A couple walks around Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood
Article

A Guide to Downtown Minneapolis' North Loop and Warehouse District

Scroll to Read
Image Caption
A couple walks around Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood  / Credit: Paul Vincent

A Guide to Downtown Minneapolis' North Loop and Warehouse District

By Devon Cox

Whether you’re an old-school Minneapolitan who calls it “The Warehouse District” or a new-school North Looper, everyone can agree that the northern section of downtown is the city’s undisputed capitol of cool.  

A map of downtown Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood

The neighborhood's history is rich, beginning with its bohemian roots as a grungy artist enclave. In 1982, the Replacements played a loft concert on 2nd Street N that got busted by the cops; the legendary Theatre de la Jeune Lune won a TONY after renovating the old Allied Van Lines warehouse on First Street; and the New French Café and Bar — commonly considered the true “start” of the modern Minneapolis fine-dining scene — was the sceney-ist hang in the cities for the entirety of the 1990s.  

Like New York City’s Meatpacking District and Chicago’s River North, the grit eventually gave way to glam, and now the North Loop is downtown’s most bustling area.  

Whether you’re seeing a major game or concert at Target Center or Target Field, shopping till you drop at one of the area’s many boutiques, or just considering where to head for that special date, the North Loop will often be the first place a seasoned Minnesotan will send you for a day or night on the town.  

WATCH A WOLVES OR LYNX
GAME AT TARGET CENTER

Courtney Williams and Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx

Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx Organization

Home of the Timberwolves and Lynx, Target Center (not to be confused with the flagship Target store, or Target headquarters, or Target Field, also in downtown Minneapolis) often plays host to big-name acts like Charli XCX, Elton John and Katy Perry. Positioned on the edge of the central business district and the North Loop, Target Center acts as a bridge between the neighborhoods. 

On game days, the surrounding area is flooded with jersey-clad fans enjoying cold beers on sidewalk patios and mingling with Doc Marten-clad concertgoers on their way to nearby First Ave. 

BAG A FLY BALL
AT TARGET FIELD

Minnesota Twins at Target Field

Minnesota Twins at Target Field  / Brace Hemmelgarn

If you’re a Minneapolitan of a certain age, you likely remember the Metrodome, the marshmallow-topped indoor stadium that hosted winter rollerblading and, eventually, collapsed under the weight of a blizzard. What a Minnesotan way to go! 

Lucky for us, the Twins had already moved to their new home — an award-winning, open-air stadium in what was (at the time) the up-and-coming North Loop.  

Target Field skyline, downtown Minneapolis

The view above Target Field  / Brace Hemmelgarn / Minnesota Twins

Constructed using local Kasota limestone, the stadium has been called “the greenest ballpark in America,” and has recieved LEED platinum status. It’s linked to the rest of downtown Minneapolis by skyway, and connected to the rest of the city by the green and blue light rail lines.  

“Target Field is sort of a miracle — one of the great urban stadiums,” says the Guthrie Theater's artistic director, Joseph Haj. "I've had days here where a friend called me at 5:30 and said, 'Hey, you want to go to the ballgame tonight? The first pitch is at 6:10.' And I'm in my seat by 6:10. And once that game is over, I'm walking into my front door 25 minutes later. It feels like time travel.”

Read more of Joseph Haj's favorite things about Minnesota. 

CATCH A CONCERT
AT THE FILMORE 

Role Model at The Fillmore Minneapolis

Role Model at The Fillmore Minneapolis 

The only Twin Cities concert venue designed and built from scratch, The Fillmore is owned by Live Nation and sits just on the other side of the Target Field light rail stop. The mid-sized venue has room for 1,800 fans of A-list artists like Franz Ferdinand, Death Grips, AFI and Tyga.

LAUGH OUT LOUD AT
ACME COMEDY CLUB 

Acme Comedy Club's 20th anniversary lineup

Acme Comedy Club's 20th anniversary lineup

One of the nation’s premier comedy clubs, Acme has been making audiences laugh since 1991. With the clout to carry major headliners like Aziz Ansari, Maria Bamford, Colin Jost, and Hannah Einbinder, Acme’s lineup often reads like a Brooklyn or Los Angeles hotspot. 

The space is small — low-ceilinged and timber-framed — giving you the sense that you’re in your coolest friends’ basement. (That is, if your coolest friend hung out with the Sklar Brothers.) Tuesdays are Open Mic night, and Acme offers $5 tickets to students, active military, and veterans.  

SEE AN INTIMATE SHOW
AT LUMINARY ARTS CENTER

Luminary Arts Center

Luminary Arts Center 

A gorgeous performance space in former warehouse with soaring ceilings and industrial-chic staircases, Luminary Arts Center is owned and operated by Minnesota Opera. They often host candle-lit concerts featuring stripped-down orchestral arrangements of Fleetwood Mac or the film scores of Joe Hisaishi. You can also catch Opera Resident Artist performances, hip-hop freestyle battles, and more. 

BROWSE LOCAL ART AT
KICKERNICK GALLERY 

Kickernick Gallery

Kickernick Gallery / Credit: Meet Minneapolis

There is perhaps nothing more Minneapolis than an intimate local gallery right down the road from Target Center, where the Timberwolves and Lynx play. After all, this city takes its art scene as seriously as its sports scene. The Kickernick (a former ladies' undergarment factory) is owned and curated by Christy Oman, who studied at FAD in Barcelona, and hosts artist studios on its upper levels.  

The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday until 6 p.m. and features affordable pieces from prominent and emerging local artists, such as abstract painter Jil Evans and sculptor James Gabbert.

KICK IT WITH THE
COOL KIDS AT BERLIN

Berlin in Minneapolis

Berlin in downtown Minneapolis 

An intimate, subtly glitzy music bar with a much-better-than-you'd-expect menu from James Beard Award-winning Chef Jamie Malone. Enjoy savory shokupan monkey bread and cornmeal-battered prawn skewers at the candelit marble bar while you sip on a perfectly balanced Vieux Carré and take in an early-evening jazz show or a late-night DJ set.  

Berlin is currently the go-to hangout for Minneapolis’ coolest residents. The space is charmingly small, so plan on going early to snag a seat.   

SEE WHAT'S IN SEASON AT
MINNEAPOLIS FARMERS MARKET 

Minneapolis Farmers Market

Minneapolis Farmers Market 

The largest farmer-managed market in the state since 1876, Minneapolis’ flagship market has 170 vendor stalls and is open year-round. Seasonal offerings are leaner in the winter months, but in the summer, the market bursts with lobed, blushing heirloom tomatoes, jewel-toned radishes, buckets of Thai chilies, hyper-local sweet corn, and massive bouquets of cotton-candy dahlias. 

If you come hungry, don’t worry. You can chow down on Bánh Xèo, freshly-smoked brats, and succulent carnitas tacos while you dream up your next dinner party. 

SIP WHILE YOU SHOP
AT MARTINPATRICK 3 

MartinPatrick3

MartinPatrick3 / Credit: Riley Hallaway

Buy a suit, drink a whisky, get a haircut. You can do all three at the aptly-named MartinPatrick3, where quiet luxury brands like Brunello Cucinelli mix with downtown-cool labels like Etro. While the store originally focused on menswear, they’ve now expanded into interiors, fragrance, and women’s clothing from high-end houses like Rosie Assoulin and Toteme. 

PICK OUT A
WINNER AT PARC 

Parc

Parc  / Credit: Riley Hallaway

Wondering where Minneapolis' cool girls get their Donni slip skirts, Mijeong Park sweaters, and Paloma Wool mules? It’s Parc, where an ever-rotating selection of minimal-chic clothes and accessories attracts a loyal and dedicated fan base.  

PET THE PUP AT THE
FOUNDRY HOME GOODS 

A customer pets the dog at The Foundry Home Goods

The Foundry Home Goods 

Celebrating considered, thoughtful living, The Foundry Home Goods is a paradise for minimalist design enthusiasts. Carrying a wide range of lifestyle items like rustic wool blankets, beeswax candles, and leather-handled market totes, the Foundry even has aesthetically pleasing dish brushes (Swedish, horsehair bristles, raw beech handle, thanks for asking).   

Visit their rustic-chic North Loop storefront and you may even get to say hello to their adorable shop dog, Ruby.  

TAKE A TRIP TO
JAPAN AT ŪMEI 

Umei

Umei

An upscale, thoughtful home goods seller mainly focusing on wares from Japan, Ūmei carries beautiful, handcrafted donabe pots, delicate washi paper shades, and subtly-rimmed Kinto beer glasses you can decant your local brews into. Don’t sleep on the wearables either; their mohair wool socks are just the thing to ward off the Northern chill. 

LIVE THAT ANALOG LIFE AT
JAMES & MARY LAURIE BOOKSELLERS 

James & Mary Laurie Booksellers

James & Mary Laurie Booksellers

Wandering into James & Mary Laurie Booksellers feels like entering a portal. Where are you? England in the industrial revolution? New York City in the Ginsberg era? A Parisian cellar? Over 120,000 volumes of literature from every imaginable genre line the overstuffed shelves at this North Loop institution, which also sells vintage prints, maps, and classic and jazz vinyl records (over 30,000 of them, to be exact).  

Founded in 1969, James and Mary Laurie is a beacon for the Amazon-addled world, and while we highly suggest you stop by for a quick browse, we wouldn’t blame you for allotting an entire day to wander the many rooms of rare and fascinating books. 

TRY FOUR TAKES ON
JAPANESE CUISINE 

Sanjusan

Sanjusan

We’re not trying to trick you. Four connected restaurants — one building. 

On the first floor, Sanjusan seamlessly melds Japanese and Italian dishes, offering you-wouldn't-have-thought-of-it-but-aren't-you-glad-its-here favorites like Neapolitan pizza with miso pesto, satsumaimo angolotti, and arancini with enoki and an onsen egg.  

On the second floor, it’s choose your own adventure from renowned, Tokyo-born Chef Shigeyuki Furukawa. Wednesday through Sunday nights, the restaurant is known as Kado no Mise, and serves simple, seasonal Japanese food in three different tasting menus. 

Cafe Yoto

Cafe Yoto / Credit: Riley Hallaway

On Tuesdays, it transforms into Minneapolis’ only kaiseki experience. Kaiseki is a form of Japanese dining that draws inspiration from 16th-century Kyoto. This 10-course, chef’s counter experience is a pre-paid meal available in two nightly seatings.  

More in a drinking mood? Head across the hall to Gori-Gori Peku, which has an incredible collection of Japanese whisky, sake, and an impressive cocktail list served in a sexy, candelit space.   

As if that weren’t already enough, their final sister restaurant, Cafe Yoto, is a casual udon and donburi spot, open daily for lunch and dinner — although you’ll have to stroll down the street to get there. 

PRACTICE YOUR "OUI"
AT MAISON MARGAUX 

Maison Margaux's basement bar

Maison Margaux's basement bar

It’s hard to miss Maison Margaux — four azure awnings frame the multi-level brick building on buzzy North First Street. The main floor is a classic upscale French eatery in a sun-soaked space, serving coq a vin, bouillabaisse, and a steak au poivre with pomme frites. 

Downstairs, the same menu is offered, but the vibes are more Moulin Rouge than Gigi, with scarlet lighting and a signature cocktail cheekily called “thank you for smoking,” which features generous pours of bourbon and mezcal.   

TRY A TERRIFIC POT ROAST
AT SPOON AND STABLE 

Spoon and Stable

Spoon and Stable / Credit: Sarah Corder

When you think pot roast, you probably don’t think Michelin-level fine dining. But at Chef Gavin Kaysen’s Spoon and Stable (which marked his grand return to Minneapolis after years at New York City’s Cafe Boulud), this ode to his grandmother’s specialty comes with a perfect oval puddle of pommes aligot, a ladle of aromatic rosemary broth, and an optional add-on of foie gras. 

Opened in 2014, Spoon is still one of the city’s hottest reservations. Go on your birthday, and you might even leave with a dramatic, hot-pink sphere of cotton candy — another “not here to take myself too seriously” touch from one of the city’s best-known chefs, who also oversees the otherworldly chef's counter at Demi across the street. 

JOIN THE IT CROWD
AT PORZANA 

Porzana

Credit: Porzana

Twin Cities diners have become very familiar with Daniel Del Prado’s high-flavor, Argentinian-meets-Italian food (Martina, anyone?), but Del Prado fever reached a new height when the chef opened Porzana, a vibey, edgy steakhouse in the historic warehouse once occupied by much-beloved Bachelor Farmer.  

Porzana’s calling card is steak, but we wouldn’t skip on some of the menu deep cuts, including the just-spicy-enough mussels fra diavolo, and a mafaldini with succulent hunks of short rib.  

No matter what you order, you’ll be treated to some of the city’s best people watching – Porzana is where the Minneapolis reality TV star, NBA player, and CEO Venn diagram converges.  

KEEP IT COZY
AT 112 EATERY 

Stringozzi with lamb sugo at 112 Eatery

Stringozzi with lamb sugo at 112 Eatery

There is perhaps no restaurant that embodies the words “staying power” like Isaac Becker and Nancy St. Pierre’s 112 Eatery. Since its 2005 opening, 112 has maintained razor-sharp standards in both food and service and amassed a loyal following for their signature dishes, like stringozzi with melt-in-your-mouth lamb sugo and perfectly-fried prawns with rooster mayo.  

But, like many restaurants, it’s the hospitality that takes 112 from excellent to superlative. St. Pierre’s front-of-house staff is warm, knowledgeable, and never pushy. From the moment they place the gratis nuts and olives on your table, you know you’re going to be taken care of.  

CARB LOAD AT
BAR LA GRASSA

Red wine pasta with pine nuts at Bar La Grassa

Red wine pasta with pine nuts at Bar La Grassa 

Bar La Grassa has never, as far as we can tell, had a bad night. We’ve been ordering their gnocchi with cauliflower and orange since opening night in 2010, and never once has it been under-seasoned, over-cooked, or unbalanced. 

Other signature dishes are bruschetta with a lobster-spiked waterfall of soft-scrambled eggs, and a don’t-sleep-on-it whole chicken that comes laid out like a five-star sacrifice. The elegant, warehouse conversion dining room looks as fresh as it did opening night, with gleaming marble tabletops and charmingly battered wood floors. 

It should come as no surprise that a restaurant of such exacting standards comes from Beard-winning Isaac Becker and Nancy St. Pierre, who also own 112 Eatery. Look for the glowing red “BLG” sign, and if it’s all full – don't fret. Just head next door to St. Pierre, the couple’s equally-fabulous steak-and-seafood bar. 

KEEP THE KIDS HAPPY AT
RED RABBIT OR RED COW

A cheeseburger and cheese curds at Red Cow

A burger and cheese curds at Red Cow

Finding a family-friendly downtown restaurant can feel like a Herculean task. Where can you go before Disney on Ice where you won’t be interrupting someone’s big second date? Thankfully, Red Rabbit and Red Cow, sister restaurants (conveniently) across the street from each other, have you covered. 

They have ample coloring materials, a kid’s menu with food kids actually want, and waitstaff that wouldn’t dream of giving you side-eye...even if half those noodles end up somewhere other than your child’s mouth (tip generously!).  

For the grown-ups, Red Rabbit serves classic pastas like cacio e pepe (and an Impossible-meat Bolognese for plant-eaters), a crowd-pleasing selection of pizzas, and a mean espresso martini; while Red Cow has a something-for-everyone menu of dinner-sized salads, burgers, and even a tuna poke bowl. 

BATHE IN THE OLD-SCHOOL
BAR VIBES OF MONTE CARLO 

The Monte Carlo

The Monte Carlo

In a former life, we were wheeling-and-dealing businessmen who said things like “old chap” and threw back martinis like Bond, paying for them with wads of dubiously acquired cash. 

Okay, maybe not, but if we were, we’d want to be doing that at Monte Carlo, a thrillingly old-school establishment that serves superlative Beijing-style chicken wings and a meatloaf on toasted pumpernickel we’d like to be buried with, please.   

DOUBLE YOUR WINGS
ORDER AT RUNYON'S 

Runyon's iconic chicken wings

Runyon's iconic chicken wings

A neighborhood bar like many other neighborhood bars, with a dedicated roster of regulars, big TV screens, and Coors Light on tap. But you’re not there for the Coors Light and the game. You’re at Runyon's for the Buffalo wings, which come in a delightfully sloppy presentation, bits of sauce spilling over onto the celery garnish. Trust us, that’s just how you want them.  

BITE INTO PARLOUR BAR'S
BEST-IN-CLASS BURGER 

A stacked Parlour burger

A stacked Parlour burger / Credit: Jester Concepts

Did Parlour Bar invent the smashburger? No, of course not. But they make a really, really, really good one. And yes – we're including Au Cheval in that assessment. Order their “soup of the day” (their cheeky name for a rotating specialty cocktail), don’t skip the fries, and get ready to adjust your global burger power rankings. 

HAVE THE MEATS AT
BUTCHER AND THE BOAR 

Butcher and the Boar

Butcher and the Boar 

A taxidermized boar’s head is the overlord of the dining room at the aptly-named Butcher and the Boar, a reborn version of the eatery that earned the much-missed Jack Riebel a 2013 James Beard nomination. 

As its name (and mascot) might suggest, Butcher and the Boar serves a meaty menu of dishes like a double-cut pork chop, smoked beef long rib, and a foot-long sausage with in Cajun chow-chow. The cocktails are (unsurprisingly) whisky and bourbon-forward, while dessert brings a more-is-more hummingbird cake and ice cream sundae, complete with maraschino cherries.  

Come hungry, and leave your vegetarian friends at home.  

GET IN THE SCANDINAVIAN
SPIRIT AT TULLIBEE 

Tullibee at Hewing Hotel

Tullibee at Hewing Hotel / Credit: Riley Hallaway

Minnesotans love to embrace their Nordic roots (Sauna! Cross-country skiing! Ice cream in January!), so it’s perhaps surprising that the city doesn't have more explicitly Scandanavian restaurants. Thank goodness for Tullibee, located in the boutique Hewing Hotel, which serves gravlax on rye, a local duck with celery root soubise, and even a pickled herring caesar. Skol!  

EMBRACE AFTER-DINNER EATS
AT EDWARDS DESSERT KITCHEN 

Edwards Dessert Kitchen

Edwards Dessert Kitchen / Credit: Meet Minneapolis

Slices, sundaes, cookies, bars, pies, plated desserts, or ice cream? At Edwards Dessert Kitchen, they have it all, from a lingonberry lemon mont blanc with chestnut mousse to chocolate creme pie with white chocolate chantilly.  

Come for a nightcap after a night out (they have a full bar, as well as a range of espresso drinks), or drop by for an afternoon treat.   

Not a sweets person? Edwards has a small selection of savory plates, including a red wine pot roast slider and a vegan roasted squash salad.  

ORDER A CLOONEY
 ROLL AT BILLY SUSHI

Billy Sushi's fun-loving chef

Billy Sushi's fun-loving chef

Billy Sushi isn’t taking itself that seriously. After all, you can order a whole ginger-soy squid cheekily named “Squid Game,” and roll that will require you to say the words “Bad and Boujee” out loud to your server. 

But the food — that is something the eponymous Billy (who calls himself Minnesota’s only Mongolian-born, Russian-influenced, Japanese-trained restauranteur) takes extremely seriously. Billy has been a Global Sushi Challenge contender for two years running, representing nine of the best sushi chefs in America, and it shows. 

This may be a land-locked state, but Billy can go toe-to-toe with the coastal best of them. There’s also a speakeasy, Billy After Dark (B.A.D.) in the back of the building. Ring the bell. 

RETHINK PASTA AT DARIO 

Doppio ravioli at Dario

Doppio ravioli at Dario / Credit: Isable Subtil, courtesy of Meet Minneapolis

Doppio with sunchokes and ricotta, wild mushroom cappeletti, and honey-glazed duck breast are a few of the hero dishes at Dario, a pink-washed pasta bar with an Italy-forward wine list that’s quickly become a favorite for those looking for a trendy, romantic spot that doesn’t require you to shout across the table. 

DO A BREWERY CRAWL 

Fulton Brewery exterior and patio

Fulton Brewery in the trendy North Loop neighborhood is just steps away from Target Field / Fulton Brewery

Fulton Brewing Company's award-winning Lonely Blonde is Minnesota’s #1 selling blonde ale, and sometimes referred to as “craft beer for people who don’t like craft beer.” But this North Loop brewery, which is a five-minute walk from Target Field, also brews a “hop kingdom” IPA line, seasonal sour ales from cranberry to watermelon-lime, an Irish-inspired set of Finnegans brews, hard seltzers, and more.  

Inbound BrewCo is on the western edge of the North Loop, and their cavernous, sun-filled space is great for large groups. Behind the bar, they pour a tight selection of diverse brews, including “light,” “hop-forward,” and “funky” options. But those who don't imbibe won’t be left out – there's an n/a “refresher” on offer, as well as hop water.  

A DJ performs at Modist Brewing

A DJ performs at Modist Brewing Company 

Modist Brewing Co. prides itself on experimentation, brewing selections unbound by traditional style guidelines. Their out-of-the-box offerings include a mango calamansi marshmallow smoothie sour (say that five times fast) and a Brett Biere de Garde aged first in white whine barrels, then re-fermented on cold-smoked pineapples with Sri Lankin cinnamon. 

They also host events at their sprawling new space, including yoga, hand-rolled sushi class, and free drag shows. 

ROOT FOR THE HOME
TEAM AT THE LOON CAFE  

The Loon Cafe's downtown Minneapolis location

The Loon Cafe's downtown Minneapolis location

Located between Target Field and Target Center, The Loon Cafe is a local-flavored sports bar with award-winning chili (for those who like their spicy food spicy) and wild rice soup (for those who prefer a more Minnesota-spice level). On game days, The Loon is packed with jersey-wearing fans, who don’t let our team’s spotty playoff records deter them from hoping for a Minnesota Miracle. 

KEEP SCORE AT
TOM'S WATCH BAR 

Timberwolves fans at Tom's Watch Bar

Timberwolves fans at Tom's Watch Bar

Tom’s Watch Bar says they’re “all sports, all the time,” with a more-is-more philosophy that includes 100 screens, 50 beers, and over 100 cocktails on its seemingly endless menu. They kindly post their broadcast schedule online, so you can make sure they’re tuned into the game you want to watch before you pay for parking.  

FIND YOUR NEW
FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP

Backstory Coffee Roasters in Minneapolis' North Loop

Backstory Coffee Roasters in Minneapolis' North Loop / Paul Vincent

Located in the beautiful lobby of the upscale Duffey apartment complex, Backstory Coffee Roasters has soaring ceilings, creative specialty drinks (think an oat milk banana cream chai), and a healthy selection of pastries from Vikings & Goddesses, one of our favorite bakeries.  

Also of note on the keep-it-caffeinated front: local latté titans Spyhouse, who have an airy, sunny North Loop location with vintage tile floors and a surprisingly quiet alleyway patio. 

Corner Coffee is a delightfully cozy, old-school shop that manages to feel like a cool hang without trying too hard. Think banged up wood floors, cozy seating options, and a baristas that won’t give you side-eye for just ordering a black coffee.  

ORDER AN ARTISAN
AT RISE BAGEL  

The Artisan sandwich at Rise Bagel

The Artisan sandwich at Rise Bagel / Credit: Riley Hallaway

Rise was a pioneer in the (previously very bleak) Minnesota bagel scene when they opened in 2015. Their chewy NY-meets-Montreal style became an instant out-the-door line maker, and a decade later, they’re still as popular as ever. 

If you can elbow your way through the Red-Wing-boot-clad creative directors, we recommend their Artisan sandwich with rosemary butter, bacon, egg, Havarti, and apple mustard. 

ESCAPE TO NEW YORK
AT EGG ON A ROLL  

The Classic and Cry'N Eggy sandwiches at Egg on a Roll

The Classic and Cry'N Eggy sandwiches at Egg on a Roll

Egg on a Roll is Minneapolis’ take on the NYC bodega sandwich. Stick with the classic egg patty with meat and cheddar, try one of their signatures (like the Breakfast in Bombay, which is stuffed with chorizo, chili crunch, banana peppers, and a garam masala spread), or go the DIY route and build your own. 

Just don’t skip the Cry Baby Craig’s hot sauce finish; even though it’s made in Minnesota, it’s definitely not “Minnesota spicy.”  

PLEASE A CROWD AT
NOLO'S KITCHEN & BAR

NOLO's Kitchen & Bar

NOLO's Kitchen & Bar / Credit: Corey Gaffer

NOLO's Kitchen & Bar is the sort of friendly, something-for-everyone, all-day café every city needs at least one of. These sorts of places don’t even have to be good good, but thankfully, Nolo’s is. Their cauliflower fritters with Calabrian chili and tzatziki are the kind of more-ish snack we could eat an entire bucket of, and the panko-breaded miso walleye is a solid, fresh expression of the state’s signature. 

If you come for brunch, make sure you order a strawberries-and-cream Dutch baby for the table. For the picky eaters, there’s a classic burger and fries, as well as pizza, salad, and rice bowls.   

PICK UP PASTRIES & PANS
AT COOKS | BELLECOUR

A box of pastries from Cooks | Bellecour

A box of pastries from Cooks | Bellecour / Credit: Riley Hallaway

Cooks | Bellecour is a cooking school/kitchen shop/bakery and lunch counter that somehow manages to be good at all three things, all at the same time. Originally concepted and run by local pastry queen (and multi-Beard nominee) Diane Moua, the Bellecour team has maintained her exacting standards for their signature Crepe Cake, flaky-meets-chewy croissants, and decadent monkey bread. Their massive open kitchen (where classes are held) means you get to see how the literal sausage gets made as you sip your latté and browse for your next Le Creuset investment piece.   

Devon Cox

Devon Cox is Explore Minnesota’s Digital Strategy Manager. You can spot her carting her public radio tote bag to Twin Cities bakeries, bookstores, and vintage shops. She thinks you should go out to eat tonight (sit at the bar).