Chef-Driven

I think the most interesting and well-prepared food in the cities night in and night out is served at chef-driven neighborhood restaurants. For me, it’s all about the food. In these eateries, that’s the point—the stuffy trappings of overstated service that were the hallmark of restaurants of this caliber a generation ago tend to be absent. These smaller, chic boîtes can hit from both sides of the plate. The food is sophisticated enough for a celebratory meal, but casual enough for weekday dining. If you are looking for spectacular and creative cookery, inspired presentations, or simply a neatly executed weekday supper, these spots are the ones you can count on to deliver in the clutch.  —Andrew Zimmern

Auriga
1930 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-871-0777
Melinda Van Eeckhout and Doug Flicker’s Uptown eatery had a face-lift last year, and the room finally matches the impeccably prepared food. Relying on a deep network of regional purveyors specializing in artisanal fare, organic produce, day-boat seafood, and locally raised meats, Flicker and team create dishes that consistently surprise and delight even the most jaded diners.
Best Bets Serrano ham amusé with tomato leather, ricotta, and fennel pollen; veal flank steak with caramelized shallots.
Prime Time The chef is always behind the stove, so every night is prime, but on Thursdays, the dining room is packed with locals and the vibe is nice.
Pssst The tasting menus are some of the best in town, and the spontaneous nine-course chef’s-table tasting menu is legendary.
But The dessert station can lag behind the savory side of the kitchen.

Corner Table
4257 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-823-0011
Scott Pampuch’s Corner Table has been a huge hit ever since opening a little more than a year ago in the Kingfield neighborhood. After a long stint at Modern Cafe, Pampuch debuted to rave reviews. He is touted not only for his farm-fresh cuisine and artful braising and roasting, but also for his egalitarian approach to pricing, which has made him a culinary Robin Hood to fans.
Best Bets Braised brisket with mustard and tarragon; lamb ragout with tomato and orzo; roast duck with foie gras custard and oyster mushrooms.
Prime Time Sunday night’s à la carte menu features most items in both small and large sizes and prices.
Pssst Corner Table relies heavily on the Southeast Minnesota Food Network, which supplies the restaurant with local fare. Pampuch walks the talk.

Fugaise
308 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls., 612-436-0777
Chef-owner Don Saunders opened Fugaise last fall to thunderous applause after honing his skills as the chef at A Rebours and Vincent and as sous chef at La Belle Vie. He offers a modern take on bistro-style cookery in an elegant room, but all the focus is on the food.
Best Bets Seared scallops with capers, leek custard, and brown butter; oysters “Le Gavroche”; veal osso buco on risotto Milanese.
Prime Time A dinner reservation is always a challenge, but Fugaise, unlike many other restaurants of this caliber, is open for lunch.
Pssst Call ahead and the chef will create a tasting menu for your table, including a stellar vegetarian option.
But The fare is not always as accessible as it is at some eateries in this category. With dishes such as duck breast over faro in a foie gras emulsion, your tablemates should have sophisticated tastes.

jP American Bistro
2937 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls., 612-824-9300
After earning serious accolades at Bobino and D’Amico Cucina, chef JP Samuelson and his wife, Cheryl, opened their own casual restaurant in LynLake in 2003. With a predilection for local ingredients, all shot through Samuelson’s prism of international influences, jP is a consistent performer and has legions of loyal fans.
Best Bets Wild Acres chicken with Thai green curry; pommes frites with smoked paprika; rustic pizza with apple-wood–smoked bacon and cashew-currant pesto.
Prime Time Beware a last-minute appearance. Jungle Theater goers can make a table here a tough call on show nights. Sunday dinners are superb, with regular diners showing up in droves and the chef usually in the kitchen.
Pssst On Sunday and Monday, there are half-price wines from one of the most carefully chosen lists in town.
But Diners looking for clarity and simplicity may sometimes find one ingredient too many.

Lucia’s
1432 W. 31st St., Mpls., 612-825-1572
A self-described American bistro, wine bar, and bakery, Lucia’s is a legendary local eatery that has never lost its edge. The restaurant’s opening twenty-one years ago literally kick-started the seasonal/local foods movement in Minnesota, and Lucia has supported sustainable producers and growers with a dogged persistence that has inspired a generation of homages.
Best Bets Roast-onion–and–goat cheese tart; seared hanger steak with rösti potatoes; eggs en cocotte with Canadian bacon, Gruyère, and challah.
Prime Time Brunch at this simple and elegant restaurant has always been my favorite meal. The wine bar provides a comfy oasis for impatient diners.
Pssst The wine bar opens at 11:30 a.m. on weekdays, and with the recent bakery addition, there is no finer place to sneak off to if you call it an early day at work. Wine and bread, artisan cheeses—you get the picture.
But My eternal gripe: The menu offers too little variety.

Modern Cafe
337 13th Ave. NE, Mpls., 612-378-9882
One of my favorite eateries is the Modern, an eleven-year-old charmer with a linoleum-and-wood dining room, tucked in the corner of old Nordeast Minneapolis. Owner Jim Grell is always in the restaurant, orchestrating the mayhem, lounging at the bar between rushes, and making everyone feel like a regular. Always known for its comfort food classics, the Modern’s kitchen has never been more consistent than in recent years under chef Phillip Becht.
Best Bets Pot roast and mashed potatoes; steamed mussels and scallops in white wine, fennel, and cream; cassoulet.
Prime Time No reservations are taken, which means longer waits at dinner—but the hip lunch scene is still a funky, noisy pleasure.
Pssst Chef Becht has the chops—honed at fancier digs, such as the now-defunct Minneapolis Aquavit. Trust any of his more adventurous creations, whether it’s the gravlax sandwich or the duck confit and yellow potato salad.
But Meals can be slow coming out of the kitchen some nights, and the unpretentious veneer masks a fair amount of attitude.

112 Eatery
112 N. 3rd St., Mpls., 612-343-7696
112 Eatery is the perfect restaurant. The food is personal and ingredient quality is of the highest order. Isaac Becker, the chef-owner, takes risks and succeeds almost all of the time. Where else could a fried-egg-bacon-harissa sandwich cause such a stir? Most important, the service, attitude, and vibe all complement the experience—112 fires on all cylinders.
Best Bets Sauteéd sweetbreads in porcini and clam sauce; escarole with anchovy and nutmeg.
Prime Time There is always action at this insanely popular restaurant, but the fun crowd dines late on Fridays.
Pssst Since the portions are sensible and a few dishes are available in two sizes, it’s easy to make a fun progression of courses for any sized group.
But With only fifty seats and a reservation system that will only accept reservations two months in advance, getting a table is tough.

Restaurant Alma
528 University Ave. SE, Mpls., 612-379-4909
Jim Reininger and Alex Roberts’s little neighborhood gem is on everyone’s local top-ten list, and with good reason. Breads are baked on the premises, the wine list is one of the food-friendliest and most inspiring and unpretentious in the state, and the cozy vibe works well in all four seasons. The cuisine is the natural extension of Roberts’s love of Mediterranean flavors and local purveyors and growers. Menus change daily and tasting menus are always available.
Best Bets Swiss chard and porcini soufflé, red wine–braised lamb, sautéed sweetbreads with glazed fennel and wild mushrooms.
Prime Time Alma is a tough reservation on weekends. Weekdays are casual affairs with a more relaxed vibe.
Pssst The three-course tasting menu, always under $40, is one of the best values in town. Add a flight of wines, and you are still out the door for under $70. The upstairs loft can be rented for parties of up to twenty.
But Desserts have always been a heartbeat behind the rest of the menu.

Restaurant Levain
4762 Chicago Ave., Mpls., 612-823-7111
One of the best restaurants in town, Levain is the brainchild of restaurateur-bakery impresario Harvey McLain, but chef Steven Brown is its heart and soul. Brown has molded Levain into the perfect blend of casual and elegant—a restaurant that feels lighthearted, but delivers the culinary punch food lovers demand.
Best Bets The menu changes weekly, or faster. Look for seasonal seafood offerings (such as day-boat halibut with green apple, fennel, and licorice) and don’t look back.
Prime Time Perpetually packed. Friday nights lack the havoc that the amateur Saturday-night crowd inspires. Weekday evenings are mellower affairs, but reservations are still a must.
Pssst The new kitchen table is the best seat in town.
But Desserts have needed attention since the departure of Khan Tran last fall.

Sapor
428 Washington Ave. N., Mpls., 612-375-1971
The best-kept secret in town seems to be this six-year-old Warehouse District eatery, which has survived some rough years by the sheer force of will of owners Tanya Siebenaler and Julie Steenerson. Sapor has earned its customers one by one. Siebenaler’s cuisine is globally inspired, and while many chefs can’t handle flavors and techniques as disparate as Vietnamese and Mexican, she can.
Best Bets Menus change monthly, but the Mediterranean- and Latin-inspired offerings are consistently delightful, the coconut-cream pie with brûléed bananas and caramel irresistible.
Prime Time Weekends are the best time to go—the room can feel cavernous on slower evenings. Lunch and brunch are still undiscovered territories.
Pssst The $3–$5-a-plate “one bite, two bite” tapas are the perfect bar food for the modern restaurant groupie.
But The service is too casual for some.

Honorable Mention: A Rebours, Bakery on Grand, Barbette, Biella, Café Brenda, Confluence, Craftsman, Pop!, Ravello, The Sample Room, Tejas, Zander Café.