Restaurants in Hopkins

The Wilds Pub's all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch of more than 40 foodstuffs will challenge even the most triple-tummied bovine-Americans. Traditional breakfast items such as gooey cinnamon rolls, pillowy Belgian waffles, and omelettes made to order can sit pretty atop a bed of steaming hash browns or seasonal fresh fruit. First-course options include an assortment of salads, smoked salmon, and peel-and-eat shrimp. If you’re of a midday meal mindset, consider more sophisticated entrees such as the chicken amaretto, seafood pasta, or honey-glazed ham, roast turkey, and prime rib fresh from the carving station. And be sure to keep your leg hollow and your sweet-tooth sharpened for homemade pastries and soft-serve ice cream.

Creative dishes aim to turn the common meal into an artistic experience by adding international accents to classic country cooking. The Midwestern charm begins, as in any good farmhouse, with breakfast. Omelettes ($12) get a gourmet upgrade with options such as smoked salmon with brie and asparagus, or peppers with tomato, olives, and goat cheese. If your sweet tooth won't stop texting you, treat it to ricotta pancakes covered in raspberries and vanilla butter ($9) or irresistibly rich French toast with ginger cream, bananas, and walnuts ($10). Breakfast spills over into the lunch hour with the fried egg sandwich ($9), done up in its Sunday best with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, and tomato jam. For something more traditionally lunchy, stick with the classic bacon cheeseburger ($13) or the spinach salad ($7), thoughtfully tossed with pear, spiced pecans, bleu cheese, and sweet onion. Dinner brings out the big guns to help heat your bodily furnace through the harsh Minnesota winter, with most dishes built around a single, classic staple (meat, fish, fowl, or pasta). The juicy Black Angus tenderloin ($37) is inventively accented with pickled mushrooms and bleu cheese, while the veal chop ($38) comes with mac 'n' cheese, mustard greens, and barbecue sauce.

While dishes licked by line cooks turn the stomach, succulent meats licked by tongues of flame on the grill stimulate the salivary gland. Stacy’s Grille offers lunch and dinner menus composed of salads, sandwiches, soups, pastas, seafood, flame-tinged meats, and desserts. The Stacy’s Grille signature salad (with mixed greens, bleu cheese, dried cherries, pears, and raspberry vinaigrette, $8 for a large) or house-made chips and onion dip ($5) make delicious snacks or starters. On the first Sunday of every month (and Valentine's Day) Stacy's brunch menu offers a full breakfast buffet, select lunch selections, made to order omelette and waffles, and a dessert station ($17.95).

For nearly two decades, Chef Filippo Caffari mastered the skills of butchery in Rome. Since relocating to Minneapolis, the executive chef of The Butcher Block draws upon that training to prepare a range of organic, grass-fed, and sustainable meats. On his authentic Italian menu, mashed potatoes and mushrooms accompany marsala made with veal liver, and house-ground pork sausage flavors a rigatoni drizzled with truffle cream.

Even without meat, Chef Filippo brings out Italy's flavors with items like ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach. He concludes meals with desserts such as tiramisu infused with housemade limoncello and zucchini cake. To complement these delicacies, guests can peruse a wine list that features bottles from around the world, not just from around that abandoned train yard.

With three generations of restaurant-owning experience, the Kozlak family puts forward high-quality American fare with an emphasis on excellent service in a comfortable neighborhood setting. Only certified-Angus-beef steaks and prime rib, as well as fresh seafood, are found on the extensive menu. House cuts include the Bone-In Steer Tenderloin ($41.95), which is considered the finest steak available, fusing the flavor of the bone with the tenderness of the filet. The Filet Oscar ($42.95) is topped with crab meat and crisp asparagus and finished with smooth béarnaise sauce. For all non–beef eaters, the pinnacle of comfort food is found in the creamy abyss of the chicken pot pie ($12.95). There are many other chicken, lamb, pasta, pork, and seafood choices, including a dish that consists of watching neighboring diners feast.

Head chef and owner Jonathan Hunt changes al Vento Restaurant's menu daily, dreaming up seasonal dishes to showcase the many facets of southern Italian cuisine. Bubbling pizzas rouse palates from morning stamp-licking circles with crispy crusts and toppings such as fresh basil and tomato ($9.75) or juicy fennel sausage with herbed goat cheese ($11). Pasta dishes harness summer's rampant produce for plated tours of the countryside fueled by fettuccine mixed with asparagus, english peas, and cherry tomatoes ($14). Cooks complement tender chicken breast with italian pork sausage and velvety spinach risotto ($16.75) as knowledgeable servers help guests crown meals with jewel-toned beverages ($6−$10) from the wine and drink lists. Desserts, such as creamy, frozen pistachio custard with chocolate shavings ($6), soothe excited taste buds and cool heated arguments between spaghetti-Western cowboys.