Dining in the Twin Cities Before and After the Super Bowl By John Mariani

MERITAGE 410 St. Peter Street St. Paul 651-222-5670 Meritage--a union of “merit” and “heritage”--looks very close to a true Parisian brasserie, modern while wearing its original 1919 décor well. Tilia’s success has as much to do with its drop-in atmosphere and very friendly young staff as with a menu aiming to please a wide range of people, from those who just come for a cheeseburger—a towering edifice with tiger sauce mayo, griddled onions, cheese and dill pickles —and a local beer called Surly, to those who begin with a striped bass crudo with avocado, pistachio and lime and a delicious, creamy chicken liver mousse with a fried baguette and a bottle of wine. ZEN BOX IZAKAYA 602 Washington Avenue South Minneapolis 612-332-3936 Minneapolis hasn’t a heck of a lot of good restaurants open for lunch, so it’s easy enough to see why Zen Box Izikaya is always full. Beyond its convenience, however—and it’s near U.S. Bank Stadium—the real draw is the tantalizing Japanese and Asian food and the engaging personalities of wife-and-husband owners Lina Goh and John Ng, who opened Zen Box in 2012 with a riot of colors, Japanese calligraphy and Japanese toys arrayed along the counter. SAINT DINETTE 261 East 5th Street St. Paul 651-800-1415 Located in what’s called Lowertown, Saint Dinette is devoted largely to a small plate menu, though, as you might imagine, plates in Minnesota are quite a bit larger than they might be on the coasts.