CUISINE IS LOCAL, SEASONAL ON MINNEAPOLIS RIVERFRONT.

Byline: -- Eric Noland

MINNEAPOLIS -- Quizzical looks often cross the faces of diners when they first peruse the menu at Restaurant Alma. Listed there among the entrees is ... herring?

A certain adjective is commonly associated with that fish, and rarely in an appetizing way.

"Pickled," said chef-owner Alexander Roberts in a subsequent phone interview. He chuckled and continued, "Fresh has very little in common with the pickled. It's like really fresh mackerel. As it gets older it gets oily and stronger tasting."

At this pleasant little restaurant a couple of blocks from the east bank of the Mississippi River, the bluefin herring, freshly hooked in nearby Lake Superior, is charred slightly on the grill and accompanied by dishes that work well with its full flavor -- porcini mushroom sauce, sauteed spaetzle and bacon-braised red cabbage. Sure enough, the juicy, slightly salty filet bears no resemblance to its vinegar-saturated cousin.

The concept of local, seasonal ingredients and support for small growers and farmers is taking root in Minneapolis, and Roberts, who owns two restaurants here (the other is the more casual Brasa), is on the leading edge of the movement. The bottom of his menu acknowledges more than a dozen small, regional food producers that adhere to sustainable methods.

On an autumn visit to Restaurant Alma, the delectable offerings included shaved apple salad, masa corn and black bean cake, celery root souffle, farro and carrot risotto and slow-roasted duck breast.

The menu is divided into three categories -- starters and salads, grains and pasta, meat and fish -- with four selections listed under each. Choose one from each group for a tasting-course menu priced at $42.

528 University Ave. SE, [phone], www.restaurantalma.com.

Other commendable dining spots in or near Minneapolis' Riverfront District:

112 Eatery: An appetizer of blue prawns is a specialty of this popular spot, and we could understand why -- the shellfish was deftly spiced and lightly deep-fried. Another appetizer combined ripe avocado and white anchovy atop crostini.

112 Eatery makes its pasta on-site, and a main course of papardelle with lentils, shrimp and savory sausage represented a pleasant marriage of tastes and textures. The pasta dishes are offered as small or large portions, but the small one for this selection (only $10) was plenty generous. Another nicely executed entree was striped bass with spaghetti squash and sea beans.

The by-the-glass wines are reasonably priced. Here in the upper Midwest, it's also nice to get away from California-dominated lists to enjoy Spanish Rioja, French minervois and New Zealand sauvignon blanc.

112 N. Third St., [phone], www.112eatery.com.

Spoonriver: This restaurant sits next door to the Guthrie Theater, which might account for its menu having a pre-theater feel to it -- single-course salads (the Greek is impressive) and platters of charcuterie for those seeking something light while tapping their foot over a 7:30 curtain. 750 S. Second St., [phone], www.spoonriver.com.

Cue: The Guthrie's in-house restaurant features a lot of seating flexibility -- tables along windows that overlook the river, tall chairs in the airy bar and the horseshoe-shaped Waldorf cooking island, where diners may watch the chefs at work. We enjoyed the casual lunch fare here while dining one time in the restaurant and another in the bar, and though it seemed to take a long time for the order to arrive on one of those occasions, the pleasant setting (and good draft beer selection) helped mitigate the delay. 818 S. Second St., [phone], www.guthrietheater.org.

Moose & Sadie's Cafe: It's going to happen from time to time when a city neighborhood is being redeveloped: This coffee place was better when it was a Warehouse District pioneer, setting up shop in an unimproved space of scuffed wooden floors and exposed timbers. It gave it the ambience of a beat cafe. The espresso is still first-rate, but now the place feels a little too precious, with brightly painted walls, linoleum and gleaming tabletops. 212 Third Ave. N., [phone].