MINNEAPOLIS
Al's Breakfast
In the spirit of its changes-weekly "Staff Meal" dinner, Dinkytown's breakfast destination is offering a holiday takeout dinner that can be prepared for one to six people and includes a meat-cheese plate, spinach-Gorgonzola-pomegranate salad, red wine-braised lamb shanks, a potato-carrot-parsnip mash with roasted garlic, roasted Brussels sprouts, sticky toffee pudding and Christmas cookies ($35 to $185).
413 14th Av. SE., Mpls., 612-331-9991, alsbreakfastmpls.com
Animales Barbeque Co.
Barbecue master Jon Wipfli is making the holiday special with beef brisket (average uncooked weight is 14 pounds and they're smoked over Minnesota red oak for 14 hours) for $130, with housemade red sauce included. There's also bone-in pork shoulder, from Peterson Craftsman Meats in Osceola, Wis. (average uncooked weight is 10 pounds, and they're smoked, also over Minnesota red oak for 10 hours), for $80, with butter-mustard barbecue sauce.
1121 NE. Quincy St., Mpls., 612-400-2153, animalesbarbeque.com
Birchwood Cafe
This farm-to-table kitchen is preparing brunch: quiche (wild rice-vegetable or Lorraine), breakfast potatoes and greens with a pomegranate-rosemary vinaigrette ($42, serves two to four, $78 serves six to eight). Add in top-shelf, ready-to-cook bacon from Fischer Farms Family Pork in Waseca, Minn. ($5-$8), a blood orange Mimosa kit ($24) and a long list of holiday pies ($30- $35) including bourbon-pecan, coconut cream, Key lime, blueberry Key lime, apple-cranberry-rosemary and French silk.
3311 E. 25th St., 612-722-4474, birchwoodcafe.com
Borough
Chef Benjamin Monster is promising a "very Danish Christmas," with roasted duck breast, slow-braised cabbage, potatoes three ways (buttered, caramelized and fried), roasted apples and rice pudding with a warm cherry sauce, plus snacks and glögg ($65 per person).
730 Washington Av. N., Mpls., 612-354-3135, boroughmpls.com