In typical Minnesota fashion, the weather has suddenly turned from balmy to brrr.

For those who work downtown, chilly temperatures often mean spending more time in the maze that is the St. Paul skyway system.

In the two years since we last covered what to eat in the skyway, a lot has changed. There seems to be a new emphasis on healthy, fast-casual eateries and, frankly, it’s long overdue. That said, there’s also a new place to get a killer hot dog.

Here’s a list of the places we frequent most often for lunch when it’s too cold to hit the streets:

ASIAN EXPRESS

We most often hit this solid little Asian spot for its bun egg-roll salad. If you haven’t had one, we promise you’ll be addicted after you try it. Rice noodles, cucumbers, carrots, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts and cilantro are topped with two crispy, flaky Vietnamese egg rolls cut into bite-size pieces. The fish-sauce vinaigrette ties it all together. It’s a filling, but not heavy, lunch.

Still, the daily specials are definitely worth a try. Kung pao chicken or beef are standouts. They have a little zip and plenty of veggies. Specials are served with rice (white or fried) or lo mein noodles and a side dish (egg roll, won-ton, egg foo young or chicken wing). U.S. Bank Center, 101 E. Fifth St., St. Paul; 651-602-7960

CASSIE’S DELI

The long-running D Brian’s Deli is now Cassie’s Deli. But don’t let the name fool you. Much of the operation will look familiar, including recognizable staff who have been taking your orders, prepping and cooking up your food for awhile now. Soup, salad and grill stations still remain. And that means the popular made-to-order burgers ($6 to $7.50) are as satisfying as ever. You can’t go wrong with the bacon blue burger ($7.29) and a side of crispy fries ($1.59). Town Square, 444 Cedar St.; St. Paul; 651-223-7979. cassiesdeli.com

DOGG HAUS

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Game on! Tailgating takeout ideas for game day The St. Paul skyway outpost of this Milwaukee hot dog stand is relatively new, and we absolutely approve. The Minneapolis Dogg, topped with Italian beef, giardiniera, sport peppers and oozy nacho cheese, is worth every calorie. Also, you can’t go wrong with a classic Chicago Dog. All the hot dogs are high-quality Vienna beef, and the fast-food skinny fries are good, too. Alliance Bank food court, 55 E. Fifth St., Suite 205; 651-224-0348; thedogghaus.com

EVAN’S ORGANIC

The soup, salad and sandwich spot emphasizes organic and lets dishes speak for themselves by using quality whole foods. There’s also a decent number of vegan dishes, tried and tested by two of the owners who are vegan. Our top picks: the smoked turkey sandwich ($8.99) using Ferndale Market deli meat and Brake Bread, as well as the savory vegan mushroom wild rice soup. ($5.95). Alliance Bank food court, 56 E. Sixth St., St. Paul; 651-440-9611; organiceatery.com

FRESHII

This chain focuses on fresh and healthy salads, bowls and wraps made in a jiffy. There are also juices, smoothies, nutritious breakfast burritos and bowls, and even super-trendy kefir, in frozen form. We enjoyed our Buddha’s Satay bowl, with rice noodles, plenty of vegetables and a mildly kicky peanut sauce. Town Square, 444 Cedar St., St. Paul; 651-829-3297; freshii.com

LITTLE SICILY

There are few skyway options for satisfying those pasta cravings. Enter Little Sicily to make sure the casual lunch crowd is covered. Nothing fancy here, but a build-your-own pasta station (starting at $6.50) lets you choose between several different sauces, pastas and accompaniments such as pesto, mushrooms, broccoli and black olives. Your picks are then sautéed and packaged for eating there or taking it to go. When deciding on a sauce, we’re fans of the spicy rosa — a mix of the spicy tomato and Alfredo that’s creamy and has a little bit of heat. Lasagna and pizza, including by the slice, are also available. Securian Center, 401 N. Robert St.; 651-291-2739; twosicilians.com

MAISON DARRAS

This is one of our favorite skyway restaurants. It offers healthy, tasty, from-scratch food in a hurry. It’s no secret, either. If you arrive after 12:30 p.m., options tend to be more limited. We love all the paninis we’ve tried — the bread is slightly undercooked before it’s pressed so it doesn’t get too crunchy. The soups are elegant and never from a bag. Quiche varieties have flaky puff-pastry crusts, tasty fillings and come with a giant salad. Securian Center, 401 N. Robert St.; 651-379-2770; maisondarras.com

ONE TWO THREE SUSHI

We absolutely love being able to scratch our ramen itch, especially during the colder months, without walking outside. The fast-food version of the ultimate Japanese comfort food might not be as rich or fancy as some of the more serious ramen restaurants in the Twin Cities, but the pork belly ramen here is pretty darn good.

Sushi is rolled to order, and we really love that you can opt for brown rice. The ingredients are super-fresh, and the sauces are delicious. Rice bowls are good options, too, when you are in the mood for something hot that includes rice. The chicken teriyaki is our favorite. 101 E. Fifth St., Suite 205, St. Paul; 651-340-5012; onetwothreesushi.com

PINO’S PIZZERIA

Like New York-style pizza? This is your lunch place. These guys have been in the same spot, serving the same from-scratch pizza for 25 years. Giant slices of greasy, floppy pizza are available with the usual suspects, such as pepperoni and sausage, but there are often some unusual toppings, like Alfredo and buffalo chicken. Alliance Bank food court, 55 E. Fifth St., St. Paul; 651-228-0673

THE QUEEN CUISINE

We were ever-so-pleased to discover this little gem, serving gyro, shwarma and falafel sandwiches and platters, hummus, and other Mediterranean specialties. We really liked our gyro platter, which came with with plenty of meat, flavorful golden rice and a slurpable cucumber sauce. Alliance Bank food court, 55 E. Fifth St., Suite 200, St. Paul; 651-291-2771

REAL MEAL DELI

Another favorite that is not a secret, Real Meal serves some of the best salads in the skyway, decent sub sandwiches, filling daily specials and monstrous chocolate chip cookies. Get there early to avoid lines that snake down the skyway and ensure the specials — such as hot beef sandwiches with real mashed potatoes and gravy — aren’t sold out.

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Game on! Tailgating takeout ideas for game day Our favorite salads are the Palermo Pecan, with candied nuts, blue cheese and green onion, and the Baltimore BLT. Or give the Greek Chicken Sandwich a try — it’s like a Greek salad, including the feta, olives and tzatziki, on a bun.

Real Meal is also a great stop for a super-filling whole-grain breakfast burrito that’s perfect for a day when you know you won’t have time for lunch. First National Bank Building, 332 Minnesota St., St. Paul; 651-493-9704; realmealdeli.com

SKYWAY GRILL

This former McDonald’s spot got a major upgrade when it became Skyway Grill, which serves real burgers and tasty fries in a counter-service fast-food amount of time. All of the burgers are juicy, with plenty of griddle char, but we’re partial to the Lowertown Burger, topped with fresh mushrooms, pecan-wood-smoked bacon, Swiss cheese and garlic aioli. Alliance Bank food court, 55 E. Fifth St., St. Paul; 651-222-3990; facebook.com/skywaygrill

SPROUT SALAD

Argentine steakhouse. Korean barbecue with kimchi. Chop salad with golden beets and kale. A salad ($6 to $10) from this local outfit with several Twin Cities locations is anything but boring. And ordering one here is as fresh as can be. Staff assembles your salad at mixing and chopping stations, turning your order into perfect bite-size pieces that make it easy to eat. We also love that dressings are made from scratch.

Our go-to order here is the Riviera Nicoise Salad ($10), which comes with grilled wild salmon instead of the more traditional tuna. If you’re not in a mood for a traditional bowl, order your salad in wrap form. Securian Center, 401 N. Robert St., St. Paul; 651-348-2383; sproutsalad.com

SUSHI SUSHI

Build your own sushi rolls here or choose from a short list of classics. We like the spicy tuna, which has a nice kick. They also have decent teriyaki bowls, and the service is friendly and swift. Alliance Bank food court, 55 E. Fifth St., St. Paul