Photo: fstop123, Getty Images.
If the only thing you know about Minneapolis is that it’s the site of Super Bowl LII, it’s time to discover its rich culinary scene. The “Minneapple” and its twin city St. Paul are packed with award-winning eateries that span the gamut from gooey cheese-filled burgers to delicate medallions of duck breast. Locally-sourced and organic fare abound, as do global flavors and indulgent pastries. Minnesotan chefs are true artists, putting creative, mouthwatering, and irresistible combinations on plates across the state. If you’re headed to the Bold North for the Super Bowl, make sure to block out a few days to explore the smörgåsbord of edibles offered in the Land of 10,000 Restaurants…err…make that “Lakes.”
10 Best Restaurants for Super Bowl Fans
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Alma
It’s a restaurant! No, it’s a café! No, it’s a hotel! Actually, Alma is all of these things, which is what makes it perfect no matter what kind of diner you are. Pop in for a quickie breakfast pastry and espresso, make a reservation for a fancy prix fixe menu dinner, or just stay the night in the utterly Instagrammable “urban inn” and order room service. You’ll be spoiled rotten no matter which route you choose.
Photo: @almampls on Instagram.
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The Bachelor Farmer
When in Minnesota, eat like a Nordic native. What does that involve? Visiting The Bachelor Farmer for pork meatballs, duck liver pâté, or pheasant terrine with sprouted grains. In the mood to share an app? Order the Groaning Board: house-made charcuterie, preserved vegetables, and mustards. Pork fat-fried sweet potatoes or a warm popover with honey butter round out the comforting yet upscale sides. Despite its name, The Bachelor Farmer is a little frou frou so don’t come here with your bros; this is date night central.
Photo: @bachelorfarmer on Instagram.
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Hi-Lo Diner
Perhaps the most Instagrammed eatery in Minnesota, Hi-Lo Diner is a hot destination thanks to the throwback design, Hi-Tops (read: sweet and savory doughnuts that double as a meal), and ice cream cocktails. Try swinging by at night to avoid the crowds, which can get quite noisy inside this original 1957 Fodero Diner at peak times.
Photo: @hi_lo_diner on Instagram.
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Bar Brigade
If you love French food but despise pretension, march on over to Bar Brigade, an intimate little restaurant with lots of natural light and an old-fashioned wallpaper-brick-wood aesthetic in St. Paul. Tuck into wild boar crepes with mushrooms and greens, a ratatouille omelette, or grilled trout. Fun fact: Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum dined here once and rumor has it he loved the food so much he asked Chef J.D. Fratzke for cooking lessons.
Photo: @barbrigadestp on Instagram.
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Mucci's Italian
Two words: fried pizza. What more do you want to know, really? OK, maybe a little bit more than that. A quaint restaurant on a quiet St. Paul corner, Mucci's Italian is the place to go if you’re missing your grandmother’s Italian cooking. Indulge in a three-course meal or create your own feast from entrees like ravioli (pork shoulder, white bean ragu, pecorino, parsley), tagliatelle (squid ink pasta, mussels, clams, shrimp, cioppino verde), or a fried provolone sandwich. If you’re too full to sample everything, buy a frozen pizza – all named after women – to go.
Photo: @muccisitalian on Instagram.
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Revival
If you thought you could only get authentic fried chicken down south, you haven’t been to Revival. Chef Thomas Boemer is kicking ass on the fried chicken front at this one-room, no reservations restaurant so notorious for its grease-free, crispy-skinned poultry that lines have been known to form down the block at lunch and dinnertime. Choose from southern fried, Tennessee hot (hint: when they say “hot,” they mean it), poultrygeist, or gluten friendly chicken. Not a fried chicken fan? One: what’s wrong with you? Two: That’s OK. The Revival burger and the pimento grilled cheese with bacon will knock your socks off, too.
Photo: @revivalmn on Instagram.
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The Rabbit Hole
“Globally inspired street food” is how the couple behind popular fusion spot The Rabbit Hole describes their menu. Cleverly titled items like Fire in the Belly (seared pork belly with spicy chili sauce), Van Damme Good Brussels (brussels sprouts, bacon, onion, orange, mint, walnuts, parmesan), and the Rice Rice Baby (beef brisket, kimchi, fried rice, bacon, pickled jalapeno, soft poached egg, furikake) pack a lot of flavor punch. House-cut fries are elevated with kimchi aioli or as poutine. Save room for dessert in the form of Hotteok, a sweet pancake with cinnamon anise caramel.
Photo: @thelefthandedrabbit on Instagram.
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Matt's Bar
There is debate among Minnesotans regarding the origins, and the greatest incarnations, of the Jucy Lucy, but take our word for it: Matt’s Bar is where it’s at. This no-frills dive will have you chowing down on greasy, cheese-filled burgers oozing into lined baskets in no time.
Photo: @leentheburgerqueen on Instagram.
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Wise Acre Eatery
Admit it: you’ve been binging on fried foods, beer, and burgers in the name of the Super Bowl. Your body deserves a break. Head over to this locavore haven to clean both body and spirit in this farm-to-fork venue adorned with greenery from Tangletown Gardens across the street (the venues share owners). Menu items like CSA Hash and Shades of Winter Salad are simple, fresh, and made from scratch. Don’t forget to check out the take-home options to score bacon, summer sausage, and other edibles direct from the restaurant’s own farm in Plato, Minnesota to bring back home.
Photo: @wiseacreeatery on Instagram.
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Travail Kitchen and Amusements
If you’re in the mood for a dining experience that is as much about the theatrics of the food as it the taste, check out Travail. You’ll need an Uber or rental car to get there, as it’s slightly outside city limits, but the commute will be worth it when you’re staring down the artsy edibles served with flair. Like a real amusement park, you must ticket a purchase to ride (on the restaurant’s website). You’ll then be seated at a table with other brave eaters and be ushered through a slew of mysterious, masterful, and even flash-frozen courses by chefs who want to interact with you. Come hungry and ready to socialize.
Photo: @shannonlwoods on Instagram.
