Restaurants in Minneapolis

Pastoral services take place daily at the nonprofit Café El Meson, which provides literature and camaraderie in order to bridge the gap between Christian religious practice and daily life. Beyond a nook containing the sandwich counter and the espresso machine, wood tables spread out under an A-frame ceiling, and armchairs cozy up to a fireplace. Visitors sup on the El Meson sandwich, a ham, turkey, and pepper-jack shindig held on a focaccia-bread dance floor, and they imbibe blended drinks flavored with mango, peach, and other fruit flavors. Musical instruments displayed near the entrance evince a commitment to creative collaboration, and a gurgling fountain on the patio reveals what regular speech therapy can do for a puddle.

The first IHOP—the dream of founders Al and Jerry Lapin—opened in 1958 in Toluca Lake, California, and was originally dubbed the International House of Pancakes. Since then, rapid expansion has led to myriad milestones across the company's colorful history, from introducing its modern IHOP acronym in 1973 to its 1,000th restaurant opening in Layton, Utah, in 2001.

Today, the company stands strong with around 1,500 locations across North and Central America, each one an enthusiastic dispenser of pancakes, french toast, and tables constructed entirely out of bacon. Though IHOP is known as a bastion of breakfast, it also stays open during the day and into the evening, delivering lunch and dinner as well.

The chefs at Hot Wok Delivery stir-fry Chinese and Cambodian dishes before whisking them to diners' tables or homes. During lunch and dinner rushes, they man flaming stovetops, sautéing chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, and vegetables to thread into noodle entrees and combination plates. Before meals fly from the kitchen, the chefs finish them with a quick splash of sauce, adding either sweet or savory notes or imbuing them with a fiery sauce spicier than a jalapeño's memoirs.

Although the red-walled dining room includes three booths at which customers can sit, the staff also delivers orders, shuttling food to family dinners or lengthy daguerreotype posing sessions.

Chez Daniel executive chef Wilver Sanchez interprets the cuisine of France with an eye for artful presentation, simple and fresh ingredients, and a creative sensibility. Attentive servers welcome diners with appetizing small plates, covering nude tables with plump escargot baked in garlic butter and house-smoked salmon toast. Lobster ravioli is tossed with sautéed mushrooms before making a dazzling midmeal entrance in a mantle of roasted artichokes and lobster-tarragon sauce, while filet mignon is served with potatoes and a classic béarnaise sauce. During lunch, a more casual midday menu features sandwiches such as an open-faced beef-tenderloin sandwich with cambozola-cheese fondue, and plates heaped with chicken fettuccine. Chez Daniel also features a list of weekly specials. The dining room's exposed-brick, lofty archways, and elaborately adorned tables entice customers with an atmosphere as elegant as a tablecloth woven from Charlemagne’s beard.