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Walk into this cavernous Chinese restaurant in Richfield and you’ll lose all sense of self-importance. There’s no prime seating for players, no celebrity chef to beckon—you are just one among the lucky masses. Sitting down, you’ll be further humbled by the quantities of dim sum brought to your table by smiling and friendly servers. Shrimp dumplings, bao buns, steamed pork shaomai, chow fun noodles, spring rolls, the carts keep coming. The chicken feet might not appeal to all, but who can deny the flaky and creamy egg tart? If you choose to refuse a third or fourth helping of the dim sum (be prepared to do so again and again), you can order from a menu featuring both traditional and American versions of Cantonese dishes. 7717 Nicollet Ave. S., Richfield; 612-866-6888

If you work downtown, this place is the ideal escape for lunch. Tucked into the fabulous new Guthrie Theater, Level Five’s long, narrow room with dark glass walls is like a tonic for those subjected to fluorescent office lighting. And then, just as your hunched shoulders begin relaxing, the food comes. The local, seasonal menu has been designed by Chef Lenny Russo, his ambition being to deliver perfectly satisfying, lightly balanced meals for theatergoers and meandering downtowners alike: young hen with a red quinoa cake; lobster salad with heirloom tomatoes. The nicely proportioned sandwiches are plenty flavorful as well, but it’s their accompanying polenta fries that steal the show. These thick, long blocks of warm cornmeal are crispy on the outside and softly herbed on the inside. Dip them in the aioli and consider the work day eased—three martinis are optional. 806 2nd St. S., Minneapolis; 612-225-6499; www.cueatguthrie.com

Dufner’s humbly makes a fantastic sandwich. Located in an unsexy Plymouth strip mall, it’s the destination for anyone looking for something beyond the average sub. First of all, the breads are fresh. And moving on from the basic deli menu, which includes tasty homemade soups, are serious offerings like the grilled salami hoagie with Swiss cheese and tart pepperoncini. The baked chicken sandwich with crispy bacon is beyond juicy, and the jalapeño burger is enough to provoke giddy jokes about “hot lunch.” If only there were more of these independent sandwich makers; they’d bring the chain shops, with their rubber-bread, mayo-drenched, uninspired creations, to their knees. 3900 Vinewood Ln. N., Plymouth; 763-553-9375

Michel Gondry has used his camera to view the world with an inquisitive and child-like vision in features like Human Nature and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which he collaborated on with writer Charlie Kaufman. The Science of Sleep, in which the Frenchman also took on screenwriting duties, is another exercise in topsy-turvy reality. Here, Gael García Bernal’s lonely Stéphane is a guy who’s a little too caught up in his quirky dreams, creating an imaginary “Stéphane TV,” replete with cooking shows that feature recipes of the subconscious. Returning to his childhood home after the death of his father, he meets a kindred spirit in Stéphanie, played by the striking Charlotte Gainsbourg. When he falls in love with this woman, who grows frustrated at his odd behavior, Stéphane is forced to confront the “reality” of his life.

“God will forgive them. He’ll forgive them and allow them into heaven. I can’t allow that.” So begins Shane Meadows’ haunting and violent revenge thriller, Dead Man’s Shoes. When a British soldier returns to his backwater Midlands village to find his mentally challenged brother has been violated by a gang of local goons, he takes it upon himself to eliminate the thugs one by one. The vengeful, steely intensity of Paddy Considine’s performance has been compared to DeNiro as Travis Bickle. Released in Britain in 2004 to high praise, and boasting an outstanding soundtrack, the film never gained traction here; it will undoubtedly slip onto the current-release shelf and then vanish. But like so many forgotten hard-boiled thrillers of the past—Edgar Ulmer’s Detour comes to mind—Dead Man’s Shoes stands a chance of gaining a much-deserved cult following.

Even though it was filmed here and directed by a Norwegian native, Factotum, based on the Charles Bukowski novel, is anything but Minnesota Nice. Like this spring’s film version of Ask The Dust—based on the novel that got Bukowski started as a writer—Factotum offers up Hollywood beauties playing the bums. This time it’s Matt Dillon as Henry Chinaski, the alcoholic who can’t hold even the most menial job to support his booze and writing habits, and Marisa Tomei as Laura, the down-on-her-luck broad whom Chinaski will use and abuse. On one hand, we hope Factotum will retain at least some of Bukowski’s edgy humor and eye for squalor, but on the other hand, his treatment of women could, to say the least, use some softening.

Showing as part of the Heights Theater’s eightieth-anniversary celebration, Vincente Minnelli’s masterpiece is not to be missed on the big screen. For all its nostalgic kitsch, this musical—one of the golden era’s finest—is surprisingly powerful. The gossamer plot, involving nothing more than Father Smith landing a job in New York, thus forcing his family to leave beloved St. Louie behind, meshes perfectly with the music and spot-on performances. Most notably, of course, Judy Garland plays one of the Smith daughters, falling in love, growing up, and singing all the way. Margaret O’Brien, who played younger sister “Tootie,” will introduce the film.

All The King’s Men provokes more questions than interest: Why another version of Robert Rossen’s Oscar-winning 1949 film? To show that Sean Penn can outdo Broderick Crawford’s iconic Willie Stark? To introduce Robert Penn Warren’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to modern audiences, and perhaps draw likenesses to the stumblebum currently in the White House? If so, that’s a stretch—Willie Stark is nothing if not Huey Long, governor of Depression-era Louisiana and probable failed presidential candidate. With apologies to Lloyd Bentsen, George W. is no Kingfish. The remake boasts an all-star cast trolling for golden statuettes and looks like a pleasant diversion for folks who enjoy big-budget costume and set design, but something tells us you’re better off renting the original.

Coming up from the rambunctious Hijackers: a duet exploring the “unique gender” of male figure skaters, and a ballet set to tunes from a polka songstress called Lady Hard On. By boldly approaching modern dance with a certain irreverence, the veteran duo of Kristin Van Loon and Arwen Wilder have become widely known, and quite respected for their oddball tastes (they’ve been at it for a dozen years now, so they’re obviously winning people over). For example, they’re fond of presenting pop-video-style miniatures to dance audiences accustomed to longer and more ponderous fare. For this program they’ve divided their powers, each choreographing in isolation to create pieces for the other to perform. 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-340-1725; www.southerntheater.org

This show was initially set to wrap in July. But after critics laid it on thick with praise and audiences started lining up for their sultry Tennessee Williams fix, the Torch Theater cleared the way for a run into September. No doubt one of the production’s biggest attractions is Stacia Rice, who wowed audiences a couple of years ago with her portrayal of Blanche DuBois (and is also at the helm of this new-ish company). Apparently she knows her strengths, now sinking her teeth into Maggie, the desirable but ultimately sex-starved and childless—and thus, of course, hysterical—woman at the heart of this classic. 711 Franklin Ave. W., Minneapolis; 952-929-9097; www.torchtheater.com