"The 2025 James Beard Best New Restaurant — Adam Ritter's French technique married to Northwoods hospitality in a Kingfield corner room."
About Bûcheron
Bûcheron took the 2025 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant and a place on The New York Times' list of the 50 best restaurants in America — remarkable for a corner room in the Kingfield neighbourhood of South Minneapolis that once housed a dollar-slice pizzeria. Co-owners Adam Ritter and Jeanie Janas Ritter named it for the French word for lumberjack.
The cooking is French-American: classical technique applied to the Upper Midwest pantry, with nods to Scandinavian-American home cooking and the North Woods that shaped the region. It is precise food delivered with Minnesota warmth rather than formality.
The Kitchen
Ritter cooks French method through a Minnesota lens. Expect a delicate tortellini en brodo, vadouvan-curry pappardelle, turnips roasted with bone marrow, octopus folded into a Bolognese, and a Feller's Ranch American Wagyu steak among the mains, with pommes dauphines and a beet salad on the starter list.
Pricing is bistro-fair for the acclaim: starters run roughly $14 to $22 and mains $30 to $48, with dinner for two and wine landing around $140 to $180. The menu shifts with the seasonal pantry, so it rewards trusting the kitchen.
The Room
The room is a warm corner bistro — unpretentious, neighbourhood in scale, with the hospitality doing as much work as the cooking. It feels like a local spot that happens to be cooking at a national level, which is much of its charm.
The Kingfield address sits in residential South Minneapolis, a short hop from the lakes. Since the James Beard win, tables have become hard to get — book well ahead, especially for weekend evenings.
Best for an Anniversary
The warmth, the seasonal cooking and the sense of a special local table make Bûcheron a lovely anniversary or first date in Minneapolis. The neighbourhood feel and the acclaim also make it a fine choice for a milestone birthday.
Not for
Not for diners wanting a quiet, easy walk-in or a cheap bite — since the James Beard win Bûcheron books up fast, and it is a sit-down, multi-course bistro dinner.
Frequently Asked
What is Bûcheron known for?
Being the 2025 James Beard Best New Restaurant. Adam Ritter and Jeanie Janas Ritter's Kingfield bistro in South Minneapolis pairs French technique with Upper Midwest produce and Northwoods hospitality, and made the NYT's 50 best restaurants in America.
Who is the chef at Bûcheron?
Chef Adam Ritter, who co-owns Bûcheron with Jeanie Janas Ritter. His French-American cooking, rooted in the Minnesota pantry and Scandinavian-American home cookery, won the 2025 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.
What should I order at Bûcheron?
Look for the tortellini en brodo, vadouvan-curry pappardelle, turnips with bone marrow and the Feller's Ranch American Wagyu steak. The menu shifts with the season, so it rewards trusting the kitchen.
How much does dinner cost at Bûcheron?
It is bistro-fair for the acclaim. Starters run roughly $14 to $22 and mains $30 to $48, with dinner for two and wine landing around $140 to $180.
Where is Bûcheron and is it hard to book?
In the Kingfield neighbourhood of South Minneapolis. Since the 2025 James Beard win, tables have become hard to get — book well ahead, especially for weekend evenings.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Bûcheron
Book well ahead — since the 2025 James Beard win, tables go fast, especially weekend evenings. A small Kingfield corner bistro.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
AddressKingfield, South Minneapolis, Minnesota
NeighbourhoodKingfield, South Minneapolis
CuisineFrench
PriceStarters run roughly $14–22 and mains $30–48; dinner for two with wine lands around $140–180
Dress CodeSmart casual
SeatingWarm neighbourhood corner bistro
ReservationEssential since the James Beard win
