TGIF

I thought I'd start a tradition and offer up suggestions for weekend dining every Friday.

Town Talk Diner- www.towntalkdiner.com This is not your ordinary diner. Be sure to try their distinctly Minnesotan appetizers: fried cheese curds and frickles (fried pickle slices). They also offer tasty "grown-up milkshakes" (spiked with extra goodness). ($-$$)

Brasa- www.brasa.us/ This is one of my favorite places in the Northeast neighborhood of Minneapolis. They call themselves a premium rotisserie, but I like to think it is more of a Southern Creole meets Soul Food. Some of my favorite dishes: rustic style cheese grits, creamed spinich with jalepeno, fried sweet plantains, slow-cooked collard greens with smoked turkey, roasted yams with andouille sausage. I love their open air seating when the weather is nice...they open up two huge steel & glass garage doors to accommodate patio seating ($ to $$)

Busters on 28th- http://www.busterson28th.com/ Not only do they have a HUGE beer list (116 different bottled beers alone!), they also have very reasonably priced food that is a notch above your typical bar menu. Great neighborhood feel...you can tell the place attracts a lot of locals (always a good sign). ($-$$)

Nick & Eddie- www.nickandeddie.com Overlooking Loring Park, this is a nice bar / restaurant....has a slightly upscale feel to it. Wedged right in between Cafe Lurcat and Joe's Garage so you can always do a bit of bar hopping if so compelled. One note of warning: the potato gnocchis are not good! ($-$$)