World > U.S. > Minnesota > Minneapolis/St. Paul

Lucia's Restaurant and Wine Bar

<p>At this neighborhood favorite, Chef Lucia Watson creates a menu that debuts every Tuesday and concentrates on fresh local ingredients. It's a good place to try walleye—a delicate freshwater whitefish native to Minnesota's chilly lakes—which sometimes comes poached in a rich cream sauce and served with wild Minnesota rice. Diners choose from three distinct restaurant environments: the dining room, where fresh flowers and sunlight are the main décor; a wine bar for shoppers browsing Uptown's funky boutiques; and a bakery for those who want to pick up breakfast crêpes, salads, or Lucia's wildly tasty chocolate-sea salt cookies for a picnic at Lake Calhoun, just blocks away.</p> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Dine alfresco at one of the wine bar's sidewalk tables when the weather is nice, or request a window table, where the early evening light streams in.</P>