The Dakota Jazz Club on Nicollet Mall

1010 Nicollet Mall. Low warm lighting, tables close to the stage, sound system treating every instrument with the respect of a room that's been listening professionally since 1985. National touring artists alongside local acts. Programming broad enough for straight-ahead jazz, soul, Latin, and the occasional singer-songwriter who's earned the acoustics.

The dinner menu is above average for a jazz club — not a two-drink-minimum afterthought. The walleye is better than the steak (this is Minnesota). The late sets on weekends starting around 9:30 are when the Dakota is its truest self. The musicians stretch. Improvisations get longer, riskier, more personal. That's what justifies the cover charge.

Check for late-night jam sessions after the headliner. Local musicians sitting in with touring artists. The music at midnight between people who've never played together is the closest thing to telepathy a stage can produce.