Twin Cities’ Best Nightlife

Best Place to Hear an Electric Hurdy-Gurdy: Also the best place to hear any world music — the not-for-profit Cedar Cultural Center (416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612/338-2674, www.thecedar.org [1]).

Best Place to Hear National Jazz Acts: In downtown Minneapolis, the Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant (1010 Nicollet Mall, 612/332-1010, www.dakotacooks.com [2], lunch Mon.–Sat. 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.; dinner Mon.–Thurs. 4:30–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5:30–11 p.m., Sun. 5:30–9 p.m.) has the market cornered on great jazz and great dining.

Best Piece of Minneapolis’s Musical Past, Present, and Future: Prince got his start at First Avenue and 7th St. Entry (701 1st Ave. N., 612/332-1775, www.first-avenue.com [3]), and you can still hear the musical greats of today and the stars of tomorrow.

Best Place for Lawn Bowling: In truth, Brit’s Pub (1110 Nicollet Mall, 612/332-3908, www.britspub.com [4], daily 11 a.m.–2 a.m.) has the only place for lawn bowling in Minneapolis, but that doesn’t diminish it in any way.

Best Place for the Hair of the Dog: You won’t be alone if you hit the C.C. Club (2600 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612/874-7226, Mon.–Sat. 8 a.m.–2 a.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–2 a.m.) when it opens at 8 a.m.

Best Darn Bar in the Country: Don’t take our word for it. That’s what Esquire magazine called Nye’s Polonaise Room (12 Hennepin Ave., 612/379-2021, www.nyespolonaise.com [5], daily 11 a.m.–2 a.m.). Minneapolis heartily agrees.

Best Place to Rub Elbows with Power Brokers: You never know what kind of important deals are going down at the St. Paul Grill’s (350 Market St., St. Paul, 651/224-7455, www.stpaulgrill.com [6], Mon.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–1 a.m., Sun. 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m.) polished oak bar.

Best Hideaway: The dim — and we mean dim — room at Bev’s Wine Bar (250 3rd Ave. N., 612/337-0102, Tues.–Fri. 4:30 p.m.–1 a.m., Sat. 6:30 p.m.–1 a.m., Sun.–Mon. closed) in Minneapolis is perfect when you need a little break from the world.

Best Drag Show: You don’t have to be gay to appreciate a good drag show. And you don’t have to be gay to have fun at the Gay 90s (408 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, 612/333-7755, www.gay90s.com [7], Mon.–Sat. 8 a.m.–1 a.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–1 a.m.). But it helps.