East Side Eating

Trimble’s Taste Trek

By Steve Trimble

Updated through December 30, 2015

I did it! I met my goal of eating at every East Side restaurant on the East Side in a single year. They were local sit-down places. No chains (unless they were small local ones), take out spots or food trucks. Now there are fifty-nine descriptions of where I went and saw. Notice I didn’t say I reviewed them in a critical manner. I described but didn’t judge. That is your job. A couple of places went out of business, but two new ones popped up to fill the void.



I wasn’t a food critic, so there were no judgments on quality, although I did eat something when I was there. You won’t find any statements like “the pate was too dry” or “the fava bean dish needed more arugula and sun dried heirloom tomatillos.” I tried to include their own web site, so you won’t have to scroll through numerous posts to find an on-line menu. While the palate parade is over, I will try to keep you up with any new East Side restaurants in an epilogue to East Side Eating 2015. I’m pretty sure there will be a few in 2016 and beyond.

January 1, 2015

Yarusso Brothers Italian Restaurant

635 Payne Avenue St. Paul 55130

(651) 776-4848

11:00-9:00 Mon-Thurs until 10:00; Fri-Sat

Sunday brunch 10:00-2:00

yarussos.com ​I probably shouldn’t admit it, but this initial foray was made because the establishment was offering a free spaghetti dinner to senior citizens on New Year’s Day - I did make sure to order a couple of beers so they could have some profit. But maybe it’s also because they were founded in 1933 and are probably the oldest East Side restaurant in continual operation. As the name implies they specialize in Italian food, but they are many things offered in addition to what I ate. Where else do they offer several kinds of “Dago” sandwiches? The restaurant has three general areas - one with a dozen or so tables and booths, a full bar area with some additional seating and a room off to the side that is available for groups, such as wedding dinners. The décor is filled with old photos of Swede Hollow and the Railroad Island neighborhood and the names of Italian families. However, as my friend Greg Cosimini points out, his family’s name is missing.



January 7, 2015

Taqueria Los Paisanos

825 E 7th St

St. Paul, MN 55106

(651) 778-8062

http://lospaisanostaqueria.com

8:00 A. M. -10:00 Mon-Thur and Sun 8:00-11:00 Fri-Sat



I had just finished my first tutorial from Carla Riehle on how to build this blog site, so I felt she deserved to be the first East Side Eating guest ever. The Taqueria is located at the northeast corner of East Seventh and Arcade. Some will remember it as the old home of Clark’s submarine sandwiches. It is smallish - maybe a dozen table and booths - but is nicely decorated. Food is ordered at a counter near the entrance that has a board with the menu items of mostly traditional Mexican foods. I had a burrito served with rice and refried beans and it was so big I took half of it home with me. You may order ahead of time on-line. There is a small amount of off-street parking. On our way out two women in an older car called to us and asked if we could help them push. It seems they had no reverse gear. Fortunately two other people came to their aid and they were able to get out of the little lot. January 14, 2015

Eastside Thai Restaurant

879 Payne Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55130

51) 776-6599

Mon-Wed 11:00-7:30 P. M.; Thurs-Sun 11:00-8:00

http://www.eastsidethai.com



I decided it was the time to go see what one of the Asian restaurants had to offer. I checked in with my neighbor Alan who is somewhat of an expert on Asian dishes, especially Thai cuisine. So off we went for lunch. When we got to the designated dining spot on Old Hudson Road it was no longer in business. On to Payne Avenue to and spot on my list that neither of us had been to before. No expectations, just an adventure. We entered a fairly small business that was attractively decorated and clean. There were maybe twelve tables and there was no buffet. The menu had a lot of options. I chose a Pad Thai with a combination of chicken, beef and shrimp. The huge pile on the plate created leftovers. My friend was taken with the large number of curry dishes. Service was nice, but the food took a while to arrive. Alan said it was some of the best curry he had ever had and noted that the condiments included jalapeno peppers in vinegar and fish sauce. They use mostly family recipes and offer catering.



January 21, 2015

St. Paul Saloon

1045 Hudson Road, St. Paul, MN 55106

(651) 340-9028 https://twitter.com/eastrivereats

After a neighborhood meeting at night I was hungry so, along with another political meeting participant and neighbor Jane Prince, I headed to the St. Paul Saloon on Hudson Road just west of Earl Street. East River Eats provides the bar food from another room and sends it through a small window.



The Saloon is not fancy but is clean and friendly. There are around ten tables, a game room with electronic entertainment, a pool table and a juke box. If you’re into gambling, there is a pull tab booth. There is a full bar and a decent selection of beers. Jane found the fact that they had Rolling Rock beer on tap interesting. There are several televisions set to sports venues. The night we were there it was a young crowd, at least compared to us. They have a small patio, but it was too cold to try it out.



There is limited service so its best to order at the bar and the food will be brought to you. It is typical bar food, including burgers, tacos, chicken wings and hot dagos with specials for each night. You can “build your own burger” with a choice of cheese and three out of a dozen or so add-ons. I chose a burger with Swiss cheese, bacon, onions and a fried egg. Until this bar, I had never had an egg on my burger, but it added an interesting taste. It was served with chips, but you can pay a bit more and get French fries.



January 31, 2015

Hur Feng Cafe

1010 Payne Ave

St. Paul, MN 55101

651-776-9179

Mon-Thurs 11:00-9:00

Fri-Sat 11;00-9:30

Sunday 12:00-8:30

http://www.suiyepcafe.com/



It was a Saturday night and I wanted to be sure to do a fifth eat-in during the first month of my Taste Trek. I decided to try out what was new at the old Sui Yep Restaurant. It looks a lot like what it used to. Small, clean, featuring Chinese dishes with about eight booths and two tables, one of them a large round one. There is no liquor available. Large photos of lunch dishes on the wall. There is a different special each day of the week. You can also do take-out and they deliver for orders of at least fifteen dollars. They will take reservations and can offer special family style serving for large groups. I was there around 7:00 P. M. and was alone for twenty minutes or so. Apparently this is more of a lunch spot.



It did give me a chance to find out a few things. I found out that the Initials of the place comes from the name of the owner Hur Feng, a Mandarin speaker, who came to Minnesota from northern China around twenty years ago. Her husband, who does the cooking, had been a chef at several restaurants and wanted to have a family business. I had my usual sweet and sour chicken. The sauce was thin rather than thick and sticky. Little red pepper icons are added on the menu to warn that some dishes are pretty hot. There are vegetarian dishes and other things that looked interesting, such as Korean Style Beef Ribs, Szechuan Duck and Thai style fish.



February 2, 2015

Marquez Grill Taqueria

870 Payne Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55130

651-774-7109

Hours9:00-9:00

https://www.facebook.com/pages/by-More-Taqueria/116141561742812



A new month, time to make another round of visits to a variety of restaurants. I decided to treat Elliott, my neighbor, who had just came back to the East Side from Massachusetts, to a dinner. He was mourning the death of his pet squirrel. We ended up going to a Latino establishment, helped by the fact that he speaks Spanish. He brought along his brother and Mother - call me cheap, but I asked those two to pay for themselves.



The menus includes tacos, tortas, burritos, quesadillas, caldos and other choices that were all pictured in photos on the wall outside the cooking area. We started out with an appetizer of nachos. Then I had a plate of four enchiladas complemented with refried bens, rice and a touch of shredded lettuce. My friends had a quesadilla, alambre, a plate of diablo shrimp and couple of Jarritos fruit punch. My companions were positive in their opinions.



The restaurants will cater banquets. Rodolfo Marquez and his wife are the owners. They were born in Mexico, and raised in California before coming to St. Paul. His brother owns the ByMore grocery across the street. The busiest time is lunch and we were alone at a little after 8:00 P. M. Before we left there was a group four police officers

who came in for a snack. They will cater food.



February 7, 2015

Roadside Pizza

296 Larpenteur Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55117

651-778-8786

11:00-9:00 every day and open till 10:00 on Friday

http://www.roadsidepizzastpaul.com/



Roadside Pizza is just east of the 35E exit at Larpenteur in a small strip mall. With more than sixty years in business, they are one of the older establishments in the city. They were on Snelling Avenue for many years and catered to the classic car crowd, which explains why there are numerous signed photos of autos on the wall. They also have sports mementos. It’s not huge but is clean and has room for more than a dozen booths and a few tables.



They feature pizza and wings, but the menu also includes “gourmet salads,” wraps, and hot entrées, including the classic “hot dagos.” There are soft drinks but no beer or liquor. I decided to try their Special Deluxe Pizza, said to be the most popular choice. It featured Italian sausage, pepperoni fresh mushrooms, green pepper and onions. I ordered the ten-inch medium and, as I suspected, took half of it home.



I was there on a Saturday night and was the only seated patron, but several folks came for take-out. I ended up having a conversation with a man said he used to be afraid of the East Side, but now thought it was generally getting better. My only regret was not trying out the cinnamon fries made out of pizza dough, but I was full. They do have free WiFi and coloring sheets for kids, some of which decorated the walls. Roadside Pizza will deliver and do catering.



February 13, 2015

Saigon Express

1098 Arcade St

St. Paul, MN 55106

651-774-0379

Open everyday 10:00—9:00

http://saigonexpressmn.com/



Even though the printed menu says “authentic Vietnamese Food,” there is also a good selection of Chinese cuisine. Saigon Express has been open for around five years. It looks small from the outside, but because of the building’s depth it is sizeable. There were seven tables for two and six larger ones for family groups.



Chi Nguyen who was from Vietnam and lived through the war living in Da Nang, hiding from bombs and bullets. They moved to Saigon before coming to the United States.



They have lunch specials for and some chef specials such as Hunan Beef, Mongolian Beef, Kung Pao Shrimp. I had General Tso’s Chicken that was served on bed of broccoli and topped with green onions. A side dish of white rice was included. There were large portions, so I had the next day’s lunch to take home.



Ms.Nguyen was interested why I chose the dish I did. I told her I had it once in Japan and wanted to try it out here. She asked because most of her customers order Pho, which may explain what there is a blazing green neon sign saying “Pho” in the window. She insisted that I at least try a small bowl of beef Pho so I did. One interesting menu item that caught my eye was Bun Thit Heo Nuong, a grilled pork salad. There is no beer or wine but they serve Vietnamese iced coffee and condensed milk and feature Boba teas.



It was somewhat busy that night. There was a diverse group of customers, some eating in, others taking out. There is Delivery with a $20.00 minimum and a $2.00 extra cost. I’m not sure of the delivery area, but they say it takes 30 - 45 minutes. The best way to get to their Eat Street web site with its menu is to put “Saigon Express” into Google and find the East Street click-on.



February 23, 2015

Tea House

1676 Suburban Ave

St. Paul, MN 55106

651-771-1790

Sun-Thurs 11:00-9:30 Fri-Sat 11:00-10.00

www.ourteahouse.com



I may be fudging a little on this East Side Eating visit. I was there at a political event with a few dishes on a buffet table rather than partaking in a sit-down dinner that I ordered. But here was food to taste, including chicken wings, pork dumplings pork and vegetarian egg rolls. I was able to get a sense of the space and was able to read the menu. Also, I have been there in the past, so I decided this was all right. I’m so old that I remember when it was Yang’s before the current owners bought it. It is a large, well-decorated restaurant. That night, the political event took over all of the southern side of the room, but there was a lot of space left for frequently-arriving customers. The Tea House is a well-known restaurant that has won several awards for best Twin Cities Chinese restaurant in local newspapers and magazines.

On to the menu. There are seventeen different appetizers. You can find beef and lamb dishes as well as chicken and duck items. Seafood offerings include shrimp, prawn, scallops, whole fish and fish fillets. For a somewhat lighter meal, choose from a large number of soups. There are a dozen special vegetarian dishes with different vegetables or made with tofu. Dim Sum is served on the weekends. Chef recommended items feature tea-smoked duck, whole fish stewed in bean sauce and pork with chestnuts and eggplant in garlic sauce. Most of the main entrees come with white rice, an egg roll and soup. There are lower cost lunch specials Monday through Friday from 11:00 to 2:00 with a sizeable list from which to choose—I’m trying to use the proper grammar stressed by my fifth grade teacher in Kansas. The menu of the restaurant says “Authentic Taste of Szechuan” and is careful to clearly mark the hottest of the Szechuan dishes with tiny red drawings of peppers. There is a full beer, wine and liquor bar at the back of the dining area as well as plenty of off-street parking.



March 6, 2015

Ari’s Best Steak House

1676 White Bear Ave N.

St. Paul, MN 55106

651-776-5419

Mon-Sat 11:00-9:00 Sunday 11:00-8:00

www.arisbeststeakhouse.com



My son, who now lives in Northeast Minneapolis, came to visit me on this day. I often treat him to dinner so I decided to make sure Tom became part of the Trimble Taste Trek. He decided that beef would be a nice change so we headed for Ari’s Best Steak House, the last of its kind on the East Side. The restaurant was started in 1973 by a Greek family, who have been frequent owners of such establishments in the Twin Cities. The man still owns the establishment, but the current main cook on the day we came was a Serbian from Sarajevo. There were around fifteen comfortable booths and over ten tables and many more places to sit in a large back room with numerous tables. It is clean and well lit, with patriotic pictures and scenes from Greece on the walls. Even though its name says it’s a steak house, they have other things, including chicken, gyros, shrimp baskets, pork chops and barbecue ribs.



You order at the front of a cafeteria-like counter, tell how you want your meat cooked—sorry, no vegetarian entrees- make your own salad, order a soft drink if you want and/ or select a piece of pie or pudding and then pay the cashier. You seat yourself and they will bring the beef along with a baked potato and a large piece of “Texas Toast” with any entrée. I decided to have medium sized sirloin. As usual, I took some of it home in a Styrofoam container. These days steak is quite expensive, so I didn’t want to be wasteful. There is a separate kids menu with reasonably-priced burgers, chicken tenders, cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. Steakhouse Specials that change often are available for lunch from 11:00—2:00, which cost $5.99 at the time this was written. March 11, 2015

Great Dragon Restaurant

887 Arcade St Paul, MN 55106

651-774-3853 and 3856

Sun-Thurs 11:00 A. M.-10:30 P. M.

Fri and Sat 11:00 A. M.-11:00 P. M.

http://yumyumgreatdragon.com/homepage.aspx



I was at an evening meeting about the direction of the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood. It got over around 8:00 and, accompanied by two others, I decided to go to a place in a small strip mall built atop a small hill. It was smallish, having one booth and five tables—one of which was filled with a variety of unidentified stuff. There was a counter on the west side where you ordered. It had photos of many of the dishes on the wall so you could see, but it looked like it had been there a while since the colors were faded.



According to the menu, this Chinese restaurant was part of what they called “New York Style.” Still not sure what that means. Lunch served from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM and dinner after that served with pork or chicken fried rice and egg roll. There are many appetizers, soup with crispy noodles, fried rice, chow mien, lo mien, Mai Fun, which apparently is thin noodles, pork beef, chicken, seafood (only shrimp) and vegetable dishes.



There was a section of the menu called “House Special.” It included three kinds if scallops, sesame chicken that included squid, Four Seasons scallops chicken, pork, shrimp and squid. There were two items called “Happy Family” and “Seven Stars Around the Moon.” Hot and spicy dishes were printed in red. In fact, there was a separate Szechuan and Hunan sections that was printed in crimson.



In our little group, every one had something different to eat and perhaps share-which we did. C. R. had the General Tao, S. H. chose chicken and broccoli. I opted for the House Specialty Fried Rice, which had lot of extras mixed-in, including shrimp. They deliver food with a minimum order of $15.00--cash only.

March 17, 2015

Governor’s Fine Food and Drink

959 Arcade St. Paul, Mn 55106

651-6778-1045

closed on Monday. Tues, 11:30-8:00; Wed, 12:00-8:00;

Thurs, 11:30-8:00; Fri-Sat,

11:30-9:00 Sun, 11:30-8:00

https://www.facebook.com/Governors-Fine-Food-Drink-583282021734060/ I decided to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by going out to eat. Knowing that the later hours of this particular time can get gets a little rowdy, it might be best to show up for lunch. Of course I wanted to get corned beef and cabbage, so I had to do some research and see who was serving this traditional fare on the East Side. I decided to invite Mike, Tony and Frank to join me, since none of them had ever been to Governor’s and they needed to have an East Side experience. Oh, I did have one beer.



The restaurant has been around for a long time. Even though a sign on the front says “Since 1987,” there has been a bar here since the end of Prohibition under different names. When current owner Lou Lentsch named his new venture, he and many of the patrons were graduates of Johnson High School, whose nickname was “The Governor’s.” The charity for the pull tab booth goes to the school’s hockey team.



The décor has the flavor of an older style eatery. The building is divided into two basic sections--a dining area six booths and four tables and a horseshoe bar area with around thirty stools. There is also a banquet room that can serve groups from fifteen to 150. They have an old-time meat raffle every Thursday and karaoke on Wednesday, Friday and Saturdays. They have sandwiches appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and a classic “sloppy hot dagos.” According to their menu, popular items at Governor’s includes garlic toast, “famous cheese bread,” clam or smelt, chicken parmesan dinner and prime rib dinner. There is also a small children’s menu. They also have a Friday fish fry throughout the year.



March 23, 2015

Café La Palma

655 Payne Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55130

651-772-4313

Mon-Sun 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 P. M.

Facebook: La Palma Supermercado

I decided to have the first lunch on my taste trek but didn’t want to have a large one and set out for Café La Palma. The restaurant is inside La Palma Supermercado. I had visited it and knew there was a restaurant in the back, but I hadn’t ever gone there. By the time I got in a little after 1:00 there was a line. It was a cafeteria style arrangement with twenty pictures on the wall showing what the food looked like. There were two televisions which, at the time were loudly following a Latino soccer game, six four-person booths and five tables. In addition there is a small side room with more tables.



If you aren’t in a hurry, you can order off the menu which I did. I decided to stay with my small portion idea and had two pupusas—one cheese and one meat-with a tangy cole slaw. I chose a lime Jarrito for my drink. Since they were not on the buffet I did have to wait ten to fifteen minutes.



The menu says that the house specials are churrasco (steak) and both Salvadorian and Cuban style tortas. There also is a selection of soups and various kinds of sea food such as shrimp or even whole fish. They have several offerings for desayunos, aka breakfast. Some choices include choriza omelet, Mexican style scrambled eggs and even pancakes. There is even a kid’s menu with mini-tortas, a kid’s burrito and small quesadillas. There is no beer or wine, but there is a selection of interesting juices and soft drinks.



I wondered why there were Salvadorian dishes-some listed as specials- at what seemed to be a Mexican food store. I found out why, when I meet Blanca Solis on my way out. She is one of the three owners and is from El Salvador. She also showed me some of the Salvadorian items in the grocery, including a large offering of baked goods that came from the nearby El Guanaco.



March 28, 2015

Schwietz’ Saloon and Eatery

956 Payne Avenue

St. Paul 55106

651-776-9132

Facebook: Schwietz Saloon and Eatery Saturday evening and nowhere particular to go. So I decided to check out the new offerings at one of the older Payne Avenue venues. Even if it wasn’t part of the recently declared Payne Avenue “East Street” locations. New owners have recently been running the Schwietz’ Saloon. In fact, they are having a one year anniversary celebration on June 21st. I hadn’t been there for ages but the insides looked the same. I still like the century-old tin ceiling. They serve beer as well as liquor. There are eight tables and seventeen spots along the long bar. There is one pool table that was in use when I was there and a juke box that played everything from hard rock to oldies, including Freddy Fender. There is a new patio with smoking allowed, but this was inside weather. They also have a second floor banquet/party room.



The menu selection isn’t extensive. There are appetizers, burgers, Hot Dagos, toasted Italian subs, a catfish platter and a choice of dry rub or barbecue ribs.



They can also heat up frozen Heggie’s pizza. I decided to try what was called Schwietz Spinners, party because they came with good old mashed potatoes and gravy. They are round biscuits with mixed-in chicken that were created by Judy, the owners mother. She also designed Screamers, that are little burgers topped with a special hot sauce. Judy does some of the cooking and while I was waiting with a beer, she came around and offered samples of pierogi, which may be added to the menu. By the way, I chose to have a Hamm’s because before Prohibition this bar, as well as many others, was owned by Hamm’s Brewery. April 7, 2015

Tazumal Pupuseria

990 Payne Ave

St. Paul, MN 55130

651-786-9311

Tues-Sun. 9:00-7:00

Closed Monday

Facebook: Tazumal Pupuseria



When I found out this was National Beer Day, I decided to continue my Taste Trek by going out for a drink and some food. Mexican food is often accompanied by some cerveza, so off I went up Payne Avenue to Plaza del Sol. Unfortunately Senor Sol, the restaurant inside where I was headed, had closed at 7:00 that night. Just when I was afraid that I would miss out on National Beer Day until I spotted a smal

Salvadorian establishment next to Senor Sol that was still open and decided to check it out.



I had a serving of two pastels de pollo which were crispy flour or corn turnovers chicken filled with chicken along with a Tamales Oaxaqueno. Since this was National Beer Day I added a bottle of Sol Beer from Mexico. Later I found out that the tamale, a traditional item wrapped in banana leaves, originated in Oaxaca, Mexico. The menu also included plantain turnovers, shrimp turnovers, Hurachesitos and Antoj Salvador that are Salvadorian snacks. True to the place's name, there was a choice of several different pupusas. The other part of the name of the restaurant comes from the archeological site of Tazumal that contains the largest Mayan pyramid in El Salvador.

One owner of the pupuseria is Gloria Casas from El Salvador, who speaks Spanish almost exclusively which, unfortunately, I do not speak beyond a few words. Her husband Angel Casas is from the Oaxaca, a state is southern Mexico, which explains the tamales.



Fortunately Isis Deluca, one of the servers for the just closed Senor Sol restaurant, was still around and agreed to become my

unofficial translator. I was able to communicate with Gloria and found out she had opened the business around a year ago. She came to St. Paul to be with her son, who was already here. I asked how she liked it here she smiled and said “good, but too cold.”

April 17, 2015

Polly’s Coffee Cove

1382 Payne Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55130

651-771-5531

Mon 7:00-8:00; Tues-Fri 7:00- 5:00

Sat 7:30-4:00; Sunday 8:00-3:00

Facebook: Polly’s Coffee Cove



This is an interesting neighborhood coffee house and meeting place inside a 1921 structure that was originally Olson’s Grocery Store and later a small bakery. Ann Policheck started Polly’s Coffee Cove in 2006. The décor is based on comfort, with a sofa or two, stuffed chairs and tables of various sizes. The walls and shelves are filled with curios and a large number of parrot collectables. There is even a tiny table with little chairs and lots of crayons for kids. Although, at least when I was there around 11:30, almost all of the patrons, including myself, seemed to be senior citizens.



Polly’s is the home of the “Tight Knit Group,” a knitting club that meets on Saturday. Every Friday a local woman drops by and plays piano from 1:30 to 4:30. With a small group of East Siders, Ann helped start the St. Paul Optimist Club that headquarters there. Sometimes book groups meet with authors and other interesting speakers.



Starting in January of 2013, Ann started roasting their own coffee and hers was the only the Eastside establishment to do so at the time. While its name suggests an emphasis on coffee, there is a small selection of food that includes sandwiches, soups and quite a few treats such as cookies, pies and rolls. There is quality ice cream, a dollar a scoop that day. Besides cones, there are malts, shakes and root beer floats. The spot is available for private parties and has free WiFi, but instead of texting, I had interesting talks with two or three East Siders. I had a turkey and cheese sandwich and a cup of wild rice, chicken and carrot soup. Of course, I had to have a cup of coffee. After all, it’s the Coffee Cove. April 22, 2015

Ho Ho Gourmet

1985 Old Hudson Rd

St. Paul, MN 55119

651-731-0316

Sun-Thur

1:00-8:30: Fri-Sat 11:00-9:00

http://hohomn.com



A few kind folks have said they would like to accompany me on the East Side Eating adventure. This day it was Ashlee Olds, who is the founder of Sweet Science Ice Cream, a gourmet dessert with many unique flavors. She favored Asian food, and since it was noonish, we decided to go to a spot with a buffet -so onto Ho Ho Gourmet. They actually have two separate buffets: one from 11:00 to 2:30 and another between 5:00 until 9:00 pm..



There were around ten different choices including fried rice, lo mein, beef with broccoli chicken wings and pork dishes. There was a selection of fruit and cookies for dessert. Menu appetizers include pot stickers, cheese puffs and Fantail Shrimp. Ten soups are available, including corn soup, hot and sour and noodle soups. Pan fried noodles and different kinds of chow mein and chop suey. There are also a dozen “chef suggestions.” Other offerings are Hot Pot sea food—mostly shrimp—but one of them had lobster sauce. There were twice cooked pork, shredded chicken, various kinds of lo mein, Stir-Fried Vegetable with Chicken, Beef, or Pork and Szeschuan style family dinners for two to four. Combination plates—“new style American menu,” shrimp with French fries and fried chicken wings.



I did notice that a majority of customers were Asian, suggesting that the food was seen as close to the traditional fare. We talked with one of the owners, who was born in China. She wondered how we like some of the new things, such as enclosing the old sunroom area and adding a high ceiling so the name could be seen from the freeway. I said I was somewhat disappointed that the soft serve vanilla that I liked and was gone. I was told that because of technical problem, it had been eliminated. But I was with the creator of fine ice cream, so maybe I would get my fix of ice cream after we left.

April 29, 2015

Wong’s Kitchen

1191 Earl St

St. Paul, MN 55106

651-776-2522

Mon and Sun 4:00-8:30; Tues-Sat 11:00-830

http://www.wongskitchensaintpaul.com



It was almost the end of the month and I thought I needed to have one last April date on the Taste Trek. I had driven by Wong’s Kitchen on Earl and Maryland many times but never went in. People speak highlyof their take-out food, so I wasn’t sure if it was a sit down place. It was—sort of. There were two small tables, one of which filled with papers and magazines and four chairs. There were some framed pictures of Asian scenes on the walls, a drop ceiling and two candy and gum machines. Boxes of tea are for sale in the glassed-in counter.



This is not a fancy dining spot, nor does it pretend to be. You order at the counter and pick up your choices up when it is ready. Forget dinner plates and fancy presentations. I skipped appetizers, some of which were cheese puffs, dumplings and spring rolls. Instead I opted for a combination of sweet and sour pork and fried rice that contained green onions. I added an egg roll as an extra and it was filled with chicken, cabbage and celery. My food came in the same styrofoam containers used for those used for take-away customers who mostly come from the surrounding neighborhood-several came in while I was eating.



The woman running the spot is the granddaughter of the man who founded Wong’s I know it had been around for a long time and she told me that at fifty years of operation, this is the oldest Chinese restaurant on the East Side. It may be, but I haven’t researched the city directories. She and her family came from a village in China named Yan Zhou. The food here is primarily Cantonese and less spicy than what is found elsewhere. However, there are eighteen “hot and spicy” dishes that are clearly marked on their paper menu with a bright red star. Lunch specials are available from 11:00 to 2:00 every day. You can order ahead on-line, but they do not have delivery.



May 6, 2015

Taqueria Los Ocampo

895 Arcade St

St. Paul, MN 55106

651-774-7623

Mon-Thurs 9:00-1:00 A. M

Fri-Sat 9:00-4 A.M.;

Sun 9:00-1 A.M.

taquerialosocampo.com



Going to shop at Rainbow—now Cub—I often looked across Arcade at a small Mexican restaurant. I never went there during the five years it has been open even though people said the food there was great. It was time to trek on over for a taste. It is larger than it looks from the outside. The well-lit room has seven comfortable booths-one of them a family size-a dozen or so tables, two of them seating eight people.

There was a decent number of people there for eight P. M. and I was the only Anglo there at the time. Three televisions were set to different Spanish language channels. There was a long shelf with Latino pieces from dolls, baskets, bottles and a cactus.



Customers order at a counter. Photos above it show thirty-two different dishes-some were solo items and others were combos. The choices were mostly the usual Mexican food found in the city. There was soup, including two that looked interesting. One was Menudo, a traditional soup made with beef stomach in broth with a red chili pepper base, with other ingredients such as chopped onions and cilantro. The other was Pozale, a soup said to have pre-Columbian origins and made of hominy, pork, chili peppers and other seasonings. There were desserts: Flan Napolitano-a sweet custard of eggs, milk, cream cheese, and sugar with a caramel sauce; Tirimasu, a popular coffee-flavored dessert consisting of sponge cake layered with a mixture of eggs, sugar, and cheese and flavored with cocoa; Platanos Fritos, which are fried ripe plantains. Looked good, but I resisted these treats. There are only soft drinks.



I ordered number twenty nine, a combination whose main dish was Tlacoyo that was described as an “ancient secret of Mexican kitchens.” It was a cornmeal dough pocket that is stuffed with pork, parsley, onions, sour cream and topped with radishes. It came with sides of crispy chips, a sizeable portion of guacamole and refried beans topped with shredded cheese. May 12, 2015

The Cherry Pit

735 White Bear Ave

651-776-6676

Mon-Sun 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.

10:00 to 12:00 P. M.

www.cherrypitbar.com Had a notion to chow down on a little bar food, so I headed east on I-94 went north on White Bear Avenue to Minnehaha. I wasn’t sure what I would find, but discovered a more complete menu than expected. There was a full house at 7:30, with a casual crowd where blue jeans were quite evident. There was a rectangular bar with wine and liquor, featuring ten beers on tap and others in bottles. There were maybe thirty stools filled by a diverse crowd and a dozen or more tables. On that night, three different televisions featured professional sports-hockey basketball and baseball. With a jukebox going, it was pretty loud. There is also a sizeable party room in a finished basement. A raised area at the back has pool tables and a dartboard. There is a pulltab booth inside and a large outdoor patio. Appetizers include wings, curds, and pot stickers. There are some salads and wraps. Sandwiches feature “hot dagos,” Reubens and barbequed pork. There are many kinds of tacos, many well known and others like the wonton taco that sound more unusual. There are an amazing twenty different kinds of burgers. “Signature items,” such as the bleu and bacon burger, are marked with little red cherries. I decided to try something new—a bacon and peanut butter burger with hot pepper cheese for what was said to provide a sweet and salty taste. I selected tater tots instead of fries or chips. The motto of the establishment that was chosen by owner Nicole Cherry is “waiting for food is the pits,” and even though it was crowded, my food came fairly quickly, even before I was done with my beer. May 15, 2015

Leo’s Chow Mein

1059 Hudson Road

St. Paul Minnesota 55106

651-771-0305

Mon-Sat 11:00-7:30; closed Sunday

Facebook: Leo’s Chow Mein I meet a couple of friends weekly to eat and play bingo. They had heard about Leo’s Chow Mein, but never been there. So we decided to go there for a Dayton’s Bluff lunch. It was somewhat crowded that day, but there were a few open tables. When you enter, there is a counter with a listing of available offerings-but no photos of them. The ordering area is small with two long seats for those waiting for take-out. There is an attached large dining room with booths and numerous tables and some Asian art pieces on the walls. We decided to do the reasonably-priced buffet, a favorite of the locals. The usual buffet items are sweet and sour chicken or pork, lo mein, fried rice, Asian veggies, and pepper pork and chicken—it varies a bit each day. You can also choose from the menu with things ranging from sweet and sour pork or chicken, fried rice, Asian vegetables, egg rolls and even fried chicken. Many people swear by the Special Chicken Chow Mein, whose recipe was once published in a local newspaper. There are soft drinks but no liquor. The lunch buffet, that goes from 11:00 to 1:00 P. M., is unique. Instead of a cafeteria-style setting, bowls of food are brought from the kitchen and servers take them around for people. There is a back story. When Leo Ng, who was born in China, first opened in this former gas station, it was so small that there was no room for the usual steam table, so the food was brought out. After a large addition, customers urged the owner to keep to the old ways, feeling that food directly from the kitchen was fresher and warmer. With the money he made, Leo brought several people to Minnesota from his homeland and many relatives got their start in the little building. May 20, 2015

May's Deli & Pho

300 Larpenteur Ave E.

St. Paul, MN 55117

651-771-2078

Mon-Fri 10:00-7:00 Sat 11:00-7:00 closed Sunday.

No web site or Facebook

I arrived at the restaurant in a small strip of establishments just east of the 35E exit at Larpenteur a little after 6:00 P. M. It is fairly small but well put together and clean. There are seats for twenty-plus patrons at the tables. The walls did not have the pictures or photos I have come to expect. There were a few folks there, including an older Asian woman eating a serving of pho and half a dozen high schoolers speaking a mixture of Vietnamese and English. Another diverse group of adults sat near the front of the room. All but the single woman were waiting for take-out and soon left. If I had come during lunchtime, I was told, the tables might have been full. I went up to the counter to order. The menu was mostly Chinese and Vietnamese, with a few “American” sandwiches. As the name implies, there was a large offering of pho, the name for Vietnamese soup. Some of the pho selections were steak, meatball, well-done brisket. There are several different Vietnamese sandwiches called Banh Mi. No beer or wine, but soft drinks, including American sodas and some Asian drinks as well as seven varieties of smoothies. I almost ordered Thai fried rice, thought about a plate of pork intestine or Szechuan beef, but went with chicken Pad Thai. It was delivered to my table by Candice Vang, the owner’s daughter. May’s has been open for nine years and gets its name from May Yang. She and her husband Kou Vang came from Laos, were displaced after the war, did time in a refugee camp in Thailand and eventually arrived in California. After living in Colorado for a time they came to Minnesota with its larger Asian population. Having their own business had been a dream and with the help of their children, it became a reality in St. Paul. They initially offered Hmong food but it was not popular enough to keep it on the menu. June 3, 2015

East Side Pizzeria

1058 Maryland Ave

St. Paul, MN 55106

651-776-pizza (7499)

Mon-Wed 11:00-10:00; Thurs-Sat 11:00-11:00;

Sun 11:00-10:00

www.eastsidepizzeria.com East Side Pizzeria been around for five years and is mentioned positively in a lot of Facebook posts. It is a small venue with around 20’ x 15’ floor space with a counter where you order and behind which they are cooking. There are only two tables and six chairs, decent wainscoting and a drop ceiling. There is a TV but it was not turned on. Appetizers include cheese curds, Italian cheese fries, artichoke spinach dip with fry bread. Some pizza topping choices are artichoke hearts, shrimp, pineapple and white sauce. You can get pan style (thick) crust. Besides pizzas, there are wings, deep fried tacos, ribs, burgers, hot sandwiches including the hot dago, burritos and shrimp baskets. There are daily specials, such as Taco Tuesday. The kids menu includes corn dogs, grilled cheese or an eight-inch pizza. Each of them comes with fries, a juice box and a cookie. They even have smoothies. House specials are a Philly cheese steak pizza, chicken Alfredo pizza and a “Classic Eastsider Pizza” containing sausage, onion, mushroom, banana peppers and pineapple. I got one of the self-proclaimed classics--the Chicken and Bacon Ranch Pizza, partly because I wanted to try something new. It featured chicken, bacon chopped tomatoes topped with homemade ranch sauce. They give a portion of cheesy bread for first time customers (with a ten dollar purchase), so I got that as well. They deliver with a $2.00 charge and will cater for birthdays office parties and other events. They take credit cards but no checks. They are on the lookout for a larger place so they could become more of a restaurant. Do you know of a possible spot? June 8, 2105

Romolo’s Restaurant

1409 Arcade St

St. Paul, Mn 55106

651-776-3882

Mon-Thur & Sun 11:00-9:00 Fri-Sat 11:00-10:00

romolosrestaurant.com Sadly, by the time you read this, Romolo’s will exist only in customer’s fond memories. Romolo Monda opened this East Side landmark opened in the late 1960’s. He retired in 2007 and his son Jay ran the restaurant until 2011, when he sold it to Fred Richie, one of his father’s oldest friends who was then eighty-one. He kept many of the old recipes and added others. One of the most notable—the “Fred Special”—was a meatball sandwich with red sauce and mozzarella cheese. In fact, Richie’s childhood nickname was “meatball man.” After the word of Romolo’s closing on June 14, 2015, scads of people streamed to the place for a last visit. I had to hurry to add it to the Taste Trek. I arrived around seven. There were a few open tables in the two dining rooms with their walls filled with historic photos of area families and sports teams. The restaurant featured many Italian favorites, such as mostaccoli, but also “American” sandwiches, burgers and “American” dinners such as broasted chicken and chopped sirloin. Here is a sampling of the menu: Appetizers, including pizza fries and Italian sausage with green peppers and onions. Antipasto salad, Caesar salad. A plethora of pizza, wings, and spumoni ice cream. Italian sandwiches included “hot dagos” and “saucy hot dagos,” a sausage patty smothered in red sauce. I chose baked lasagna with bread. Since it was an Italian restaurant, I had a Peroni beer. They did have wine and locally brewed Flat Earth beer, so they were keeping up with the times. I also ordered a Fred Special” to take home for the next day’s lunch. When Fred died a little over a year ago one of his five children took over, but after a family vote, they decided to sell the business. While there are no details, it may become an Asian restaurant. “I’ll leave you with a slogan Fred printed on his menu: “Amilizie e maccheroni, sono meglio caldi,” which translates “Friendship and macaroni are best when warm.”

June 21, 2015

Angelo’s Pizza

1668 White Bear Ave N.

St. Paul, MN 55106

651-771-8484

Mon-Thur and Sun 4:00-11:00 Fri-Sat 4:00-12:00

no web site or Facebook It would be hard to think of anything nicer than being treated to a Father’s Day dinner by my son. He suggested Italian food and was willing to leave Nordeast Minneapolis and come to the East Side so I could add the visit to the Taste Trek. Angelo’s has been around for thirty-eight years, so they had to be doing something right. I asked and found out that no one named Angelo’s owns it—maybe in the past? We came in around 7:00 and took one of the ten booths in back instead of one of five tables near the door. The place was fairly full and illuminated by colorful hanging lamps. The walls were covered in classic wood paneling. On one wall near the entrance had an original mural of various Loony Tunes cartoon characters—Sylvester and Tweety, Elmer Fudd and others. Another wall featured kid’s coloring pages. There was a shelf of trophies from many winning teams of Angelo’s-sponsored softball. There was also a lone pinball machine. Angelo’s does not have a large menu. There were pizzas ranging from mini to 14 inches with options of double crust and gluten-free. Appetizers include hot pepper rings and pizza fries with sauce and garlic toast. Other options included salads, hoagies and “Angelo’s meatball sandwich.” For drinks a person can choose Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, milk, lemonade, coffee or tea. I had a Miller’s beer, because my choice was either Miller’s Draft or Miller Lite. My son was hungry so he opted for a “Sunday Spaghetti Special.” He could eat as much of the pasta (with two meatballs) that he wanted and it was accompanied by garlic bread, a small salad and a bowl of ice cream. I decided to sample their Hot Dago, but didn’t add cheese. It came with sauce on the side and potato chips. They do deliver, but I’m not sure of the area covered. June 26, 2015

Ming’s Garden

Hafner Centre

1540 White Bear Avenue 55106

Sun-Thurs 11:00-9:30; Fri-Sat 11:00-10:00

651-776-2039

http://mingsgardenstpaul.com How could I refrain from going to a restaurant whose menu proclaims “Best Delicious Chinese Food?” Ming is the family name of the owners who came from a small village near Beijing. The spot has been open for a decade. I came in on a Friday night and there were no other customers. The pink and gray tiled floor was bare, with tables and a limited number of chairs along the walls. It seemed to be a take out or delivery venue, but I asked if I could eat there and they said yes. There were many photos of the food that were affixed on the walls. They also had a folding paper menu. On one side of the room was a three year old Chinese girl who had two tables put together covered with jigsaw puzzles underneath a very large photo of a large waterfall. She is the daughter of one of the workers. N Here’s a selection from the menu: Appetizers included Pu Pu Platter and bacon-wrapped crabmeat. Some of the soups were egg drop and seafood vegetable. I was told there were both Cantonese and Szechuan dishes and a little green pepper next to the name was there for spicy foods. They had most of what you expect at a Chinese restaurant, but there were some interesting dishes such as Mei Fun which uses soft thin noodles and Buddhist Delight, listed as vegetarian. There were a few “Combo Specials” that came with an egg roll and pork fried rice and several “Chef’s Specials.” I decided on one of the specials—Mongolian Beef with lots of onions, both green and white. I turned down the option of spicy sauce. There was a side of white rice. My meal came in a plastic bowl. It was a nice container to bring home. While I was there quite a few deliveries went out the door and three people came for take-out. There are lunch specials Monday through Saturday between 11:00 and 2:30. They have party trays that can be delivered for special events and you can order “Family Specials” designed to include enough for four, five or six people. They will bring you food (with $15 minimum) to the East Side, North St. Paul, Oakdale and Maplewood. June 28, 2015

El Senor Sol

990 Payne Ave

St. Paul, MN 55130

651-888-6144

Tues-Fri 11:00-5:00P.M.

Sat-Sun 10:00-6:00 P. M. Closed Monday

Facebook: El Senor Sol Running a bit behind on my Taste Trek pace, I needed to add an additional visit before the end of June. They describe themselves as a Mexican Grill, and are located inside a building named Plaza Del Sol. It is owned by Sonia Ortega, an amazing Mexican woman who bought and restored the Payne Avenue structure. It was festively decorated with art work and banners. I could hear Latino music in the background. It was busy on the Sunday afternoon. There are attractive wooden tables, one seating at least twenty people and several booths. In the back is Sidhe, a new woman- owned brewery. You can buy their ales, or have one of the unusual Mexican beers, or try Senor Sol’s homemade sangria. Here’s some of their large selection: Botanas (appetizers), including nachos and fresh raw shrimp. There are tacos, burritos, crab, shrimp and chicken. There are also desayuno (breakfast) burritos, quesadillas, tortas (sandwiches) and caldos. Weekends only there is menudo (tripe) soup. The tortillas are all hand made.

You can opt for food from the menu, which is partially posted in photos on walls near the counter for ordering or tackle the buffet. On week-days it is an all-you-can-eat taco bar. I chose the more diverse Sunday buffet. I had, among other things, chicken dishes that were Tinga De Pollo, Pollo Con Papar, Pollo en Mole and aroz (rice). There were eight or so other items, but I was full. Just when I thought I was done, a worker brought two traditional quesadillas for me to sample. I found room for them. One was called Pumpkin Blossom, that had cheese and pumpkin flowers and another named Black Truffle that was filled with cooked mushrooms. They will cater lunch or dinner for area events. And sometimes Sonia, a community-oriented person, has special fund-raising gatherings to help people or groups in need. July 5, 2015

Tongue in Cheek

989 Payne Avenue

St. Paul, Mn 55130

Sunday-Thurs 4:00-10:00; Fri-Sat 4:00-11:00 Brunch Sat-Sun 10:00-2:00

651.888.6148

http://www.tongueincheek.biz I had never been to Tongue in Cheek before, but it has been getting good reviews in newspapers and on Facebook. So off I went. It was often crowded at night and suggested reservations, so I chanced the brunch. I arrived around 1:00 and it was not crowded, though I was told it had been until noon. The restaurant has two sections. You enter the bar area with several stools and a few tables. You can eat there, but most go into the connected room. It seemed like the dining room had somewhat of a black motif: three black booths that could seat four or five people, twelve tables-eight of them for two- neatly covered with black tablecloths and one small black candle. The walls were brightened up with oil paintings done by the late Jack Erickson, an artist friend of one of the owners. The brunch menu contains nine items including pork belly and hash poached eggs and grits. I had the Farmers Market Omelet. It was made of eggs and stuffed with shredded cooked-down mushrooms, cotiga cheese, arugula with Hollandaise sauce on top. The plating included cubed potatoes, fried with small pieces of carrots, celery and onions as well as two pieces of toast with strawberry jam on the side. I studied the dinner menu. It starts with “tasters” including sweetbread, which I had not seen since looking at 1920’s cookbooks. Another was “East Pride Fried featuring pork belly. The “Piece de Resistance” had main dishes ranging from a cheeseburger to pasture pork belly and roasted duck bobb—I forgot to ask about “bobb.” Desserts were under “Let Them Eat,” (perhaps a reference to Marie Antoinette). Two interesting ones were “Chocolate Ode to the Dome” and “Mascarpone Cheesecake.” (Mascarpone is a special Italian cheese). As a historian, I was happy to find that my server had a degree in history and Black Studies. Our discussion was not about food, except she did say it was a great place to work. They have a new patio, a happy hour at the bar from four to seven and parking behind the building. The restaurant states that it uses “only animal products that are raised or caught in a humane & sustainable manner.” Both of the owner-operators have been living on the East Side for a few years. After working for other places, decided to open their own restaurant here. July 7, 2015

Minnesota Music Café

499 Payne Avenue

651-776-4699

Mon- Fri: Noon to 2 AM

Sat 1:00 P. M. 2:00 A. M.

Sun 3:00 P.M. to 2:00 A. M.

minnesotamusiccafe.com The motto of the Minnesota Music Café (MMC) is “Where the food is great and the music is cookin.’” To the right as you enter there is a small area with comfy chairs and boots and tables. You next come to a long triangular bar with seating for a couple of dozen. There was only a handful of people there when I arrived a little before seven PM. In a large back room back room where there is a sizeable stage a lot of tables and stools, arranged to face the stage. As you might guess, there was recorded music in the background and music photos and authentic memorabilia on the walls, a lot of it signed. Some of the groups honored —many Minnesotans- were Raggs, the Hoop Snakes, Mary Jane Alm, Joe Juliano, Bob Dylan and Johnny Lang, who used to show up to jam when he was in town. On to the food: appetizers include cheese curds, nachos and a veggie plate. A MMC Sampler Platter includes chicken tenders, wings, onion rings egg rolls and sweet potato fries. There were MMC specials, such as Jazz Jerked Chicken Skewers and Flat Earth battered mushrooms-using our local East Side craft beer. Philly Sandwiches, a beef taco basket, Walleye and fries and BLTs are all on the dinner menu. The happy hour menu, served from 4:00 to 7:00 is limited. It contained a cod basket, chips and fries a basket of boneless wings, a French fry basket and a few other bar food items. I settled on a quarter pound burger with extra onions and fries. Since it was happy hour, I got my second MGD free. On my way out I noticed an area with tee shirts, books and assorted music cds for sale. They have a nice patio that is heated in the winter. The structure has seen a lot of owners. It was Gentile’s, where Vic Tedesco first played his saxophone. Then it was Flaherty’s which had pizzas and an indoor volleyball court. In December of 1997, the MMC was established to honor Minnesota musicians. Karen Palm, an East Sider, was there from the beginning and is still an owner. Because of the bands, there are cover charges on some nights. July 10, 2015

Carbone’s Pizzeria

680 E. 7 th

St. Paul, Mn 55106

Mon 11:00-9:00; Tues-Sat 11:00-10:00

Sun 3:00-9:00

651-771-5553

carbonespizzeria.com Carbone’s started as a small Italian grocery/confection shop with a small near beer bar during Prohibition. In 1954, when its founder died, his widow Nana gathered traditional recipes from the south of Italy and with the help of her sons, opened what is considered St. Paul’s first pizzeria. It was a family-friendly restaurant that has grown into a small local chain-and this one is still operated by Carbone members. While it has entered a sixth decade, the place has a modern look with paneling, composite table tops, matching flower-etched glass separating the half dozen booths. There are two tables that seat six people. I was surprised there were no Italian paintings or family photos. It was a weekend night, but there were only a few people there. Maybe its because all of the construction at Metro State and the scarcity of parking. On to the menu. Appetizers include toasted Italian cheese bread, pizza fries and garlic toast. There were different sizes of pizzas, mostly with the usual toppings. A few interesting ones were hot pepper rings, fresh garlic and shrimp. There is also a veggie pizza. The entrees include “Italian special” spaghetti, lasagna, mostaciolli. There are Hot hoagies made with a variety of possible ingredients and seven kinds of sandwiches, such as Italian style chicken and Philly Beef. And Italian specialties. of course, a Hot Dago (Nana’s recipe) I decided to try Nana’s creation. It came on thick bread with a meat patty inside and sauce on the side along with a serving of hot banana peppers. I added an order of garlic bread. Of the three beer choices, I took Michelob. A person can also have wine. There are servers, but you pay at the counter. There are lunch specials that can be taken out. Carbone’s web site includes monthly coupon deals. Their motto is “Pizza the whole family loves.” July 16, 2015

Mei Mei Chinese Restaurant

277 McKnight Rd S

St. Paul, Mn 55119

651-739-1718

Mon-Sat 11:00-8:00 PM Closed Sunday

Menu on urbanspoon.com and www.yelp.com I pulled up in a small business strip at the corner of McKnight and Lower Afton Roads around 7:30 PM. Upon entering, the ordering counter I there. To the right is a sit-down area with four tables, two of them seating eight. It was clean with a few Asian-inspired prints on the wall. They have both “quick service” chow mein and “cooked to order chow mein.” The latter was more numerous, with shrimp subgum and shrimp and vegetable. The main focus is the offering of Cantonese Stir Fry with an astounding twenty-nine types chicken, beef, pork and shrimp and vegetable and vegetable tofu stir fry. There are six kinds of lo mein, five sweet and sours and three egg foo young choices. The do have fried chicken and five combination platters. The symbol * is in front of spicy dishes. I had one of the combo plates. It contained sweet and sour pork, an egg roll and fried rice that contained chicken and onions. I sat alone but while I was eating around 7:15 quite a few people came in and bought take out orders. It seemed that their major business was around the noon hour. There is a lunch buffet weekdays from 11:00-2:00 PM. It has a dozen items, including lo mein, beef steak, pork chops, spring rolls and fried chicken. Mei Mei—the name of one of the owners-has been there for twelve years. The family came to St Paul from a village near Hong Kong and for quite a few years worked at Leo’s Chow Mein. In fact. Mei Mei’s husband is Leo’s brother and much of their food is reminiscent of the restaurant on Earl Street. They do not accept checks. On a personal note, the owners remembered me from Leo’s. Their daughter was a school friend of my daughter, so we had a nice chat. July 18, 2015

I Heart Pho

850 Maryland

St. Paul, MN 55106

Hours: Sun-Sat 10:00-9:00 P.M.

Facebook: I Heart Pho



A few weeks ago, I noticed that there was a new Vietnamese restaurant in the old Chaing Mai Deli, with its blue roof. I searched my memory banks and remembered that the building first housed a KFC. Wanting the Taste Trek to keep up with new restaurants, it ended up being my next stop. Accompanied by neighbors Chris and Linda, we showed up for lunch. It was fairly busy almost exclusively by Asian diners. The restaurant has modernist look inside. Clean and understated with black tables, chairs, booths and ceiling, with its exposed ductwork. Blue walls were without art or photos, at least now. There are five booths, six family style tables for eight or more. Even the menu was on black plastic. It started with Mion an khai vi (appetizers), with spring rolls, cream cheese wontons and sweet potato fries. It continued with four kinds of Banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) and “regular sandwiches” of grilled pork, chicken and other fillings. There were seven kinds of Pho-- a rice noodle soup-including a choice of meats--beef meatball, chicken, seafood-with crab, shrimp, fish balls and squid-or tofu. They have one kind of Bun bo Hue, which is Hue style soup and was explained to be a denser bowl of food. The drinks (Nuic uong) are sodas, limeade, coconut drink, tea, soy bean, milk and tea. There are seven flavors of bubble tea and for 50 cents you can add pearls, lychee jelly or tri color jelly. I had eye of round steak pho in a large bowl that was accompanied with a dish of thai basil and bean sprouts to immerse. I shared egg rolls with two neighbors who were with me. Chris had seafood pho (hold the crab) and Taro bubble tea. Linda had a grilled pork Banh mi and coconut bubble tea with pearls. Both were satisfied and Linda especially liked the thick crusty bread of her sandwich. There are servers but you pay at the back counter. They accept credit cards and parties of four will have a 15% gratuity added to their bill. There is plenty of off-street parking. July 21, 2015

Palace Pizza

1373 Maryland Ave E.

St. Paul, Mn 55106

651-771-3535

Mon-Sun 11:00-7:30 P. M.

Facebook: palace’s pizza It was a little difficult to find the entrance until an onlooker helped out. You go through the door for a tobacco shop, which is #1375 and take a left to the door for #1373. I arrived around 6:30. It was not real busy, but there were people at a few of the nine tables that each seat four. It’s a medium-sized establishment with a clean new look with wainscoting and painted walls with a few framed drawings of plants. Soft Hmong music was playing in the background. Appetizers include chicken stuffers, sugar puffs and wings. There are eight seafood dishes mostly of shrimp, but there was a “Queen mussel curry.” Pad Thai, pad see and seafood lab. There is a “Palace Special” with shrimp, pork, meatballs and beef and two special vegetarian dishes including “vegetable garden.” There are three Thai curry dishes and three breaded chicken offerings. Salads feature “Mama’s salad” with romaine, cilantro, bean sprouts, tomato peanut and her special dressing. House soup “Special” has tripe, tendon and thin sliced beef in beef broth topped with cilantro, green onion chopped mints and pea pods. There are a few Hmong offerings including grilled sausage and grilled chicken or pork-both with purple sticky rice. I had Thai style fried rice with peas, eggs, carrots, green onions topped off with a sunny side up egg. I also ordered two egg rolls and had to wait a bit for them. The must have been making them on the spot because the came out piping hot and crunchy. I talked to Hmong owner Yer Her for a time. After fleeing Laos, she and her husband were in the Ben Vinai Refugee Camp in Thailand and for several years after that stayed in that country. They came to Minnesota in 1986 and opened their restaurant in 2006. As the name implies, the business initially had pizza but couldn’t compete with chain restaurants. It is still listed on the menus, and while I was there, a Caucasian couple came to order pizza. They were a little befuddled, but did stay and seemed to be enjoying their Asian food as I left for home. July 28, 2015

The Little Oven

1786 Minnehaha

St. Paul, MN 55119

651-735-4944

Sunday 7:00-9:00 Mon-Thu 6:30-9:00

Fri-Sat 6:30-9:30

www.thelittleoven.com I had been to the Little Oven, but not lately. When a friend suggested lunch, I suggested the corner of Minnehaha and White Bear. We entered through a stone-like entrance with the pizza ovens behind a counter. There were seven booths and one that could seat six or more people. Recently remodeled, the glassed in “smoking room is now gone. A dozen or so tables, some for two and some that can be pushed together for larger groups. The Appetizer Platter featured almost all of those available--beaded zuccini, mozzarella cheese sticks, onion rings, mezzaluna chese bread and deep fried ravioli. Breakfast is served until 2:00 and there are quite a few choices. They don’t start with pizza until 11:00 a.m. They have a few less-usual ones , such as a garlicky chicken and Steak. Two specials are the “Little Oven Deluxe Pizza” and “Little Oven Meat Lovers” with sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon and hamburger. Under the heading “Pasta Classico” were baked penne, ravioli, fettuccini Alfredo and the “Pasta Speciale,” starred penne diavol (hot and spicy) and chicken marsala. They have a sandwich that seems to be a “hot dago’” but call it a “Hot Piasano.” It is an Italian restaurant, but there are many other items—steaks, shrimp, chicken, fish dishes and burgers. For desert there is spumoni or cannoli with a scoop of ice cream. I had the “Farmers’ Breakfast,” comprised of eggs and a filling of hash browns and ham and cheddar cheese, topped with three scrambled eggs and some toast Jimmy Morelli opened the restaurant, originally called The Italian Oven, in 1990. When an Eastern pizza chain with the same name wanted to open outlets in Minnesota, Jimmy agreed to switch to the current name. You cannot use credit cards--payment is only by cash or check; however there is an on-site ATM. There is a large parking lot across Minnehaha, a small area on the side of the building. The large web page lists a dine-in menu, takeout menu, wine list, catering menu and banquet service. Prepare to eat a lot or take some away. After all, their motto is “Home of large portions and small prices.” July 31, 2015

Red’s Savoy Pizza

421 7th St E.

St. Paul, Mn. 55101

651-227-1437

Monday – Saturday 11am-11PM

Sunday 11am-10:30 PM

savoypizza.com I walked into Savoy’s a little after 700P.M. on a Friday. It was busy, but I only had to wait around ten minutes to be seated. There are two sections. One is a full bar with stools (you can eat at them) and a dozen booths. The second space is a dining area separated from the bar area by a very large aquarium. It has tables for eight and around seven comfy booths, one of which I plopped down in. it was noisy. Three TVs in the restaurant and all were tuned to a Twins Game. Starters: wings, garlic toast sauce jalapeno poppers and even tater tots. There are twelve standard pizzas on the menu as well as a build-your-own option. The “Tom Barnard Pizza” with Sausage, Pepperoni, Green Olives and Sauerkraut. It turns out that Barnard mentions Savoy’s on his radio show. The “Savoy House Special” has the restaurant’s “famous sausage,” pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, green pepper and green olives. If sauerkraut is added, it becomes “The East Sider.” Pastas: spaghetti, baked rigatoni with mozzarella ravioli and others. They also had a “Savoy Sampler” of pastas, with small portions of rigatoni, spaghetti, ravioli and two meatballs. There are a few salads that come with breadsticks. and fish and chips. Sandwiches include grilled chicken, bacon and Swiss and a meatball hoagie. Burgers are available, including Bacon Deluxe Burger, an Italiano Burger and a Hot Dago. Tiramisu was among the desert options. They also have “take and bake” pizzas you can take home and make later. No checks, but most credit cards and cash are fine. I had a ten inch “meat lovers pizza,” featuring pepperoni, sausage Canadian Bacon. Honey Weiss was on tap so I ordered one-or was it two? While I was at my table a group of folks next to me were entertaining travelers from Italy. All of them, including children “talked with their hands.” Part way into my “za,” Ric Cardenas, a friend who grew up on the East Side, came in and I joined him. He remembered when there were two separate businesses here that abutted each other. One was Matt and Gene’s Pizzarama. The other was Morelli’s Bar that served food from the pizza place through a connecting window.



August 8, 2015

Los Ocampo Restaurant & Bar

1751 Suburban Ave

St. Paul, Mn. 55106

651-256-2932

Mon-Thurs: 10:00-11:00 P.M. Fri-Sat: 8:00 - 2:00 A.M.

Sun: 8:00-11:00 P. M. Bar closes 30 minutes later.

losocampo.com I remember when a Baker’s Square was here with its legendary drive-through pie window. The first thing you come to is a full bar and at least fifteen wooden chairs. The rest of the room is filled with around twenty tables, with some for six or eight people. There is a side room with booths that is where you should go if you want to have a quieter experience. Several large windows look out on a huge patio with lots of tables with large umbrellas. There are nine appetizers (antojitos) such as wings, mini taquitas and a sample platter, six kinds of ensaladas and five soups (soupas). The menu lists seven sandwiches (tortas), including Cubano, and Pescado--breaded white fish with cabbage, and a salsa. Dinner entres feature Carne Puerco--sliced pork smothered in our green salsa and served with a Mexican salad as well as Chuletas de Cerdo- two deep-fried pork chops finished on the plancha-a special mode of grilling They mark the spicy level by putting drawings of differently-colored peppers on the menu. There are soft drinks and three Mexican flavored waters. Dessert choices include fried ice cream and platano con lechera in cream and sugar. I had Bisteca a La Mexicana that was small pieces of beef cooked with a mixture of green pepper, onions and tomato. Like all dinner (cena) meals it came with fired rice, refried beans (or black beans) a small salad, a cup each of sour cream and guacamole and flour or corn tortillas. Had a Modelo, a Mexican beer. They bring good-sized portions, so I took home lunch for the next day. The owners have a couple of other Los Ocampos, including an Arcade location, but this one is the largest by far. When I got there around 6:00 there were a few folks there, but it gradually filled up. They offer free refills of soft drinks. A 10% discount for people over 55. Oh, on weekends a man walks around and makes balloon animals and other figures for children. August 12, 2015

Destiny Café 2

1151 Clarence St

St. Paul, MN 55106

651-771-1409

Mon-Thur 9:00-9:00

Fri-Sat 9:00-10:00; Sun 9:00-9:00

Working on a web site and/or Facebook

I arrived at the restaurant at 6:15 on a Wednesday. I had tried to get in on week- ends and there were waiting lines. But this night there were only a dozen or so groups. The interior was very new and it was “a clean, well lighted place,” as Ernest Hemingway once wrote in a short story. There were nine large booths as well as more than twenty tables - four of them are long enough to seat at least twelve people. The décor featured many large and small live plants and several wide windows. A new dish called Hli Xiab - meat with sweet sauce- was displayed on front of the menu. On the inside appetizers were first: egg rolls, steamed rice rolls, papaya salad –Lao or Thai style. There were sixteen kinds of chicken, duck spicy red curry (keng) seafood sour soup (tom yam). Main dishes such as laab beef-raw or cooked-Hmong sausage, roast duck and a dish I just couldn’t bring myself to order-Nyuv me Nyuam Npua which is pig uteri. There is seafood - “Destiny Sweet and Spicy” and four different talapia dishes. Rice dishes include fried rice with beef, pork or shrimp or combo. Several choices of pho (soup) including “Destiny Baby Destiny” Lub Paj, which consists of beef broth and a combination of several meats. Pad thai comes with a choice of big or small noodles. Beverages range from domestic to Asian beer, wine, a dozen flavors of bubble tea, milk, lychee drinks and sodas. I had beef brisket with sticky rice and a familiar Asian beer, Tsingtau. Later on I saw a brew named Lao Beer that was new to me, so I just had to have a second beverage. While I was chowing down, I saw someone eating something from a white round object. It turns out it was a topless coconut wrapped in paper. You can buy them to take with you. Other take-home items sitting by the entrance included chicken, sausage, eggroll, roasted duck and bbq pork belly. August 17, 2015

Obb’s Sports Bar & Grill

1347 Burns Ave. St. Paul, MN 55106

651-776-7010

Mon-Fri 11:00-10:00; Sat 8:00-10:00; Sun 8:00-8:00

Breakfast on the weekend from 8:00 to 11:45

obbsbar.com A Monday afternoon text from a friend suggested we meet for dinner at the nearby restaurant, so I jumped in my car for another adventure. The area after the entrance features a dozen tables. There is a rectangular full bar in the middle of the room with twenty seven different beers. There is a recent addition with some fifteen tables. On the east side of Obb’s is the original dining area. If there are any teams playing sports they are on one of the nineteen high definition flat screen TVs. Appetizers feature steak tips. There are home made soups and Rosie’s homemade chili. Sandwiches include Obb’s “Famous Cuban.” There is a BLT, a Clubhouse and others, like traditional hot turkey or meat loaf open faced sandwiches with mashed potatoes. Hot Dagos? Obb’s has two. The basic on grilled French bread and a “Sicilian Dago” that has added sautéed onions, peppers, melted mozzarella on a chibata bun. There are many entrees-steaks, walleye, deep fried fish, baby back ribs, and country fried steak the which I fondly remember from Kansas. There are a few surprises, such as Mexican omelet with taco meat jalapenos and hash browns or a Belgian waffle topped with strawberry sauce. There is even a kid’s menu with mac-and-cheese and mini corn dogs. Desert choices could be turtle cheese cake or key lime pie. Friday evenings always feature fish fry and the week-end specials are popular-prime rib and pot roast. It was Monday so I had one of the two the specials-a shrimp basket accompanied with French fries, cole slaw and Texas toast and purchased a draft beer. Since it calls itself a sports bar, I felt I had to at least glance at the Twins game. Albert “Obb” Jensen started it as a grocery in 1919 and it was one of the first bars in St. Paul to be licensed after Prohibition. Albert’s sons Bob and Glenn eventually took over. Bob’s wife Rosie has worked there for over fifty years and, now in her nineties, is still a server at lunchtime. Her son, Jim Jensen, currently owns Obb’s, but insists that Rosie “Is still the Boss.” August 28, 2015

The Dari-ette

1440 Minnehaha Ave East

St. Paul, Mn 55106

651-776-3470

Mon-Sun 11:00- 9:00 pm

Facebook: Dariette drive-in My eighteen-year-old neighbor Henry had never been to a drive-in restaurant so I took him and his mother Heather on the Taste Trek. We went to the Dari-ette-where else? It’s a third-generation Italian-owned restaurant that was originally a small hot dog spot in 1951. A small dining area was added later. There are about thirty parking spots, each with a menu and speaker for ordering. People can eat in the vehicle, outside on one of the three stone tables or inside an area decorated with lots of vintage photos that contains with three large and two small booths. The Dari-ette could be seen as the love child of Dairy Queen and Yarusso’s—an unusual mixture of Italian food and ice cream treats. You might start-with a Caesar or antipasto salad or maybe pasta fagioli, an Italian bean soup. Sandwiches include the Burger-ette, the Italiano, a BLT, hamburgers and a Gondola, made of cold cuts and served on Italian bread. They have rigatoni, spaghetti with meatballs. You can buy take-home spaghetti sauce. Fountain treats such as milk shakes sundaes, soft serve dipped cones, and floats are available . “ Specialty Dishes” include fried sausage, Italiano, Meatball Sandwich. There is homemade fried chicken and you can order a quarter or half and there are family packs of eight, twelve sixteen and twenty pieces. There are also grilled pork chops, fish and chips, shrimp dinner and meatloaf dinner. All baskets have cole slaw, French fries or spaghetti. There are hamburgers and you can add sides of French fries or onion rings. I had a Dari-ette sandwich with and a caramel milk shake. Teen-age Henry went for a bacon cheeseburger and ditto on the shake and his mother, Heather, opted for the possibly more healthy antipasto salad, but couldn’t resist having a butterscotch sundae. The Dari-ette was featured and praised on the television show ”Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” It is open from April through October. September 7, 2015

Cook St. Paul

1124 Payne Ave

St. Paul, Mn 55130

651-756-1787

Mon-Fri 6:30 AM-2:00 PM; Sat-Sun 7:00AM-3:00 pm

http://www.cookstp.com My daughter Meridel, now living in Chicago, was in town for the weekend. Along with her husband Wes and children Lila and Sammy, they wanted to have breakfast on Labor Day before returning to the Windy City. We headed up Payne Avenue to the old Serlin’s building, which once housed the legendary East Side restaurant. The interior has been totally remodeled. There are a dozen or so tables ranging from two to four seats and a larger one in the back corner. It is sparsely decorated with a few old maps of St. Paul. Kids' drawings were on one wall and my three year old granddaughter added her own. Cook describes itself as having traditional American breakfast and lunch diner foods with some Korean fusion dishes for variety. They also say that everything is made from scratch or locally- sourced with preference for organic ingredients. Some of their “Starters” are cinnamon rolls with a glaze or vanilla yogurt topped with Keikeu granola. They serve fresh orange juice, milk as well as soy and almond substitutes and fresh seasonal fruit with whipped cream. They also feature River City Root Beer. The “Cook Combo” has two eggs however you want them with hash browns, toast & choice of sausage, duroc bacon, or ham. You can “build your own omelet”- three eggs with your choice of twelve different ingredients including Duroc Bacon, sausage, ham, sharp cheddar, green onion, roasted peppers, mushroom, Jalapeno peppers, tomatoes and two ingredients that I had to Google- Fontina, a cheese made in the Alps and Asiago, a crumbly Italian cow's milk cheese. All omelets are served with hash browns and toast. Owner Eddie Wu has introduced some Korean inspired dishes and sometimes has pop-up dinners with a one-night-only menu. The restaurant has been busy and doesn’t take reservations, but we got on a list and only had to wait for twenty minutes or so to get a table. I had two regular-old pancakes with scrambled eggs and Duroc bacon. Beer is available, but it was too early in the day for me. Meridel and family had regular pancakes and shared some of the Korean pancakes, which they liked. After finishing the stop on the Taste Trek, we left and bade farewell to the roomful of eaters, most of whom, on this morning, seemed to be hipsters. September 18, 2015

Magnolia’s Restaurant

1081 Payne Ave

St. Paul, MN 55101

651-774-3333

Sun-Sat 6:30 AM to 9:30 pm. Closed holidays

http://magnolias-stpaul.com The building originally housed a White Castle. Some of the local old-timers remember getting hamburgers for five cents. The building was enlarged, and became the Radar Chef. It had a number of different owners until Dan Hanf took over in 1984 naming it after the street on which it sits. I headed there for breakfast with my next-door-neighbor. We arrived, a bit after 9:00 to experience the meal said to be one of the best. It is served throughout the day. It’s a classic old-style East Side spot with an updated interior sporting several examples of Georgia O’Keefe-style framed art. There are two areas: The front with around eight booths, several tables and one very long table. Another section was in the back with several tables. The interior décor also included several hanging baskets of plastic flowers in the full windows looking out on Payne Avenue. It was pretty full at 9:30 A.M. There a lot of breakfast choices that usually include eggs: “Western Breakfast” has two eggs on hash browns with cheddar cheese covering ham, onion and green peppers. The “Lumberjack Breakfast” features hash browns with cheddar cheese topped with two sides of meat. There are also veggie omelets. Different home-made soups are available every day. There are a lot of lunch and dinner entrees. Where’s the beef? There are t-bones, petite sirloins and a Magnolia burger. And sandwiches galore: Clubhouse, fish sandwich, hot turkey or beef sandwiches with “real mashed potatoes,” not to forget the Reuben with “our special sauce.” Kids can choose between macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwich, mini corn dogs and Magnolias chicken breast strips. There are daily specials and featured meals of the month that come with free pie. Some desserts are cream pie, fruit pie and cheesecake. There is an eight piece chicken meal for take-out that includes a pint of mashed potatoes, a pint of gravy, pint of coleslaw and four baking powder biscuits. Magnolia’s also will do catering. They have free WI-FI but we didn’t use it and talked instead, including asking our server questions about the restaurant I had country-fried steak and eggs, one of my nostalgic-for-Emporia dishes. Instead of toast, a fresh muffin can be substituted, and on this day it was blueberry. My neighbor polished off an Italian breakfast with eggs and Italian sausage. Maybe I should have tried their chicken. After all, their slogan about it on the menu says: “If the Colonel had our recipe, he would have been a general.” September 22, 2015

McKnight’s Bar and Grill

2201 Burns Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55119

651-789-4507

Weekdays: 6:00 am-9:30 and 4:00 PM-10:00 pm

Weekends: 9:00 am-11:00 and 4:00 PM -1:00 am

http://mcknightsbarandgrill.com On this leg of the Taste Trek, I decided to visit a little-known spot. Few people know there is a restaurant inside the Holiday Inn at I-94 and McKnight. I showed up there a little after 7:00 on a Tuesday and went through the separate outside entrance. Inside was a classic hotel restaurant, clean and somewhat dimly lit

with recessed ceiling lights. “You can’t always get what you want” by the Rolling Stones was playing. It was not very busy and everyone-with one exception-were men. There were three large TVs on the walls, twenty or so chairs around an oval full bar and another dozen or so tables in another area. It was sort of standard hotel eating. Appetizers include coconut chicken, a slider platter mini crab cakes. There were a few salads and soups made in house and vary from day to day. Two of the more interesting soups at the time were Italian sausage and shrimp Caj’un. Some of the sandwiches included steak, walleye, cornmeal crusted Po Boy, “Build a Burger” and the “The Firecracker” made with jalapeno and ghost peppers. There are even hand-made pizzas such as a Meat Lovers as well as a Veggie Special. Entrees grilled New York strip, Sticky St. Louis Style Ribs, almond crusted walleye and all were accompanied with either potatoes or wild rice. I decided to have a Monte Cristo sandwich since was introduced to them in the Minneapolis Technical School dining room where they were deep-fried. Mine on this night featured egg battered sourdough bread with ham, turkey and Swiss cheese, but it was grilled instead. There was a strawberry sauce on the side as well as a pickle spear. Since everyone else in the place was drinking, I joined in with a Summit Pale Ale. I was told there was a banquet room for weddings. My server, a woman who came to Minnesota from Korea, suggested that I should come by on a Saturday when there was Karaoke. September 26, 2015

The Dancing Goat Coffee House

699 E 7th St.

St. Paul, MN 55106

651-200-4370

Open 6am - 7pm daily

www.thedancinggoat.biz/

The Dancing Goat’s building was constructed in 1909 by John Doeren for his cigar factory. Their name comes from a legend about an Ethiopian shepherd who noticed the way his goats were jumping around after eating the fruit of a bush. It was the discovery of coffee. I was at a meeting there and decided to stay for lunch. Although it is a coffeehouse, it offers a modest menu of food. Inside there are seven tables, a sofa and two easy chairs. There are a few seats at the counter, behind which is the menu on the wall. You order and pay for the food at that time. There is free Wi-Fi, a large patio and a second story conference room, but there is no elevator. Of course there is a lot of coffee-ten hot drinks like latte and five iced drinks. Drinks other than coffee include hot chocolate, soy or almond milk “kiddy cocoa” and a large number of smoothie flavors. “Early Bird Specials” include 20% off all beverages and $1.00 off many sandwiches. There is a Happy Hour from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM with 20% off all coffee beverages. Here are some of their sandwich offerings: “The Bluff,” a turkey, zucchini, tomato and provolone and “Veggi Vento” with hummus, cucumber, zucchini tomato spring mix—a fancy name for a combo of lettuce and spinach- and provolone. They have a number of “bagelwiches” and “B-Fast wraps”, some salads and soups. Want something sweet? There are cookies, brownies, bars banana bread, biscotti and parfait. I decided to have an “East Sider,” a sandwich comprised of roast beef, onion, cheddar cheese, spring mix and a horseradish sauce. I added a banana strawberry smoothie. Too early for beer plus they don’t even have any. While I was there, Tom O’Connell walked in and we enjoyed chatting about the old days of teaching together at Minneapolis Community College and Metro State as well and discussed some of our current shared ventures. September 29, 2015

Mississippi Market

740 East 7th Street

St Paul, MN 55106

Daily 7:30 am – 9:00 pm

651-771-5061

http://msmarket.coop

While at an event in Indian Mounds Park, I was given a Mississippi Market coupon for two dollars off a ten-dollar purchase. It was good until September 30th, so I had to hustle off see what was there for lunch. The co-op was a long-time dream that was originally spearheaded by a local group. Then Mississippi Market-which had two other stores-stepped and the hopes were finally realized this year. I know that that the recently-opened natural food co-op had a deli and juice bar addition to groceries so I wanted to check things out. There are five tables with four chairs and a counter seating for ten with a long window that has a clear view of Maple Street. They also have a classroom for public cooking classes, but I was focused on the Taste Trek. Salad makings on a buffet. You choose your own and the weight determines the cost. The hot bar is also a weight-based buffet item. On the day I was there I saw Ethiopian cabbage and carrots, chicken tikka masala, baked salmon patties, roast chicken pilaf, Kung Pao chicken and even childhood favorite mac-and -cheese. There are several Panini sandwiches. Among them, I saw a Creole Club made with creole yams, a salmon cake sandwich and a roast beef and blue cheese. There is a soup bar, with different offerings through the week. Some of the choices at the juice bar include apple zinger as well as coffee au lait, tea and smoothies like cherry lime. Yes, the Market emphasizes healthy food, but that doesn’t mean no sweets. Try peanut butter cookies, apple turnovers, muffins, scones and more. I zeroed in on a Cubano sandwich that was made with Beeler’s ham, Swiss cheese, a pickle spear and home made mustard on New French focaccia roll. I also accompanied it with a small Mango Dreams Peachy smoothie that had added soy milk and cinnamon. When I went to the eating area I ran into the director of the Dayton’s Bluff Block Nurse program and one of my fellow board members and sat with them. October 5, 2015

Ward 6 Food & Drink

858 Payne Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55130

651-348-8181

Mon-Thur: 8:00 AM -11:00 PM; Fri: 8:00 AM - Midnight

Sat: 9:00 AM -12:00; Sun: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

http://ward6stpaul.com

Ward 6 is owned by two people who live in Dayton’s Bluff. I’ve been there before, but not in 2015, so I had to make a return trip to make this part of the Taste Trek. Eric got involved in home-brewing around twenty years ago is now a National ranked judge. Bob, a world-class bartender has worked at training for restaurants and bars all over the country. It’s often very busy, but when I arrived at a Monday at 7:40, it was not real busy and got a table right away. It is a historically-restored building with an original ornate wooden bar, ceiling fans and some East Side memorabilia on the walls. There are five booths and seven tables for four or five people and you can sit at the full bar with a large wine list and some special cocktails such as rhubarb gin and spiked lemonade. There is a patio as well. The appetizers or “Food for Drinking” section of the menu, includes fries, mixed nuts, Lahmacun (Turkish stew) and poutine, a Canadian import. Sandwiches include burgers, a veggie burger, a Ward 6 Reuben, a shrimp banh and a grilled cheese. There are different soups each day. Entrees on this night were Cicero stew, which can be vegan, pub curry, pork chop dinner and fried chicken dinner with fries, corn bread, cole slaw and “a hunk of watermelon.” I had the Reuben with a sizable portion of hand cut French fries that are twice cooked. Since before Prohibition this was a bar owned by Hamm’s—breweries could do that at the time - I almost had to order a Hamm’s beer. Besides, they are a bit cheaper than the fancy varieties. But if you want to sample the largest selection of Minnesota-made beers, this is the place to go. The choices run from light to very hoppy, some seasonal brews from elsewhere and you can even get a Minneapolis brew called Yamma Jamma. October 20, 2015

Pizza Man

1567 White Bear Ave N

St. Paul, MN 55106

651-793-9585

Sun-Thurs 11:00-10:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-11:00

https://pizzamanstpaul.com

At first this restaurant was not going to be on the Taste Trek, since I thought it was part of a big chain. But I went to check it out and although there are other spots with the same name, this one is family owned and operated. Rich Sato opened and has run the smallish restaurant for the last sixteen years ago. The seating was a single, small formica-top table with four chairs that had reading material on it. My choices were “Pizza Today” or “Road and Truck.” There are some decorations, including awards from various local publications and two mounted fish caught by Rich.

“Starters” include mozzarella sticks, jalapeno peppers, bread mushrooms, mac & cheese bites, garden salad and taco salad. Specialty sandwiches include Philly steak, French dip, fish, turkey BLT and hot Italian sausage. There are Burgers with fries or chips and a pickle and build-your own “Hot Hoagies.” Other items are Calzone homemade pasta for spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna and Chicken Alfredo. Dinner specialties include chicken tenderloin, shrimp, bbq ribs, chicken dinner. Given the restaurant’s name, be assured there are lots of pizzas-eleven basic ones, such as meat lovers, Hawaiian, taco pizza or a vegetarian. They are offered in 12”, 14” and 16 “jumbos.” You can choose from among twenty-two different toppings, including pineapple, green olive, minced garlic, or even pickles. Desserts? Chocolate, cheesecake and cinnamon rolls.

It was lunchtime so I decided to have a burger. I took one of the Deluxe with tomatoes, cheese, lettuce and bacon and mayo. The basket included French fries. I found out that the owner worked in the restaurant industry for a time and decided to have a place of his own. As a graduate of Johnson High School, it was natural that Rich located on the East Side. Delivery is the biggest part of their business and the area for it includes-roughly speaking-I-94 to 694 and from Century Avenue to Edgerton. There is a cost of $2.00 with a minimum order of $20.00. October 21, 2015

J. P. Anime

1440 Arcade St.

St. Paul, MN 55106

651-219-5397

11:00 AM-9:00 PM every day but closed on Tuesday

http://www.mkt.com/jpanime-cafe While driving north on Arcade a few weeks ago, just before Wheelock Parkway, I saw some new signs on the old Josephine furniture store. They said “pho,” “ramen”-a Japanese noodle soup with Chinese style noodles- and “udon” also a Japanese soup with thick wheat noodles. Closer inspection also showed smaller signs stating gyros, wraps and chicken wings. Clearly, I needed to include this restaurant in the Taste Trek. I decided to treat Nicole to lunch for the good work she does at the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council. We rolled up Arcade a little past noon and walked in. It was not large, but nice and clean and recently remodeled. There is a row of half a dozen booths along the west wall and quite a few tables. There was a big glass display case in the entryway that is filled with anime figures. There is free WI-Fi which often attracts students from Johnson High School. The menu is posted over the counter where you order. There are several different kinds of pho (soup), including pork udon, seafood udon and something called a naturo bowl. There is a list of what is designated as American food, but is often a fusion with traditional Hmong food. Bahn mi (sandwiches) with pork belly, Hmong sausage or meat ball and hot dogs, beef and lamb gyros. There is a large selection of Boba Tea. Some of the many flavors are mango, lychee, coconut passion fruit, taro and watermelon. For sweets there are cookies, muffins and ice cream bars and a sizeable collection of candy. I had the pho combo which, I was told, is a customer favorite of regular. I also chose something I had never heard of-Yeo’s melon drink- that is made of a sweet Chinese white gourd that looks somewhat like a cucumber. I talked a bit with owner Tou Lor, who was born into a Hmong family in Laos. His father and grandfather were in the CIA secret army. At the age of two his family fled to the Ban Vanai refugee camp in Thailand. He grew upon the East Side and graduated from Harding High School in 1996. Tou had an anime shop in Hmong Village on Johnson Parkway and when he moved it to Arcade Street, he added a kitchen. If you go there be sure to visit the large back room filled with a variety of anime books, posters, CDs, games and collectables. October 31, 2015

Swede Hollow Café

725 E. 7th St. St. Paul, Mn 55106

651-776-8810

Mon-Fri 6:30-3:00; Sat 8:00-2:00 PM; closed Sunday

Swedehollowcafe.com It was the grand opening day of the new second floor seating area. I got there too late for the music and special food, but needed to make this day part of the Taste Trek. The restaurant was founded in 1997 by two Dayton’s Bluff women and was launched in the historic Stutzman, a once-dilapidated building that was restored through the efforts of the Upper Swede Hollow Neighborhood Association. The interior of the late nineteenth century commercial structure has a high ceiling and nice woodwork. There are several sizes of tables for singles or larger groups. You go to the counter to order from a chalk-written menu on the back wall and the food and/or drink will be brought to the table. There are a few books and art items for sale.

In the early hours early people often order the Breakfast Sandwich of scrambled eggs and cheese on a croissant. You can add beef, turkey or ham. Two other possibilities are baked hash browns platter with two scrambled eggs and toast or house-made granola with steamed or cold milk topped with berries. There are always baked goods including the famous Caramel Roll. In addition you will find a Bacon Caramel Roll, coffee cake, scones cookies, bars and biscotti.

Lunch is available after 10:30. Salads include Minnesota Wild Rice with shredded carrots and other items with balsamic vinaigrette dressing and Apple walnut salad with gorgonzola and creamy poppy seed dressing. Both come with a toasted dinner roll. There is always a choice of meat or vegetarian soups. There are always several sandwiches such as ham brie with romaine, and dijon mustard on toasted ciabatta. How about roast beef provolone with tomato, roasted red onions and pesto on toasted ciabatta or Mediterranean Veggie, with a variety of vegetables, white bean hummus and cheddar on wild rice bread?

Seating is available on a patio with an old fountain and seating amidst vegetable gardens. It was chilly, so I stayed inside and had a bowl of chicken pizolle soup and half of a four cheese sandwich. I ordered the last caramel roll for sweets and took it home, because there were free pumpkin cookies for the Halloween opening celebration. I took a look and was pleased to see the quality of the new upstairs eating area that is open to community meetings. However there is no elevator so if people with difficulty maneuvering stairs are part of your event, this may not be the best place to go. November 3, 2015

Pappy’s Chicago Style Eatery

1783 E. Maryland Ave St. Paul, Mn 55119

651-771-4500

Mon-Sat 10:30 AM to 10:00 PM; Closed Sunday

Facebook I had just found out that November Third was “National Sandwich Day.” Subway was celebrating it with a two-for-one special. However, I’m not going to eat at a chain during my Taste Trek year. It didn’t seem that any of my last eight restaurants featured sandwiches. Then I remembered Pappy’s, which I assumed was a chain store, since I saw one in North Minneapolis. But I drove up White Bear Avenue just in case.

It was hard to miss that their food was patterned after Chicago cuisine. On the windows and inside there were pennants and mementos of the Chicago Bears, White Sox and Cubs. But there were also a trio of pennants for the Gophers Timberwolves and The Wild. It was a medium-sized place with eight booths, two small tables and one that could seat six. You order and pay at the counter and they’ll call out your order when it is ready.

Appetizers—they label them “favorites” include fries, onion rings, breaded mushrooms and pizza puffs. There are Garden, Greek and Caesar salads. “Windy City Favorites” include a Chicago style all beef hot dog mustard, relish, tomatoes, a kosher pickle, a Maxwell Street Polish with mustard and lots of grilled onions and pickles. There are seafood offerings of catfish, tilapia, shrimp, and fish combos. The “chicken lovers” category featured grilled chicken, chicken Italiano, chicken wings, buffalo wings as well as chicken gyros. Other gyros were Philly Italian sausage and Pappy’s Special made with hamburger and gyros meat.

I had one of the “deluxe sandwiches” named “The Mafia Steak”—maybe with Al Capone in mind- with a slew of steak, onions and green peppers on garlic bread. It was a large hunk of burger, so I took some home for later consumption. I spoke for a bit to founder and owner Ahmad, who is of Jordanian origin. He came here after living in the Windy City, which explains the opening of a Chicago-styled eatery on the East Side. There is another Pappy’s location in St. Paul on University Avenue. November 10, 2015

Mango’s Restaurant

927 Payne Ave St. Paul, Mn 55130

651-776-6300

Mon-Fri 8:00-6:00 and Sun 8:00-5:00

No Facebook

I decided to go to La Loma, a Mexican restaurant inside Plaza Latina. When I walked in I heard Latino music that filled the room. It was not busy at 1:00. But it was no longer La Loma. In its place was Mango’s Restaurant. Jaime Aguila, the new owner, said they have been open for around five months. It has ten tables that seat two to four people. Plants were on unique artistic tables and there were colorful banners, paper cutoffs and Mexican ceramic pieces. You order at the counter.

Some of the available meats include sliced steak, chicharron (pork skin), tripe or chorizo, which is Mexican sausage. There are a lot of other choice of dishes trhat include the meats: enchiladas with chicken or beef, Bistec a la Mexicana, tostadas, Milanesa De Res–breaded sliced beef- or tortas (sandwiches) with ham or sausage.

There is menudo, a traditional Mexican soup made from beef tripe (stomach) and broth usually with pepper onion and cilantro. Tamales come with chicken, pork, cheese, sweet corn or vegetables. Burritos, gorditas, quesadillas and tacos. There is a kid’s menu with tacos, mini burritos, mini quesadilla--all with rice and a serving of juice. Some of the drinks include botell agua, jugo chocolate.

I had a “Plato Tamale,” with two tamales accompanied by rice and refried beans. I also decided to try something new and had a Sangria Senorial—it’s a sparkling non-alcoholic beverage. Hey, it wasn’t five o’clock yet. According to the internet, this drink is popular in Mexico and was invented half a century ago by a man who could not tolerate alcohol. I talked to Jaime who explained that the term “antojitos Meicanos” on their logo is a reference to food prepared by street vendors in Mexico and means "little cravings." November 11, 2015

Original Karen Market and Deli

1377 Arcade Street

651-776-0955

Mon-Sun 9:00 AM to 8:00PM

Facebook The latest large wave of immigrants to St. Paul are the Karen, an ethnic group inside Burma, a country recently known as Mynamar. They were a persecuted group that coalesced on the East Side. A few years ago one of their families started the original Karen Market, the first Karen grocery store in the country. There are now at least three others. When I recently drove by, the word Deli had been added to their name. This was an investigation to be undertaken during the Taste Trek. This is primarily a grocery store, so this will be a shorter t