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The Eater Mpls Heatmap: Where to Eat Right Now

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Restaurant obsessives want to know what's new, what's hot, which favorite chef just launched a sophomore effort, etc., and more often than not, tipsters, readers, friends and family of Eater have one question: Where should I eat right now? What is the "it" (ie, newest) place of the moment?

Thus, we offer the Eater Heatmap, which will change often to continually highlight where the food-focused crowds are flocking to at this very second. This time around, please welcome two new spots to the map, located in the very same building: Borough and Parlour, a brand-spanking-new restaurant/cocktail duo from two former Travail chefs.

Did we miss your personal favorite hot, new restaurant? By all means, let us know in the comments or email the tipline.


12/6/12: Added: World Street Kitchen, Union

11/15/12: Debuted: The Lynn on Bryant, The Left Handed Cook, Fika, Icehouse, The Gray House, Nightingale, The Kenwood, Café Maude at Loring, New Bohemia

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

The Lynn On Bryant

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One of the hottest openings this fall, the Lynn on Bryant comes to Minneapolis by way of a successful Kickstarter campaign, helmed by Chef Peter Ireland and front-of-the-house man Jay D. Peterson (the former long-time manager of Uptown bookstore Magers & Quinn). The casual neighborhood restaurant serves breakfast every day, as well as lunch and dinner, and will be packing lunch baskets in the summer for picnics at nearby Lake Harriet. Look for a shredded potato cake and perfectly poached eggs at brunch. At dinner, try the housemade paté or the fricasée of escargots.

The Gray House

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Ian Gray opened The Gray House in late September with his wife Katie Gray. The seasonally-focused menu changes frequently, but the pasta dishes - like the maltagliati with braised chicken or tortelle with ham hocks and figs - are particular standouts. Also try the goat burger with farmer's cheese and toasted squash seeds for an updated take on the menu staple.

World Street Kitchen

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World Street Kitchen has been open in Uptown for a little less than two weeks, and it's already stacked up rave reviews. Fans of the eponymous food truck will find their old favorites - like the Bangkok Burrito and the Yum Yum Bowl - as well as new dishes on Sameh Wadi's menu. Don't miss the MFC (Moroccan Fried Chicken sandwich) and the salted caramel soft-serve.

Nightingale

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Husband-and-wife duo Jasha Johnston and Carrie McCabe-Johnston opened Nightingale at the beginning of October and it has already become an Uptown staple. The eclectic menu includes a wide variety of small plates, but don't miss the duck soup dumplings and the bruschetta with roasted oyster mushrooms and fried quail egg. Of special note: The Nightingale kitchen stays open until 1 a.m., long after most places have stopped serving tots.

The Kenwood

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Don Saunders opened The Kenwood in late September to great reviews. For breakfast, there's a selection of pastries and granola or heartier options like cured salmon benedict and shrimp n'grits. The dinner menu includes an oyster sandwich with pork belly, spiced blue prawns with curried vinaigrette, and sauteed skate with brown butter and capers.

Union Restaurant & Rooftop

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With its mid-November opening, downtown restaurant Union brings rooftop dining to Minneapolis year-round. But the retractable glass roof isn't the only draw at Union. Jim Christiansen's menu holds its own, with must-have menu items like the already famed shallot-bacon donut holes. Wash them down with one of Minneapolis master bartender Johnny Michael's cocktails, also available at the building's basement-level nightspot, Marquee.

Borough

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This much-anticipated restaurant from two former Travail chefs just opened on Wednesday the 2nd. The menu is divided into small, medium, and large plates, and includes dishes like potato soup with champagne and black truffles and oxtail ravioli. Make a night of it and head to Parlour - the just-opened cocktail bar in the basement of Borough - for a digestif after dinner.

Parlour

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Located in the basement of the same building as just-opened Borough, Parlour is the latest entry into the Minneapolis cocktail scene. The bar brings the mixologist experience to your table, with bartenders making cocktails table-side, served from a bar cart. The drink menu - designed by Jesse Held, formerly of Eat Street Social - may soon include options for cocktail flights. A menu of small plates is also available.

New Bohemia Wurst + BierHaus

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Only a month on the scene, New Bohemia is already a popular Northeast spot. No surprise there - its menu is almost entirely concentrated on hitting the Minneapolis sweet spots of brats and beer. Look to the adventurous category on the wurst menu for sausages made out of pheasant, wild boar, alligator, and a rattlesnake-rabbit combo.

The Lynn On Bryant

One of the hottest openings this fall, the Lynn on Bryant comes to Minneapolis by way of a successful Kickstarter campaign, helmed by Chef Peter Ireland and front-of-the-house man Jay D. Peterson (the former long-time manager of Uptown bookstore Magers & Quinn). The casual neighborhood restaurant serves breakfast every day, as well as lunch and dinner, and will be packing lunch baskets in the summer for picnics at nearby Lake Harriet. Look for a shredded potato cake and perfectly poached eggs at brunch. At dinner, try the housemade paté or the fricasée of escargots.

The Gray House

Ian Gray opened The Gray House in late September with his wife Katie Gray. The seasonally-focused menu changes frequently, but the pasta dishes - like the maltagliati with braised chicken or tortelle with ham hocks and figs - are particular standouts. Also try the goat burger with farmer's cheese and toasted squash seeds for an updated take on the menu staple.

World Street Kitchen

World Street Kitchen has been open in Uptown for a little less than two weeks, and it's already stacked up rave reviews. Fans of the eponymous food truck will find their old favorites - like the Bangkok Burrito and the Yum Yum Bowl - as well as new dishes on Sameh Wadi's menu. Don't miss the MFC (Moroccan Fried Chicken sandwich) and the salted caramel soft-serve.

Nightingale

Husband-and-wife duo Jasha Johnston and Carrie McCabe-Johnston opened Nightingale at the beginning of October and it has already become an Uptown staple. The eclectic menu includes a wide variety of small plates, but don't miss the duck soup dumplings and the bruschetta with roasted oyster mushrooms and fried quail egg. Of special note: The Nightingale kitchen stays open until 1 a.m., long after most places have stopped serving tots.

The Kenwood

Don Saunders opened The Kenwood in late September to great reviews. For breakfast, there's a selection of pastries and granola or heartier options like cured salmon benedict and shrimp n'grits. The dinner menu includes an oyster sandwich with pork belly, spiced blue prawns with curried vinaigrette, and sauteed skate with brown butter and capers.

Union Restaurant & Rooftop

With its mid-November opening, downtown restaurant Union brings rooftop dining to Minneapolis year-round. But the retractable glass roof isn't the only draw at Union. Jim Christiansen's menu holds its own, with must-have menu items like the already famed shallot-bacon donut holes. Wash them down with one of Minneapolis master bartender Johnny Michael's cocktails, also available at the building's basement-level nightspot, Marquee.

Borough

This much-anticipated restaurant from two former Travail chefs just opened on Wednesday the 2nd. The menu is divided into small, medium, and large plates, and includes dishes like potato soup with champagne and black truffles and oxtail ravioli. Make a night of it and head to Parlour - the just-opened cocktail bar in the basement of Borough - for a digestif after dinner.

Parlour

Located in the basement of the same building as just-opened Borough, Parlour is the latest entry into the Minneapolis cocktail scene. The bar brings the mixologist experience to your table, with bartenders making cocktails table-side, served from a bar cart. The drink menu - designed by Jesse Held, formerly of Eat Street Social - may soon include options for cocktail flights. A menu of small plates is also available.

New Bohemia Wurst + BierHaus

Only a month on the scene, New Bohemia is already a popular Northeast spot. No surprise there - its menu is almost entirely concentrated on hitting the Minneapolis sweet spots of brats and beer. Look to the adventurous category on the wurst menu for sausages made out of pheasant, wild boar, alligator, and a rattlesnake-rabbit combo.

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