It’s called the City of Lakes, and for a reason: The city of Minneapolis is home to seven lakes, five of which (Harriet, Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska, Cedar, and Brownie) are connected by trails through the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway. The lakes serve as a present-day memento from glacier movement centuries ago, and today they are a center of social and recreational activity. But it’s not so much the lakes that brought Minneapolis into prominence as its location on the Mississippi River. The Mississippi was a necessary thoroughfare for the development of the logging and milling industries that set Minneapolis on the path from sleepy river town to a thriving economic and cultural force.
The land surrounding Minneapolis was originally settled by Dakota Indians, who turned over that parcel to the US government in 1805. It’s thought that the first white man to explore the area was Father Louis Hennepin, a French missionary. Whether or not he was the first, his name was bestowed to the county and one of the major avenues through the city. Originally the area had two towns: St. Anthony (named for the St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi) and Minneapolis, but in 1872 the two merged. What followed was an economic boom as Minneapolis became the leading lumber and flour milling center in the United States.
Those glory days were done by 1930, as northern forests were becoming deforested and logging mills shut down. Flour milling began to take hold in other parts of the country, reducing Minneapolis’s lock on the market. Today flour milling is still an important industry, as General Mills is headquartered here. Other agricultural and industrial companies related to the food industry began here and remain powerful today, including Cargill and Super Valu. Other industry giants that either were or are still headquartered in the City of Lakes include Honeywell, Medtronic, Best Buy, and Target. The University of Minnesota’s Minneapolis campus grew exponentially during this time, particularly its medical and research departments, which have been leading innovators in medical procedures, including the first open heart surgery.
MINNEAPOLIS SKYLINE
With major companies bringing in people and money, Minneapolis began to see growth of cultural institutions. The Guthrie Theater, now a world-renowned company, opened in 1960; the Minneap olis Institute of Art began receiving visitors in 1915; and the Walker Art Center began focusing on contemporary art in 1940s. Sports fans were given something to cheer about when the major league Minnesota Twins debuted in 1960 and went on to win the World Series in 1987 and 1991. The Minnesota Vikings brought NFL football to the state and have played in the Super Bowl four times. More recently, professional basketball teams (the men’s Timberwolves and women’s Lynx) have brought crowds into Target Center.
DOWNTOWN EXCELSIOR
A dynamic combination of history, industry, arts, and popular culture has made Minneapolis a vibrant city to visit. Oh, and the lakes are fun, too.
Like any large city, Minneapolis has myriad neighborhoods. For the purposes of this book, lodging, dining and shopping will be broken out by Downtown, North Loop (otherwise known as the Warehouse District on the north edge of downtown), Northeast (across the river from downtown, the nearest area of which is sometimes called Near Northeast/Riverfront), South (which includes the Uptown area), the Mississippi riverfront area (which has developed into a thriving community with recreation and restaurants), the University of Minnesota’s East Bank area (which is full of fun eateries), and the university’s Dinkytown area (a small corner packed full of shops and restaurants).
GUIDANCE Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce (612-370-9100; mplschamber.org), 81 S. 9th Street, Suite 200. Open weekdays 8–4:30. The chamber’s website has a thorough overview of the cultural, entertainment, sports, and outdoor activities available in the city, and they offer links and order forms for informational brochures and maps.
Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association (Meet Minneapolis; 612-397-9275 or 888-676-MPLS; minneapolis.org), 505 Nicollet Avenue, Suite 100. Open Mon.–Fri., 10–6, Sat. 10–5. An extensive listing of tourist info, including online booking for air and hotel reservations.
GETTING THERE By air: The primary airport is the Terminal 1–Lindbergh at the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (612-726-5555; mspairport.com); next door is the Terminal 2–Humphrey (612-726-5555), a smaller secondary terminal serving mostly no-frills and charter airlines. Both airports are in Bloomington, a western suburb. Taxis, limos, rental cars, and light rail service is available from the airports into the city.
By bus: Greyhound has a terminal downtown (612-371-3325; greyhound.com).
By car: I-94, I-394, I-35W, and MN 55 all lead into downtown Minneapolis.
MINNESOTA’S “FIFTH SEASON”
Like any northern clime, Minnesota struggles to get as much road construction and repair done during the warm months as possible. Consequently, the old phrase “you can’t get there from here” seems to hold an unfortunate truth at various points during the summer construction season. Spring, summer, and fall can present other inconveniences, such as rare but not unheard-of-flooding that closes roads. The bottom line is when planning your travel, particularly if you’re traveling by car, check out current road conditions by visiting the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s road and traffic conditions website (511mn.org) or call 511 (or 1-800-657-3774) for updated information.
By rail: AMTRAK (1-800-872-7245; amtrak.com) has a rail station in the restored Union Depot in Lowertown, St. Paul (240 E. Kellogg Boulevard, #70).
GETTING AROUND For travel within the city, Metro Transit (612-373-3333; metrotransit.org) provides extensive service via bus and light rail throughout the Minneapolis area. Currently, light rail service runs from downtown Minneapolis to US Bank Stadium, Historic Ft. Snelling, the Mall of America, and the airport, with a commuter line (the Northstar) that travels north to Big Lake, mostly for commuters. Ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft have become ubiquitous as well, making it easy to get around without a car. But if you’re traveling outside the metro, or plan on taking many excursions that require transportation, a car rental can be helpful.
WHEN TO COME The warmer months of spring, summer, and fall are always popular in the Twin Cities, but even the colder months can be an attractive time to visit. If staying in a downtown hotel, visitors may have access to the city’s extensive system of skyways, allowing people to travel across the heart of the city without setting foot outdoors. And while the temperatures may be cold, the city’s theater season, nightclub scene, and basketball/football seasons are going strong. For those who like winter, outdoor events and sports are in full bloom January through March, including cross-country and downhill skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing, and ice fishing.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY Call 911. In the downtown area, the closest hospital is Hennepin County Medical Center (612-873-3000; hennepinhealthcare.org), 701 Park Avenue. Elsewhere in Minneapolis are the following hospitals: University of Minnesota Medical Center–East Bank Hospital, located at the University of Minnesota (612-273-8383; mhealth.org), at 500 Harvard Street; Abbott Northwestern (612-863-4000; allinahealth.org/abbott-northwestern-hospital), 800 E. 28th Street; and Children’s Hospital, located next to Abbott Northwestern (612-813-6000; childrensmn.org), 2530 Chicago Avenue S.
THE MILL CITY MUSEUM
To See and Do
MUSEUMS
Minneapolis Institute of Art (1-888-642-2787; artsmia.org), 244 S. 3rd Avenue. Open Tues.–Sat. 10–5 (Thurs. and Fri. until 9) and Sun. 11–5. General admission is free, but special traveling exhibits may require paid tickets, varying in price. Exhibits are varied and lively, including an impressionist gallery, an extensive collection of American photography, a gallery showcasing local artists, a display of Frank Lloyd Wright architectural pieces, and a wide array of ancient Asian and African artifacts. The institute has proven itself willing to take risks with its visiting exhibitions, which in recent years have included such diverse offerings as an Egyptian exhibit; a Villa America exhibit, featuring such contemporary American artists as Georgia O’Keeffe, Grant Wood, and Arthur Dove; an exhibit of treasures from the Louvre; and an exhibit of treasures from Egypt’s sunken series. The institute offers a variety of programs, including Family Sundays, docent-led tours, lecture series, and the annual Art in Bloom fundraiser. The vast majority of exhibits are free admission, while visiting exhibitions are usually fee-based. The institute has a café, Agra Culture, for lunch, a lobby-level coffee shop, and an extensive gift shop with a wide variety of art-related gifts. Parking is free on the adjacent streets, but only if you get there early—there are few spots, and competition is fierce from the Children’s Theatre and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, which are all part of the institute complex. (Note: At the time of this writing, the city of Minneapolis was extending parking meters into previously free areas, so this may change in the foreseeable future.) There are also a pay parking ramp and pay parking lot within one block.
Walker Art Center (612-375-7600; walkerart.org), 1750 Hennepin Avenue. Open Tues.–Sun. 11–5 (Thurs. until 9, Fri.–Sat. until 6). Adults $15, seniors 62 and older $13, students with student IDs $10, active military members $7.50. Free for Walker Center members, children under 18 and under, for visitors with a same-day event ticket, and on Thurs. nights after 5 and the first Sat. of each month. As the Art Institute is known as the traditional museum, the Walker is solely focused on contemporary artwork in a wider variety of mediums: painting, sculpture, video, performance art, and Internet art. The Walker offers special events tailored for families, LGBTQ individuals, singles, and film buffs; traveling exhibitions include the famed Diane Arbus retrospective, an examination of Picasso and his influences, an exhibit curated by John Waters, and a rare Frida Kahlo exhibit. Diners can enjoy a meal at Esker Grove, headed by acclaimed local chef Doug Flicker. The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden (see Green Space and Outdoor Activities) is free. Parking is available in a ramp beneath the museum or a pay lot across the street. Some street parking is available, but it can be difficult to get.
THE ORPHEUM THEATRE
THE MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART
Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum (612-625-9494; wam.umn.edu), 333 E. River Road (on the East Bank of the University of Minnesota). Open Tues.–Fri. 10–5 (Wed. until 8) and Sat. and Sun. 11–5. Admission is free. Looming over Washington Avenue on the University of Minnesota’s East Bank is a large modern structure designed by Frank Gehry. A building both loved and hated, the Weisman Art Museum is visually hard to miss, and inside is a collection of 20th- and 21st-century art masters, including Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Maurer, as well as a large collection of Korean furniture and international ceramics. An expansion project completed in late 2011 added five new galleries to showcase even more of the Weisman’s permanent collection as well as collaborations with local artists and art students. While the Weisman doesn’t have a restaurant on-site, there are several small but good restaurants in the nearby Stadium Village (walking distance). The museum offers a parking ramp for a fee; free parking is pretty much nonexistent on this end of the university.
The Museum of Russian Art (612-821-9045; tmora.org), 5500 S. Stevens Avenue. Open Mon.–Fri. 10–5, Sat. 10–4, and Sun. 1–5. Adults $10, seniors age 65 and older $8, young adults 14 and older and university students with ID $5, and 13 and under free. Located in a small building reminiscent of Spanish architecture in south Minneapolis, the Museum of Russian Art is the only permanent museum of Russian art and artifacts in North America. The building itself is worth a visit; originally a church, it eventually was used as a funeral home before providing its current occupant with an unexpectedly perfect venue for Russian art. Galleries range in size from small, low rooms in the basement to a two-story chapel-esque gallery on the main floor. The museum has a frequently rotating exhibition calendar covering all aspects of Russian life, from Soviet propaganda art to matryoshka dolls and samovars to contemporary Russian art. Be sure to visit the gift shop on the second floor, behind the main gallery; it’s full of Russian treasures, including a fine collection of hand-painted lacquered boxes.
The American Swedish Institute (612-871-4907; asimn.org), 2600 S. Park Avenue. Open Tues.–Sat. 10–5 (Wed. until 8) and Sun. 12–5. Adults $12, seniors 62 and older $8, children 6–18 and full-time students with ID $6, ASI members and children under 6 free. Housed in the opulent Turnblad mansion (which is on the National Register of Historic Places), the institute houses an extensive collection of artwork and craft pieces from Sweden, as well as a permanent exhibition examining the relationship between Sweden and Swedish immigrants to Minnesota. This may sound subdued, but make no mistake, the institute is entirely child friendly, with special events for children and even babies and caregivers. Folk-song fests, mid-summer celebrations, a packed holiday season, craft and cocktail nights, and quarterly Swedish smorgasbords are just a few of the events on the museum’s busy calendar.
The Mill City Museum (612-341-7555; mnhs.org/millcity), 704 S. 2nd Street. Open Tues.–Sat. 10–5 and Sun. 12–5. Holiday hours may apply. Adults $12, senior citizens, veterans and active military members, and college students $10, children 5–17 $6, Minnesota Historical Society members and children 6 and under free. Mill City, built along the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis, gives visitors a vivid glimpse of Minneapolis’s role in the history of grain production and milling. The museum has several interactive exhibits; groups that book ahead can participate in a baking session in the kitchen. A partially demolished remnant of the original mill exists and can be explored, or enjoyed as the venue for occasional outdoor concerts sponsored by the museum.
The Bakken Museum (612-926-3878; thebakken.org), 3537 S. Zenith Avenue. Open Tues.–Fri. 10–4, Sat. 11–5, Sun. 12–5. Adults $10, senior citizens and young adults 13–24 $8, children 4–12 $5, and museum members and children 3 and under free. The Bakken is a family-friendly museum that offers kids a chance to do some hands-on experiments involving electricity and magnetism. Not as dry as it sounds, the Bakken keeps things lively, although their science research is scholarly and impressive. The surroundings are worth a visit, too; the museum is in a Tudor mansion near Bde Maka Ska.
THE AMERICAN SWEDISH INSTITUTE
The Carl W. Kroening Interpretive Center (612-370-4844; facebook.com/kroeninginterpretativecntr), 4900 Mississippi Court. Open Tues. and Thurs. 9–4; Wed., Fri., and Sat. 10–4; and Sun. 12–4. This center is a small but informative resource on anything you ever wanted to know about the heritage of the proud Mississippi. Call ahead to find out which organized programs are being offered; events vary seasonally.
Green Space and Outdoor Activities
BICYCLING Minneapolis is called the City of Lakes for good reason, and one of the best aspects of the city’s chain of lakes is the 50-mile bike trail that connects the Four Lakes Loop (Lake Harriet, Bde Maka Ska, Lake of the Isles, and Lake Nokomis). Well maintained and clearly marked, the trails around the lakes offer vistas of the best the city has to offer: blue waters, wildlife, houses of the rich and famous, and excellent people watching. Trails are available in other parts of the city as well, including along the Mississippi River, a route that takes riders into Minnehaha Park. Perennial Cycle (612-827-8000; perennialcycle.com; 3342 S. Hennepin Avenue) is located near Bde Maka Ska, rents bikes and in-line skates.
Nice Ride MN (niceridemn.com). Nice Ride is a bike rental system, where riders can rent a bike (during the non-snow months) for anywhere from an hour to days. Bikes can be returned to the location where they were originally rented or to any Nice Ride location (400 locations across the Twin Cities metro at the time of this writing).
THE MINNESOTA RIVER FROM SHAKOPEE’S THE LANDING
E-SCOOTERS Minneapolis has authorized several e-scooter vendors to bring 2,000 scooters into the city limits starting in 2019, on a trial basis. At the time of this writing, the vendors include JUMP (jump.com), Lyft (lyft.com/scooters), Spin (spin.app), and Lime (li.me).
BOATING Those who would rather be on the lake than biking by it can bring their own watercraft or stop by Bde Maka Ska’s boat rental station to rent canoes, kayaks, or paddleboats. Motorboats are not allowed. Depending on weather, rentals are available seasonally 11–7 daily. Sailboats and windsurfers are also allowed on the chain of lakes, and the Minneapolis Sailing Center offers classes for adults and children (612-470-7245; sailmpls.org).
PARKS AND OUTDOOR SPACES Minneapolis might be known as the City of Lakes, but it could also be known as the City of Green Spaces. Nearly every community and neighborhood has some kind of park, with facilities varying from playground equipment to basketball courts to tennis courts to swimming pools. For full details about the range of park offerings in the city, check with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (minneapolisparks.org) for full details. What follows is a selected list of outdoor spaces to enjoy.
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden (612-375-7600; walkerart.org/visit/garden), 726 Vineland Place. The garden is open daily 6–midnight; the Cowles Conservatory is open Tues.–Sat. 10–8 and Sun. 10–5. Admission is free. The sculpture garden is a joint exhibit created and managed by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and the Walker Art Center. There are 11 beautifully manicured acres, with both an indoor and outdoor floral garden and more than 40 sculptures, including the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry fountain. Although most of the exhibits are permanent, some temporary sculptures have also appeared, including a mini golf course in which each hole was designed by a different contemporary artist. Parking is easiest in an adjoining pay lot. Some free or metered street parking is available, but it goes quickly.
Loring Park (minneapolisparks.org), 1382 Willow Street. Across Hennepin Avenue from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Loring Park is an oasis in the city. The small but charming park offers a community pool, a basketball court, and a boat dock for the small lake at its heart. Bike and walking trails through the park are connected to trails leading to other parts of the city. Annual festivals, such as the Pride Festival (see Special Events) and the Loring Park Art Festival, are held here each year. And if you’re hungry after enjoying nature, Café Lurcat (see Where to Eat) and 4 Bells are right across the street.
Minnehaha Park (minneapolisparks.org), 4801 S. Minnehaha Avenue. Perhaps one of the most beautiful spaces in Minneapolis, Minnehaha (which means “laughing waters”) is a 193-acre park that encompasses Minnehaha Falls, limestone bluffs, and views of the river. A small rail museum pays homage to the park’s history as a railway station, two historical homes are open for visitors, and Longfellow Gardens and Pergola Garden showcase both formal gardens and wildflower displays. Hiking trails wind through the park, including near the waterfall. Picnic tables and a bandstand combine for relaxed weekend outings. Wheel Fun Rentals (wheelfunrentals.com) rents bicycles, and Sea Salt Eatery (see Where to Eat), open Apr.–Oct., serves fresh seafood, wine, and beer for your dining pleasure.
Lake Harriet (minneapolisparks.org), W. 43rd Street and E. Lake Harriet Parkway. Located near the charming Linden Hills neighborhood, Lake Harriet has a public beach, a boat launch (it’s a popular sail boating lake), a beautiful rose garden, and a bandshell that features live music during the summer. Nearby is Bread and Pickle (breadandpickle.com), a walk-up eatery. The walking and biking trails around the lake give you the chance to enjoy the view, both of the lake and of the historic mansions that surround it.
Bde Maka Ska (3000 Calhoun Parkway) and Lake of the Isles (2500 Lake Isles Parkway). These neighboring lakes give you the best of both lake worlds; Bde Maka Ska is another boater’s favorite, not to mention sunbathers and people watchers. Lola’s on the Lake (see Where to Eat) gives you a quick and tasty meal before you strap on your blades and go for a ride. When you cross over to Lake of the Isles, you’ll find a quieter, more scenic lake, with elegant historic homes lining the way. For more information, get in touch with Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (minneapolisparks.org).
Theodore Wirth Parkway (minneapolisparks.org), 1339 Theodore Wirth Parkway. Theodore Wirth, at 759 acres, is the largest regional park in the Minneapolis park system. It’s technically in adjacent Golden Valley, but Minneapolis is proud to claim this park, which has something for everyone: a lake, fishing pond, sledding hill, golf, hiking/biking trails, tennis courts, soccer fields, prairie, forest, children’s garden, bird sanctuary, and a winding parkway to explore it all.
Lodging
HOTELS
DOWNTOWN
The Nicollet Island Inn (612-331-1800; nicolletislandinn.com), 95 Merriam Street. Visitors looking for historic charm and ambience will be most successful at this small (24 rooms) but upscale hotel on Nicollet Island. Built in 1893, this limestone building with its timber-and-beam interior was originally a door manufacturer, then a men’s shelter run by the Salvation Army, before the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board bought it and turned it into an inn. All rooms have views of the Mississippi River and the Minneapolis skyline. Rooms include plasma TVs, plush robes, and 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton bedding. The inn has its own highly regarded dining room, but many other Minneapolis dining and entertainment spots are within walking distance or a few minutes’ drive. Rates start at $139, with the higher rates on corner rooms, which are larger and have more views; the Deluxe Corner Room has a four-poster bed. Packages and specials available.
The Grand Hotel (612-288-8888; grandhotelminneapolis.com), 615 S. 2nd Avenue. Housed in the former Minneapolis Athletic Club is a hotel that matches its predecessor in quiet elegance. This boutique hotel has 140 rooms, many of which offer four-poster beds and marble soaking tubs in the bath. Ideally located for visitors staying downtown, the Grand Hotel also offers a sizable fitness area and the SIX15 Lounge restaurant. Rates start at $348, with some specials and packages offered.
Loews Minneapolis Hotel (612-677-1100 or 1-877-880-8918; loewshotels.com/minneapolis-hotel), 601 N. 1st Avenue. This high-fashion, high-tech hotel with tasteful, comfortable rooms and suites is by far the best thing to come to the Block E entertainment complex, with its stylish and spacious public spaces and the well-regarded Cosmos restaurant (see Where to Eat), as well as multiple bar spots. For a price, visitors can book the Skybox Suite, a luxury pent-house overlooking the Minnesota Twins’ Target Field. Room rates start at $159, with special packages available.
Le Méridien Chambers Hotel (612-767-6900; marriott.com/hotels/travel/mspmd-le-méridien-chambers-minneapolis), 901 Hennepin Avenue. This is a hotel with its own brand of trendy charm. Chambers is housed in a restored building near the Orpheum and State theaters and has its own art gallery. The hotel offers only 60 rooms and suites, but they are designed for luxury and comfort. The hotel has a restaurant and bar, but is also steps away from several downtown Minneapolis restaurants. Rates start at $107 with deeper discounts for prepayment. Packages are available.
W Minneapolis—The Foshay (612-215-3700; marriott.com/hotels/travel/mspwh-w-minneapolis-the-foshay), 821 Marquette Avenue. Located within the historic Foshay Tower is this luxury hotel, which plays off its art deco beginnings and cheekily names its room categories things like Wonderful, Fantastic, and Spectacular (with the highest level reserved for the Extreme Wow Suite). Try dinner at the popular Manny’s steakhouse (see “Steakhouses” on page 55), and follow that with a trip to the Prohibition Bar. Spa services can be arranged. Rates start at $189, with packages, prepayment, and weekend discounts offered.
Radisson Blu Minneapolis Downtown (612-339-4900; radissonblu.com/en/hotel-minneapolis), 35 S. 7th Street. Small but comfortable rooms and a well-regarded restaurant (the FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar; see Where to Eat), make this a good choice both for businesspeople and tourists in for a weekend of major league sports or theater and shopping. Rates start at $105, with weekend discounts and packages available.
Minneapolis Marriott City Center (612-349-4000; marriott.com), 30 S. 7th Street. The Marriott has, besides its standard hotel rooms, suites and a private concierge level. The hotel also has the Northern Shores Grille, which serves standard American fare, but for guests with more adventurous tastes, there are numerous restaurants in easy walking distance that would be recommended. Rates start at $119, with packages and weekend discounts offered.
The Westin Minneapolis Hotel (612-333-4006; marriott.com), 88 S. 6th Street. The Westin should be a case study in how to renovate a historic building. The company took Farmers & Mechanics Bank Building and created a luxury hotel with a highly touted bar and restaurant (appropriately named BANK; see Where to Eat), but they kept the bank’s vintage accoutrements. Rates start at $341, with packages and weekend discounts offered.
The Hyatt (612-370-1234; hyatt.com), 1300 Nicollet Mall. On Nicollet Avenue, where downtown Minneapolis begins to segue into neighborhoods, resides this active conference hotel. The Hyatt is close enough to walk to several downtown attractions and restaurants, and also has the Prairie Kitchen and Bar on-site. Rates start at $159, with packages and weekend discounts offered.
Elliot Park Hotel (612-389-2300; elliotparkhotel.com), 823 5th Avenue S. This boutique hotel is a newer entrant from Marriott. Each of the 155 rooms and 13 suites comes equipped with Amazon Alexa. Décor has been designed along the popular Scandinavian hygge theme, with simple, streamlined, yet tasteful appointments. Large windows provide appealing views of the city’s skylines. The hotel’s restaurant, Tavola Kitchen and Bar, serves Italian-themed foods and hearty breakfasts in a warm, inviting setting with a candles and wood-fired oven, and the hotel is located steps away from other restaurants as well. Rates start at $165, with packages available.
Emery Hotel (612-340-2000; hotelemery.com), 215 S. 4th Street. This boutique hotel is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection and offers upscale rooms and suites. It also has a Spyhouse Coffee (well-regarded local coffee chain) and Giulia Restaurant & Bar, a high-end Italian restaurant run by James Beard Award–finalist Steven Brown and Food Network’s Josh Hedquist. The décor is a striking mid-century modern feel with high-end appointments. The fitness center includes Peloton bikes. Rates start at $150, with packages available.
Hotel Ivy (612-746-4600; marriott.com), 201 S. 11th Street. Hotel Ivy is ensconced in the historic Ivy Tower, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building itself was constructed in the Ziggurate style of a terraced pyramid of receding tiers. Its location within walking distance to Orchestra Hall and the Minneapolis Convention Center is desirable, as are the hotel’s amenities. There are 127 rooms and nine suites with 10-foot floating ceilings, upscale linens, original artwork, soaking tubs and glassed-in showers in the bathrooms. The crown jewel is the Penthouse Suite, a two-story accommodation with private rooftop balcony and panoramic windows surrounding the suite. Guests in the penthouse also receive a complimentary bottle of Dom Perignon. Options for dining on-site include Monello, which serves Italian; The Bar, with a sizable champagne list and shared plate; and Constantine, a bar with craft cocktails and lounge food. Rates start at $215 for guest rooms and $1,680 for suits, and packages are available.
luMINN Hotel Minneapolis (612-338-3500; luminnhotelminneapolis.com), 219 S. 4th Street. A newer boutique hotel built into the Historic Federal Plaza Building, luMINN has a gorgeous lobby bar (but no restaurant, although it’s close to several). The 55 suites have kitchenettes, upgraded bedding and robes, and ambient lighting that allows guests to change the colors at will. Rates start at $159, with packages offered.
The Millennium Hotel (612-332-6000; millenniumhotels.com), 1313 Nicollet Mall. Across the street from the Hyatt, the Millennium is a comfortable hotel that caters to the business crowd and is connected by skyway through to the convention center. Rates start at $118, with packages and weekend discounts offered.
The Hilton Minneapolis (612-376-1000; 3.hilton.com), 1001 Marquette Avenue. The Hilton is in a prime location for convention visitors, as it’s connected by skyway to the convention center. The Hilton offers standard hotel rooms and suites, and a set of executive rooms, which feature upscale furnishings and amenities. The hotel offers a number of dining options that span three meals a day, but for variety’s sake, many options are within blocks of the hotel. Rates start at $143, with packages and weekend discounts offered.
NORTH LOOP AND THE MILL DISTRICT
Canopy by Hilton Minneapolis Mill District (612-332-0696; canopy3.hilton.com), 708 S. 3rd Street. This renovated 1900s manufacturing building has been updated with care and respect to its history. Rooms and public spaces have plenty of exposed wood and brick tastefully contrasted with contemporary furnishings. Suites have separate bedrooms, some with views of US Bank Stadium. There’s a bar in the hotel along with the Canopy Central Café, which serves breakfast as well as snacks throughout the day. For evening meals, there are several good eateries within easy walking or driving distance. Rates begin at $379, with packages available.
The Depot Minneapolis (thedepotminneapolis.com), 225 S. 3rd Avenue. There are two lodging options at the old Milwaukee Road railway depot. The first, the Depot Renaissance (612-375-1700), while still historic in nature, is geared more toward businesspeople, with smaller rooms and extensive technological amenities. The deluxe historic suites section of the Renaissance lives up to its name with generous suites decorated in early-20th-century style, with large windows overlooking the city. Rates begin at $165, with packages and weekend discounts offered. The second, the Residence Inn (612-340-1300) is an extended-stay format, with each unit containing a full kitchen. Rates begin at $157, with packages and weekend discounts offered. Both hotels have access to the Milwaukee Road Restaurant & Bar, but are also close to many of the Mill District/North Loop eateries, as well as the Mill City Museum and the Guthrie Theater.
Aloft Minneapolis Hotel (612-455-8400; marriott.com), 900 S. Washington Avenue. Cheerful rooms and suites with high ceilings and high-tech amenities combined with family-friendly kids’ accommodations and a willingness to accept pets makes this a good choice for family travelers who like a touch of contemporary upscale. No sit-down dining available on-site, but there are several excellent restaurants within walking or short cab/Uber/Lyft distance. Rates start from $1,298; packages and weekend discounts available.
Hewing Hotel (651-468-0400; hewinghotel.com), 300 N. Washington Avenue. A recent addition to the hotel scene in Minneapolis, the Hewing is a rebuilt warehouse turned luxury hotel. The hotel’s interior still has artful traces of its history, including original pine timber beams, complemented by local artwork of Minnesota artists and photographers. On-site massage can be arranged, and there is a rooftop sauna and spa pool. The hotel’s restaurant, Tullibee (see Where to Eat), is a worthy destination on its own. Rates start from $199.
Fine Dining, Fine Lodging
Food and lodging have gone together since time immemorial, but there’s a unique blend of fine dining and bed-and-breakfast in northeast Minneapolis. Beloved local food star, Restaurant Alma (see Where to Eat), expanded its upscale restaurant to include a well-received bakery, which in turn provides breakfast for the building’s seven unique rooms. Each room has custom, locally made white oak furniture, eco-friendly mattresses and all-cotton linens, walk-in showers, and vintage and locally made rugs, baskets, and decorative fabrics. Rates start at $155.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA—EAST BANK
Graduate Minneapolis (612-379-8888; graduatehotels.com/minneapolis), 615 SE Washington Avenue. This hotel is an attractive option on the East Bank of the university, close to restaurants and easy walking distance to Northrop Auditorium and the Weisman Museum. It has a mix of rooms and suites, as well as the Topgolf Swing Suite, an event room that provides virtual golf experiences. Complimentary bike rentals are included in the room fees. The hotel has an on-site restaurant, the Beacon, that serves three meals a day, and the hotel’s Stadium Village location puts it in easy walking distance to several cafés and restaurants. Rates start at $97.
The Days Hotel by Wyndham University Ave. SE (612-623-3999; daysinn.com), 2407 SE University Avenue. The Days Hotel is on the edge of the East Bank adjacent to TCF Stadium and on the Green Line light rail, but still within walking distance to many university locations. Hot breakfast is included daily, as well as free shuttle service to locations within 3 miles. Rates start at $100, with packages and weekend discounts offered.
Where to Eat
The Minneapolis restaurant scene continues to expand, both in quality and in types of foods offered. Visitors who think of Minnesota as the land of white food—Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, lutefisk, and lefse—will be in for a tasty surprise. Some of the upper-end restaurants have gained national attention (Spoon and Stable, Restaurant Alma, 112 Eatery) and several James Beard Award nominations (with 112 Eatery’s Alex Roberts taking home awards), while numerous small independent and multicultural cafés have changed the city’s culinary landscape to reflect the growing diversity. A caveat: The restaurant industry is always a volatile one, and the Twin Cities are not immune to the rapid turnover that can occur. Use the contact info to check the current status before arrival.
DINING OUT Minneapolis has gone from being a culinary backwater to a foodie destination. But one thing that might surprise visitors to the area is the general casual approach to dining out. For better or for worse, Minnesota diners tend to be more on the informal side when it comes to dressing up for dinner. That’s not to say that you won’t see suits and ties, but it’s not uncommon to see people in business casual—or even completely informal—at some of the leading restaurants.
DOWNTOWN
4 Bells (612-904-1163; 4bells.com), 1610 Harmon Place. Open Tues.–Sat. for dinner, Sun. for brunch. This restaurant was developed by the same team behind Butcher & The Boar (see below), but the emphasis at 4 Bells is on seafood. Depending on what’s fresh and available, you might find a striped bass ceviche, buttermilk fried smelt, an oyster flight or oysters Rockefeller, or shrimp and grits. For diners not in the mood for seafood, remember that this team has a deft hand with meat and feel confident ordering the wagyu rib eye or Southern fried chicken. Expensive/very expensive.
BANK (612-656-3255; bankmpls.com), 88 S. 6th Street. Open daily for all three meals. Located at the Westin Minneapolis Hotel (see Lodging) in the old Farmers & Merchant’s Bank, BANK’s developers wisely took the banking theme and ran with it, creating an unusual but lovely tribute to the olden days of banking. The food plays up the opulent setting. Very expensive.
Butcher & The Boar (612-238-8888; butcherandtheboar.com), 1121 Hennepin Avenue. Open daily for dinner. Although meat is king in several Twin Cities restaurants, Butcher & The Boar smoke their own meats and make their own sausages in-house, using wild boar, turkey, veal, beef, and duck breast. You could just go light and take the charcuterie platter, but it would be sad to miss the entrées, such as the wagyu rib eye or double-cut smoked pork chop. This eatery also has one of the best downtown patios, a perfect place to while away a summer evening while enjoying the extensive cocktail list concocted by the bar. Expensive/very expensive.
Cosmos (612-312-1168; cosmosrestaurant.com), 601 S. 1st Avenue, in the Loews Minneapolis Hotel (see Lodging). Open daily for all three meals. Quite possibly one of the most beautiful restaurants in the Twin Cities, Cosmos offers world-class cuisine that rises above standard hotel-restaurant food and a stellar wine list. Chef’s tasting menus and kitchen table service available by reservation. The restaurant sources locally extensively, including using the Herbivorous Butcher’s vegan foods, Baker’s Field bread, and Red Lake Farm wild rice, among other local purveyors. Very expensive.
FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar (612-216-3473; firelakerestaurant.com), 31 S. 6th Street, in the Radisson Plaza Hotel (see Lodging). Open daily for all three meals. The restaurant has won considerable acclaim for being an early adopter of sourcing from local produce, cheese, and meat producers, and artisanal-quality fare. A seasonal menu offers the chef the ability to tailor dishes to what’s in season, such as locally fished walleye during the summer, prepared over a real fire and seasoned to perfection. Very expensive.
Giulia (612-215-5450; dinegiulia.com), 215 S. 4th Street. Open daily for all three meals. Located in Hotel Emery, Giulia is a highly regarded Italian restaurant run by local well-known chefs Josh Hedquist and Steven Brown. The menu is small but intriguing, including clam pizza, veal Milanese, and prawn cavatelli. Don’t pass up the hand-drawn mozzarella, done tableside and served warm.
Oceanaire Seafood Room (612-333-2277; theoceanaire.com), 50 S. 6th Street. Open daily at 5 p.m. for dinner. This eatery fast became a local favorite for its extensive fresh seafood menu. The chefs have kept the fresh fish, including varieties not often found locally, and added an extensive raw bar. Very expensive.
CRAVE (612-332-1133; craveamerica.com), 825 Hennepin Avenue. Open Mon.–Fri. for lunch, daily for dinner. Located across the street from the Orpheum and down the street from the State Theatre, CRAVE offers well-executed casual American fare, as well as an extensive sushi menu, and it’s a good choice for those looking for convenient pre-theater dining. It’s something of a local chain with additional locations in Edina, Eden Prairie, and at the Mall of America (see Minneapolis’s Neighboring Communities section on page 73). Expensive.
BREWERY BOOM
Recent years have seen a veritable explosion in breweries across the metro. Here’s a sampling of what’s happening in the ale and beer market, and all these purveyors have taprooms. Check brewery websites for open hours and events. Some sell growlers, but current laws restrict which breweries can sell them, so call ahead if you want to purchase one.
Surly Brewing (763-999-4040; surlybrewing.com), 520 Malcolm Avenue SE. Surly was an early entrant into the craft brew scene. It was also hugely influential in fighting to overturn archaic Minnesota laws that didn’t allow breweries to serve their products on-site. Thanks to Surly (and the Surly Bill, as it’s known), myriad possibilities have since opened for Minnesota brewers. Surly hasn’t rested on its legal laurels, but continues creating new brews while maintaining a roster of year-round favorites that includes its Furious and Hell ales. They also opened a large beer hall and beer garden, with an excellent beer hall menu to go with its exemplary ales.
Fulton Brewery (612-333-3208; fultonbeer.com), 414 N. 6th Avenue. Fulton was quick to follow Surly’s leads and currently has two breweries in Minneapolis, although this location is the only one with a taproom. They keep a wide range of products on tap, including trademark brews Lonely Blonde and Sweet Child of Vine, along with changing offerings that might feature wheat beer, sour bear, and hard seltzer. A limited sandwich and snack menu is available, and live music is scheduled every Sunday.
Dangerous Man Brewing (612-236-4087; dangerousmanbrewing.com), 1300 NE 2nd Street. Focused on small-batch production, Dangerous Man has a frequently changing lineup in its taproom, which might have anything from peanut butter porter to cream ale to tri-hop sour. In other words, something to please every beer drinker. There’s no kitchen on site, but visitors are welcome to bring their own food, and food trucks show up Thurs.–Sat. in the warmer months.
Inbound BrewCo (612-615-8243; inboundbrew.co), 701 N. 5th Street. This 12,000-square-foot taproom is dog-friendly and has 30 craft beers tapped at all times, along with craft sodas and kombucha. Beers are broken out by funky flavors, easy drinkers, hop heads, dark beers, and limited infusions. Inbound doesn’t have food service, but allows visitors to bring in food, and frequently schedules food trucks outside.
Indeed Brewing (612-843-5090; indeedbrewing.com), 711 NE 15th Avenue. Pilsners, hoppy ales, sours, honey beers—they’re all here in rotation, along with nonalcoholic root beer. Indeed is another supporter of the local food truck scene, bringing in trucks Wed.–Sun. in warmer months, and allowing people to bring their own food if they wish.
Sea Change (612-225-6499; seachangempls.com), 806 S. 2nd Street. Open daily for lunch and dinner. This is the place for dining at the Guthrie Theater (see Entertainment), not just because it’s located in the same building, but because both its culinary offerings and dramatic interior satisfy all senses. It’s a fitting design for a fine arts building, with eye-popping, futuristic décor. The architecture was designed with an eye to the environment, involving reclaimed raw materials. James Beard Award–winner Tim McKee designed the thoughtful, seafood-based menu that emphasizes sustainability as much as it does flavor. The raw bar is open for dinner. Very expensive.
NORTHEAST
Red Stag Supperclub (612-767-7766; redstagsupperclub.com), 509 1st Avenue NE. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Sat. and Sun. for breakfast. Red Stag made a name for itself by being the first LEED-CI certified restaurant to open in Minnesota, but it’s the food that made it a success. Chef Jason Blair gave the menu a contemporary supper club feel, using local and organic ingredients to create twists on supper club standards, such as the popular smelt fries and truffled kettle corn. Expensive.
Masu Sushi & Robata (612-332-6278; masusushiandrobata.com), 330 E. Hennepin Avenue. Open Mon.–Fri. for lunch, daily for dinner. Another Tim McKee success story, Masu brought a new generation of Japanese dining to the Twin Cities with not only top-notch sushi, but with ramen dishes that have no resemblance to the little grocery-store packets, and robata, the ancient Japanese technique of charcoal cooking. Several other ramen and robata restaurants have since taken root, but this was the first. There’s also a location at the Mall of America (see Minneapolis’s Neighboring Communities section on page 73). Expensive.
THE EDINA CINEMA
Restaurant Alma (612-379-4909; restaurantalma.com), 528 SE University Avenue. Open daily for dinner. Local, seasonal, organic—that’s been Restaurant Alma’s mantra since opening, and consequently the menu changes frequently, but always to great acclaim. At the time of this writing, fixed-price dinners were on the menu, offering choices of warm egg custard and caviar, marinated mushroom and duck confit, mung bean pancakes, and crispy pan seared trout or duck two ways. The restaurant has been nominated for James Beard Awards numerous times and brought home the Best Chef Midwest. A recent addition includes a bakery open in the morning with delectable house-made pastries, smoothies and a limited but thoughtful breakfast menu including toasted oatmeal, yogurt and almond crème, and roasted poultry bone broth. Guests in the restaurant’s hotel (see Lodging) receive breakfast from the café as part of their stay. Very expensive.
Erté & the Peacock Lounge (612-623-4211; ertedining.com), 323 NE 13th Avenue. Open Mon.–Sat. for dinner. This gorgeous restaurant and adjacent Peacock Lounge serves contemporary supper club food (including items like cauliflower steak, veal shank, and a wide range of steaks), lushly prepared in generous portions. Very expensive.
NORTH LOOP/MILL DISTRICT
In the Warehouse District, a number of small restaurants and bistros have built niches as destination dining for fine-cuisine aficionados.
112 Eatery (612-343-7696; 112eatery.com), 112 N. 3rd Street. Open daily for dinner. Under the sure guidance of 112 Eatery’s chef and owner, James Beard Award–winning Isaac Becker, 112 Eatery continues to be a star in the local dining scene. The restaurant is small (only 48 seats), so reserve ahead and be willing to be flexible with your dining time. You’ll be rewarded with choices of entrées like tagliatelle with foie gras meatballs, pan-fried skate wing with prosciutto crust, or nori-encrusted sirloin with ponzu. Expensive.
STEAKHOUSES
Minnesotans love their fish and seafood, and vegetarians and vegans are finding an ever-growing selection of dining options, but there are still many Minnesotans who wouldn’t dream of turning their back on a prime piece of beef. Downtown Minneapolis is home to several outstanding steakhouses, which all seem to coexist peacefully; apparently there are plenty of steak lovers to keep them busy.
Murray’s (612-339-0909; murraysrestaurant.com), 26 S. 6th Street. Open Mon.–Fri. for lunch, daily for dinner. This is the original Minneapolis steakhouse, famous for its “silver butter knife” tender steaks. Its reputation as a hometown favorite, as well as its tremendous steaks, keep it a serious contender. Groups of two or three can order strip sirloin to be carved tableside. Diners willing to arrive early can take advantage of early dinner specials, and Twins fans can get their burgers and beer on before games. Very expensive.
Ruth’s Chris (612-672-9000; ruthschris.com), 920 S. 2nd Avenue. Open daily for dinner. This is one of the more economical offerings in the often-expensive steakhouse category, but the restaurant doesn’t spare quality for price. Very expensive.
Manny’s (612-339-9900; mannyssteakhouse.com), 821 Marquette Avenue (in the W Minneapolis at the Foshay; see Lodging). Open daily for all three meals. Manny’s reinvigorated itself with a move into the heart of downtown, in the historic Foshay Tower. This is the steakhouse that provides a predinner show in the form of a meat cart and well-trained servers. Groups of up to 14 can reserve the Hideaway, a lavish private dining area. Very expensive.
Capital Grille (612-692-9000; thecapitalgrille.com), 801 Hennepin Avenue. Open Mon.–Fri. for lunch, daily for dinner. This is where local people of prominence go for steaks, as well as to store their personal wine selections in the cellar. Its location is convenient for theater goers. Very expensive.
P.S. Steak (612-886-1620; psmpls.com), 510 Groveland Avenue. Open daily for dinner. This elegant restaurant, across from the Walker Art Center, offers opulent steak options with an extensive list of steak cuts, as well as rack of lamb, pork chops, and bison. The restaurant also offers seafood towers with oysters, shrimp, mussels, langoustines, and tuna poke. There are several other dinner options, including seafood and smoked chicken, and the bar has an inventive cocktail list. Reservations for the dining room are strongly recommended, but there’s also a lounge with a more limited menu that’s available for walkins. Here you’ll find the seafood towers as well as casual food times, such as a steak or lamb burger or scallop crudo. Expensive/very expensive.
Fogo de Chao (612-338-1344; fogodechao.com), 645 Hennepin Avenue. Open daily for lunch and dinner. This is a carnivore’s fantasy swathed in Brazilian traditions. Rather than ordering from a menu, diners are served by gauchos who sidle through the restaurant, cutting meat to order off sizzling skewers. Sides are served family style, and all of this is presented as a fixed-price option. The sumptuously decorated interior, lined with murals of Brazilian ranch life, dark woods, and endless bottles of wine, inspires a true feeling of decadence. Very expensive.
Bar La Grassa (612-333-3837; barlagrassa.com), 800 N. Washington Avenue. Open daily for dinner. Isaac Becker may have won the James Beard Award for his work with 112 Eatery, but he’s equally admired for his work at this nearby restaurant. Bar La Grassa has an extensive and innovative Italian menu, with choices including soft eggs and lobster bruschetta, pasta negra with sea urchin, chili, and mussels or ’nduja egg raviolo. Some dishes are made with dry pastas, others with fresh; the pasta dishes are all available in half portions. Expensive.
DISTILLERIES
Just as with breweries, there’s been a strong surge in the growth of local distilleries in Minneapolis in recent years. Here’s a selection of distilleries with public cocktail rooms. None of these distilleries has a kitchen, but most welcome outside food and often have food trucks parked outside.
Tattersall Distilling (612-584-4152; tattersalldistilling.com), 1620 Central Avenue NE. This popular distillery is a little tricky to find, with an entrance tucked back into an alley, but it’s worth the effort. This highly creative distillery produces whiskey, gin, vodka, rum, and aquavit, along with several specialty liqueurs, such as the Bootlegger—a vodka blended with lemon, lime, and mint.
Norseman Distillery (612-568-6299; norsemandistillery.com), 451 Taft Street NE. Norseman was the first legal distillery in Minneapolis since Prohibition and today produces vodka, gin, whiskey, and aquavit, and a variety of specialty items as well, including coffee liqueur and pineapple chipotle gin. Bring your dog.
Du Nord Craft Spirits (612-799-9166; dunordcraftspirits.com), 2610 E. 32nd Street. Makers of award-winning gin and vodka, Du Nord also offers specialty items that include a blended whiskey and a Framboise.
Twin Spirits Distillery (612-353-5274; twinspirits.us), 2931 Central Avenue NE. Twin Spirits is the first one-woman-owned distillery in town. The distillery produces vodka, gin, whiskey, rum, and Mamma’s Moonshine, a honey-based moonshine distilled once a month on the full moon.
Brother Justus Whiskey Company (612-886-1658; brotherjustus.com), 451 Taft Street NE. Single malt whiskey, from an underground distillery named after Brother Justus, a historical folk hero monk who supposedly helped farmers survive by building whiskey stills during Prohibition and giving them to farmers who were in dire straits.
Spoon and Stable (612-224-9850; spoonandstable.com), 211 N. 1st Street. Open daily for dinner, Sun. for brunch. Chef/owner Gavin Kaysen opened this restaurant to great acclaim, with cuisine rooted in local culture and seasonal ingredients, but prepared with Kaysen’s French cuisine training. The restaurant was listed as one of Food & Wine’s 40 Most Important Restaurants of the Past 40 Years, and Kaysen took home the Best Midwest Chef James Beard Award in 2018. The menu changes regularly, but sample items include rabbit pate, foie gras pavlova, ravioli verde with braised guinea hen, and a spice-crusted duck breast. Reservations are hard to get and should be planned in advance. Expensive/very expensive.
Tullibee (651-468-0600; hewinghotel.com/tullibee-restaurant), 300 N. Washington Avenue. Open daily for all three meals. The highly regarded Tullibee is part of the Hewing Hotel (see Where to Stay), and is far more than the average hotel restaurant. Big draws are the wood-fired grill and the rooftop patio, giving views into Target Field. Tullibee focuses on local sourcing and seasonal offerings, and the menu could include heritage breed pork with rhubarb and green garlic, duck breast with morel mushrooms, or slow-braised rabbit. The restaurant’s bar has a lounge menu including duck fat French fries and a hot-fried chicken sandwich, as well as an impressive list of stellar cocktails. Expensive/very expensive.
SOUTH
Chino Latino (612-824-7878; chinolatino.com), 2916 Hennepin Avenue S. Open daily for dinner. Chino Latino pulls off a melding of Asian and Hispanic cuisine while maintaining its cutting-edge social reputation. Expect crowds and a noisy atmosphere, but also expect to have an exciting culinary experience. Go with a group and order one of the many bigger dishes to share, including Point Steak Bibimbap or the Swingers Party Platter. Expensive.
Fuji Ya (612-871-4055; fujiyasushi.com), 600 W. Lake Street. Open Tues.–Sun. for dinner. Fuji Ya has been around the Twin Cities for more than 50 years and is still considered an essential part of the Japanese food scene there. One major draw is the Japanese tearooms (reservations are a must), in which diners can enjoy their dinner quietly in a small, enclosed room, sitting on the floor in the traditional Japanese way. But tearoom or no tearoom, Fuji Ya serves some of the best Japanese food in the state. Their sushi is top quality, freshly made to order, and beautifully presented. But beyond sushi, Fuji Ya also shines, with a wide variety of Japanese salads, noodle and poke bowls, bulgogi, and meat and seafood entrées. Possibly because so much care is taken with preparation, service is slow; be prepared to relax and enjoy. Expensive.
Tenant (612-827-8111; tenantmpls.com), 4300 Bryant Avenue S. Open for dinner Tues.–Sat. This small restaurant offers a six-course, fixed-price menu that at time of publication was $50 per person with optional drink pairings. The menu changes with the seasons, especially with availability of summer vegetables. Very expensive.
EATING OUT There are almost countless options for more casual, less expensive quality dining throughout Minneapolis. What follows should be viewed as great suggestions rather than a fully comprehensive list.
DINKYTOWN
Al’s Breakfast (612-331-9991; alsbreakfastmpls.com), 413 14th Avenue SE. Open daily for breakfast. A miniscule venue with just 14 seats, Al’s nearly always has a wait, but the fare is worth it. However, service can be less than friendly. Don’t miss the pancakes. Inexpensive.
Loring Bar & Restaurant (612-378-4849; loringbarrestaurant.com), 327 14th Avenue S. Open daily for dinner; Sat.–Sun. for brunch. Tucked into the Dinkytown/University of Minnesota area, the Loring serves global food and pastas in a sumptuous interior. Sunday nights feature a live flamenco band, and Tuesday is Date Night, with a $30 dinner for two. Moderate.
Annie’s Parlour (612-379-0744; annies-parlour-minneapolis.sites.tablehero.com), 313 14th Avenue SE. Open daily for lunch and dinner. This friendly café has been a Dinkytown/University of Minnesota fixture for decades, and for good reason; the burgers and fries are close to perfect (especially the Plaza Burger, with sour cream, chives, and onions), but save room for the hot fudge sundaes—the hot fudge is so delicious, you won’t need the ice cream. Inexpensive.
DOWNTOWN
Hell’s Kitchen (612-332-4700; hellskitcheninc.com), 89 S. 9th Street. Open daily for all three meals. Hell’s Kitchen is a Gothic haunt in downtown Minneapolis. The signature “damn good” breakfast foods can’t be beat, and weekend servers might show up for work in their PJs. Live music is frequently offered in the spacious bar. If you can only go once, go for breakfast and try the lemon-ricotta hotcakes or the huevos rancheros; in either case, get a side of toasted sausage bread with house-made peanut butter. Moderate.
OUTDOOR EATING
Whether it’s because Minnesota is a state rich in the bounty of the natural world or because the winter months make everyone long to be outside, Minnesotans are very fond of eating outdoors. The good news is that many restaurants have options for doing just that; the bad news is often the outdoor venues are as dismal as seating on a sidewalk adjacent to a busy road with heavy bus traffic or overlooking vast asphalt parking lots. Here’s a quick list of places where excellent food—and excellent outdoor views—have come together perfectly.
Brit’s Pub (612-332-3908; britspub.com), 1110 Nicollet Mall. Open daily for lunch and dinner. A casual British pub with exemplary British dishes (fish-and-chips, ploughman’s lunch), Brit’s also has a rooftop bowling green surrounded by tables and umbrellas. The bowling green isn’t just for looks—there are leagues that play throughout the summer. It’s a bit of British refinement above the city. Moderate.
Black Forest Inn (612-872-0812; blackforestinnmpls.com), 1 E. 26th Street. Open daily for lunch and dinner. This neighborhood standby, serving up great German food since 1965, has an unexpectedly charming garden hidden behind the main restaurant. Moderate.
Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge and Tiki Garden (612-788-9069; psychosuzis.com), 1900 Marshall Street NE. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Psycho Suzi’s has a wonderful tiki bar patio overlooking the Mississippi River, along with cheerfully excessive food and tropical drinks. Moderate.
Sea Salt Eatery (612-721-8990; seasalteatery.com), 4825 Minnehaha Avenue. Open daily for lunch and dinner, roughly Apr.–Oct., depending on weather. Sea Salt is perfectly placed in the lovely Minnehaha Park overlooking Minnehaha Falls. Try a po’boy sandwich, large enough for two, but go early—the lines start forming before it opens on sunny days. Moderate.
Barrio Tequila Bar (612-333-9953; barriotequila.com), 925 Nicollet Avenue (with locations in St. Paul and Edina, as well as the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport and Target Field). Open daily for lunch and dinner. An enormous tequila list (and well-versed servers who can explain the different kinds) is well matched to its small plates menu of reasonably priced (and tasty) tacos and enchiladas. Moderate.
Pizza Lucé (612-333-7359, 119 N. 4th Street; 612-827-5978, 3200 S. Lyndale Avenue; 612-332-2525, 2200 E. Franklin Avenue; with other locations in Hopkins, St. Paul, and Duluth; pizzaluce.com). Open daily for lunch and dinner. From lunch to late night, Pizza Lucé serves some of the best pizza the Twin Cities offers, along with substantive hoagies and pastas. Whether you prefer traditional pizzas or feel adventurous, Pizza Lucé has something for you. This is also a good spot for vegans, with several non-animal-product offerings. Inexpensive.
NORTHEAST
The Sample Room (612-789-0333; the-sample-room.com), 2124 Marshall Street NE. Open daily for lunch and dinner. A casual noshing spot located in a historic building in the Northeast area. The eclectic menu includes one of the best meat loaf dinners ever. Inexpensive.
Gorkha Palace (612-886-3451; gorkhapalace.com), 23 4th Street NE. Open Mon.–Sat. for lunch, daily for dinner. Nepali, Indian, and Tibetan foods cooked with no MSG and full of lively combinations. Don’t miss the momos, a Nepali version of a pot sticker. Moderate.
Kramarczuk Sausage Company (612-379-3018; kramarczuks.com), 215 E. Hennepin Avenue. Open daily for lunch and dinner. This cafeteria-style restaurant specializes in eastern European foods, often made with the adjoining food store’s top-notch sausages and meats. Inexpensive.
Brasa Rotisserie (612-379-3030; brasa.us), 600 E. Hennepin Avenue (with another location in St. Paul). Open daily for lunch and dinner. Meat eaters can’t go wrong here with the succulent, Caribbean-flavored rotisserie offerings. But vegetarians will find plenty to eat from the hearty sides, including yams, yucca, and plantains. Moderate.
The Anchor Fish and Chips (612-676-1300; theanchorfishandchips.com), 302 13th Avenue NE. Open Tues.–Sun. for dinner, Sat. and Sun. for lunch. Fish and chips, perfectly done, are the draw here, but other pub items—curry or gravy chips, pasties, shepherd’s pie—are also well worth trying. This popular restaurant usually involves a wait to be seated. Moderate.
Gardens of Salonica (612-378-0611; gardensofsalonica.com), 19 5th Street NE. Open Tues.–Sat. for lunch and dinner. Traditional and contemporary Greek food, with standard favorites like gyros and more unusual offerings like bougatsa and tarama. Moderate.
Young Joni (612-345-5719; youngjoni.com), 165 13th Avenue NE. Open daily for dinner, Sat.–Sun. for lunch. Helmed by James Beard Award–winning Ann Kim (also of Pizzeria Lola, see South), Young Joni offers a robust roster of gourmet pizzas (broccolini, lamb, and La Parisienne, which includes prosciutto, gruyere, brown butter, arugula, and pickled mustard seeds) as well as entrées such as Thai sausage skewers and pork belly ssam. The Back Bar has a drink menu full of cheeky drinks: Goldendoodle Puppies, Birk’s Tanning Salon Liquidation Sale, and I Love New York T-Shirt. Reservations recommended for this local hot spot. Moderate.
FOOD TRUCKS
Food trucks are a relatively new development in the metro, but once they gained a foothold, they became hugely popular. Today you can find trucks serving high-quality sausage, tacos, pasties, soup, sushi, coffee, vegan entrées, all manner of Asian and Indian foods, fish and chips, ice cream, donuts, pizza—you name it, you can probably find it on a truck. An easy way to see what’s available is to visit downtown Minneapolis, especially around Marquette Avenue and 2nd Street during weekday lunch hours—you’ll find a flock them then. They can also frequently be found around breweries and distilleries and at several metro farm markets.
NORTH LOOP
Black Sheep Coal-Fired Pizza (612-342-2625; blacksheeppizza.com), 600 N. Washington Avenue (with locations on Eat Street and in St. Paul). Open daily for lunch and dinner. Black Sheep’s top-notch coal-fired pizzas come with creative topping choices, such as chicken and pickled peppers, oyster mushrooms, harissa, and Persian beef. The Farmers’ Market Salad is always worth asking about, since it changes with the season and market availability. Moderate.
Red Rabbit (612-767-8855; redrabbitmn.com), 201 N. Washington Avenue (another location in St. Paul). Open daily for lunch and dinner. Italian foods done with panache. The wood-grilled oysters and pizzas are both worth a visit. Moderate.
Smack Shack (612-259-7288; smack-shack.com), 603 N. Washington Avenue. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Smack Shack got its start as a food truck and pop-up eatery, doing lobster boils at a dive bar in Northeast Minneapolis. Once in its own space, the culinary team went whole-heartedly into coastal seafood concepts, offering ceviche, poke, lobster poutine, and its famous and loved lobster roll. Moderate/expensive.
MULTICULTURAL FOOD
Going deeper into Northeast, away from downtown, you’ll come across a strip of diverse and exciting restaurants that draw visitors from all over the metro, for good reason.
Holy Land Deli (612-781-2627; holylandbrand.com), 2513 Central Avenue NE (with another outlet at the Midtown Global Market). Open daily for all three meals. Half restaurant, half grocery store, and wholly worth the drive, Holy Land Deli doesn’t look like much from the outside, but drop by for the hearty and flavorful lunch and dinner options (the traditional dishes of gyros, souvlaki, and shawarma are all delicious, but don’t overlook the stellar rotisserie chicken), then pop into the grocery side for Middle Eastern staples not found elsewhere. Inexpensive.
Sen Yai Sen Lek (612-781-3046; senyai-senlek.com), 2422 Central Avenue NE. Open Mon.–Sat. for lunch and dinner. The restaurant’s name means “big noodle, little noodle,” which is apt: On the menu are Thai noodles and sticky rice dishes, flavorful and authentic, served at reasonable prices. There are plenty of vegetarian options. Moderate.
El Taco Riendo (612-781-3000; eltaco-riendo.com), 2412 Central Avenue NE. Open daily for lunch and dinner. An extensive and inexpensively priced menu will please diners who want their Mexican food to be authentic as well as those who prefer it Americanized. Portions are enormous. Inexpensive.
Chimborazo (612-788-1328; chimborazorestaurant.com), 2851 Central Avenue NE. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Sat. and Sun. for breakfast. Ecuadorean foods, served in hearty portions, from a menu created by the Ecuadorean owner. Inexpensive.
Kieran’s Kitchen Northeast (612-354-5093; kieranskitchen.com), 117 14th Avenue NE. Open daily for all three meals. Located in the Food Building, this eatery uses the products of the building’s other occupants (Baker’s Field Flour & Bread, Red Table Meats, Alemar Cheese Company) to create delectable items including breakfast poutine, pancetta meatballs, and stellar sandwiches and pastas (try the NE Italian sandwich). Moderate.
Borough (612-354-3135; boroughmpls.com), 730 N. Washington Avenue. Open Mon.–Sat. for dinner, Mon.–Fri. for lunch, and Sat.–Sun. for brunch. A restaurant focused on local and whole-animal butchery (and a menu that changes frequently), Borough offers a number of small plates to allow diners a wider array of exploration. Guests might find sea urchin with chorizo, braised radishes with taggiasca and pesto, or duck breast with celeriac. On Friday and Saturday evenings, a trolley is brought into the dining room by a chef with additional small-plate offerings. Moderate/expensive.
Snack Bar (612-383-2848; snackbarmpls.com), 800 N. Washington Avenue. Open daily for dinner. Simple foods done beautifully at reasonable prices. Try the Arctic char carpaccio or pressed game hen, or a myriad of pizzas by the slice or whole. Moderate.
SOUTH
Pizza Lucé (612-827-5978; pizzaluce.com), 3200 S. Lyndale Avenue. Open daily for lunch and dinner. See the listing in Downtown for details.
Pizzeria Lola (612-424-8338; pizzerialola.com), 5557 Xerxes Avenue S. Open daily for lunch and dinner. This highly regarded pizza spot is run by James Beard Award–winner Ann Kim, also of Young Joni (see page 59). Quirky, delicious pizzas, including a Korean pizza with house-made kimchi and the Sunnyside—served with soft eggs. Moderate.
El Burrito Mercado (612-286-8089; elburritompls.com), 4820 Chicago Avenue. Open daily for dinner, Thurs.–Sun. for lunch. The Minneapolis outpost of the long-time West St. Paul stalwart (see “District del Sol Dining” on page 99), El Burrito Mercado has some Americanized Mexican options, but what you really want is the more authentic dishes: pozole, sopes, and tortas. Don’t forget to add a margarita or one of the Mexican cocktails. Moderate.
Hammer & Sickle (612-367-4035; hammerandsicklempls.com), 1300 Lagoon Avenue. Open daily for dinner. Upscale Russian food, with the traditional foods given contemporary updates. Try the assorted meat or fish platters, along with the shashlik (Russian BBQ skewers). Be sure to peruse the lengthy vodka menu, which includes offerings from Russia, America, Europe, and Asia. Several vodka flights are offered as well. Moderate/expensive.
Revival (612-345-4516; revivalrestaurants.com), 4257 Nicollet Avenue (second location in St. Paul). Open daily for lunch and dinner. This local favorite was the first to drop serious southern-fried chicken into the Twin Cities market, including the aptly named Poultrygeist Hot (you can ask for a taste of the spice mix before ordering the chicken—it’s powerful). The chicken is revelatory, but the starters and sides sold with them aren’t something to ignore either. Get the fried oysters, pimento cheese and meat plate, grits, and cheddar drop biscuits. Moderate.
Tilia (612-354-2806; tiliampls.com), 2726 W. 43rd Street. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Sat. and Sun. for breakfast. This neighborhood gem in the Linden Hills area opened to long lines and great acclaim. Its sophisticated menu with thoughtful preparation goes hand in hand with a kids’ menu that allows for family meals without choosing the lowest common denominator. Moderate.
MIDTOWN GLOBAL MARKET
Midtown Global Market (midtownglobalmarket.org), Lake Street and Chicago Avenue. Open daily for all three meals (restaurants open for meals vary). The Midtown Global Market represents a major effort on the part of the city to not only revitalize a faltering neighborhood and restore a long-vacant Sears tower, but also to pay tribute to the ever-growing multicultural and culinary diversity in the area. Most of the food outlets here are quick-service, but they have surprisingly good quality and reasonable prices. This is an excellent place to wander on a weekend afternoon, trying different cuisines while taking in the live music or dancing in the central plaza. Places to try include Holy Land Deli, Salsa a La Salsa, Jakeeno’s Trattoria, and Manny’s Tortas, all of which have restaurants in other parts of the Twin Cities; also worthy of a stop are La Loma Tamales, Safari Express, Taqueria Los Ocampo, Pham’s Rice Bowl, Hot Indian Foods, Moroccan Flavors, and Taco Cat. New arrival La Michoacana Purepecha brings its 50-plus homemade paletas and 30-plus flavors of ice cream, yogurt, chicharrones, and more. Whatever you choose, finish it off with dessert from Grand Italian Ice.
Victor’s 1959 Café (612-827-8948; victors1959cafe.com), 3756 Grand Avenue S. Open daily for lunch and breakfast. If you’ve got a hankering for Cuban and Latin American food, Victor’s is the place to go. It’s tiny—you can expect to wait when it’s busy—but it also has a small but attractive patio. Bonus: Kids are encouraged to draw on the walls. Get the Bistec Criollo or sweet plantain omelette along with a side of Cuban toast. Inexpensive.
EAT STREET
None of these restaurants clustered together over several blocks on Nicollet Avenue just outside of downtown are formal. But they do make up a broad multicultural swath, mostly at reasonable prices and of excellent quality. You could spend days exploring the world in just a few blocks.
Bad Waitress (612-872-7575; thebadwaitress.com), 2 E. 26th Street (with another location in Northeast Minneapolis). Open daily for all three meals. The name might seem like a warning, but actually it’s a tease: Diners fill out their own order sheets at their tables and turn them in to the cashier to get their choice of delectable pancakes and sandwiches. Inexpensive.
Peninsula Malaysian Cuisine (612-871-8282; peninsulamalaysiancuisine.com), 2608 Nicollet Avenue. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Offers a broad and fascinating overview of Malaysian food. Prices are surprisingly low, given the range of food options. The soups and noodle dishes are especially recommended. Moderate.
Christos (612-871-2111; christos.com), 2632 Nicollet Avenue S. (with another location in Minnetonka). Open daily for lunch and dinner. Serves a solid Greek menu, from the traditional gyros and hummus to lamb, chicken, and pork dishes as well as a lengthy vegetarian menu. Moderate.
Quang (612-870-4739; quang-restaurant.com), 2719 Nicollet Avenue S. Open Wed.–Mon. for lunch and dinner. Provides banh mi sandwiches and jumbo Vietnamese noodle bowls, delicious and inexpensive, although the service is not always friendly. Friday is a popular day, as it’s the only day the sea bass soup is offered. Inexpensive.
Rainbow Chinese (612-870-7084; rainbowrestaurant.com), 2739 Nicollet Avenue. Open Tues.–Sun. for dinner, Sat.–Sun. for lunch. The prices are quite reasonable for top-notch food at this casual but nice Chinese restaurant, a longtime Eat Street staple. Moderate.
Pho 79 (612-871-4602), 2529 Nicollet Avenue. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Serves heaping bowls of Vietnamese pho, perfectly seasoned. Wear easy-wash clothing, as slurping your soup can get messy, but it’s worth it. Inexpensive.
EAT STREET
Broder’s Pasta Bar and Deli (612-925-9202; broders.com), 5000 Penn Avenue S. Open daily for dinner. Broder’s is a reasonably priced neighborhood pasta bistro with far-above-average offerings. Each pasta dish is cooked to order with freshly made pasta and imaginative sauces. Across the street is Broder’s Deli, open for lunch and take-out daily. Stop by for some lunch to take to Lake Harriet for a perfect afternoon picnic. Moderate.
The Zumbro (612-920-3606; zumbrocafe.com) 2803 W. 43rd Street. Open Tues.–Sun. for breakfast and lunch. This small café in the Linden Hills neighborhood near Lake Harriet is something of a local tradition that’s been around more than 20 years. The specialty is breakfast (the huevos and eggs Benedict are both popular, and the pancakes are a local favorite), and a limited breakfast menu is available over the lunch hour as well, but you’d miss out on the gourmet sandwiches, soups, and salads. Moderate.
Geek Love Cafe (612-642-1267; moonpalacebooks.com), 3032 Minnehaha Avenue. Open daily for all three meals. Tucked away in the back of Moon Palace Books, Geek Love Cafe has a surprisingly large and excellent food menu, along with beer and wine. Vegans and vegetarians will also find plenty of choices here, although carnivores won’t suffer. Breakfasts are enormous and delicious, and the café’s pizzas are stellar as well. Moderate.
The Egg and I (612-872-7282; eggandimn.com), 2828 Lyndale Avenue S. (with another location in St. Paul). Open daily for breakfast and lunch. The Egg and I knows a thing or two about breakfasts. Their pancakes are huge and fluffy; their egg dishes are perfectly cooked in generous portions. Lunch is served, but breakfast is what you’ll want. Inexpensive.
Jinx Tea (612-367-4797; jinxtea.com), 4503 France Avenue S. Open daily from lunchtime through dinnertime. As has happened often in the metro area, this venue began life as a food truck and morphed into a brick-and-mortar location. The tearoom offers a line of innovative tea drinks, including bubble teas and teas flavored like popular cocktails. Inexpensive.
BREAKFAST AT GEEK LOVE CAFE
Prieto Taquerio Bar (612-428-7231; prietotaqueria.com), 701 W. Lake Street. Open daily for lunch, Mon.–Thurs. for dinner. Authentic Mexican dishes, all made from scratch. The lengua tacos and brisket empanadas are especially recommended. Moderate.
Entertainment
LIVE PERFORMANCES Minneapolis is a theater- and music-lover’s town. From large, internationally renowned companies like the Guthrie Theater and the Children’s Theatre Company, arena rock at the Target Center and US Bank Stadium, and the theaters that host Broadway tours to smaller inventive and experimental groups like the Jungle Theater and the intimate jazz space of the Dakota Jazz Club, there’s something for every taste.
The Guthrie Theater (612-377-2224 or 1-877-447-8243; guthrietheater.org), 818 S. 2nd Street. This internationally renowned theater company has three separate stage areas, as well as what is considered to be some of the city’s top-end dining with Sea Change (see Where to Eat). The Wurtele Thrust Stage hosts large-scale productions, such as classics and musicals, while the McGuire Proscenium Stage hosts more contemporary works, as well as productions from touring companies. The Dowling Studio acts as a training ground for University of Minnesota and Guthrie Theater acting students. Even if you don’t want to see a particular play, a visit to the building itself is worth the time; the dramatic Endless Bridge, a cantilevered lobby with spectacular views of the Mississippi River falls, is a perfect place to start, followed by a stop at one of the building’s restaurants or bars. Most of the public spaces are open to the public every day except Monday, even when no play is in production.
The Children’s Theatre Company (612-874-0400; childrenstheatre.org), 2400 S. 3rd Avenue. The CTC has an international reputation for its outstanding and innovative productions. The theater itself is adjacent to the Minneapolis Institute of Art (see To See and Do). Appropriately family friendly, the stage area has comfortable stadium seating with extra spacing between rows—helpful when transporting young children to the bathrooms during productions with minimal discomfort to other theatergoers. Snacks and coffee are sold in the lobby during intermission and after the show. Each season includes a variety of productions geared toward different age groups. Some of the classics that appear periodically include The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (which leaves both kids and adults wondering, “How did they do that?”), How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and A Year With Frog and Toad. Parking is available in a ramp next to the theater, but arrive early; the spaces are limited, and on busy museum days, the competition for those spots is heavy. Street parking is also available.
THE CHILDREN’S THEATRE COMPANY
The Cowles Center for Dance (612-206-3600; thecowlescenter.org), 528 Hennepin Avenue. This performing arts venue in town is the realization of a decades-long effort to rehabilitate two run-down historic buildings in downtown Minneapolis and join them with a third building as an education center. The Cowles is home to the Minnesota Dance Theater, James Sewell Ballet, Illusion Theater, and Zenon Dancy Company & School. Besides showcasing the works of those groups, the Cowles Center also hosts touring dance troupes and other performing arts groups.
The Hennepin Theatre District (612-339-7007; hennepintheatredistrict.org). The district is made up of a series renovated theaters in downtown Minneapolis: the State, the Orpheum, and the Pantages, all located between 7th and 10th streets on Hennepin Avenue. The Orpheum and the State are Minneapolis’s home base for Broadway touring productions as well as headlining music, magic, and comedy acts. Pantages is home to an intimate concert venue for touring musicians.
The Jungle Theater (612-822-7063; jungletheater.com), 2951 Lyndale Avenue S. A small (150 seats), award-winning theater focused on intimate productions, mainly of a contemporary nature, and occasional musical performances. The Jungle is also known for commissioning and producing new works.
Northrop Auditorium (612-624-2345; northrop.umn.edu), 84 Church Street SE. Situated at the top of Northrop Mall on the University of Minnesota’s East Bank, Northrop’s stately architecture gives access to a wide variety of performances: musicians of nearly every genre, comedians, and the annual Northrop Dance Series, which features a diverse selection of touring and local dance troupes.
Target Center (612-673-0900; targetcenter.com), 600 N. 1st Avenue. Home to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Lynx (see Sporting Events) as well as many touring musical acts. There are two large parking ramps connected by skyway, and Target Center also offers a “parent’s room” for adults who bring their offspring to concerts that the parent doesn’t necessarily want to attend. Some of the music industry’s most popular performers stop here, but it’s not because of the great acoustics; St. Paul’s Xcel Centre is a much better musical setting. But when that certain band comes to town, Target Center may be where they end up playing, even if the acoustics aren’t ideal.
Brave New Workshop (612-332-6620; bravenewworkshop.com), 824 Hennepin Avenue. The long-standing home of improvisational and sketch comedy on Hennepin Avenue near Uptown. The company develops and produces original shows made up of several short pieces built around one theme, usually societal or political, with scathing humor. Weekend shows often have improv after the official performances. Beer, wine, and snacks available for purchase at the theater.
Fine Line Music Café (612-338-8388; finelinemusic.com), 318 N. 1st Avenue. Located in the Consortium Building, a historic site near the North Loop, the Fine Line quickly established itself as a first-rate music club, showcasing both local and national performers. This is not so much a dance club as an actual music club; Lady Gaga, the Pixies, the Cowboy Junkies, the Avett Brothers, and the Neville Brothers have all performed here. Acoustics are great, and the ambience is calmer than at nearby First Avenue (listing follows).
Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant (612-332-5299; dakotacooks.com), 1010 Nicollet Avenue. Located right in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. Truly a jazz and blues lover’s haven, the Dakota has a packed schedule of musicians in its intimate performance space, and it offers excellent food as well. Notable performers include Bettye LaVette, Nachito Herrera, Michael Feinstein, and Jearlyn Steele.
First Avenue (612-332-1775; first-avenue.com), 701 N. 1st Avenue. The granddaddy of rock venues. Still operating at its original location, the nationally acclaimed First Avenue continues to serve the rock and alternative scene with both major players and up-and-coming musicians, including a wide range of local groups. And, of course, it’s where Prince filmed the Purple Rain concert scenes. This bar is truly about the music—the environment does not lend itself well to comfort, and the smell of stale beer permeates the air. If ambience is what you want, this isn’t the place. But for a true rock music experience, it can’t be beat.
The Varsity Theater (612-217-7701; varsitytheater.org), 1308 4th Street SE. Located in the University of Minnesota’s Dinkytown neighborhood, the Varsity is rapidly becoming another popular destination for local and smaller touring bands. Although heavily frequented by U of MN students, the Varsity is by no means college only; the theater has been lauded for its sound and light systems and for its comfortable interior, as well as its willingness to book a wide variety of acts.
Part Wolf (612-338-6424; partwolfmpls.com), 501 Cedar Avenue. Part Wolf is a neighborhood venue determined to provide a wide range of cultural activities, including live music ranging from rap to bluegrass, LGBTQIA dance parties, and bocce leagues.
The Cedar Cultural Center (612-338-2674; thecedar.org), 416 Cedar Avenue S. The Cedar has had a lasting impact on the Twin Cities live-music scene, presenting musicians from all over the world.
El Nuevo Rodeo (612-728-0101; elnuevorodeo.com), 2709 E. Lake Street. An example of the growing Hispanic influence on the Twin Cities, restaurant and nightclub El Nuevo Rodeo provides live Latin music and a lively Mexican menu.
Bryant-Lake Bowl (612-825-3737; bryantlakebowl.com), 810 W. Lake Street. Yes, it’s a bowling alley. But it’s a bowling alley with a cabaret theater that hosts musicians, comics, writer’s readings, and dance. Note: Many performances are not appropriate for children.
SPORTING EVENTS
Target Field (612-659-3400), 1 Twins Way. The Minnesota Twins baseball team is headquartered in this outdoor stadium, a beauty on the north edge of downtown and within easy reach of light rail and buses. Target Field is not only an attractive venue, it’s popular—plan ahead to get tickets for specific games. Once inside, you’ll be well fed; several local food purveyors were tapped to come up with better-than-average stadium-food offerings.
Target Center (612-673-1600; targetcenter.com), 600 N. 1st Avenue. Home to the Minnesota Timberwolves men’s basketball team and the Minnesota Lynx women’s basketball team. The Wolves and Lynx both have loyal fan bases; call ahead for tickets. Target Center also hosts touring sports exhibitions, such as figure skating and the timeless Harlem Globetrotters.
US Bank Stadium (612-777-8700; usbankstadium.com), 401 Chicago Avenue. Opened in 2016, US Bank Stadium is home to the Minnesota Vikings and has hosted the Super Bowl and the Final Four. It’s also hosted a wide range of musical performers, from Metallica to Kanye West to Garth Brooks.
The Minnesota Gophers (gophersports.com). The official sports teams of the University of Minnesota are spread out across several athletic facilities, including US Bank Stadium and the university-sited Mariucci Arena, Williams Arena, and the TCF Bank Stadium.
North Star Roller Derby (northstarrollerderby.com), Minneapolis Convention Center. They’re wild and fierce, and they love their sport. The current teams operating under the North Star name include the Banger Sisters, Kilmore Girls, Violent Femmes, and Delta Delta Di.
THE NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLIS ARTS DISTRICT
Arts are alive and well across the Twin Cities (and the rest of the state), but one area where they’re really flourishing is in northeast Minneapolis, where a number of artist’s studios have sprung up in historic buildings, many of which were built 100-plus years ago. Each of the following has multiple artists actively working. Hours of exhibit depend on the artist; see the websites or call for specific open information.
Northrup King Building (northrupkingbuilding.com), 1500 Jackson Street NE. This large complex originally belonged to the Northrup King seed company and is home to more than 300 artists as well as several nonprofits and entrepreneurs. Artists set their own hours; see the website for info.
California Building (californiabuilding.com), 2205 California Street NE. Housed in a former grain mill, the California is home to more than 80 artists and offers monthly open studios and other events.
Casket Arts Building (casketarts.com), 681 17th Avenue NE. Former home of the Northwestern Casket Company, Casket Arts provides studios for more than 140 artists and offers several public events.
Van Buren Building, 1400 Van Buren Street NE. Van Buren has a smaller number of artists coexisting with several companies, but the lovingly restored building itself is worth a visit.
Grain Belt Studios (612-401-4506; artspace.org/grain-belt), 77 13th Avenue NE. It used to be the Grain Belt bottling house and warehouse; now it’s home to 30 artists who exhibit periodically, as well as a theater company called Dark & Stormy Productions.
Selective Shopping
DOWNTOWN
The downtown area of Minneapolis is home to some large chain stores like the Saks Fifth Avenue outlet store and Target (which has its corporate headquarters downtown as well), but retail has not been a strength of the downtown area in recent years. The city’s extensive network of second-floor skyways that connect many of the buildings in the center of town (very handy for inclement weather) are home to numerous small retailers, usually gift shops or small clothing boutiques. To find more of the unique little shops, heading out of downtown is the best bet.
NORTHEAST
I Like You! (612-208-0249; i-like-you-minneapolis.myshopify.com), 501 1st Avenue NE (another location is in St. Paul). Open daily. The tagline is “Small things for a prettier life,” and the shop is full of them, from jewelry to gifts to small pieces of art. The store offers a wide variety of classes, from book binding to copper enameling to knitting and sewing simple projects. The store has a large selection of locally produced items.
Knit & Bolt (612-788-1180; knitandbolt.com), 2833 Johnson Street NE. Open Tues.–Sun. Sewing and yarn supplies, with a definite twist of the unexpected. This is not your mother’s supply shop.
Architectural Antiques (612-332-8344; archantiques.com), 1330 Quincy Street NE. Open Mon.–Sat. Exactly what it says—antique fireplace surrounds and mantels, doors, entryways, and ecclesiastical artifacts. A fascinating place to wander through.
Key North (612-455-6666; keynorthboutique.com), 515 1st Avenue NE. Open Mon.–Sat. Women’s clothing and accessories, with an emphasis on fair trade, organic materials, and responsible manufacturing.
Lightworks (612-724-8311; lightworkslighting.com), 1325 Winter Street NE. Open Mon.–Sat. Even if you don’t think you’re in the market for lighting, give this place a visit—it’s a huge collection of restored vintage and historically accurate redesigned lighting.
Indigo (612-333-2151; indigompls.com), 1400 4th Street NE. Open Tues.–Fri. A treasure trove of Asian and Native American arts.
NORTH LOOP
Right on the edge of downtown are several interesting and sometimes-quirky independent retailers. Mitrebox Framing Studio (612-676-0696; mitreboxframing.com), 213 N. Washington Avenue. Open daily. Ostensibly a framing shop, Mitrebox is much more than that, with all kinds of quirky gifts, one-of-a-kind pieces of costume jewelry, and cards.
Cooks of Crocus Hill (612-223-8167; cooksofcrocushill.com), 210 N. 1st Street (other locations in St. Paul and Stillwater). Open daily. Anything anyone could want or need regarding cooking and baking, along with a full slate of classes and events.
D.NOLO (612-584-3244; dnolo.com), 211 N. 3rd Avenue. Open daily. A somewhat unusual fashion store, a co-operative that houses Bluebird Boutique, Bumbershute, Kindred, Requisite, and Rosegold. It also offers complimentary valet parking at the nearby Monte Carlo restaurant.
Phenom (612-355-2250; phenomglobal.com), 115 N. Washington Avenue. Open Mon.–Sat. Men’s clothing and shoes, focused on streetwear and offering brands such as BBC, Diamond Supply, and Crooks & Castles.
The Statement Boutique (651-808-7663; thestatementboutique.com), 212 3rd Avenue N. Open daily. Women’s clothing and accessories, including Stacey Johnson Jewelry, Raven Stoneworks, Kind Lips, AG Jeans, and Karen Kane.
Form + Content Gallery (612-436-1151; formandcontent.org), 210 N. 2nd Street. Open Thurs.–Sat. Eclectic contemporary art.
Antiques Riverwalk (612-339-9352), 210 N. 3rd Avenue. Open Tues.–Sun. A multi-dealer antiques shop.
SOUTH
Kitchen Window (612-824-4417; 888-824-4417; kitchenwindow.com), 3001 Hennepin Avenue. Open daily. A longtime stalwart in Uptown’s Calhoun Square, Kitchen Window has just about every possible kitchen gadget you need, and a full roster of classes and events to boot.
Patina (612-872-0880; patinastores.com), 1009 W. Franklin Avenue (with location at 5001 S. Bryant Avenue and in Northeast Minneapolis, as well as St. Paul and several suburbs). Open daily. Loads of fun and quirky gifts, jewelry, and home accessories.
The Smitten Kitten (612-721-6088; smittenkittenonline.com); 3010 Lyndale Avenue S. Open daily. A sex-toy shop with the philosophy that its wares are like any other life-enhancing products—not something to be ashamed of. Unlike other shops selling such items, this one isn’t seedy, it’s in a reasonably good neighborhood, and it’s owned and run by women.
Electric Fetus (612-870-9300; electricfetus.com), 2000 S. 4th Avenue (with another location in Duluth). Open daily. This longtime Minneapolis music retailer is much loved by locals, and it carries a wide variety of music on vinyl and CD, new and used. It also carries a diverse array of clothing, accessories, and gift items. Check the store’s website for frequent in-store performances.
INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES
Barnes & Noble has several locations across the Twin Cities metro area, but there is a group of sturdy independent stores that are holding steady in the competitive retail book field.
Magers & Quinn (612-822-4611; magersandquinn.com), 3038 Hennepin Avenue. Open daily. One of the premier independents in the Twin Cities, and also one of the largest, Magers & Quinn, located in the Uptown area, sells new and used books, including collectible items.
Birchbark Books (612-374-4023; birchbarkbooks.com), 2115 W. 21st Street. Open daily. A small, cozy, family-friendly bookstore owned by novelist Louise Erdrich. The store specializes in Native American items but also carries a good selection of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and has a children’s area with a “tree house.”
Uncle Edgar’s Mystery (612-824-9984; unclehugo.com) and Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction (612-824-6347; unclehugo.com) Bookstores, 2864 Chicago Avenue S. Open daily. Next door to each other, Uncle Edgar’s and Uncle Hugo’s have developed strong followings with their extensive selections of mystery and sci-fi books.
Once Upon a Crime (612-870-3785; onceuponacrimebooks.com), 604 W. 26th Street. Open daily. All mysteries, all the time, and a knowledgeable staff earned this store a Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America.
Dreamhaven Books (612-823-6161; dreamhavenbooks.com), 2301 E. 38th Street. Open Tues.–Sat. A sci-fi/fantasy/comic book shop with a busy schedule of readings and author visits from prominent writers, and they also publish a line of books.
The Irreverent Bookworm (612-500-4339; irrevbooks.com), 5163 Bloomington Avenue S. Open Tues.–Sun. Purveyor of new and used books and gift items, along with numerous special events.
Milkweed Books (612-215-2540; milkweed.org/bookstore), 1011 S. Washington Avenue. Open daily. Helmed by local independent publisher Milkweed Editions, this bookstore is tucked into the ground floor of the literary outpost Open Book and offers a thoughtful variety of books from small and independent publishers, including offerings not always seen at other bookstores.
Moon Palace Books (612-454-0455; moonpalacebooks.com), 3032 Minnehaha Avenue. Open daily. A sizable and well-curated collection of new and used books, Moon Palace is also home to the Geek Love Cafe (see Where to Eat).
Wild Rumpus. See “Linden Hills Shopping” on page 70.
Special Events
April:
Minneapolis–St. Paul International Film Festival (612-331-7563; mspfilm.org/festivals/mspiff), various locations. More than 250 films, from local filmmakers and worldwide documentarians, are presented across several venues in late April. Several events and galas are also scheduled, and discussions with film directors are offered.
April to November:
Minneapolis Farmers’ Markets (612-333-1718; mplsfarmersmarket.com), 312 E. Lyndale Avenue N. Open daily 6–1, mid-Apr. to mid-Nov. While there are several offshoots around the city, this is the granddaddy of the Minneapolis farmers’ market scene. It can take some patience to get there—the signature red shed roofs that are visible from the freeway don’t necessarily mean it’s easy to find. But a huge selection of local produce and crafts that vary throughout the season make it a worthwhile visit, if nothing else than to munch on samples for bread, nuts, cheese, and syrup, as well as seasonal fruits and vegetables. While officially open mid-April to late November, there are Christmas trees and greenery available in December, and a select number of vendors sell every Saturday during the winter.
LINDEN HILLS SHOPPING
This small neighborhood in south Minneapolis, near Lake Harriet, has several fun shops all in one place. Some of these shops have additional locations, which are noted in the description.
Bibelot GoodThings (612-886-3615, 4301 S. Upton Avenue; also in St. Paul; shopgoodthings.com). Open daily. Featuring gifts and novelties, Bibelot GoodThings is not just another tacky souvenir shop; it carries all kinds of guilty pleasures, from locally made jewelry to unique women’s clothing to off-the-wall kitchen and bath items. Their greeting card selection is good for more than a few giggles, and there is a well-chosen line of toys for the kids.
GoodStyle (612-925-3175, 4315 S. Upton Avenue; also in White Bear Lake; shopgoodthings.com). Open daily. A sister store to Bibelot GoodThings, GoodStyle offers a wide range of women’s clothing and accessories.
Copilot Dog Outfitters (612-353-4045; copilotdogoutfitters.com), 4280 Sheridan Avenue S. Open daily. Every kind of gear you could possibly need for your dog, and grooming by appointment.
Everett & Charlie (612-444-8706; everettandcharlie.com), 2720 W. 43rd Street. Open Wed.–Sun. or by appointment. Gallery owner Suzie Marty is a painter and supporter of art of all kinds, which she showcases in this eclectic gallery. She also offers an extensive calendar of events, including artist talks and workshops, demonstrations, trunk shows, live music, and even an occasional dinner with an artist.
Grace & Co (952-649-8449; graceco.business.site), 4317 S. Upton Avenue. Open Wed.–Sun. An eclectic (and sometimes cheeky) collection of home wares, gifts, and accessories.
Heart of Tibet & Sky Door (612-926-8723; heartoftibet.com), 4303 S. Upton Avenue. Open daily. This import shop carries Tibetan textiles, clothing, jewelry, musical instruments, artifacts, crystals and beads, silks, cushions, and a diverse set of classes and events.
Heartfelt (612-877-8090; heartfeltonline.com), 4306 S. Upton Avenue. Open daily. A great place to encourage hands-on creativity in children, Heartfelt offers a full array of crafting opportunities (not just for children), as well the supplies needed to make them. Especially attractive for the young ones is the large tree house in the back of the store.
Jimmy Wilson Gallery (612-201-0701; jimmypicture.com), 4304 S. Upton Avenue. Open Wed.–Sun. or by appointment. A fine art gallery focused on Jimmy Wilson prints and a variety of other artists.
Coffee & Tea Ltd. (612-920-6344; coffeeandtealtd.com), 2730 W. 43rd Street. Open daily. Don’t be deceived by its hole-in-the-wall size and ambience; this little shop has an excellent variety of coffee and tea products, and the staff is passionate on the topic.
Wild Rumpus (612-920-5005; wildrumpusbooks.com), 2720 W. 43rd Street. Open daily. One of the best children’s bookstores ever, it comes complete with its own pets, including a tail-less cat and a chicken; the front door has a small-fry door as well. Whatever you need to know, just ask; the staff seems to know everything worth knowing about children’s literature.
May:
Art-a-Whirl (612-788-1679; nemaa.org/art-a-whirl). This annual event, which takes place the third weekend of May, serves to highlight the growing and active Northeast Minneapolis arts community. Local and national artists exhibit their work, while visitors get to see a rich variety of art while enjoying the artistic ambience of this corner of Northeast. Numerous local breweries and bars and restaurants offer specials and live music in conjunction with the art exhibits.
June:
Pride Festival and Parade (612-255-3260; tcpride.org). This is one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ pride events, occurring every year in June. The raucous parade is a centerpiece of the festival, which also includes an art show, boat cruise, picnics, and Grand Marshall’s Ball. An outdoor component of the festival is held at Loring Park, with booths and tents set up with informational, retail, and food vendors.
June:
Rock the Garden (rockthegardenfestival.com). A collaboration between indie public radio station The Current and the Walker Art Center, Rock the Garden takes place at the Walker’s Sculpture Garden and includes a broad mix of local and national indie musicians.
July: Basilica Block Party (basilicablockparty.org), Hennepin Avenue and 17th Street. Who says Minnesotans can’t be tolerant? This annual event, a two-day rock/pop concert sponsored in part by local radio station Cities 97, takes place on the grounds of the Basilica of St. Mary. Besides nationally prominent acts, the block party also features a fiercely competitive battle of the bands for local acts. As it takes place each year in early July, the weather is often ideal, but if not, its location on the edge of downtown is convenient to other venues if being outside becomes too much.
Aquatennial (612-376-7669; aquatennial.com). The Aquatennial is spread across various venues in Minneapolis. Events include a water ski show, 5K races, a Caribbean-themed fest, a torchlight parade, and extensive fireworks.
August:
The Metris Uptown Art Fair (612-823-4581; uptownartfair.com). The Twin Cities are home to several annual art fairs, but this is the biggest, busiest, and perhaps best located—within easy walking distance to Bde Maka Ska. Taking place each year in August, the three-day juried art event allows 450 artists to take their highly coveted spot near the Uptown area. Besides artists of all sorts, food and beverage vendors also set up shop. This event attracts upward of 350,000 visitors each year, so parking can be a problem; either plan to arrive early and park locally, or consult bus maps for routes from downtown. In a nice twist, recent years have seen the Uptown Art Fair join forces with two other local art fairs, the Powderhorn Park Art Fair and the Loring Park Art Fair, and complimentary city bus service is available to transport visitors among the three.
Minnesota Fringe Festival (612-872-1212; fringefestival.org). A growing and popular event, the Fringe Festival takes place over roughly 11 days in early Aug (and a few of those days are designated as Family Fringe, with child-friendly productions). During that time, more than 20 venues present 700 performances of 130-plus shows, some live, some recorded, nearly all an hour or less in length. Quality and themes vary wildly, but enthusiasm is universal.
August–September:
Minnesota Renaissance Festival (952-445-7361 or 1-800-966-8215; renaissancefest.com), S. US 169, Shakopee. Open weekends and Labor Day 9–7, mid-Aug.–Sept. Adults $24.95, seniors $22.95, children 5–12 $15.95, children 4 and under free. Discount tickets available on the website. Dogs (on leashes) welcome at $10 per pet, per day, through the Pet Gate (proof of rabies immunizations required). At this rowdy, sometimes bawdy re-creation of the Renaissance era, live music, jugglers, comedians, craft demonstrations and sales, and endless amounts of food (the turkey legs and sweet corn are not to be missed) are featured. Most weekends have a theme, such as Irish Heritage or Highland Fling. Note: A good time to go is the weekend before and the weekend of Labor Day, when crowds are smaller than normal due to the Minnesota State Fair (see “The Minnesota State Fair” on page 104).
HOLIDAZZLE AT LORING PARK
October:
Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon (651-289-7700; tcmevents.org). Taking place the first weekend in October, the Twin Cities Marathon begins near US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and finishes 26.2 miles later at the State Capitol in St. Paul. For those not willing to go the distance, the event also offers a 10-mile, 10K and 5K run/walks, and family events including a Diaper Dash and a Toddler Trot. Note: All events require preregistration; see the website for details. Some of the events end up in a lottery situation, so register early.
November to December:
Holidazzle (612-376-7669; holidazzle.com). A long-time annual holiday event that has morphed from a giant parade into a holiday village in Loring Park. Running weekends between Thanksgiving and the weekend before Christmas, with live music, a kids zone, ice skating, games and singing, food, outdoor movies (yes, in December—bundle up!), and, of course, Santa.