When you're often dismissed as a "fly-over" town, it can be tough to create a national buzz. But while millions flew over Minneapolis, the more modern half of the Twin Cities quietly remade itself by soliciting renowned architects to enchance its cityscape, opening chic hotels and upgrading the kitchens of its better restaurants.
The world first took notice with the Guthrie Theater (818 S. 2nd St.; 612-377-2224; guthrietheater.org), which last summer moved to a new home overlooking the Mississippi River. Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the industrial-style building stands where mills once made Minneapolis the country's flour-grinding capital. Inside are three theaters and Cue restaurant, whose chef, Lenny Russo, champions regional ingredients, like Wisconsin rabbit and Minnesota produce.
The Walker Art Center (1750 Hennepin Ave.; 612-374-7600; walkerart.org), fresh from a 2005 makeover by Herzog & de Meuron, is expanding its sculpture garden into the space formerly occupied by the Guthrie. Wolfgang Puck oversees the museum's new 20.21 restaurant, whose Asian-fusion fare is served in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows that grant guests stunning views of the city's basilica.
The parade of top architects continues downtown, where Cesar Pelli made his mark with the glass-enclosed Central Library (300 Nicollet Mall; 612-630-6000; mplib.org) and the New York–based Michael Graves designed a striking wing for the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (2400 3rd Ave. South; 612-870-3131; artsmia.org). Frank Gehry will return to the city in a few years with an addition to the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum (333 E. River Rd.; 612-625-9494; weisman.umn.edu), whose curving stainless-steel exterior he created in 1993.
As if the exhibits in the city's cultural institutions were not enough, art also takes center stage at the new Chambers hotel (901 Hennepin Ave.; 612-767-6900; chambersminneapolis.com), owned by real estate mogul Ralph Burnet. More than 200 works, by Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Gary Hume and others, are on view throughout the David Rockwell-designed property. The sixty contemporary rooms have high ceilings, large windows and bathrooms with custom-made glass tiles and heated floors.
The city's first hip hostelry, the Graves 601 Hotel (601 1st Ave. North; 866-523-1100; graves601hotel.com), which debuted in 2003, remains a deserving rival, with bold-colored interiors and a sleek restaurant. For something more traditional, there's the Grand Hotel Minneapolis (615 2nd Ave. South; 612-288-8888; grandhotelminneapolis.com), with Tuscan-style furniture and doormen in top hats.
Having trouble choosing? Let food be your guide. Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Chambers Kitchen (612-767-6999), the Chambers hotel's 190-seat restaurant, features Midwestern staples (glazed short ribs) as well as Asian-French dishes, such as spice-encrusted striped bass in a sweet-and-sour broth. The dining room's exposed ceilings and cement floors can make for a noisy meal, but with Vongerichten's cooking, you probably won't notice.
Of course, great food is not confined to the city's best hotels. Among the standouts that have raised expectations are Restaurant Alma (528 University Ave. Southeast; 612-379-4909); the funky 112 Eatery (112 N. 3rd St.; 612-343-7696); Spoonriver (750 S. 2nd Ave.; 612-436-2236), next to the Guthrie; Fugaise (308 E. Hennepin Ave.; 612-436-0777); and La Belle Vie (510 Groveland Ave.; 612-874-6440).
All dressed up with plenty to do and see, the new Minneapolis has no plans to slow down anytime soon—at least five upscale hotels, including a W, will be on the scene by the end of 2008. The ambitious projects, past and future, make one thing clear: this Twin City has become a worthy destination indeed.
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