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Artsiness in every aspect of operations — from the food to the philosophy and design — features at this highly creative new restaurant in the Walker Art Center, a world-class destination for contemporary art.
Website: eskergrove.com/
Address: 723 Vineland Place, Minneapolis
Phone number: 612-867-5258
Number of seats: 95 inside, 47 on the patio
Entrée price range: $19-$32
Popular dishes: Endive and farro salad with blue cheese, smoked honey and vinaigrette; salsify with grapefruit, gjetost cheese and brown butter hollandaise; loup de mer with octopus, watercress, tortellini, lardo, olive and buttermilk; dry-aged duck with yam, prune and endive
What others say: “The celery root tart [is] not really a tart at all, but a crisp round ‘chip’ hugging a silken purée of the vegetable in question, and studded with pink apple chips. Eating it is like deconstructing a delightful toy with opposing balance and composition.” — Mecca Bos, Citypages
Spit roasted sturgeon with hearts of palm, caramelized lemon, harissa, ash
Interior
This latest project of the Blue Plate Restaurant Co. transformed a former Italian restaurant (Scusi) into a welcoming home for comfort food with a refined focus and creative twists to keep it from being overly familiar.
Website: bottlerocketmn.com
Address: 1806 St Clair Ave., St. Paul
Phone number: 651-789-3333
Number of seats: 113
Entrée price range: $5-$18
Popular dishes: Porchlight salad with roasted chicken, mixed greens, corn, avocado, almonds, dates and goat cheese; shrimp toast with double barrel sauce — a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce — herbs, daikon and spicy mayonnaise; andouille hash with poached eggs, potato, carrot, peppers, Béarnaise and toast
What others say: “Whoever wrote the menu was clearly having some kind of craven fun.” — Joy Summers, Eater Twin Cities
Andouille hash
Dining room
Operator Luke Shimp of the popular American tavern Red Cow turned to Italian for this stylishly old-world addition to his empire in the North Loop.
Website: redrabbitmn.com
Address: 201 North Washington Ave., Minneapolis
Phone number: 612-767-8855
Number of seats: 135
Entrée price range: $10-$16
Popular dishes: Burrata with heirloom tomato, broccoli pesto, lemon and olive oil; shrimp garganelli with white wine, Fresno chile, basil, olive oil and almond crumble; Yukon Gold pizza with rosemary oil, Yukon Gold shreds, pancetta, red onion, Fontina and runny egg
What others say: “The menu at Red Rabbit is a compendium of greatest hits from the red sauce genre, without foisting gargantuan plates of marinara or ungodly portions of meat on diners. It’s still stealthily “authentic” Italian, in an approachable Americanized package.” — Mecca Bos, Citypages
Cheese and salami board
Tabletop display
The well-regarded Alma restaurant spawned a daytime-oriented offshoot with a refined sensibility similar to its main namesake but lighter and more accessible attuned to walk-ins and wanderers-by.
Website: almampls.com
Address: 528 University Avenue S.E., Minneapolis
Phone number: 612-379-4909
Number of seats: 88
Entrée price range: $18-$25
Popular dishes: Smoked whitefish tartine with fried egg, shaved vegetables, arugula and mustard on the Alma loaf (house-baked sourdough); buttermilk fried quail with onion rings and cayenne-carrot juice hot sauce; Portuguese Stew with clams, chorizo, white beans, tomato and grilled bread
What others say: “Most of us know Alma as an evening prix-fixe dining experience, but following the November opening of Cafe Alma just next door, owner Alex Roberts has also found a daytime audience. Like the restaurant, Cafe Alma features high-quality, seasonal cooking, but in a more simple, accessible manner.” — Jenna Bennett, Thrillist Minneapolis
Dining room
Tabletop
In the historic 130-year-old Meeting Hall building in St. Paul, this expansive Mexican restaurant spreads out stylistically with a wood-fired grill and a clever cocktail list focused on Latin spirits.
Website: pajaritostp.com
Address: 605 7th Street West, St. Paul
Phone number: 651-340-9545
Number of seats: 127
Entrée price range: $8-$21
Popular dishes: Carnitas tacos with avocado, Serrano chile and onion; torta with grilled beef, jalapeño, cheese, rajas and salsa roja; chilaquiles with braised beef, mushrooms, crema and fried egg
What others say: “Pajarito … is a prominent, shining example of a legitimate trend that’s amping up around here, where Mexican cooking will meet familiar, bistro-style surround[ings] with good service, serious cocktails, and premium ingredients. I’m calling it the Mexican bistro, but if you’ve got a better name, let it rip.” — Mecca Bos, Citypages
Chilaquiles
Pasilla-glazed pork chop
