Stelline Italian Kitchen

1304 NE 2nd St

From the owners of Travail Kitchen, Stelline Italian Kitchen brings handmade pasta and down-to-earth Italian cooking to Northeast Minneapolis. Italian for "little stars," Stelline is a nod to the former Stargazer Bar it replaced and tiny, star-shaped pasta. This isn't a special occasion restaurant — it's a neighborhood spot for family dinners, drinks with friends, and low-key weeknights. Their pasta menu has everything rom spaghetti pomodoro and ricotta gnocchi to stuffed French onion cannelloni, and they have a couple stand-out main entrees, such as chicken piccata and duck confit. Kids will have trouble choosing between the buttered noodles, chicken nuggets, and mozzarella sticks on the kids menu.

Saffron

165 13th Ave NE

The highly anticipated return of Saffron, the restaurant of Palestinian-Minnesotan Chef Sameh Wadi that closed a decade ago, is here. Saffron brings Palestinian cuisine to Minneapolis by utilizing some of the oldest cooking techniques in the world, blended with modern influences and Minnesotan flavors. For example, roasted red cabbage is served on a bed of beet yogurt (paying homage to the Eastern European immigrant roots of Northeast Minneapolis) and seasoned with Arabic spices. Charred dates, grilled blue prawns and charcoal grilled prime beef shish are other menu highlights.

Robb Jones, the beverage director who kicked off his career at the original Saffron, returns with an unforgettable drink list. You'll find cocktails like a tahini piña colada and za'atar martini. But most notably, the restaurant offers some of the last cases of Philokalia's Grapes of Wrath, a traditionally fermented white wine made from vineyards crushed by the Israeli military. The wine represents Palestinian resistance, as the vines grew back around boulders and continue to thrive today.

The Side Door at Dexter's

3717 W 50th St

A new food hall from Daniel del Prado's restaurant group is now open near 50th and France. The Side Door at Dexter's is home to three culinary concepts. Daq Daq offers Korean fried chicken and noodle dishes, Rose Sushi serves nigiri and sushi rolls, and Lucia's makes pizza and salad.

Square Roots

2700 E Lake St

A new Afro Creole Southern restaurant has moved into the Historic Coliseum Building in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis. Square Roots unites culinary traditions of the past with innovations that shape Southern and Afro Creole cooking today. Popular dishes include bayou bucatini with Creole red sauce, lobster and crawfish, wagyu short rib, and sweet potato pommes puree with brown sugar, honey and butter.

Square Roots is more than a restaurant — it offers a paid 22 week hospitality residency for young adults ages 18-24. They train next to culinary and restaurant professionals while earning wages, developing skills, earning certifications and building relationships that lead to future employment opportunities.

Martiya

3036 Nicollet Ave

Abdirahman Kahin, founder of Afro Deli, just opened Martiya, an fine-dining restaurant specializing in Somali and East African cuisine. The dinner menu includes lamb suugo with spaghetti, coconut cod curry, and steak frites with xawaash fries and more. Order sambusas, kebabs and tamarind honey prawns to share at the table. Stay after the plates are cleared for Somali tea and conversation!

Umami Sushi & Chinese Cuisine

220 Lowry Ave NE

Making fresh, high-quality sushi and classic Chinese dishes, Umami is a new Asian fusion restaurant great for takeout or dining in. Their signature offerings include premium assorted sashimi, creative specialty sushi rolls, sushi combo platters, tempura appetizers, poke bowls and traditional Japanese gyoza.

Bill's Bait Shop

3101 E 42nd St

Reminiscent of a Northwoods bar, Bill's Bait Shop is a nostalgic but new spot for walleye fish n' chips, burgers, walleye po boys, and affordable drinks. Named for the owner's grandfather, the restaurant is decorated with hallmarks of rural life. The mallard decor, fish mounts, old beer signs and vinyl cushioning along the edge of the bar will make you want to stay awhile.

Killen's Irish Pub

324 N 6th Ave

There's a new Irish pub open in Minneapolis' North Loop! Killen's menu includes favorites like fish and chips, a ham and cheese toastie (also known as the "famous Dublin Pub Toastie") grilled skewers and salads. On tap you'll find Guinness, Harp and Smithwick's red ale. Each table has a view of a TV, perfect for sporting events, and all of the pub's decorations were imported from Ireland. Killen's is open every day of the week.