AS architectural buffs will tell you, downtown Minneapolis is the coolest place to build on the prairie. There's the gleaming blue Guthrie Theater designed by Jean Nouvel along the Mississippi River, the sharp-edged Herzog and de Meuron addition to the Walker Art Center, and Cesar Pelli's luminous public library, to name the newest.

But now foodies are talking about Minneapolis, too. In another sign of a cultural awakening, dining out in this city of sensible industry is no longer confined to steakhouses (though, this being the Midwest, the steaks are pretty good). Recently, a crop of innovative restaurants have expanded the city's culinary landscape with their cosmopolitan mix of celebrity chefs and appreciation of organic and regional ingredients.

Among the first bold-faced arrivals was Wolfgang Puck, who opened 20.21 (1750 Hennepin Avenue, 612-253-3410; www.wolfgangpuck.com), a pan-Asian restaurant in the Walker Art Center (the name refers to the museum's 20th- and 21st-century art) in April 2005. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the new skyline, and patrons can see into the open kitchen. An amuse-bouche of cold Sichuan green beans and walnuts sets the stage for the sweet-and-spicy Shanghai pork noodles with mushrooms ($12).

Another celebrity chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, is behind the Asian-inspired menu at Chambers Kitchen, a busy, unfussy restaurant at the Chambers Minneapolis (901 Hennepin Avenue, 612-767-6999; www.chambersminneapolis.com), a luxury hotel filled with provocative works by Damien Hirst and other contemporary artists. The menu is just as dazzling, with dishes like oyster mushroom and avocado carpaccio drizzled with jalapeño oil ($10) and the spice-encrusted striped bass served with a buttery sweet and sour sauce ($28).

For the dinner-and-theater crowd, there's Cue (818 Second Street South, 612-225-6499; www.cueatguthrie.com), an open dining room in the Guthrie Theater with clear views of the Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls. Kent Buell's menu is built on ingredients produced by Midwestern farmers, fishermen and foragers, like the pecan-wood-smoked breast of Minnesota free-range chicken in preserved cherry sauce, with parsnip and garlic-scented braising greens from greenhouse farmers in the north of the state ($22).

Not all the upscale restaurants are attached to cultural attractions. In the nearby Warehouse District, 112 Eatery (112 Third Street North, 612-343-7696; www.112eatery.com) serves an international medley of flavors in an intimate and laid-back setting that stays open till 1 a.m. Theatergoers and off-duty chefs can be seen ordering dishes like tempura blue prawns with serrano chile mayo ($12), baby lamb chops in goats' milk yogurt ($12) and the tangy bacon, egg and harissa sandwich ($7).

“We're catching up to what's happening on the coasts and in Chicago,” said Isaac Becker, the chef at 112 Eatery. “Part of my goal was to make this food accessible.”

A similar philosophy informs the menu at Spoonriver (750 Second Street South, 612-436-2236; www.spoonriverrestaurant.com). Brenda Langton serves grass-fed lamb and beef with organic vegetables in her glass-fronted, railcar-width restaurant. Favorites include the wild mushroom and pistachio terrine ($8) and lamb ragout and tagliatelli ($18).

“There's an energy and a force here,” said Ms. Langton, who also founded the Mill City Farmers Market (www.millcityfarmersmarket.org), an organic market behind her restaurant in the Mill City Museum train shed. “Minneapolis is finally coming into its own.”