicollet, but Christos was here long before the "Eat Street" hype. In this clean, well-lighted spot, you couldn't go wrong if you pointed at the menu blindfolded. The hummus ($5.15) is smooth and garlicky, the saganaki (kasseri cheese flamed with brandy... More >>
• BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT
  Nearly all Twin Cities-area Indian restaurants are pan-Indian, preferring to serve all dishes from all regions rather than to concentrate on a single strength. Consequently, savvy fans of Indian cuisine learn to tease out the various kitchens' strengths: Passage to India in Uptown has... More >>
• BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT (CHEAP)
  Is it the latitude? The longitude? When did Minnesotans collectively decide that "Italian" is synonymous with "perfect"? Anytime pink winter tomatoes show up next to some slightly fresh mozzarella there's dancing in the streets. We toyed with suggesting that you just head for the farmers'... More >>
• BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT (NOT CHEAP)
  Linguini lunchers love Luci! So do insalata lovers too, and, most likely, Lambrusco lappers too. Hey, it's hard not to babble when singing the praises of this sister act. Focused, attentive, enviably consistent Daniella Smith puts out Southern Italian dishes in which the fresh and the potent... More >>
• BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT
  There's no more satisfying feeling than sitting at an Origami table while a server pours one of owner Kiminobu Ichikawa's favorite sakes, for he or she will pour until the glass overflows, the tradition for good luck. Said good luck comes fast and furious in the shape of feather-light tempura,... More >>
• BEST KOREAN RESTAURANT
  Watching this little restaurant grow has been one of the more obscure delights of Twin Cities life over the past few years. Proprietors Sunny and Pong Kim started out a couple of years ago serving a handful of excellent dishes in a run-down storefront on Snelling. Flash forward to 2000 and... More >>
• BEST LOCAL CHEF
  Yes, we get hate mail all year because of this category alone. And yes, we do understand the limitations: All our experiences with local chefs are buggered--er, buffered--by local service staffs, and we know there may well be a genius chef reading this who we have unfairly concluded can't serve... More >>
• BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT
  Any year now there's going to be the Mexican restaurant we've been waiting for, the one that combines the drinks and fresh preparations of Bar Abilene, the carne asada of El Mariachi, and the sweetheart service of Boca Chica. For now, what we've got are some great upscale fusion-Mexican places... More >>
• BEST MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT
  All right, all right already, Afghanistan isn't technically in the Middle East. But it is right next door, sharing a border with Iran, and the building blocks of the cuisine are identical: grains, lamb, yogurt, greens. At Da Afghan those blocks stack up into an awesome edifice: the spring lamb... More >>
• BEST NEIGHBORHOOD CAFÉ--ST. PAUL
  Retired Irish-American meat cutters mow lawns beside twentysomething Mexican immigrants; African-American youths shovel driveways for elderly Asian ladies. This vibe of peaceful coexistence that has made the West Side a model multicultural community spreads to the Capitol View Cafe. Where else... More >>
• BEST NEIGHBORHOOD CAFE--MINNEAPOLIS
  What makes the Birchwood stand out in a city lousy with neighborhood cafés is attention to detail. The dried-cherry scones contain cornmeal, which somehow seems to make them moist, yet grainy in a very pleasant way. The coconut macaroons are exactly the right kind of chewy. The peach... More >>
• BEST NEW RESTAURANT
  Like Bonnie and Clyde, like Batman and Robin, like Chico and the Man, sometimes a duo gets things done better. Nowhere can you see this dynamic in action more clearly than in the jewel of southeast Minneapolis, Restaurant Alma. Venture in to find talented veteran Jim Reininger managing the... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO EAT OUT WITH YOUR KIDS
  In recent years this category has been judged solely on the basis of what kids like. Those of us who are parents, however, know an entirely different set of criteria can--and should--come into play when considering where to strap on the family feedbag in public. Which brings us (again and... More >>
• BEST POWER LUNCH
  The tables are set for the deal: pink linens, polished silver, crystal water goblets, and silver trays stacked with butter-soaked garlic toast. The décor is vintage blue chip: silk-lined walls, floor-to-ceiling mirrors, pink draperies, and cast-iron candelabra. The menu is fit for kings... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR APPETIZERS
  Two words for you, appetizer fiends: affettato misto, Zelo's fully loaded mixed appetizer plate ($16.95) for two or more. Or actually, let's not even call it an appetizer plate: It's really an appetizer landscape. Outstanding features of that landscape include a bay of high-quality, classic... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR DESSERT
  Figured you'd see Aquavit--or, for that matter, Goodfellow's, Oceanaire, Zelo--in this space, right? Well guess again, Mac, because while the desserts that come from the hands of actual pastry chefs can be prettier than a cash machine spraying Jacksons, we figure there ain't no dessert beats a... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR GLUTTONS
  Be forewarned: You will eat too much. You will load up at not one, but five separate buffets featuring a vast selection of extraordinary Hong Kong dishes as well as steamed crab legs (dinner only), Mongolian barbecue, deviled eggs, and Jell-O. Conversation will be interrupted constantly as you... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR LATE-NIGHT DINING
  Living in a city that virtually shuts down at ten on a weeknight can sometimes feel like Exile in Mayberry. A late-night breakup that requires an emergency girlfriend powwow leads you to the grease-laden, open-air psych wards that are the 24-hour chain restaurants. The only place to take your... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR OUTDOOR DINING
  It's not summer for some of us until this Minneapolis institution has opened its brick-paved patio, started the water circulating in the diminutive fountain, and fertilized the vines that form its living canopy. The menu always features light summer specials, but we love the German... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR ROMANCE
  The fundamentals are covered: first-rate cuisine, attentive yet unobtrusive service, and subdued lighting that's perfect for stolen glances. But a great romantic restaurant must be more than an appetizing and aesthetically pleasing way station between the front porch and the boudoir. It ought... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT WAY THE HECK OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
  Tinucci's, currently owned and operated by the third generation of the eponymous family, defies the location, location, location rule. This laid-back, old-school supper club has customers from all over the Twin Cities willing to wait more than an hour and a half to partake in Saturday night's... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING
  If someone's sucker enough to offer to buy you dinner--kid, who are you to refuse? And who are you to worry about their finances? What are you--Alan Greenspan? You are looking out for number one, and there is no more glorious experience for sale (legally--get yer head out of the gutter) than... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT--MINNEAPOLIS
  What makes a great restaurant? After much debate we decided the criteria must include: a great chef, an excellent (and affordable) wine list, consistency, and a certain something in the service and atmosphere that makes it feel especially fancy, especially pleasant, especially--well, special.... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT--ST. PAUL
  Ladies and gentlemen: In the starting lineup we have the St. Paul Grill, Pazzaluna, the 128 Cafe, Zander, Mildred Pierce, the Dakota, and the Vintage! Last bets? Bet them if you've got them. Betting is closed. And they're off! The St. Paul Grill is dazzling with décor and steaks and... More >>
• BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
  Plenty of local chefs have the talent and skill to produce an exceptional meal of fish--Doug Flicker at Auriga, Philip Dorwart at Table of Contents 2, Lucia Watson at Lucia's, and Alex Roberts at Alma leap to mind. But only one restaurant combines expert technique with a mind-altering quantity,... More >>
• BEST SERVICE AT A RESTAURANT
  Service in the Twin Cities has gone to hell in a handbasket these last couple of years, the tight job market and, dare we say, restaurateurs' unwillingness or inability to seriously ratchet up pay seemingly leaving service positions filled by only the surly, the suspicious, the arrogant, the... More >>
• BEST STEAK HOUSE
  Some might ask: Why does Manny's win this category every year? Why do you even bother? What's up with you idiots, anyway? To which we answer: We keep at this category because we hope that the people who run the other steak houses will go to Manny's, find out what they're doing wrong, and heat... More >>
• BEST STEAK HOUSE ON A BUDGET
  Since you'll be saving a few bucks on dinner, start your evening with a beefy martini. The cavernous front room of this classic blue-collar supper club features a front-to-back bar stocked with affordable pours and a finely aged cast of neighborhood regulars tracking the Wolves or cheering the... More >>
• BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH (CHEAP)
  You'll be forgiven if, upon stepping through Nora's heavy, mahogany-stained front door, you suspect you've fallen through some kind of noir portal and onto the set of Blue Velvet. Nora's may be located a short Rollerblade away from the heart of trend central, but you won't catch any hipsters... More >>
• BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH (CLASSIC)
  Mother's Day brunch reservations at this small, handsomely appointed downtown hotel traditionally fill up weeks in advance. What's the big deal, you ask? You'll know as soon as you saunter over to the massive buffet. There's eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine, potatoes of all shapes and levels of... More >>
• BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH (NEO-CLASSIC)
  It's almost alarmingly easy to while away a Sunday morning on Campiello's sunny little patio--and we guess that's partly because things are so predictable at this yupscale Italian eatery. Take the orange juice that arrives right after you're seated. No matter what the season, it's... More >>
• BEST THAI RESTAURANT
  Yes, this Uptown start-up has consistency troubles, but there's some fatal flaw at every Thai restaurant in town, and Chiang Mai is the only one that combines evocative bamboo décor in a charming, sepia-toned room with excellent fish specials (like a grilled salmon crisply glazed with... More >>
• BEST TIME CAPSULE
  Minnesotans are nothing if not loyal, and consequently the Twin Cities boast what is, perhaps, the nation's best collection of extant period restaurants: Peter's Grill is unadulterated between-the-wars lunch counter. The Viscount Room at Little Jack's, and Murray's in its entirety, are pure... More >>
• BEST VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT
  Being a vegetarian in the Twin Cities requires a lot of hard work, constant vigilance, and a good dose of paranoia: Some restaurateurs simply don't seem to believe that there are people who don't want chicken in their food. But there's no need to be defensive at the Birchwood. Just sit back in... More >>
• BEST VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT
  There's nothing but the freshest, zippiest, quickest, most goshdarn appealing food at Quang. Maybe, in fact, just a little too appealing: Our last visit found us reeling from a thick and delicious curry stew, then suddenly whipping out our calculator to try and figure out whether it made... More >>
• BEST WINE BAR
  Here are some things few people really want: the key to the city, an endowed chair at the university, a portrait at the capitol. If you really want to honor somebody, we say, give them something they can use--namely, a table reserved in their name forever inside ever-popular and often-packed... More >>
• BEST WINE LIST
  Frankly, we're sick to death of trying to figure out which of the local big-hitter wine lists is better than the other--Manny's awesome selection of a billion reds? Goodfellow's encyclopedia of fine American vineyards? D'Amico Cucina's expensive, expansive who's-who of Italian varietals and... More >>