Last year, we said goodbye to several restaurants that were such a part of St. Paul’s fabric that their closings shocked us.

The closing of the original location of Red’s Savoy on East Seventh Street, the St. Clair Broiler and Strip Club Meat and Fish hit us particularly hard.

Many fans of these restaurants wondered how they could possibly close after lasting so long. The answer, in the case of most restaurant closings, is simple: They were not busy enough.

While we are quick to celebrate the shiny and new — with big chefs opening amazing new restaurants every month in this city, it’s hard not to — today is about giving you a list of places not to forget about. These places have been chugging along for 25 years or more, and the loss of any one of them would be monumental.

So next time you’re planning a date or a celebration or you just need someplace to make dinner for you during a busy week, don’t forget about these 10 classic St. Paul restaurants. If we visit them regularly, they’ll be sure to stick around.

MANCINI’S

Mancini’s has been St. Paul’s birthday, date-night, friends-meeting, group outing and just hanging out spot for the past 70 years. Deep red booths, exposed brick, low lighting and bartenders who know how to make a classic martini make us feel like we’ve stepped back in time, in the best possible way. The Mancini family still owns the joint, and the simple menu consists of steak, lobster, steak, walleye and more steak, all served with a pickle tray, salad, potato and garlic bread so addicting you might find yourself saving most of your steak for the next day. On the bar side, The Midas Touch entertains an all-ages crowd every weekend with a set list of tried-and-true oldies that keeps the dance floor hopping. Simply put, Mancini’s is always a good time. 531 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-224-7345; mancinis.com

YARUSSO-BROS.

This classic Italian restaurant has been open for 71 years, and the menu has remained mostly the same for the past 60. Old-school ambiance and spaghetti like Grandma made are its trademarks. It’s another place that’s still family-owned after all these years — Fred and Michael Yarusso, grandsons of original owner Francesco Yarusso, own the restaurant today. It’s a great place to take everyone in the family, from the youngest children to the eldest in your clan. 635 Payne Ave., St. Paul; 651-776-4848; yarussos.com

DeGIDIO’S

St. Paul and red sauce go together like peaches and cream, and DeGidio’s arguably serves the best Sunday gravy in town and has since 1933. Mobsters once hung out in the restaurant, founded by Joe “Kid Bullets” DeGidio, but today, it’s mostly St. Paul families who know where to go for a great, classic Italian meal. The restaurant has changed with the times — the decor is more modern than at some of the other old-school Italian places on this list, and the menu has more contemporary twists, including offering gluten-free pasta for those on special diets. 425 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-291-7105; degidios.com

W.A. FROST

Selby Avenue is a hotbed of restaurants now, but it’s easy to forget it hasn’t always been that way. In 1975, a little restaurant and bar called W.A. Frost opened without a kitchen — food was brought in by caterers. Against all odds, it became successful, and two years later, a kitchen was added. In the more than 40 years since, the gorgeous, historic bar is still one of our favorite places to belly up, and the kitchen has been home to some of the most successful chefs in the city — from Lenny Russo (formerly Heartland, currently The Commodore) to Russell Klein (Meritage) to Wyatt Evans (Heirloom). In the summer, the patio is probably the most popular spot in the city, but winter is a great time to visit the warm, cozy dining room and order any of the refined dishes, from duck to steak to some of the best vegetarian entrees in town. 374 Selby Ave., St. Paul; 651-224-5715; wafrost.com

COSSETTA

The oldest of this bunch of classic St. Paul restaurants, Cossetta has gone from a tiny food market in 1911 to a sprawling complex and ode to all things Italian that includes not only a market with packaged and fresh foods, but also a casual pasta and pizza joint, a breathtakingly beautiful pasticceria (dessert shop) and a fine-dining restaurant on the third floor that includes a booming rooftop patio with its own bar in the warmer weather. There truly is something for everyone here, and it fits just about any occasion. 211 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-222-3476; cossettas.com

TAVERN ON GRAND

Walleye is king in Minnesota, as far as fish goes, and Tavern on Grand has been the place to get it broiled, fried, in a salad or a handful of other wacky ways (including in a spring roll!) for the past 28 years. Since the 2007 smoking ban, it has gone from a smoky bar where we would order delicious walleye takeout to a very family-friendly restaurant. It serves up to 2,000 pounds of walleye in a week, and owner David Wildmo once hired a public relations firm to confirm that the Tavern serves more walleye than any other restaurant in the country. 656 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-228-9030; tavernongrand.com

BOCA CHICA

For more than 50 years, St. Paulites have flocked to this West Side institution for its huge menu of Mexican favorites. If you’re craving it, the restaurant, still owned by the founding Frias family, has it. We love to hit Boca Chica on a beautiful spring or summer day for happy-hour margaritas and snacks on the patio, but dinner with the family, especially when there’s a mariachi band in the dining room, is always memorable. 11 Cesar Chavez St.; St. Paul; 651-222-8499; bocachicarestaurant.com

GOLDEN CHOW MEIN

Golden Chow Mein might seem passe to today’s generation of Asian food lovers, but this West Seventh gem has been serving fresh, delicious Cantonese food for 30 years. Yes, there is chow mein, but it’s nothing like the cafeteria or packaged stuff we ate in the 1980s. It’s meat and vegetables in a light, savory sauce, served on a fluffy bed of rice. It’s great, really, and so is the best-in-class almond ding, but our favorite, the menu item we dream about, is the Cantonese fried noodles. They are fried until crisp and served beneath various proteins, but we like the popping-fresh shrimp and crisp pea pods, bathed in a gravy that softens up those noodles just the right amount. It’s only served on the dine-in menu, probably because it loses something when it sits for a bit. Trust us, it’s worth the trip, and bring your friends. The portions are huge and the prices incredibly low. 1105 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-228-1276; goldenchowmein.com

MICKEY’S DINER

This antique diner car has been in operation since 1939, and it’s always a trip to step into. Ask “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, who was berated by the staff, the same as any other customer (and loved it) during a Super Bowl-week visit. Breakfast is served anytime here, and it’s good, especially after you’ve hit the bar a little too hard. 36 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-222-5633; mickeysdiningcar.com

FOREPAUGH’S