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Boys (and girls) in the hood
By Carla Waldemar
Credit the cocooning instinct,
habits picked up while traveling in Europe, or simply the appeal of an
owner behind the stove, cooking good, honest
food at value prices – these days, knowing locals are giving lip service
to the city’s burgeoning flock of neighborhood cafes. Launched by
chefs marching to their inner drummer, they pay homage to what’s regional
and seasonal on menus that mirror the homey service, backed by wine lists
that won’t
break the bank.
And it’s working fine. Gourmands on the prowl in south Minneapolis
crowd into Corner Table (not much bigger than its title). Al Vento lures
Nokomis dwellers with its spins on Italian cooking, as does pretty little
Prima and romantic Pane Vino Dolce.
The Bakery on Grand offers the boon of breakfast, too, in its sunny southside
setting, while nearby Levain has become a destination for foodies of the
greater metro. The Craftsman, named for the neighborhood’s Arts & Crafts
bungalows, boasts a craftsman in the kitchen, too.
Uptown’s bohemians have adopted Café Barbette, with food as
excitingly eclectic as the artsy folks who dine here. Greater Uptown’s
Lucia’s, jP’s American Bistro and Auriga are a bit more sophisticated
in what flows from the kitchen and who flows through the door.
Northeast Minneapolis boasts its share of mavericks, too. The Modern Café,
which began life in the Forties, still serves good old pot roast, but with
a not-so-Forties riff of horseradish and roasted garlic. The Sample Room,
once a venue for salesmen with their sample cases, now offers sampler-size
portions of all-American favorites. And Restaurant Alma acts as mecca for
modern regional cuisine, revered by the profs and politicos of its University
locale.
So c’mon over. The action’s in the ’hood.
Carla Waldemar is a freelance writer who lives in the Minneapolis
area. Click here for more about
Carla and additional travel features she has written on Minneapolis.org.
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