112 Eatery
The city's toughest reservation can be a breeze for solo walk-ins content to take a seat at the snug brick-lined bar, where they can dive headlong into chef Isaac Becker's eclectic fare. The menu includes a refreshing crab salad, a bacon and fried-egg sandwich slathered in scorching harissa, and a category-killing burger.
Town Talk Diner
The chattiest bartenders in town preside over this retooled 1940s diner, dispensing retro cocktails and conversation with equal aplomb. Back in the kitchen, chef Tor Westgard cranks out modern spins on short-order classics. Highlights include fried chicken over wild-rice waffles, duck mini-burgers, batter-dipped sweet-and-sour pickles, and the strangely elegant cheese curds.
Al's Breakfast
Skip room service and greet the morning at this local legend, a funky 14-seat shoebox where generations of U of M nobodies and bigwigs alike have bonded, shoulder-to-shoulder, over "Wally Blues" (walnut-blueberry pancakes), haystack-like hash browns, tender waffles, and poached eggs drizzled with silky hollandaise.
Vincent
You'll leave this expense-account establishment knowing at least one Minneapolitan: chef Vincent Francoual, who makes it a habit to greet his customers. Traditional bistro fare includes escargot drenched in garlic butter, expertly prepared omelets, and lavishly stuffed crepes. And for something sweet, Francoual offers his favorite childhood dessert—madeleines served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.
Bank
The room alone is worth a visit: a soaring Art Moderne banking lobby paneled in enough teak to trigger an endangered-species alert. The tellers' windows have been opened up as a chef's counter, a prime address for enjoying New American cooking: crackling pork chops with dainty fried green tomatoes, tartare two ways (mellow salmon and spicy tuna), and pastry chef Liz Matheson's ingenious three-bite desserts.
Back to: Table for One: Minneapolis
