Nightlife : Buzz

Thanks to Scandinavian-inspired cuisine, Minneapolis has landed on Travel + Leisure's list of the Hottest Travel Destinations of 2013.
 
The magazine highlighted the "foraging-and-farming ethos" of Copenhagen's famed Noma restaurant as represented at Bachelor Farmer, which has the city's first-ever rooftop garden.
 
Also given a nod was Fika, the American Swedish Institute's new cafe, which opened in June. One to watch, the magazine notes, will be Union, run by Noma alum Jim Christiansen.
 
Only 13 destinations worldwide were chosen for the list, and Minneapolis was the only U.S. city to nab a spot. Other locales that got a nod include Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Marseilles, and Nepal.

The Capital Grille and Restaurant Alma, both located in Minneapolis, won rave reviews from the users of the OpenTable restaurant reservation system recently, landing both eateries on the site's "Top 100 Best Restaurants of 2012" list.
 
OpenTable notes that the list is based on over five million reviews from the diners who use the site. Reviews for more than 15,000 restaurants were considered in compiling the list.
 
Although both Minneapolis restaurants lean toward fine dining, the two local favorites chosen certainly have very different approaches. The Capital Grille is part of a nationwide chain of upscale steak-and-seafood restaurants, while Restaurant Alma derives its charm from the inventiveness of its owner/chef, Alex Roberts.
 
As for the rest of the list, California was the big winner, with 24 restaurants represented, followed by New York.

On its inaugural list of America's Best Hipster Neighborhoods, financial magazine Forbes chose Minneapolis' North Loop as one of its picks.
 
To define "hipster," the publication searched through data on more than 250 neighborhoods in the largest U.S. cities, and looked for factors like the number of coffee shops per capita, the diversity of food trucks and farmers markets, walkability, the percentage of residents who work in artistic occupations, and the number of bars and restaurants.
 
The North Loop, also known as the Warehouse District, was recognized as "hipster" for its large warehouse spaces that have been converted to apartments, boutiques, and restaurants. Forbes also added: "Bike trails, a park and an arts collective also boost the hipness quotient." The North Loop came in 12th out of 20 neighborhoods.
 
At the top of the Forbes list was Los Angeles' Silver Lake, San Francisco's Mission District, and Brooklyn's Williamsburg.

The Twin Cities is full of incredible finds, from avant-garde desserts to haute tater tots, according to Food & Wine magazine.
 
In its August issue, the publication features the insights of writer Kate Krader, who visited Minneapolis on a restaurant research trip.
 
"I lost my heart to Minneapolis and its awesome restaurants, bars and bakeries," she writes. "Plus, it's hard not to adore a city where such good restaurants are so inexpensive, at least when you're used to New York City prices."
 
Krader provided short write-ups on a number of local restaurants, including Travail Kitchen & Amusements, Victory 44, The Bachelor Farmer, Haute Dish, and Tilia.
 

According to a Scarborough Research report, Minneapolis is among the top microbrew-drinking cities in the country.
 
About seven percent of adults had a microbrew within the past 30 days, putting it at 10th in the nation, tied with five other cities, including San Diego, Tucson, Austin, and Hartford.
 
At the top of the list were Denver and Portland, which reported that 13 percent of their adult population had sampled a microbrew within the past month.
 
The report notes: "Microbrews, or craft beers, are a terrific example of how localism has become trendy." Brands would do well to capitalize on the consumer loyalty that comes with rooting for the home team, or visiting neighborhood hot spots, the research firm suggests.

Local sushi lovers, rejoice: one of the country's top new sushi restaurants is in Northeast Minneapolis.
 
Masu Sushi and Robata was recognized by gourmet magazine Bon Appetit, in its debut of the BA Top 10, a monthly roundup of the best new restaurants and bars nationwide.
 
The magazine highlighted the restaurant's silky scallop sashimi, as well as a Firecracker roll that's packed with shrimp tempura, snow crab, cucumber, avocado, and spicy tuna. Also notable is the "tasty bowl of ramen" on the menu.
 
Other new sushi spots on the list included restaurants in Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York.

First came the James Beard Award nominees, and now comes Food & Wine magazine's competition for "Best New Chef." It's official: the Twin Cities are a gourmet paradise.
 
The magazine divided the country into 10 regions, and chose 10 restaurants from each. Four Minnesota chefs are on the list for the Midwest region.
 
The contenders are Sameh Wadi from Saffron Restaurant in Minneapolis, Landon Schoenfeld from HauteDish in Minneapolis, and Mike Brown and James Winberg, both from Travail Kitchen & Amusements in Robbinsdale.
 
Readers were asked to choose their favorites by voting on the magazine's website, and winners will be announced soon.

Four local eateries landed on a list of restaurants that provide the best service in the United States.
 
Compiled by restaurant reservation service OpenTable, the list is based on reviews submitted by users of the website.
 
The quartet that rose above the others locally: Acqua Restaurant and Wine Bar in White Bear Lake, Capital Grille and La Belle Vie in Minneapolis, and Joan's in the Park in St. Paul.
 
"A huge part of what makes many of these restaurants great are the people themselves, working tirelessly to delight their patrons," OpenTable noted about the list.

The prestigious James Beard Awards recognize the top chefs and restaurants in the nation, and the competition is usually fierce.
 
This year, the Twin Cities had 13 spots on the semifinalists list, including new restaurant The Bachelor Farmer and renowned chef Tim McKee of La Belle Vie.
 
Restaurant Alma was named as a contender for Outstanding Restaurant, and in terms of outstanding service, Manny's Steakhouse garnered a nod. In the chef category, St. Paul favorites Lenny Russo and Russell Klein got nods, along with Piccolo's Doug Flicker, Tilia's Steven Brown, and others.
 
Winners will be announced at the beginning of May.

RateBeer, a site that compiles reviews of beers, bars, brewpubs, and festivals, has released a list of the "Best Brewers in the World" for 2012, and two local breweries have found a place among the best.
 
Town Hall Brewery (at #42 on the list) and Surly Brewing Company (#11) are recognized alongside some of the world's most notable breweries from the U.S., Belgium, Norway, Italy, and other countries.
 
The list includes 100 breweries, and recognizes Three Floyds Brewing Company in Indiana as the best in the world, followed by two Michigan breweries.

A cocktail pioneered by a Minneapolis country club in the early 20th century got some 21st century attention, in a recent Reuters article on the city's dining-and-cocktail culture.
 
Dubbed The Bootleg, the drink is a fizzy, sweet-and-sour mix that's similar to a Tom Collins, but features a touch of mint. There doesn't seem to be a standard recipe, the story notes, and some are made with frozen lemonade mix and 7-UP, while others are blended with grenadine and orange juice.
 
True to its name, The Bootleg isn't on cocktail menus, but the article notes that many Twin Cities bartenders know how to mix them. In the story, a recipe is included from La Belle Vie's bartender, Johnny Michaels, for those who want to shake up some speakeasy glamor at home.

Restaurant guide Zagat released its annual list of the Twin Cities' best eateries, and many of last year's top restaurants earned high marks again.
 
La Belle Vie topped the list, with 112 Eatery coming in second. Also notable were Vincent, Restaurant Alma, Bar La Grassa, and Meritage, which all made last year's list as well.
 
Newcomers in the rankings were Heidi's, In Season, Masu Sushi, and Victory 44.
 
The annual, national Zagat guide blends the opinions and habits of more than 153,000 diners from around the country, and integrates those with over 1,500 reviews.

In its annual roundup of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the Twin Cities, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal named Crave Restaurants the zippiest private company.
 
Reporting growth of 437 percent over the past three years, Crave has found success in an otherwise challenging economic environment for restaurateurs. The company has six restaurants, including sites in Omaha and Orlando, and employs 600 people.
 
Crave CEO Kam Talebi told the Business Journal that a seventh location is already under construction in Coral Gables, Fla. He added that Crave's success comes from the strength of its concept, and the ability to anticipate the needs of its diners. 

Although California was named the best state for kid-friendly dining, Minnesota ranked high in kid-friendly options, according to online restaurant reservation site OpenTable.

The list of winners was culled from more than ten million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners, and included more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states.

Out of 100 top kid-friendly eateries, twelve Minnesota restaurants were recognized, with Buca di Beppo nabbing five spots for its family-friendly style in Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Minneapolis and St. Paul. Axel's Bonfire took three spots on the list for its locations in Blaine, Savage, and Woodbury.

Also making the list were Boca Chica Restaurant in St. Paul, Burger Jones near Lake Calhoun, and Good Earth and Mozza Mia, both in Edina.

Johnny Michaels, who works as a bartender at La Belle Vie restaurant in Minneapolis, was recently featured in Esquire magazine.

"Mixology is sort of like cooking with liquor," says Michaels in the interview, joking,  "With my looks and personality, I should've been a cook."  

He describes his good fortune to have wound up at La Belle Vie, which he imagines is "like getting drafted by the New England Patriots."

Although he claims he's not a popular "silver-tongued" charmer, he admits that he's in a good position to see people's moods brighten.

"What's good to hear is when people tell you, 'That's the best drink I've ever had in my life.' That's my crack. That's my home run," he says in the piece.