Elegant and comfortable, this historic workingman’s bar and cafe is a real piece of Minneapolis, featuring a magnificent copper-topped bar, with bottles stacked to the pressed-tin ceiling. Framed photographs of TC notables cover the walls. Beyond the bar, the long and narrow dining room features cushy burgundy booths and linen-draped tables.

While scores of trendy, high-concept bars and eateries compete for nightlife dollars in downtown Minneapolis, Eli’s has remained a simple staple. Beyond the formidable list of beer, wines and spirits, you’ll find a full food menu all day long: burgers, salads, chicken wings, pasta dishes and Vienna beef hot dogs.

Named “Best French Restaurant” by Mpls St. Paul Magazine, Barbette has also received “best of’s” from local press for its late night dining, desserts, wine list, date spot, music, and, of course, those French fries that accompany the steak frites. We use local and organic ingredients, presenting food in a casual, eclectic, bistro atmosphere.

Alex Roberts, famed chef and co-owner of local darling Restaurant Alma, recently opened Brasa Rotisserie in Northeast, combining the Peruvian model of wood-charcoal roasted meats with the American Southern soul-food model of a meal in which your choice of meat is paired with three side dishes.