Have I mentioned that I wish more breweries would offer food in their taprooms?

Well, it is a not-so-secret wish of mine.

I know that making beer and food are two different skill sets and that food trucks fill the gap nicely. But there’s something special about having a dedicated restaurant and food that complements a brewery’s beer.

Brew pubs, which are breweries that can’t distribute outside their four retail walls due to antiquated Minnesota liquor laws, are few and far between in the Twin Cities, mostly for that reason.

But Birch’s Lowertown (289 E. Fifth St., St. Paul; 651-432-4677; birchslowertown.com, an outpost of Birch’s on the Lake in the far-flung west metro suburbs, is that rare breed. Being a brew pub means they can serve wine, beer from other breweries and liquor, too.

The food at this new Birch’s, part of St. Paul’s Market House Collaborative, is different from what is offered at Birch’s on the Lake, by necessity. The fledgling operation does not have its own kitchen, but rather relies upon the cooks from adjacent Octo Fish Bar to make their menu. Chef Shane Oporto created the short, sweet bar menu, and my crew is pretty sure we’ll be there a lot, for the beer and the food.

Half of the menu is appetizers, all of which are great for sharing while drinking. The chicken karaage ($11) are basically adult chicken nuggets. Little bits of chicken, fried until uber-crisp, are served with lemon wedges to enliven them and a zippy little ginger sauce for dipping.

The sauce on the generous serving of meaty chicken wings ($10), made with local Crybaby Craig’s sauce, is really, really good, but we wished the wings were a bit more crisp.

Our favorite of the appetizers is the smashed potatoes ($12), fried until super crisp and deep brown, then doused in a beer cheese fondue and sprinkled with red pepper flakes and addictive little garlic chips. It isn’t diet food, though, so it’s best to share.

Smoked pork tacos ($9) come in an order of two, and they’re probably the best value on the menu. Each is stuffed with a generous amount of meat and topped with chopped onions, cilantro and a little avocado salsa. The pork is smoky and juicy, and if you need a little kick, the pub has plenty of bottles of Crybaby Craig’s available.

The best thing we tried, though, was the Birch’s Burger ($14).

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Lunds & Byerlys to stay closed on day after Thanksgiving Oporto says he was forced to make a double patty burger because of the tiny kitchen space they are working with — it’s the only way to get the burgers out fast enough. But that also leads to plenty of delicious griddle char, and the burger is still juicy enough to squirt when cut in half. American cheese, plenty of crisp pickles and a simple special sauce finish things off. This beauty of a burger easily lands in my top five in the Twin Cities.

I can also heartily recommend the brawt burger ($13), which is a retro brat patty, smothered in fried onions, cheddar cheese and bacon jam. We should also mention that both burgers are served on a very perfect Salty Tart bun.

Small Bites are first glances — not intended as definitive reviews — of new or changed restaurants.