W.A. Frost

We visited W.A Front way back when during patio season. Reservations were required, and the patio was very nicely spaced out with tables a good distance apart. Masks were required to go to your table and to go inside to use the restroom. The setting was very nice with a lot of greenery and trees all around the patio area and plenty of shade to help stay cool. 

seared airline chicken breast

grilled broccolini with garlic, chile and lemon

french fries with pineapple ketchup and sriracha mayo

garlic grilled shrimp

All of the food was very good. The service was attentive and we enjoyed our visit. They do include a 21% service fee on the bill to support fair wages and an additional tip is not required. There is also a dedicated parking lot behind the building with quite a few spaces. Also, I recently saw W. A. Frost is requiring proof of vaccination to dine indoors. I wish more places in the area would require this. 

W.A. Frost
 374 Selby Ave #1825, 
St Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 224-5715
www.wafrost.com

Chip's Clubhouse

Chip's Clubhouse is a newer venue that opened last spring along Snelling Avenue in St Paul. The interior is cozy with lots of wood walls, trim and wooden booths. The room looks as if has been there awhile, but I think this may be a newer building. 

We both had the cheeseburger which is topped with American cheese, garlic mustard aioli, pickles and onions. The burger patties are thinner and I really enjoyed the garlic aioli. The burger was excellent with a toasted bun. This burger should be on all the lists of top burgers in the twin cities. It is that good! 

We shared an order of the battered fries with garlic aioli dipping sauce. We usually do not enjoy battered fries, but these were very fresh, crisp and actually very delicious.

We found the service to be casual, friendly and approachable. The menu has a nice variety and is also very approachable. I had a cider to drink and John had a tap beer but the cocktail list looks very intriguing as well. We need to return soon and explore the menu. 

Chip's Clubhouse
272 Snelling Ave S #200 
St Paul, MN 55105
Phone: (651) 330-1617
https://visitchips.com

Hope Breakfast Bar

We finally made it to Hope Breakfast Bar in St Paul. The good news about Hope it that they are opening a new location sometime this fall in St Louis Park, which means we hope to visit more frequently since that is much closer to home. Regardless of which location, I believe reservations are still recommended. Busy place! 

John had the pork carnitas bowl with slow roasted pork carnitas, fingerling potatoes, seasonal vegetables, green chili cream with tortilla. The dish didn't quite look like the description, but he ate it anyway. 

I had the McHope sandwich with biscuit, bacon, cheddar cheese, fried egg and seasoned hash browns. 

The service was not great but we ended up seated upstairs, which had incredibly steep stairs to navigate. The servers that have to navigate those all day deserve a raise. If you have mobility issues you may want to request to be seated downstairs. 

Hope Breakfast Bar
1 S Leech St 
St Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 330-8996
https://www.hopebreakfast.com

Holman's Table

We visited Holman's Table in St Paul awhile back. It is in an interesting location at the St Paul airport, which is a small airport mainly for smaller planes and private planes. The building is older and art deco style, very unique. It was fun to watch places take off and land from the restaurant. 

We had made reservations in advance and were seated quickly. The service throughout our visit was very good and everything arrived quickly.  

I had the mushroom toast and eggs with roasted wild mushrooms, walnut aioli, montamore cheese, red onion marmalade, herb ciabatta, EVOO, balsamic reduction, smoked sea salt and eggs. This was excellent! The mushroom toast was a unique dish and very flavorful. 

John had the Holman's breakfast with eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. Pretty basic fare, but everything was tasty and as expected. 

Holman's Table
644 Bayfield St 
St Paul, MN 55107
Phone: (612) 800-5298

https://www.holmanstable.com

The Gnome Craft Pub

We visited the newly reopened Gnome Craft Pub in St Paul, now with an expanded patio and revised menu.  The patio is very nice and had nicely spaced tables. I believe we had made a reservation ahead of time. 

I started with a drink called Gnome Sleep Tonight with cold press coffee, Jameson, amaretto, sweetened condensed milk and coco nibs.  The drink was great and I appreciated the tiki glass. 

John had the beef barbados sandwich with sugar brined horseradish, caramelized onions, topped with raclette served on a crispy roll. 

I had the carved we t pork sandwich with slow roasted pork with au jus and topped with giardiniera and raclette served on a crispy roll. I'm not sure I was crazy about the raclettte cheese on everything. It was OK, but did not have tons of flavor either. 

The service was great for our visit. We didn't have any issues and enjoyed our visit a lot. 

I feel like we've visited St Paul a lot this summer. Probably because the traffic levels in town are considerably less than normal, so it was much easier to get to St Paul than normal. Maybe a good thing about the pandemic....   

The Gnome Craft Pub
498 Selby Ave
St Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 219-4233
https://www.thegnomepub.com

Handsome Hog

We visited Handsome Hog for John's birthday celebration this year. We made sure to make reservations well in advance as it is still a very popular restaurant. The restaurant also recently moved form lower town St Paul to Western Avenue on Cathedral Hill. I assume because this location is more spacious and had more space for outdoor dining.  The patio is very large with a nice sized bar in the back. They have a lot of greenery and planters and such to space the tables and add decor. 

John had the Combo #5  which included brisket, spare ribs, a cornbread muffin, grilled sweet corn and house pickles. The ribs were tender and had a nice smoke flavor as did the brisket. 

I had the smoked pork belly, which was a special that day. It was super tender pork belly with a corn relish and some grits on the side. A smaller portion, which the server told me, but it was the perfect amount for me. 

The service was fine, maybe a bit rushed, they were quite busy throughout our visit. The patio was full. We got everything we needed and didn't wait long for anything. There are a lot more interesting items on the menu 

Handsome Hog
173 Western Ave N 
St Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 219-4013
https://handsomehog.com

Octo Fish Bar

We had not yet had the chance to check out Octo Fish Bar in St Paul, so we made it a priority. Driving to St Paul is like driving to another state some days around here since it is difficult to keep track of which highways are closed on the weekends. Reservations were helpful also.

shark sculpture in middle of restaurant 

There is more going on here than it looks like. We ordered an assortment of west coast oysters, the scallop crudo and the yellowtail crudo. The oysters and fish were all very fresh tasting and wonderful.

The shore lunch sunnies were great and I really liked their version of tartar sauce. 

The last seafood item was the peel and eat shrimp with comeback sauce. Huge shrimp and also great.

The key lime pie is from the Salty tart bakery, which is housed in the same building. Oh my goodness, I think this was on par, if not better than some key lime pie I have had in the south. The meringue on top was light as air and so rich and delicious, which really helped dance the tart flavors of the lime base.

The service was very good throughout our visit and our server gave us a nice overview of the menu and some excellent recommendations. Octo is certainly worth the trek across town and it also is a worthy seafood restaurant on par with coastal dining.



Octo Fish Bar
289 5th St E
St Paul, MN 55101
Phone: (651) 202-3409
https://octostp.com

Handsome Hog

John and I finally made it over to St Paul to check out Handsome Hog, chef Justin Sutherland's restaurant. He was on the most recent season of Top Chef and made it to the finals. 

I had made a reservation, but I'm not really sure it was needed for brunch on a Saturday.  Their evening reservations are often really booked up. And it's not a huge restaurant. 

John had the brisket sandwich with potato wedges. The brisket was very tender and had great smoked flavor. 

 We shred hush puppies filled with pink shrimp, poblano, corn, on top of smoked tomato relish. They are very flavorful and delicious!

I had the shrimp and grits. With gulf shrimp, smoked gouda grits, holy trinity, and scallion. The sauce was super flavorful and a bit on the spicy side, but really great. The grits were so rich and cheesy. 

The service was great and the food was as well. I'd like to return at night and try some of their drinks next time around. 

Handsome Hog

203 6th St E 

St Paul, MN 55101

Phone: (651) 340-7710

https://handsomehog.com/lunch-menu/

Revival Smoked Meats at Keg and Case Market

We stopped at the Keg and Case Market on our way home from at trip to Iowa recently. We just wanted to pick something up sort of quickly before getting Maya from the boarding place. We arrived at Keg and Case shortly after opening, so none of the lines were too bad yet. 

We both went with the brisket sandwich topped with black BBQ sauce and mustard slaw. I liked the sauce well enough and the meat was perfectly done, very smoky and tender. I was not crazy about the slaw on the sandwich. It really did not need it, but it did add a bit of crunch.

We both had a cornbread muffin as well. The muffins were OK. Not my favorite. 

Most dining spots in the market are set up like food court places, so you just wait in line, order and pay for your food. So not a lot of service interactions. Our food was fresh and hot and ready quickly though. We did not have any issue finding a place to sit and eat. Plenty of open tabes.

We would like to return to try In Bloom and I noticed a brewery on the second floor of the market that would be fun to try sometime. There are a variety of local kiosks selling baked goods, pet supplies and art, as well as lots of other things I am probably forgetting about. It is definitely a cool building and worth the trip.


Revival at Keg and Case Market
525 Selby Ave
St Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 340-2355
https://www.kegandcase.com/vendors?v=revival-smoked-meats

Saint Dinette

We stopped for brunch at Saint Dinette on our way home from Stillwater after a wedding there the night before. Once we got into St Paul, it took a bit to figure out where a good place to park would be. We ended up in the ramp for the St Paul Union Depot. At the restaurant there was a short wait for a table, and we ended up sitting at the bar as spots opened up before a table did.

I had the scramble with crimini mushrooms, goat cheese, chive and toast. The eggs were so light and fluffy and I adore goat cheese, so that was the perfect addition to the eggs. I asked for jam for the toast and got a mango pineapple jam that was really excellent.

John had the cheeseburger. This burger has been written about a lot since saint Dinette opened and now I see why. It is two thinner patties, and the meat is so rich, juicy and flavorful. It could not be a better burger.

John also ordered a side of fries. Can’t go wrong with a good crinkle cut fry.

The service was friendly, helpful and great overall. We probably need to go back so I can try the shrimp and grits. Though I’m sure everything else on the menu is perfect as well. Saint Dinette is worth the trip to St Paul.


Saint Dinette
261 5th St E
St Paul, MN 55101
Phone: (651) 800-1415
https://www.saintdinette.com/

Kincaid's

I seriously thought we’ve talked about Kincaid’s before. We’ve been to the one in Bloomington, but apparently it has been a long time before I was keeping track. Anyway, we visited with friends before a concert in St Paul recently and really enjoyed the meal.

I had made a reservation some time in advance and had no trouble getting in. We had a great table in an alcove toward the back, so if we were loud at all, we did not disturb anyone. The restaurant was quite busy, but not overly so, and we were seated as soon as we arrived.

I had the scallops seared with asiago and risotto in the center of the plate. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the risotto was excellent.

John had the ahi tuna with coconut crust served on rice. Both entrees were very good. All of the food came out in a timely manner even though they were quite busy.

The service was great and we had plenty of time to settle up the bill and make it to our show with plenty of time to spare.


Kincaid’s
380 St Peter St
St Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 602-9000
https://kincaids.com

Meritage

Apparently I’m on a bit of a French restaurant kick. It is really just coincidence though, as we’ve been meaning to visit Meritage for a long time and decided to go before a concert.

We arrived a bit early and they were not quite ready for us yet as it was the first seating, so we had a drink in the bar. The hostess come for us once they were ready and things proceeded quickly from there. The service was actually very good throughout our visit and the server offered helpful suggestions as well.

We started with a half dozen ousters as they were on special  for oyster day at $2 each. I think I forgot to snap a photo of them though. The special oysters were fine for me and John ordered a few Glacier point oysters as well.

John had the hanger steak with pommes frites and bernaise sauce on the side. The steak was very tender and delicious. The fries were not bad either.

I had the herb de Provence crusted ahi tuna nicoise with crushed potatoes, summer beans, tomato marmalade, escarole and black olive oil. The tuna was wonderful and cooked rare as requested. I only wished for a larger portion of the potatoes. It was a very fresh, spring-like dish.

We finished with the creme brûlée, because it is my duty to try it in as many restaurants as possible. This was an excellent rendition and I recommend.

Meritage was an excellent experience and I highly recommend visiting. The food and service were all wonderful, even when they were quite busy before an event at the Xcel center. Reservations are of course, highly recommended.


Meritage
410 St Peter St
St Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 222-5670
http://www.meritage-stp.com

Red's Savoy Pizza

In the last few months I've been told I have to try Red's Savoy pizza by a couple different people. Since none of the locations are very close to our neck of the woods, it takes some doing to get down to Uptown or St Paul. Recently, we decided to make the trek over to St Paul and check out the original location of Red's Savoy Pizza.

It was a rather bright day outside, and we when we first entered my initial impression was how dark the interior is. There are no windows at all, so it takes awhile for your eyes to adjust. There was a short wait for a table and we managed to find a spot at the bar to sit and wait. There is not a lot of waiting space, people just wait at the bar or stand in the aisles. And the tables were wedged in as close as possible. Cozy I guess.

We ordered the pepperoni, sausage and mushroom pizza. It was loaded with toppings and cut into those odd Minnesota-style squares. I thought the sauce was decent, it was a bit on the bland side- could use a bit more kick. After the fact, I was surprised to read on their website that the sauce is described as spicy. The sausage was good, as was the pepperoni. I think the mushrooms were just canned. I felt like there were almost too many toppings on the pizza and not enough cheese. The crust is very thin and did a passable job of holding the toppings, but it become soggy very quickly.

We became rather enthralled with watching the parking lot camera on a couple of the TVs mounted on the walls. It was oddly fascinating to watch people navigate the small parking lot, while we waited for our pizza to arrive. The service was just OK. We ordered a pitcher of pop and the waitress forgot to bring it out until I asked for it. She was rather slow to bring the check and pick up out payment as well.

While this was good pizza, I'm not sure it warranted a special trip to St Paul. It is your standard Minnesota style pizza, with thin crust and cut into squares. We both still prefer Cossetta's pizza over Red's Savoy. I think their crust, sauce and cheese is better.


Red's Savoy Pizza
421 7th St E
St Paul, Minnesota
(651) 227-1437
http://savoypizza.com/

Cosetta's

We finally made it over to St Paul the other day to check out the new and improved Cossetta's. The place is huge since they finished the new addition! The grocery store has a lot more space, as does the eatery and pizza lines. Everything is setup pretty much the same as it was before, but the room is a lot more spacious. There is even some outdoor seating for the eatery patrons on a second floor terrace.  We were there over lunch time, so the new full service sit down restaurant Louis was not open yet. The menu looks interesting and more options in St Paul are always good.

We just had pizza on this visit. Cossetta's. Best. Pizza. Ever. I think a lot of people would agree with me as well. The crust is hand tossed and just the right thickness. I love their pizza sauce as well. It is just a little bit zippy. The cheese and peperoni are good quality and plentiful. And I need to go back very, very soon!

Cossetta's
211 7th St W
St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 222-3476
http://cossettas.com/

Rooster's BBQ

We decided to drive over to St Paul on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to check out Rooster's. We've wanted to visit for some time because they always make the lists for best BBQ and best fried chicken. Too bad we live on the opposite side of town from Rooster's.

We both ordered the ribs and chicken combo meal so we could try a sampling of everything. The fries, coleslaw and diner rolls were ready first. The fries were good and they had some sort of Lawry's like seasoning on them. I don't think they were fresh made fires or anything like that, but they were tasty. I was not that crazy about the coleslaw because it was quite dry and did not have much mayonnaise on it. However, John loved the coleslaw for the reason that it did not have too much mayo in it. So I guess it depends on personal preferences.

The fried chicken was really, really good. I don't think I've had good fried chicken is quite some time. this chicken was juicy inside with a light, crispy skin. We both inhaled the chicken and I look forward to having it again. I'd go back just for the chicken. I'd like to try the hot wings too.

The ribs had a good smoky flavor, but they were not as tender as I would have liked. They were a bit chewy. The sauce was good, though later I discovered I preferred the spicy sauce to the mild sauce. I ordered the ribs with mild sauce and asked for some hot sauce to go and tried it on my leftover ribs the next day.

Rooster's does have a few tables inside and they have pop and water to drink. We decided to eat there since there was room when we arrived, but we were prepared to eat in the car if needed! Most people take their orders to go it looked like. We look forward to going back for the fried chicken soon.

Deals & Discounts: I believe they occasionally have a Groupon out or similar deal, but we did not have one to use on this visit.

Rooster's BBQ

979 Randolph Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55102
(651) 222-0969