• be'wiched deli (lunch and dinner): their tuna sandwich is kick-ass. they make all of their own pastrami. well, the house-cure all of their meats. the chefs used to work at auriga and levain, two things that would've so been on this list had they still been open. not your usual deli.
• d'amico cucina (dinner): a high-end spendy splurge, sure. the best italian food i've had. the ravioli filled with ricotta and mushrooms in a buttery sauce with black truffles and some spinach on top i had there was one of the best things i've eaten. ever.
• saffron (dinner): yes, the food could use a few tweaks here and there, but the happy hour pricing, the half-price wine nights, and the multicourse menu deals that're on now and then are really worth it. it's downtown quality with not quite the downtown prices. the sorbets are lovely, if they're on the dessert menus, i'd recommend them. they do those in-house.
• toast wine bar and cafe (dinner): if you're looking for an interesting wine list (some items you never seen on other lists) with wine-friendly food, go here. the chef-owner used to work at auriga, and if you miss their pizzas, these are mostly the same quality (though choose your toppings wisely). love the cheese plate, too.
• 20.21 (possibly sunday brunch and dinner): one of the few brunches in town i didn't have bad restaurant karma in, but it's spendy. the dinner is spendy too, but i've always eaten at the bar for dinner, where you can get generous helpings of a three-course meal (appetizer, main, and dessert) for $20.21 during 'happy hour.' i love their thai green curry.
• vincent a restaurant (lunch, dinner): the dining room is probably my favorite place to eat in minneapolis. i love the bread, the fries, the service, and if they have it, get the sweet corn veloute with truffle oil (*the* best thing i've eaten, ever). the happy hour has sometimes way less good service, but way better prices (the famed vincent burger with fries is about $8 as of this writing). my favorite restaurant

not downtown

• al's breakfast (um... breakfast): my favorite in the twin cities, even if the place is hella squishy. pancakes, pancakes, pancakes. i don't get there often enough, it's crowded as hell on weekends. and if the u is in session, that also makes parking difficult. but it's worth it.
• annie's parlour (lunch, dinner): can i not include the place that has one of my favorite grilled cheese sandwiches? burgers, fries, and malts are also good. also on campus, also hell parking. but easier to get into than al's, for sure.
• cafe levain : yes, i like french food, and food inspired by it. very french bistro, down to the tasty roast chicken and really good fries. part of the turtle bread empire, so you're bread basket is also tops, and you can pick up loaves next door when dinner's done.
• corner table (dinner): dinner as locavore as possible (with an emphasis on sustainainable agriculture sources), with way reasonable pricing, good service, and very tasty food. it's the best 'neighborhood restaurant' around.
• french meadow (breakfast, lunch, dinner): also a spot with my favorite grilled cheese, but they do good, organic food throughout the day, and the bakery case is nice, too. the most vegetarian-friendly place on the list. they frequently have deals and coupons in their ads in the city pages.
• fugaise (dinner): yes, another french restaurant on the high end of things. since they're what i like, i gravitate towards them. you should go here while you still can, their time is limited, according to the chef.
• restaurant alma (dinner): another place with an emphasis on the local, organic, seasonal, fresh cuisine. they have a deal where for $42 you can choose from a list to have a multicourse menu, which is well worth it, as it's another splurge restaurant.

st. paul

• chatterbox pub (breakfast, lunch and dinner): this one's in here for the atmosphere (70s basement memories, anyone?), the beer cheese fondue (i would eat it on paper, it's that tasty), the lovely saltiness of the food, and the gaming possibilities, for those of you who would like dinner and entertainment. both board games, retro/old school electronic ones, and modern electronic ones, too. i've not had their breakfast, so i can't speak much to that.
• heartland (dinner): i think it's the best restaurant in st. paul, and it's not even french, it's midwester. that's how good it is. local (a lot from local family farms, foragers, and such), with an emphasis on sustainainable agriculture, the food is fresh and seasonal. with the addition of the wine bar a while back, now has some less expensive options for grabbing dinner. the menu changes daily, and they do a lot of their preparations onsite (curing, preserving, etc.).
• meritage (dinner): yes, another french-emphasis place, but it also has some randomness about it (like the matza ball soup). i love the cheese cart so much i want my own (plus the cheese cart guy). good for pre-theater or pre-concert dining in downtown st. paul. the chef was formerly at w.a. frost in st. paul.
• mickey's diner (24/7): if you want breakfast at any time of the day in st. paul, this is where you go. good for late-night hours (post-concert, post-party, and mostly post-bar), salty fried things, etc., but even the non-breakfast food is good. not that i'd order it here, for me it's one of the few reliable breakfast places.
• ngon vietnamese bistro(lunch, dinner): stick with the vietnamese food here, and you're in for the best in the twin cities (or really close). the more fusion stuff is still good, but not as good. unlike a lot of other vietnamese places, they're on the local, seasonal, fresh, etc., bandwagon, and even their beer list is almost all minnesota brews.
• ristorante luci (dinner): tiny, old-school, classical italian. they have a $29 multicourse menu, a great deal. you can pick from the other selections, too, you won't be disappointed. the pasta is made in-house, and is made fresh daily. they also do the sourcing local, if possible, for other ingredients. i've not been disappointed in luci ancora, their sister restaurant, but most people prefer the original version to the more untraditional italian of ancora.

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