SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS. Hearty southern Italian cuisine comes to South Minneapolis in this cozy restaurant. Yellow-gold paint and whimsical decorative touches create an intimate, welcoming space. Octopus with saffron potato and citronette makes for an unexpected starter, while updated classics like spaghetti with tomato and veal meatballs and gorgonzola-crusted steak with wild mushroom ragu populate the entrees menu. Arrive early to sip half-price bottles of wine between 4:30pm and 6:00pm.

SEWARD. Smartly decorated Birchwood is a coffee shop and cafe that also moonlights as an art gallery. Food offerings have a strong vegetarian slant and are prepared using fresh, locally grown, organic ingredients. Menu items range from pizzas and sandwiches to tofu curry and a quiche of the day. Birchwood also serves non-vegetarian items, including salmon cakes and turkey burgers. Breakfast and weekend brunch are popular with locals, too.

GRAND AVENUE. The long tradition of scrumptious food creation on Grand Avenue continues with the Butter Bakery Café. Whether taking a leisurely stroll down Grand Avenue or heading to work, you'll find Butter Bakery Café to be a quick and convenient stop where you can satisfy your cravings. If you're stopping in for breakfast, try the huevos burrito with scrambled eggs, cheese, potatoes and salsa or the omelet with potatoes. For an early lunch, try the fresh Patsy's BLT or Roast Beef sandwich. This popular Minneapolis breakfast restaurant and bakery also offers free high-speed, wireless Internet access for added convenience.

SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS. Younger sibling of El Meson (an energetic Spanish-Caribbean spot on Lyndale), Café Ena's specialty is Latin fusion cuisine. The intimate, subdued atmosphere fosters just the right environment for warming up to dishes you might not have tasted before. Start with chile en hogada (roasted poblano stuffed with ground beef, mango, and cucumber) while deciding on your main. When the time comes, the choice will be tough ­ pan-seared turkey with homemade mole, cardamom-blackened salmon over sautéed artichokes, or filet of corvina wrapped in a banana leaf ­ but not without delicious reward.

BLOOMINGTON. This charming restaurant has the distinction of delivering authentic, mouthwatering French cuisine. Elegant Collette recaptures the ambience of a quaint, 19th-century Parisian café or brasserie ­ dark wood accents, banquette seating, and tulip lamps. Favorite dishes include garlic-tinged bouillabaisse, coq au vin, crepes, and braised lamb shank with garlic potatoes.

DOWNTOWN. Keeping pace with the sleek, sexy aesthetics of the Graves 601 Hotel requires a restaurant designer's A-game, and that's just what happened when the plans were drawn up for Cosmos. Modern and cool, the space features furniture with low-profiles and clean, distinct lines, giving it a dramatic vibe that suits the downtown Theater District just right. The dinner menu lists inventive numbers like celery root tart and vanilla-butter poached lobster with sweet onion curry. Sunday "blunch," meanwhile, includes tasty benedicts, corned beef hash, and after 11am, even grilled pork loin and grass-fed Minnesota rib-eye.

SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS. This understated yet classy spot in South Minneapolis gets high marks for its intimate tables and wallet-friendly prices. But that doesn't mean the one-time bakery doesn't turn out creative fare ­ they do, in fact, and manage to utilize a fair amount of local ingredients along the way. Representative dishes from the dinner menu include a duck confit and garlic-lamb meatball cassoulet, polenta cakes, and braised short ribs with homemade spatezle. Weekend brunch features delights like corned beef hash made with Kobe brisket and huevos rancheros filled with Berkshire pork confit.

DOWNTOWN. Blood-red walls and stuffed vultures might not be the most inviting ambience for a morning meal, but the eats are so tasty at this road-food joint that you might not even notice. Try the house specialty, Mahnomin porridge ­ a warm blend of Minnesota wild rice, hazelnuts, cranberries, blueberries, cream and maple syrup that originated in American Indian cookery. Other equally appealing choices include ¼-lb. caramel rolls, huevos rancheros made with fresh salsa and rosti potatoes, and maple-glazed bison sausage. Be prepared: prices are commensurate with the quality of ingredients and the large portions. Not to be missed!

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT. Attracting patrons of all ages, this well-appointed addition to the Warehouse District earns its popularity with juicy cuts of meat, knowledgeable servers, and the winning combination of a quiet dining area and a lively bar. Retro relish trays and garlic cheese bread are delicious preludes to a tenderloin filet, T-bone, New York strip, or prime rib prepared to your specifications. A 24-oz. Cajun double pork chop is also a serious contender. Peach cobbler, apple crisp, and strawberry shortcake are simple yet sinfully good dessert choices. NB Sunday brunch is served family-style.

NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLIS. The menu mainstay at this landmark restaurant (since the 1930s) is a mouthwatering selection of steaks. Enjoy the legendary broiled New York sirloin or prime rib. An ultra-long bar has a stained glass window that depicts the seven dwarfs. Call ahead for reservations, and a black matchbook bearing your name will be waiting at your table.