Eli's Bar & Grill   

When you walk into Eli's, the first thing you notice is that there isn't much to notice. Maybe the huge oil painting and the chalkboard next to it listing weekly specials. But none of the chic of downtown Hennepin's west end rehab has seeped through the doors of this tavern. The long bar has a lot of typical looking stools; tables and walls are simply adorned. It's an old-timey place making an effort to please area hipsters, however, food-wise. The menu leans toward All-American coupled with eclectic -- you can order creatively prepared salmon or pastas, or a $6 hot dog. Homemade gazpacho and the amusingly titled Jim Marshall Vegetarian Burrito will please the meat-free diner. If you like fries, the 6 or 7 giant steak fries you can get with your sandwich will do you fine. Eli's is a bar, after all, so expect a nice selection of beers and spirits, and a surprisingly good wine list. From day to day, this deep, narrow room can be either as quiet as a monastery or hopping with life. In the evening, few nearby parking options may require circling the block for an unused meter off Hennepin. -- John Sharpe