Young Joni

"Young Joni, by James Beard award-winning chef Ann Kim, is known for its exceptionally crackly wood-fired pizza. The Korean BBQ pizza pairs beef short rib with mozzarella and a soy-chile vinaigrette, and the La Parisienne is a prosciutto-and-Gruyere homage to the City of Light. Also notable are small plates like chile-glazed prawns and pork spare ribs in barbecue gochujang sauce. After dinner, slip into the back-alley speakeasy for cocktails. Online ordering is available for pickup and delivery." - Stacy Brooks

"Young Joni’s interior is all warm walnut tones, midcentury lines, and walls aglow with sconces and candles. It’s a great spot for an upscale pizza night out. Order a few to share, like the Korean beef short rib with mozzarella and soy-chile vinaigrette, or La Parisienne, made with prosciutto, Gruyere, and brown butter. After dinner, sneak to the moody Back Bar for a drink. James Beard Award-winning chef Ann Kim has been featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table." - Stacy Brooks

"Chef Ann Kim’s award-winning restaurant is a great choice for date night: The pizza is famously chewy, airy, and inventive, and the ambiance is intimate and warm, all walnut tones and candlelit tables. Slip through the alley into the basement speakeasy for a drink after dinner. The Korean BBQ pizza — made with short ribs, mozzarella, and soy-chile vinaigrette — is a favorite, as is La Parisienne, with prosciutto and brown butter." - Justine Jones, Eater Staff

"Young Joni, by James Beard award-winning chef Ann Kim, may be the North Star of the Twin Cities’s pizza scene. These pies are known for their exceptionally crackly, thin crust: the Korean BBQ pizza pairs beef short rib with mozzarella and a soy-chili vinaigrette; La Parisienne is a prosciutto-and-gruyere homage to the City of Light. Also notable are small plates like chili-glazed prawns and lamb meatballs in a harissa-tomato sauce. After dinner, slip into the back-alley speakeasy for cocktails." - Eater Staff

"This hidden bar behind Young Joni is just as popular as the award-winning restaurant it’s attached to. Sneak down the alley and look for the red neon light, which indicates if the bar is open (a limited number of customers are allowed at a time inside). This intimate room, cloaked in dark florals and velvet, feels like your chic grandma’s basement setup. (That is, if your grandma had a 1970s-era reel-to-reel playing in the background.)" - Justine Jones, Alex Lodner