Nice dinner around 4pm downtown

My wife and I are going to a concert in St. Paul at 6pm November 1st, but are staying at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Minneapolis. I was hoping to hit up one of the nicer restaurants/steakhouses before the concert for a treat, but it looks like most don%26#39;t open until 5pm or later on the weekends.

Any suggestions on someplace good to eat around the hotel? She loves lobster and I was hoping to get her one a step up from our local Red Lobster, but that%26#39;s not looking hopeful. So any other suggestions? Price range would probably be around $80 for the two of us.

Any other sites that might be a little romantic would be nice too. She likes photography, so I figured we%26#39;d check out the falls and the stone bridge in the afternoon.

Nice dinner around 4pm downtown

I knew that date rang a bell.....there are two college hockey games at the Xcel Energy Center beginning at 4PM adn then 7PM Parking will be a nightmare.

I will leave restaurant recommendations in Mpls to those more qualified.

Good luck.

www.xcelenergycenter.com/events/detail.jsp…

Nice dinner around 4pm downtown

I checked www.opentable.com and there are a few places downtown that are open at 4pm. Rock Bottom Brewery, McCormick and Schmicks to name a couple. Go to the website put in Minneapolis, the date and time and you can actually make a reservation. They give descriptions, menus, pricing etc... very useful. Good luck.

From what I could find that fit your bill, I would recommend Mannys %26amp; the Monte Carlo.

Also, in regards to romantic, scenic locations, try Loring Park/Walker Sculpture Garden, E %26amp; W River Parkway, Theodore Wirth Parkway and any of the lakes in the city. Colors are peaking right now, you may luck out and catch the tail end.

BTW, if you go to St Anthony Main, be sure to explore the Guthrie. It%26#39;s free to just explore and has a great bar/resaurant. The cantilever balcony is a great romantic view, esp at night. And you really shouldn%26#39;t miss Nyes and the world%26#39;s most dangerous polka band.

Attached to the Radisson, is a nice restaurant called Firelake.

The lunch menu runs til 5 p.m., then turns to dinner menu. I%26#39;ve eaten their before for Christmas, as they are one of the few places open that day.

I would go back.

www.firelakerestaurant.com/directions.php

also -

Dinner starts at 4 p.m. at Manhattans in LaSalle Plaza. It%26#39;s fairly new - never tried it yet, but I do want to. I%26#39;ve heard good reviews. Basically, around the corner from Radisson, south on Hennepin a block.

http://www.manhattansmpls.com/

I was looking at the calendars for downtown St. Paul and wow, it%26#39;s going to be really busy. The two (possibly) sold out hockey games at the X I mentioned earlier, a concert at Roy Wilkens, and an opera at the Ordway. I would suggest checking if your hotel or restaurant runs a shuttle to the St. Paul.

Not sure what venu you%26#39;re heading toward so I%26#39;m using the X as the center point.

In St. Paul a place like Mancini%26#39;s usually runs a shuttle to the X. Far from elegant but a local landmark and very good steaks (they have lobster).

http://www.mancinis.com/

Another St. Paul landmark is the Lexington, though I doubt they run a shuttle.

http://www.the-lexington.com/

Another place in St. Paul I really like is the Downtowner Woodfire Grill. It%26#39;s an easy 4-5 block walk to the River Center/Xcel center and has a wonderful atmosphere.

http://www.downtownerwoodfire.com/

I think sully brings up a good point. You might want to take measures not to have to drive downtown. You could, for example, drive to St. Paul (outside of downtown) to have dinner and arrange a taxi to take you to the show and back from the restaurant in St. Paul, which will be no more cost than the parking would be. (certainly don%26#39;t take a cab from Minneapolis -- way too spendy)

I think Mancini%26#39;s is a good suggestion. It%26#39;s just outside downtown on West Seventh, which you%26#39;d follow to get downtown.

It%26#39;s a little kitschy, but it%26#39;s an old-fashioned char house that is a bit of a neighborhood inistitution (I work about 12 blocks from it). And I know they open at 4:30. And I know they have lobster. I like the place because it%26#39;s old-fashioned. But if you%26#39;re looking for the new-age elegance, probably want another spot.

Have a look at the web site, which has pictures to show you the decor and menu.

http://mancinis.com/

If Mancini%26#39;s doesn%26#39;t fit what you%26#39;re looking for, a step up in style is the Lexington (which sully also mentioned -- we must think alike), which is gorgeous (altho spendy). It%26#39;s in St. Paul, just farther away. Certainly not walking distance to downtown. But an option nonetheless, as it opens at 4:30. Also, you could park and eat there and drive close to downtown following the gorgous route from Grand to Summit Hill to West Seventh.

I%26#39;m just really coming up with restaurants in downtown Mpls that open before 6 or 7 except for a few spots along Nicollet Mall that don%26#39;t seem to fit a nice dinner theme. Just trying to broaden the options.

For a downtown St. Paul location, Kincaid%26#39;s might fit your bill.

http://www.kincaids.com/index.php?locations=St.+Paul

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I%26#39;ve got a lot to choose from now. And thanks for mentioning how busy it%26#39;s going to be in St. Paul that day. We%26#39;re going to the Roy for the Rock the Vote show there, so the warning is appreciated. I think we%26#39;re going to the MN Music Cafe afterwards to see a friend%26#39;s band (Hairball), so maybe we%26#39;ll just park there and catch a taxi to the Roy, then back to the cafe after the show.

MN Music Cafe is near one of my favourate pizza places in the Twin Cities -

Red%26#39;s Savoy Pizza - just off 94 - to the north

http://www.theoriginalredssavoypizza.com/