Here in Minnesota we're fortunate to be able to take advantage of award-winning restaurants, top-notch craft breweries, and one-of-a-kind little bars and cafes.

Earlier in the week we highlighted three Minnesota restaurants that have been included in a national list of the 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in the country. Just in time for Valentine's Day.

On the heels of that announcement, Esquire has come out with their annual list of the 35 Best New Restaurants in America -- and one Minnesota eatery has made the cut.

This year's honor goes to Vinai in Minneapolis. Chef Yia Vang says that the restaurant's focus is to highlight Hmong cuisine, presented in a culture that is finally putting some respect on its name.

Yia Vang is a Hmong-American, born in a refugee camp in Thailand in 1984 after his family fled Laos following the Vietnam War -- arriving in America in 1987 at the age of three.

In 2016, Vang opened around 100 popup food spots in the Twin Cities that he called the Union Hmong Kitchen. A brick & mortar version opened in Minneapolis in 2021. The Union Hmong Kitchen became the first Hmong-owned vendor at the Minnesota State Fair in 2022. A second brick & mortar location has since opened in Minneapolis -- and was featured on Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives with host Guy Fieri in 2024.

Trip Advisor's Ten Best Restaurants in Minneapolis

This is for the next time you head to the cities and are looking for a nice dinner. The team at Trip Advisor of a list of their ten best places to eat.