The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul used to be thought of by the rest of the country as little more than the frozen North. In recent years, though, these vibrant Northern Midwest cities have been gaining a well-deserved reputation as a culinary hotbed. Home to both nationally recognized chefs and homegrown soon-to-be-star chefs, the restaurants here come in all shapes, sizes and price points. What they have in common is an appreciation of the area’s diverse culture and local bounty, and an understanding of how passionate Minnesotans are about good food, good drink and especially good restaurants. If you’re new in town or just here for a quick visit, it can be hard to know where to start your culinary tour. This list should give you a good idea of what the Twin Cities have to offer.

While northern Minnesota may be the land of blueberries, Al’s Breakfast, in Minneapolis’ Dinkytown, is the land of, well, breakfast, at least in the Twin Cities. No visit here would be complete without a stop at Al’s, where the waitstaff is sassy, in that Minnesota-nice kind of way, and the pancakes are loaded with fresh blueberries and tons of crunchy walnuts. Yes, the food here is incredible, with highlights that include the famous “The Jose” — crispy hash browns topped with a mountain of melted cheddar, homemade salsa and a poached egg — and the addictive waffles, and the atmosphere is lively. Be prepared for a wait, though, because Al’s counter seats only 14 people. The line to get in can be long, but the wait is worth it. Besides, you may make a few friends — sharing body heat has a way of breaking the ice on a cold Minnesota morning.

Since 1994 the Broder family has been offering diners in the Twin Cities the chance to enjoy some of the finest that Italian cuisine has to offer. The Pasta Bar specializes in — you guessed it — pasta. The Broders are masters in the art of making pasta, but they also use the best imported pastas and risottos, combining them with local ingredients, some of which they grow right in their parking lot. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations and the wait for a table can be long, so you might want to go early. If you’re in a hurry, you can go to the Broders’ deli and specialty food shop right across the street to get a quick slice of pizza or a bowl of pasta to eat in or take out. If you’re short of time but would still like to sit down to a lovely meal, you can visit Terzo, the family’s newest Italian restaurant and wine bar, which is just a few doors down and serves the best porchetta in the city.

We Minnesotans can get uncharacteristically boastful when it comes to our burgers, and we should. Even President Obama paid a visit to Matt’s Bar, a no-frills joint that dates back to 1954 and lays claim to the Jucy Lucy, a burger with molten cheese stuffed inside the patties. In retro fashion, everything is served out of a basket here and your waiter will accept only cash.