Joan's in the Park
Minnesota
Joan's in the Park is a small restaurant in Saint Paul's Highland Park, run by chef Susan Dunlop and front-of-house owner Joan Schmitt. Its 35-seat dining room and covered patio of similar size create an intimate setting, with ordinary reservations limited to groups of six. The four-course menu lets diners choose a dish at each stage, with optional wine pairings and desserts ordered separately. The cooking moves from poached shrimp with carbonara cream or steak tartare to pasta and dumplings, then market fish, short rib or pork schnitzel. Brown butter pudding with chocolate, caramel, whipped cream and sea salt illustrates the dessert style.