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THE TWIN CITIES

All photographs on this page, unless otherwise noted, courtesy of Chris Gregerson ©, Phototour of Minneapolis.

Transportation to and in the Twin Cities:

Minneapolis is served by the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and several airlines. Taxi service is available from the airport, as is the Super Shuttle. The Super shuttle, serving hotels in the Twin Cities area, runs every half-hour or as needed and currently charges $13 each way (charge subject to change). Regular taxi fares are ca. $25 one-way between the airport and the Radisson Hotel. Taxis are available at the airport at the central taxi dispatch point; to reach it, follow the signs from the baggage claim area.

Phone numbers for taxi companies in the Twin Cities:

  • A A Airport Central Reservation (612) 727-2100
  • Airport Taxi (952) 928-0000
  • Blue & White Taxi Minneapolis (612) 333-3333
  • Gold Star Taxi (952) 881-4444
  • Green & White Taxi Minneapolis (612) 522-2222
  • Green & White Taxi St. Paul (651) 222-2222
  • Rainbow Taxi (612) 332-1615
  • Suburban Taxi (612) 522-2222 & (651) 222-2222
  • Super Shuttle (612) 827-7777 (ext. 1)
  • Yellow Cab Co. (612) 824-4000

Twin Cities Restaurants
(Restaurant descriptions are from the Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine. For more information on other Twin Cities restaurants go to their web site http://www.mspmag.com/dining.asp )

1. Minneapolis:

a) within walking distance from or relatively close to the Radisson Hotel

  • Loring Pasta Bar: 327 14th Ave. SE, (612) 378-4849—The Loring's Dinkytown outpost is priced for students, though no expense was spared on the elaborate, theatrical decor. Expect pizza, pasta, and Loring Cafe signature dishes, including walleye in maple butter and the beloved "artichoke ramekin." Lunch M-Sa. Dinner daily. International $$.
  • Restaurant Alma: 528 University Ave. SE, (612) 379-4909—A changing menu reflects the owners' preference for organic foods and the flavors of the Mediterranean and heartland America. Almost always lively, busy, and interesting. Dinner daily. Eclectic $$$.
  • more will be added soon

2. St. Paul:
near the Science Museum of Minnesota & downtown St. Paul

  • Barbary Fig: 720 Grand Ave., (651) 290-2085—This St. Paul original continues to concoct an intoxicating blend of flavors and textures centered in Morocco but exhibiting a range of Mediterranean influences. Specialties include grilled vegetables with aioli, leg of lamb with juniper berries and fresh rosemary, and North African Phyllo pie with chicken, almonds, and spices. Lunch & dinner W-M. Mediterranean $$.
  • Carousel: Radisson Hotel, 11 Kellogg Blvd. E., (651) 292-0408—Offers panoramic Mississippi River views from the revolving dining platform. Serves steak, chicken, seafood, and wild game. Homemade desserts baked daily. Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily. American $$$.
  • Christos: Union Depot, 214 E. 4th St., (651) 224-6000—The Greek/Cypriot menu here is very traditional, but the standards are all well done, the atmosphere bright, the welcome always warm. Lunch buffet M-F, dinner M-Sa. Greek $$.
  • Dakota Bar & Grill: Bandana Sq., 1021 Bandana Blvd., (651) 642-1442—The area's top jazz club just happens to reside in one of its best restaurants. Chef Ken Goff was defining creative regional fare before it became trendy, and his upscale seasonal menu and terrific bargain wine list hit the right note too. Dinner M-Sa. Regional American $$$.
  • Downtowner Woodfire Grill: 253 W, 7th St., (651) 228-9500—Moe Sharif's massively upscale dive is now the best smelling restaurant in town. A fabulous space thick with fireplaces—everything is cooked over wood. The Persian-style meats are a sensation. Loads of fun. Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily. American $$.
  • Fhima's: 6 W. St., (651) 287-0784—Contemporary, fine dining restaurant with salsa dancing and Cuban and Latin jazz. Menu includes Artichoke risotto, grilled swordfish with polenta cakes, and lamb tangine, plus 750 wines. Lunch M-F. Dinner daily. French/Mediterranean $$$.
  • Forepaugh's: 276 Exchange St., (651) 224-5606—Served in Historic Victorian mansion menu includes such classic and nouvelle items as beef Wellington, Maryland crab cakes, and stuffed pheasant. Lunch M-F. Dinner daily. Menu brunch Su. Continental/French $$.
  • Kincaid's: Lawson Commons Bldg., 380 St. Peter St., (651) 602-9000—This local fave is a great special-occasion restaurant with welcoming service. Strong in fish and prime-rib. Addictive crab dip and spicy shrimp cocktails. Fun bar menus. Lunch M-F. Dinner daily. Menu brunch Su. American $$$.
  • Pazzaluna: 360 St. Peter St., (651) 223-7000—Offers regional Italian cuisine such as risotto, gnocchi, and scaloppine. Antipasto bar features changing selection of chilled appetizers. Dinner M-Sa. Italian $$.
  • Ruam Mit Thai Café: 475 St. Peter St., (651) 290-0067—Currently the most compelling of the area's many Thai spots. Ruam MIT cooks in authentic Thai style employing a variety of sauces and cooking techniques. The kitchen is a stickler for freshness: vegetables are a forte. Lunch & dinner M-Sa. Thai $.
  • St. Paul Grill: Saint Paul Hotel, 350 Market St., (651) 224-7455—Though some contend that the kitchen could stand a little more culinary ambition, there's no denying the appeal of downtown St. Paul's clubby home for power lunches, decadent brunches, and winning pretheater dinners. Lunch & dinner daily. Menu brunch Su. American $$$.

 

$ = less than $10
$$ = $10-$20
$$$ = $21-$30
$$$$ = more than $30


b) in downtown Minneapolis

  • Aquavit: IDS Center, 80 S. 8th St., (612) 343-3333—Currently the Twin Cities' most inventive eatery. Chef Marcus Samuelsson's modern Scandinavian fare is the perfect companion to the town's most beautiful dining room, featuring entrées such as salt-cured duck breast with foie gras sausage and chestnut risotto, Swedish meatballs, and a smorgasbord hors d'oeuvres plate. Exceptional and underappreciated. Lunch & dinner M-Sa. Scandinavian $$$.
  • Brit's Pub: 1110 Nicollet Mall, (612) 332-3908—Go for the ale, go for the U.K.-intensive atmosphere, go for the Nicollet Mall scene. Brit's is always happening, though the pub fare is merely adequate, featuring shepherd's pie, fish and chips, and roast lamb. Long list of Scotches and ports. Rooftop lawn bowling. High tea M-F (reservations only). Lunch & dinner daily. British. $$.
  • Buca di Beppo: 1204 Harmon Place, (612) 288-0138 (one of several Twin Cities' locations).—These massive, locally founded, red-sauce Italian dining halls make up in fun and huge portions what they occasionally loose in careful preparation. Still, nowhere else seems just as right for a big, casual blowout with friends and family. Dinner daily. Italian $$.
  • Cafe Havana: 119 Washington Ave. S, (612) 338-9019—Cuban.
  • D'Amico Cucina: Butler Sq., 100 N. 6th St. (612) 338-2401—The Twin Cities' best (and only) gastronomic Italian restaurant continues to rank among the nation's finest. An interior redesign has freshened the space's casual elegance, while the seasonally changing menu marries characteristically superb ingredients without sacrificing the charm of Italy's rustic culinary tradition. Offers five-course tasting menu. Dinner M-Sa. Italian $$$.
  • Goodfellow's: City Ctr., 40 S. 7th St., (612) 332-4800—Always ranked among the area's top five restaurants, Goodfellow's boasts a nationally admired wine list, a historic art deco interior, and a refined nouvelle-Midwestern menu that changes frequently. A kitchen table is available by reservation. Lunch M-F. Dinner M-Sa. American $$$$.
  • The Imperial Room: 417 1st Ave. N., (612) 376-7676—Retro '50s and '60s supper-club ambiance. Offers beef tenderloin medallions, prime rib, walley fingers, and crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms. Lunch & dinner daily. Continental/Regional American $$$.
  • Murray's: 26 S. 6th St. (612) 339-0909—The mauve room, the cowboy rib eye, the garlic toast. Minneapolis's time-honored steak house-immortalized in Time by Garrison Keillor-may offer the occasional paradox, but there's no denying its popularity. Tea F. Lunch M-F. Dinner daily. American/Steak $$$
  • The Oceanaire Seafood Room: Hyatt Regency Ctr., 1300 Nicollet Mall, (612) 333-2277—The town's definitive spot for sea fare. The clubby, nostalgic room evokes the '40s, while the kitchen is accomplished with both simple grills and complex sauces. Generous steak house-type side dishes and top-of-the-line key lime pie are added bonuses. Dinner daily. Seafood $$$.
  • Sophia Restaurant: Riverplace, 65 SE Main St., (612) 379-1111—Art deco décor. Serves grilled Norwegian salmon, fresh fish, pasta, and filet mignon. Lunch M-F. Dinner M-Sa. Continental $$$.
.

Twin Cities Cultural Institutions:

Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis

1. Theaters:

Ordway Center of the Performing Arts in St. Paul

Theatre de la Jeune Lune
in Minneapolis's Warehouse District

2. Music:

Lobby of Orchestra Hall

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Minnesota History Center in St. Paul
3. Museums:

"Spoonbridge and Cherry" by Claes Oldenburg & Coosje Van Bruggen, 1988, Walker Art Center & Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis

(Photo Source:
http://www.artsconnected.org/artsnetmn/spaces/wac.jpg/g/wac_5018g.jpg)

Science Museum of Minnesota

St. Paul's Summit Hill Historic District
Courtesy of Joe Hoover ©
4. Miscellaneous:

Camp Snoopy at the Mall of America (from the South)

Northern Food Court at the Mall of America

 


Skyline of downtown Minneapolis
as seen from the Eastbank Campus of the
University of Minnesota

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