I second the recommendation for Murray's. It's definitely an oldschool steak house.

On the other end of the spectrum, try Solera on S. Hennepin. I loved the food there. It's mainly a tapas place, with decent wine and drinks. Relatively quiet, kind of dimly lit, a nice atmosphere, and a great place to get out of the cold. Nothing like meeting/convention food.

Ocenaire is also one of my favorites downtown. Can get pricey sometimes, but the food is usually very fresh.

A fun place to grab a cocktail, even if alone, was a place called "Drink" on 5th Street. I used to head there after work with some of the clients. Sometimes it gets a llittle noisy, but it's a very friendly place, bright, multi-level and just fun. At least when I've been there.