Diane’s Place

We're not the type to visit places that require reservations months out but a friend grabbed us some for 8am on a Saturday. I will say 2 things: definitely get reservations, and definitely go early! There's a reason Diane was nominated for a James Beard award and the pastries sell out quick. My friend and I opted to split 4 of the pastries while my wife got the, amazingly rich, Ham & Nori Croissant. The space is really intimate; which is to say kind of cramped. The tables are packed very close together so you should be comfortable with folks walking close to you. It's definitely an A+ date night vibe. The staff was all incredibly friendly and Diane even came by, delivering our sesame balls and giving an anecdote about some recent Bon Appetite reviewers stopping by.All the laminated pastries were really, really good. Super rich, lots of flaky layers, and just the right amount of crunch on the exterior. High quality butter and chocolate. The Scallion & Garlic Butter Danish was my personal favorite.The Mano Passion Fruit Croissant was more of a brioche than flakey, but that's not a bad thing. The cream was an egg custard consistency and the fruit lighted it up so you forget just how rich it all is. It was amazing, but splitting between 2 is the way to go.Star of the show were the sesame balls and salted caramel. They're unfilled clouds of fried, chewy deliciousness. The crispy sesame shell surrounds a crazy light, but still slightly chewy, interior that is perfectly complemented by the dark, salty-sweet caramel. Not the mochi consistency you see a lot of places and warrant a reservation all by themselves.

Diane's place was a pleasant surprise, with food that even the most basic foodies would enjoy. I enjoyed the Thai Tea, French Toast, Green Scallion, and Garlic Croissant. I found both to be delicious, but I gave this restaurant four stars because a lot of the dishes on the menu had pork in them with no substitution. As someone who can't have pork, it made my choices quite limited, but the staff was incredibly accommodating and kind. I sat at the bar next to a sweet couple who have made the tradition of bi-weekly coming to Diane's place for brunch. The atmosphere was vibrant, we people of all ages, and great joy held all around!For more restaurant reviews, visit https://readyourpaige.com/restaurant-review-dexters-an-american-classic/

IF YOURE READING AND DONT KNOW WHAT TO GET. ORDER THE MANGO LYCHEE CROISSANT NOW What an experience. This is what fine dining is supposed to be. I honestly will have to scrape the barrel to tell you anything bad about what I had. I am very suspicious about overhyped restaurants because I show up and the food is meh and I'm out dollars. In this economy??!! I'd rather stay home. lolOn to the review. I came here for lunch on a Thursday at 2 and it was busy. My friend made these reservations a month before. Don't kid yourself. You can't just show up. Make the reservation. The service was top notch. Our waiter was super attentive and we were sat immediately. Even offered a coat check! The space is gorgeous. The typical Minneapolis high end decor with light wooed. Textural elements. Plants. You know the vibe. Drink: friend got a cappuccino. I tried their beet non alcoholic cocktail( o forget the name now. But it was made of beet juice. Pineapple and pathfinder). It was alright not too beety. Not too anything tbh. I will have to try one of their cocktails some other time Food: Snacks: we haves and only got two things. The mango passion fruit lychee(MPL) croissant and the coconut pandan. Please for all that is holy. Get the MPL. WHAT. A. TREAT. I need ten of this every day for the rest of my life. Plus it's square??? How they do that ?? I don't care. Give me ten more haha. The coconut pandan was good too and pretty to look at but honestly pales in comparison to the MLPFor mains. We had the bean thread noodles and the Hmong sausage. The Hmong sausage and rice comes with a hot sauce that's spicy but in a good way. I like hot. So I was fine but I was shocked because place in Minneapolis like to say something is hot and then it's bland. I loved it. The noodles were in some sauce I need to be sold on shelves immediately. Just pure umami! So good. Sweet. Savory. Yummy I wish I didn't eat my MLP so fast cause I missed it when it was gone haha. Will be back immediately to try more things

this is a very cute small place in Northeast. Reservations were difficult to get so plan ahead of time. We had a reservation and still had about a five minute wait. The service was attentive and friendly, and the food came out very quickly. The Thai tea croissant was absolutely delicious. The filling was the perfect blend of Thai tea without being too sweet and the croissant was delicious. That was by far my favorite food. I also tried the chicken noodle soup, which was good, but personally, I found it lacked a little bit of flavor and salt and was a little bit bland. I also tried the egg cheese and sausage croissant, and the sausage was very big and overpowering in the dish, but not bad.I would definitely come here again, but probably just to take out some pastries.

Came here for brunch with a friend and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience! It was an easy going Tuesday morning so the vibe was nice and relaxing. The space is beautiful with small touches of handmade pieces throughout. The staff were so friendly and helpful. We shared everything on the menu because we wanted to try as many items as possible! - Loved the coconut croissant! Highly recommend.- Egg rolls were crispy and flavorful - Chicken noodle soup was comforting and warmed the belly but also had a unique spin on the traditional recipe Can't wait to come back for dinner!

We got so lucky snagging a bar spot here without a reservation - just a 30 minute wait! Highly recommend NOT being like me and booking a rezi before you come - it's small and popular (for good reason).The interior is so darling and cozy - dimly lit, simple walls and furniture, and definitely on the small side, but that makes for a great ambiance. We got a bar seat pair and it worked great.The maitre d/front of house was so friendly and kind when we came back for our ready table. It was a wonderful way to start the experience.I ordered the red bean latte cold, and was surprised with how pink it came! But it was delicious - hit the red bean flavor right on target.My friend got an almond croissant and I snuck a bite - absolutely delicious. It's no wonder their pastries are so beloved! We were near the door, and it looked like some folks were just getting beverages and pastries to go. Smart, if you just want a coffee and croissant and don't need a table.I had been hearing rave reviews about their chicken noodle soup, so I knew I had to have it. Gluten free and dairy free - win! And holy cow, it is a flavor explosion of cozy comfort in a bowl. The egg. The bamboo. The chicken. The homemade noodles. The BROTH. People, this is the best chicken noodle soup in the Cities.My friend got the chicken breakfast sandwich and really enjoyed it too!These magical flavors come at a cost: coffee drinks run $7-8 and the entrees run $18-$20, which felt high especially for the breakfast sandwich with no sides. This, for me at least, is more of a special occasion breakfast. But we still got out with 2 drinks, 2 breakfast entrees, and a croissant for ~$60, so not too bad! Absolute knockout on flavors - a must try.

We had the hardest time choosing what to order off of this incredible menu. We ended up splitting 3 pastries, and one entree and it might have been a bit much but we just NEEDED to try them all. For me the Coconut Pandan Croissant and the Green Scallion Danish were the stars. The staff was so unbelievably kind, and I loved the decor which had clear Hmong influences and was so sleek and modern and cozy at the same time.

Enjoyed trying out Diane's place!! I've been so excited to check it out! We started off with Mocktails that aren't officially on the menu yet they had a really great flavor. My friends had one with lemongrass, coconut kind of a like a citrusy cream soda. Mine had more of an earthy beet flavor that was really good. For an appetizers we ordered the vegetable egg rolls. They were delicious and came with a nice light lemony sauce. Perfect crunch! The red curry soup was really good and flavorful. They were super generous with the mussels. It also had bamboo shoots and prawn, and perfectly cooked soft boiled eggs. I had the sticky rice I kinda wish I had tried something a little more adventurous but it had a nice garlicky flavor and I loved that it also had tomatoes and broccolini. I could have added chicken maybe that would have provided the extra umfph I was missing. My friend ordered the pulled pork it came with sticky rice and a delicious sauce with a mild heat that was very flavorful. We also ordered croissants one chocolate and one almond that was really good and flaky! I'd definitely recommend going and I think next time I'll be sure to make room for dessert. My only complaint is the lack of dishes under $20 but all in all was an enjoyable evening and the staff were all so kind and helpful. The staff recommends sharing 4-6 dishes that'd make a pretty pricy evening. I'd definitely like to go back for pastries!

Pastries are amazing. Entrees are decent. We got the duck n rice, pan fried noodles, papaya salad and hmong sausage croissant.Of all the entrees during brunch, the pan fried noodles was the best dish. Duck n rice was overwhelming with herbs. A bit too savory. A little chili sauce probably would've made a difference. Papaya was too limey for our taste. Hmong sausage croissant - the sausage was great on its own. Didn't like the pickled greens in. Kind of threw off the taste. Restaurant is a bit tiny but very elegant with the beautiful decors. Service was great. Will probably go back during dinner hours.

Diane's Place is an exceptional dining experience for all the right reasons. As soon as you walk in to the space, the warm glow of ambient light mixed with the soft blonde wood fills the space with a warmth that instantly put me at ease. Her melding of Hmong cuisine with fine dining technique and finishes were present in each dish that came to the table. Light and full of developed flavor. Don't even get me started on what she's most known for, dessert! Insanely delicious restraint. I could go on and on. Don't walk, run to Diane's place while you can still get a table!