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| editor’s note This guide will appear weekly in pulse listing restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, etc. that have impressed Bebe Newell over the last two years. It will change as new restaurants are discovered that we think will please our readers. |
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| Minneapolis Area Anodyne@43, 4301 Nicollet Ave. S. Mpls., 612-824-4300. Relaxed and comfortable, this cafe offers fresh salads, soups and sandwiches as well as a variety of mouthwatering desserts. Don’t pass up the crumbcake: as crumbly as it should be, buttery and raspberry filled, it is pure heaven. $ A Baker’s Wife Pastry Shop, 4200 28th Ave. S., 612-729-6898. Among the many delectable pastries in this bakery are the best chocolate cake donuts imaginable. The perfect plain cake donut—soft and heavy on the inside with just a hint of crisp on the outside—is dipped in exquisite bittersweet chocolate ganache. $ Acadia Café and Cabaret Theater, 1931 Nicollet Ave. S., Mpls., 612-874-8702. Sun 8 a.m.–9 p.m., M–Th 7 a.m.–9 p.m., F 7 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.–11 p.m. This is a great place to meet anyone for coffee for any reason. It is an ambitious café. It serves not just as coffee shop, but also as a community center and a full-fledged theater, poetry and music venue. And, of course, it’s a restaurant with some exceptional foods. Try the sandwiches; build your own and take advantage of the tasty spreads. Try the pesto spread on foccacia with smoked turkey and mozzarella. Or a smear of Creole mustard on pumpernickel with ham. Even better, some of the Cajun mayo on honey grain or peasant sourdough with tomato and provolone. This is more than a coffee shop/café, and it’s worth a visit. $ Bryant-Lake Bowl, 810 W. Lake Street, Mpls, 612-825-3737. Open 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. Theater, bowling and food: it could only work at Bryant-Lake Bowl. Breakfast is served until 2 p.m. (make sure you try the BLB fries—divine red baby potatoes sautéed until crisp outside, soft and buttery inside), but it’s when the lunch and dinner menu kicks in at 11 a.m that the BLB excels. Enormous appetizers, homemade soups, gourmet sandwiches, potato salad with artichoke hearts and capers, pastas, burgers with specialty mayos and Tex-Mex items—this is certainly no ordinary bowling alley. The wine list is small but well-chosen. Bowl a 300 and celebrate good times with dessert from BLB’s sister restaurant Cafe Wyrd. Yum. $-$$ Golooney’s Pizza, 24th and Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls., 612-377-8555. The thing to order here is the old-fashioned, New York-style pepperoni and cheese pizza. This is a perfectly cooked, flat, crispy crust with gooey mozzarella and superior pepperoni. Golooney’s other pizzas are very good, too, but you won’t find this New York-style of pizza anywhere else in town. $ The Good Life Cafe, 3544 Grand Ave., 612-824-5433 A great place for business lunches, but you can enjoy morning snacks, late social lunches, or coffee and scones by yourself as well. The food is exquisite and the counter service personable. Everything is made on the premises, including all the baked goods. The menu is varied, but there are always soup, pizza and a steamed vegetable plate available as well as sandwiches and salads. $ Isles Bun & Coffee Company, 1424 W. 28th St., 612-870-4466, 6:30 a.m.–5 p.m. daily. This coffee shop has won critical acclaim and many reader polls for its cinnamon and caramel rolls. But even better are things like pumpkin raisin bread, banana bread, scones and turnovers. Eat one there and get some to take to work. Your colleagues will love you for it. $ Lucia’s Restaurant and Wine Bar, 1432 W. 31st St., Mpls., 612-825-1572. There are a million good reasons to order from Lucia’s menu—pick anything and it will be a treat—but pray they have the pumpkin brulée, a large rich, spicy, crackly-crusted ramekin of heaven, served with buttery, homemade ginger snaps, or the concord grape sorbet, with flavor that, as trite as this sounds, will explode in your mouth. $$$ Machu Picchu, 2940 Lyndale Ave. S., 612-822-2125. The only Peruvian restaurant in the Twin Cities, this restaurant is a seafood lover’s delight. Shrimp, squid, clams and halibut are featured in a number of entrées. Chicken and beef are also available and very tasty. But don’t neglect the appetizers. Empanadas are light, crispy turnovers, stuffed with beef and raisins. Papas a la huancaina feature delicate tasting potatoes in a spicy goat cheese sauce with hard boiled eggs and olives. This restaurant also has some of the friendliest and best servers in the Twin Cities. $$ Maria’s Café, 1113 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis, 612-870-9842. M–F 7 a.m.–3 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Sun Closed. These are the best pancakes Bebe has ever had. Almost 10 inches in diameter, one of these fresh corn-laced, slightly sweet breakfast treats is heavy enough for two to enjoy, and all for a measly $2.75. If you want to indulge (they are very rich once you’ve soaked them in butter and homemade syrup), you can get two for $4.75. Coming soon may be breakfasts that incorporate beans, rice and arepas (a kind of corn cake/bread) of Colombia, Maria’s homeland. Until then, her menu is a fusion of South and North American cuisines. The burrito might sound Mexican, but Maria employs her own spice blends to bring the dish further south. Lunch has more North American choices than South. There are a few Mexican specialties, like fajitas, burritos, and quesadillas, which have been gussied up with Colombian spice. $ The May Day Cafe, 3440 Bloomington Ave., Mpls., 612-729-5627 All the food at the May Day is made on the premises and the menu changes daily. You could try a sampler salad plate for a taste of how good May Day is with fresh ingredients. There are also soups, sandwiches and daily specials on the menu. It’s a cozy place that exhibits the works of local artists on the walls. And its baked goods are always worth a try. $ Mel-O-Glaze, 4800 28th Ave. S., Mpls, 612-729-9316. Large, fat, soft donuts that are nice and dry (not greasy) are the pride of the Mel-O-Glaze. Take home a half-dozen or so to devour with a strong cup of coffee. $ Modern Cafe. 337 13th Ave. NE, Mpls., 612-378-9882. T–Th 11 a.m.–9 p.m., F 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.– 9:30 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.–2 p.m. & 5 p.m.–8 p.m. It’s hard to go wrong with the Modern, which has pretty much cornered the market in the Twin Cities for gourmet comfort foods. They have a new chef now, but if its history is any indication, the new dishes will only add to the tradition of fine dining at The Modern Cafe. It is located in an old neighborhood restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis and it has maintained that informal, neighborhood ambience. $$ Mpls. Cafe, 1110 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls., 612-672-9100. (Call for hours) Lamb, steak, paella, Cajun fettuccini are just some of the delights available. Appetizers and salads are remarkable as are the deserts. Mpls. Cafe also has some of the friendliest waiters around. $$-$$$ Oceanaire Seafood Room, 1300 Nicollet Mall (Hyatt Regency Hotel), Mpls., 612-333-2277. Sun–Th. 5 p.m.– 10 p.m., F– Sat., 5 p.m.–11 p.m. You’ve finally snagged a reservation at this downtown Minneapolis restaurant and you recently came into a large amount of cash—let the gorging begin! Start with a few extraordinarily fresh oysters, allowing your server to guide you through a selection of these wonderful delicacies. The crab cake is by far the best appetizer, sweet pieces of meat bound by a peppery filling and accompanied by a complementary tartar sauce. The “fresh today” menu offers a variety of choices in a variety of preparations and entrées arrive perfectly cooked with moist, tender and delicately flavored fish. The Oceanaire offers good food, pleasant surroundings and exceptional service, and if you’re in the mood to do your part to boost the already booming U.S. economy, this is the place to do it. $$$$ Paradise Pastry Shop, 4157 Cedar Ave., Mpls., 612-724-9100. The caramel rolls fly out of this shop, so you better get there early. (It opens at 6 a.m.) The rolls have a perfect soft, yeasty dough, the right amount of cinnamon, perfect toasty pecans, and caramel done just right. Buy some on your way to work and see how many are left in the bag by the time you arrive. $ Restaurant Alma, 528 University Ave. SE , Mpls. 612-379-4909. OIpen M–Sat dinner only. (Call for times and reservations.) Wine and beer., No smoking. This restaurant might make you a regular customer after only one visit. The owners are committed to local and sustainable agriculture and use fresh foods whenever available, and you can taste the difference. The salads are excellent and the entrées are made with a light touch, allowing the natural flavors to come through. Desserts are unique and flavorful and the coffee is rich and full bodied. $$ The Roti Shop, 3765 Bloomington Ave. S., Mpls., 612-721-0264. Usually open 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. This Caribbean restaurant serves some of the best West Indian cuisine around. Hors d’oeuvres include potato balls, which are white mashed potatoes deep fried with spices and hot peppers, and egg balls, a more complicated version of the potato ball that surrounds a whole hardboiled egg. Then hope that the casareep chicken is being served when you are there. It’s well worth the trip. $ St. Martin’s Table, 2001 Riverside Ave., Mpls., 612-339-3920. M–Sat 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Lunch 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. No smoking, no alcohol. St. Martin’s is a non-profit organization which donates all tips to various charities. Since the restaurant opened in the ‘80s, $380,000 of tips have been donated to charity. Many of the donations come with matching grants, so the contribution are actually higher than $380,000. The people who wait on you during the lunch hour are volunteers. The food is wonderful, and not just because there are some expert hands plying away in the kitchen. The menu got a big head start by employing the freshest organic produce (locally obtained when available), purified water in the coffees, teas and soups, BGH-free milk products, and eggs from free-range hens (they really do taste better). Additionally, everything is made from scratch, including all the soup stocks and baked goods. If you’re dining with a friend, it is possible to try just about everything on the menu by ordering the sampler plate, which comes with soup or salad and three samples of spreads with a thick slab of the best honey whole wheat bread you’ll ever sink your teeth into. $ Sebastian Joe’s, 1007 Franklin Ave W., Mpls., 612-870-0065, 4301 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-824-3461, 4321 Upton Ave. S., Mpls., 612-926-7916. They make their own ice cream and you can order it plain or in any number of coffee drinks or floats or with a variety of toppings. Ice cream like this is probably therapeutic, but you don’t have to have been double-crossed by a friend or rival to enjoy this ice cream. It’s simply very good and will make you happy. $ Sobas, 2558 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls., 612-871-6631. T–Th 7 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Fri 7 a.m.–10:30 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.– 10:30 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.–9 p.m. A sweet place where nothing, from breakfast to dinner, gets short shrift. Breakfast options range from simple egg dishes to more complex items like baked artichoke and egg ramekin or the piperade basquaise. If you can’t make up your mind, you won’t go wrong with the omelettes. The salads and sandwiches are great at lunch, and everything seems perfect at dinner, from appetizers through desert. Friendly, competent service as well. $$ Taqueria Don Blass, 3764 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-825-5410. Freshly made Mexican food at a modest place with slow service. Huge bowls of pozole (pork, onion and hominy soup) could feed three as an appetizer, tacos suaves (soft tacos) offer a choice of meat including beef tongue, pork skin, sausage and beef, pastor (pork with mild red chile sauce) is sweet-hot with just a little burn and the mole poblano is a must-have. Burritos con carne asada, enchiladas poblanas, great refried beans and a variety of sopes and tortas complete the menu. $-$$ Taqueria Marissa’s, 2750 Nicollet Ave., Mpls, 612-871-5200. Practice your Spanish among the Mexican families ordering para llevar (food to go) at lunchtime and receive the best red salsa this town has to offer. Burritos with pork, avocado and rice, barbacoa (barbecued meat) tacos in steamed double tortillas and the popular street food chicharrones (fried pork skin in salsa verde) are all excellent examples of authentic Mexican food. Then run next door and help yourself at the Mexican bakery. $-$$ Trieste Cafe, Lumber Exchange Building, 10 S. 5th St., 612-333-4658. The best gyro sandwiches around are in this out-of-the-way cafe. These sandwiches are a five-napkin feast with spicy, tender meat and smothered with lettuce, onions, tomatoes and a garlic-rich yogurt sauce. $ The Turtle Bread Company, 3421 W. 44th St., Mpls., 612-924-6013. Some of the best pies possible can be found here. They excel in fillings, particularly the raspberry, and if you’re lucky, you may get a slice while it’s still hot from the oven. Apple pie is blessedly free of much sugar and the tartness shines through. They also make one of the best pumpkin pies you could ever have. $ West Indies Soul Restaurant & Catering, 818 W. Broadway Ave., 612-521-7229, M–W 11 a.m.7:30 p.m., Th–Sat 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Expert hands are at work in this kitchen, and the heavenly odors of Caribbean cooking hit you as soon as you enter the door. All the dishes are very flavorful and you can try a sample of some if you think they might be too hot. But most aren’t. The curries are excellent as is the jerk chicken. Escoveitch chicken is spicy but the balance of flavor to heat is perfect. The Jamaican patties, filled with puréed beef or chicken, are great appetizers, or would make good lunches the next day. $ Zaroff’s Delicatessen, 11300 Wayzata Blvd., Minnetonka, 612-545-9090 Sun–Th 9 a.m.–9 p.m., F & Sat 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Every neighborhood should have a deli like this. Zaroff’s is everything a deli should be and so is its food. The King David sandwich is a mound of roast beef, turkey, pastrami, tongue and corned beef on rye; and the Miami Burger is a toasted bagel with a generous portion of high quality lox and cream cheese. All the soups and sandwiches are generously sized. Salads and appetizers could make a meal. Minnetonka is a long drive for someone in the city, but take it some day. It’s worth it. $-$$ St. Paul Area 128 Cafe, 128 Cleveland Ave. N., St. Paul, 651-645-4128. An intimate cafe (nestled in the basement of a building across from St. Thomas University) with a small but well-prepared menu. Eclectic enough to please vegetarians, food snobs and plain meat-and-potato folks, the cafe offers delicate cuisine suited for every palate, including wonderful curried potato cakes, fresh fish specials and for dessert, a gorgeous, coffee-infused crême brulée. $$-$$$ Babani’s Kurdish Restaurant, 544 St. Peter St., St. Paul, 651-602-9964. The first Kurdish restaurant in the U.S., Babani’s is a pleasant place with excellent service featuring some of the most unique and flavorful meals available in the Twin Cities. Meat eaters and vegetarians alike have plenty to choose from. Shillas, a vegetable dish that functions as the “meat and potatoes” of Kurdish food, are spiced with garlic, lemon, pepper and other herbs. These change nightly so check the menu board for the day’s special. Kubay Saar and Kubay Brinj are dumplings stuffed with ground beef and seasonings, and may create a craving that can be satisfied only at Babani’s. Chicken Tawa is one of the best items on the menu, moist meat sautéed in lemon and spices and baked with layers of potato, green pepper and dried lemon and served over rice. Don’t skip the baklava dessert; unlike the sickeningly sweet pastry Minnesotans are used to, Babani’s is a delicate filo pastry filled with cardamom and walnut filling. $$ Big Daddy’s Bar-B-Q, 214 East 4th St., St. Paul, 651-848- 0788. Sun–Th 11 a.m.–9p.m., F & Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Located in the old Union Depot in downtown St. Paul, this plainly decorated restaurant allows ample space for Gene Sampson (Big Daddy) to create his award-winning ribs. The Northern Pacific features six bones of the sweetest and most tender pork you could desire. Beef ribs arrive huge (the seven bone plate is a half-foot high) and delicious, filled with slow-smoked hickory and dry-rub flavor. Plenty of other meat entrées are available here: from chicken to steaks, pork chops and fish, all come with JoJo potatoes, a side of greens, baked beans or yams, and a cornbread muffin. Feel no shame about ordering dessert—Big Daddy’s has plenty of doggy bags. $$ Black Bear Crossing, 831 Como Ave., St. Paul, 651-488-2327. This coffee house makes all their own pastries, and they do it very well. A pumpkin cupcake slathered with cream cheese frosting is particularly notable, but all their pastries can be recommended without qualification. $ Cafe Cravings, 1600 County Road E, White Bear Lake, 651-482-7742. M 6 a.m.–9 p.m., T–Th 6 a.m.–10 p.m., F 6 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat 7 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun 7:30 a.m.–6 p.m. This well-kept White Bear Lake secret located one block east of Highway 61 has wonderful breakfasts, lunches and dinners, but it also has one of the best bakeries in the Twin Cities. Everything is made from scratch, using no additives, preservatives or mixes. So feast on anything from French toast to streusel coffee cake to a creamy chicken wild rice soup to egg salad sandwiches to three-cheese tortellini. The superb cookies are a must. $-$$ Chet’s Taverna. 791 Raymond Ave., St. Paul, 651-646-2655, T–Th 11 a.m.–9 p.m., F & Sat 11.am.–9:30 p.m., Sun Brunch. The moment you walk into Chet’s, the soft, calming decor of this tiny restaurant helps ease you into a blissful mindset that will only be further enhanced by the fine food and unobtrusive service. Although the menu is a bit small, the kitchen pays loving attention to every item, creating delicately flavored salads and enormous (if a bit heavy) entrées. The pasta entrées are lighter (but still with enormous portions) and interesting with simple, complementary flavors; you can taste each individual ingredient in the linguini with oregano, tomato, capers, crushed red pepper and black olives. $$-$$$ Coffee News Cafe, 1662 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-698-3324, 7 a.m.–9 p.m. daily. This coffee shop near Macalester College has meals that could be served proudly at any restaurant in town. It serves scones, salads and sandwiches, which are typical of coffee shops, but Coffee News also serves some of the best lasagna in the Twin Cities. Breakfasts will get your day started off right. And its sandwiches will satisfy anyone any time of the day. $ El Amanecer, 194 Concord St., St. Paul, 651-291-0758. If you are tired of what often happens to Mexican food when it is served to Minnesotans, this is one place that serves the real thing. Just like in Mexico, they don’t hold back on the spices. Some dishes are hot, but all are very flavorful. Well worth the trip to St. Paul’s West Side. $-$$ El Burrito Mercado, 175 Concord St., St. Paul, 651-227-2192. This is a Mexican grocery store with a deli counter and a cafeteria, another shining example of fine Mexican food in this part of St. Paul. You can carry out deli items and heat them at home—including any number of taco fillings like chicken chipotlé, pork in red or green sauce, or beef and potatoes—or go through the cafeteria line to try these tasty fillings with rice and beans on the side. If you are serious about authentic Mexican food, you must head over to Concord Street. $ Fiddleheads Bistro, Hwy. 61 and 3rd St., White Bear Lake, 651-426-6060. Sun–Th 5 p.m.–9 p.m., F & Sat 5–10 p.m. The dinners are worth the long drive to this restaurant. The menu is small but choice and the Caesar’s salad is perfect. Entrées include salmon, penne with chicken and asparagus, lamb shanks, beef tenderloin, walleye and grilled ribeye. The desserts are worthy meal-enders as well. $$-$$$ Francesca’s Catering and Café, 1199 W. Seventh St., St. Paul, 651-227-5775. M–F 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m. There’s not a clinker in this small but thoughtful, ever-changing menu. If you’re coming for a morning bite, Francesca’s is renowned for its baked goods. If you had to choose one item — and that’s easier said than done — to accompany coffee, try the scones. These are, hands down, some of the best in the area. Francesca’s menu of generously stuffed sandwiches and tasty soups will please you as well. The soup selections change often, but try to be there for the lovely clam with shrimp chowder. The smoked turkey with herbed cream cheese on thinly sliced marble rye is a great sandwich. It comes with crispy cucumbers, fresh tomatoes and crunchy lettuce greens that add freshness to the whole package. $-$$ The Grand Shanghai, 1328 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-698-1901, M–Th 11 a.m.–10 p.m., F 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat noon–11 p.m., Sun noon–9 p.m. The luncheon buffet is one of the most popular lunch spots on Grand Avenue, and it’s worth waiting for. A variety of soups, appetizers and entrées are available, and on some days you may even find steamed mussels. It is all available for dinner and for takeout as well. $$ India Palace, 2570 Cleveland Ave. N., Roseville, 651-631-1222, lunch buffet 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; dinner: Sun–Th 5 p.m.–10 p.m., F&Sat 5 p.m.– 10:30 p.m. For a representative sampling of this restaurant’s cuisine, order the Palace platter. It includes chicken and homemade cheese stuffed in chickpea batter, vegetable patties, mutton patties and sauces. For entrées, try the tandoori, entrées prepared in the traditional Indian clay oven, or the curries. The servers are only too happy to answer all your questions about this cuisine. $$ Jerabek’s New Bohemian Coffeehouse & Bakery, 63 West Winifred St., St. Paul, 651-228-1245. M-F 7 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.–1 p.m. HIGH TEA: Sat 1 p.m.–4 p.m. There are some great breakfast waffles to be had during the morning hours as well as hot croissants stuffed with scrambled eggs and cheese. But the real draw is the bakery case. From Linzer cookies and lighter than air Springerle, melt-in-your-mouth Thumbprints with jam centers and delicate pink-hued meringue kisses to sugar cut-out cookies and whole coffeecakes stuffed with fruits and seeds, the choice is awesome and difficult to make. There are great pies, cookies and croissants, but you must try the kolachies. You could try a new flavor every day and never be disappointed. This neighborhood coffeehouse deserves the support it’s gotten in its St. Paul neighborhood. If you are ever on St. Paul’s West Side, be sure to stop here. It’s even worth a trip on its own. $ Kiev Foods, 2509 W. 7th St., St. Paul, 651-690-5655, open every day. This tiny storefront in Sibley Plaza is home to one of the most fascinating spots in St. Paul. Russian and East European foods can be prepared fresh by special order. These include dishes like piroshkis and cabbage rolls. They make sandwiches to order from the high quality meats and cheeses in their deli case, and one sandwich can feed two hungry people. Try the spiced country ham—possibly the best ham you’ll find in town—with some Russian potato salad. $ Margaux Limiteé Catered Cuisine, 4746 Washington Square, White Bear Lake, 651-407-6438 M–F 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Closed weekends. Finding Margaux can be difficult—it’s located in the back of the building at its listed address, but there are no signs on the front. But it’s worth looking for if you are in downtown White Bear Lake. Its menu includes salads, sandwiches, pastas and desserts, all of them very good. Margaux caters, too. Hiring her is one way to make it easier to try this fine food. $-$$ Mildred Pierce Cafe, 786 Randolph Ave., St. Paul, 651-222-7430, M–Th 7 a.m.–9 p.m., F–Sat 7 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Hidden away in the shadows of the Landmark Brewery on West 7th in St. Paul, this restaurant is worth seeking out. The risotto is exquisite, and the BLT sandwich alone is worth the trip. There are also nightly dinner specials and homemade soups. $$-$$$ Pad Thai Grand Café, 1659 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-690-1393. Sun–Th 11 a.m.–9 p.m., F–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Soup and salad can go a long way for lunch at Pad Thai Grand. Its version of Chinese wonton soup is a delicious, garlic-laden, milky broth, loaded with sweet, crispy cabbage; scallions; tender pork and chewy, spicy, overstuffed wontons. Its chicken rice soup is also superb. Pair one of these soups with any of the salads for a filling lunch or light dinner. But sometime, try the whole experience: appetizers, entrées, desserts. Its satays are tasty, the pad thai a delight. Located on Grand Avenue near Macalester College, it’s very easy to find. $-$$ Pazzaluna, 360 St. Peter St., St. Paul, 651-223-7000, T–Sat bar opens at 4 p.m., dinner seating at 5 p.m. It is difficult to get a table at this restaurant, and once you get one, you will understand why. It’s an exceptional Italian restaurant with a wide selection of salads, entrées, desserts and wines. It’s in a comfortable and pleasantly renovated space, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and it has valet parking, which you truly need in downtown St. Paul. Seating at the back kitchen bar is a real treat as well. $$$-$$$$ The Prairie Star, 2399 University Ave., St. Paul, 651-646-7827. M–F 7 a.m.–9 p.m., Sat 8 am–7 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Great coffee in a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere, you’ll feel like a regular by your second visit, a member of the family by your third. The dark roast is so good it could become a major food group. Scones from Whole Foods are excellent, but the homemade bakery is even better: rich shortbread hearts, award-winning linzer torte apricot bars, and stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth peanut butter cookies are such delicious creations that baker Rebecca should achieve sainthood. Sandwiches and soups made with locally grown organic food are fresh and flavorful; the tuna sandwich, a marinade of tuna, sesame oil/shiitake mushroom vinaigrette with scallions, celery, parsley, dijon and leaf lettuce is unique and wonderful. $ Ristorante Luci, 470 Cleveland Ave. S., St. Paul, 651-699-8258. Always reliable. Excellent regional Italian cuisine, featuring outstanding homemade bread, pastas, cheese and desserts. They also do fish and meats well. Make reservations way in advance for weekends, as this small, intimate eatery is always full. Service is perfect. $$-$$$ Rooster’s BBQ-Deli. 979 Randolph Ave., St. Paul. 651-222-0969. Two booths back-to-back, one smoking and one non, make up the dining room of this small, mostly take-out rib joint. A huge menu with huge portions means lots of leftovers of good, meaty beef ribs, pressure-cooked barbecue chicken and plump, smoked pork shoulder sandwiches. Crisp, spicy french fries come with all the dinners and can be reheated the next day; skip the coleslaw and order a half-pint of baked beans. The mild sauce tastes a lot like catsup; the spicy doesn’t live up to its name and is quite sweet instead. $-$$ Savorie’s Bistro, 108 N. Main St., Stillwater, 651-430-0702. Call for hours. It’s worth stopping in Savorie’s if you are in Stillwater, and if you are there on a pleasant weekend, you should make reservations. The sandwiches are mouth-watering and the soups are tasty. The risotto with croquettes and topped with roasted spring vegetables is exceptional. Their menu changes with the seasons, however, so be sure to check what their specials are. $$ Taste of Scandinavia, 2232 Carter Ave., St. Paul, 651-645-9181. M–F 7 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat 7 a.m.–5 p.m., Closed Sun. This is not what you might expect from a Scandinavian restaurant. To begin with, your eyes will be riveted to the bakery, deli and freezer cases. Lined up against the back walls are rows and rows of gorgeous artesan breads. There are Swedish limpas, German ryes, three-cheese vegetable, olive sourdoughs, tomato basils, nine-grains . . . you get the picture. You can also see that the café doesn’t stay strictly Scandinavian. In front of the breads are the sweet pastries — muffins, coffeecakes, rolls, cookies. The restaurant makes some of the best croissants in town, and also some of the best Danish. Among the excellent entrées, one of the best is a salmon calzone served with a garlicky dill onion dressing. Or try the vegetarian lasagna. There is also a fine chicken loaf, nicely spiced, and decorated with bits of roasted pepper and other vegetables. So put aside your Scandianvian food misconceptions and try this. $ Taste of Thailand, 1671 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 651-644-3997. Excellent hors d’oeuvres and entrées. The best pad thai in town. And killer desserts, especially the sticky rice with mango. There’s always a wait on the weekends, but the weekdays are also busy with lots of take-out orders. The service is worse than slow and occasionally you can receive the wrong order, but the food is so good everyone puts up with it. $$ Tavern on Grand, 656 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-228-9030. If you enjoy fish, you will love Tavern on Grand. The menu is varied, offering entrées of meaty pork ribs, in Tavern BBQ sauce, roast barbecued chicken, spaghetti in homemade red sauce and steaks. But what makes this place so popular and exceptional is the walleye. They know how to cook it and you won’t go wrong ordering it here. Just so you know, walleye remains a popular dish in the Twin Cities, and this restaurant is always crowded. $$ Tizzo’s (formerly Nick-N-Willy’s), 1045 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-221-4464, Sun–Th 11 a.m.–9 p.m., F & Sat 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Tizzo’s pizzas bring new taste sensations to this old standby. They use a variety of unusual but high quality cheeses in pizzas. Their vegetarian pizza Formaggio, for instance, is layered with Latte mozzarella, asiago, and gorgonzola cheeses as well as fresh basil and oregano. You can eat it there or take it home and bake it yourself—their directions make that a simple process. $ Trotter’s Cafe and Bakery, 232 N. Cleveland Ave (at Marshall Ave.), St. Paul, 651-645-8950. M–F, 7 a.m.–7 p.m., Sat, 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Closed Sundays. The newly expanded light and airy cafe offers more tables and easier access to the bakery case: no more fighting for space to catch a gimpse of the chocolate chaos cupcakes and bundt cake. This sinfully rich cake with a cream cheese chocolate center has created addictions throughout the Twin Cities. No one should have such nightmares. Trotter’s is now serving full breakfasts as well as soup, sandwiches, salads and hot meals. $ Trung Nam, 739 University Ave., St. Paul, 651-229-0087. This Vietnamese restaurant/French bakery makes great sandwiches. The Banh Mi Thit is a fresh house-made French roll stuffed with barbecued pork, pate, slivered carrots, cilantro and jalapeno, and slathered with home-made mayo. The noodle soups are exceptional as well. But the sandwiches are what it’s known for and they practically fly off the counter all day long. $ W.A. Frost, 374 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 651-224-5715. Open daily, but call for hours. This restaurant has always had one of the coolest indoor bars in town and probably the best outdoor patio, which has always made dining there a delight. The menu is eclectic, but it’s worth trying a variety of items—almost everything is outstanding. If you are there on a nice evening, eat outdoors if a table is available. But it doesn’t matter, because the inside rooms are beautiful as well. $$-$$$ Zander Cafe, 525 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 651-222-5224. Lunch 11a.m.–3 p.m., dinner 6–11 p.m. T–Sat (special light meal and dessert menu available with live jazz Th–Sat 11:30 p.m.– 12:30 a.m.) Closed Sun & M. An eclectically decorated restaurant with an eclectic (and ever-changing) menu to match, Zander Cafe is simply a wonderful place to eat. Careful attention to detail and the decision to highlight only a few choice ingredients means pure flavors emerge instead of a confusing profusion of tastes. The salads arrive with the perfect amount of dressing, the appetizers are so fulfilling you could easily float out the door before realizing you hadn’t had the main course yet, and every entrée is a standout. Reach nirvana with the lunch menu as well. $$-$$$ |
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