We get a lot of questions from readers about dining — everything from where to find a specific item to where to celebrate a special occasion. Every few months, we round up our answers and publish them. This installment includes the best ice cream on Grand Avenue, Chinese food options in Mac-Groveland and fun spots for a company outing.
Still have questions? We would be happy to answer them — and round them up for future columns. Send your questions to jfleming@pioneerpress.com or nngo@pioneerpress.com.
Q. Do you have suggestions for places to go for great ice cream on or near Grand Avenue in St. Paul? Grand Avenue is home to one of our favorite classic scoop shops, Grand Ole Creamery. The Black Gold, with crushed cookies and pralines in a caramel base, is our hands-down favorite, but they have 31 flavors available at any time, so you’re sure to find something you like. Or, if you want something more adventurous, Treats Cereal bar is serving something unusual: cereal-infused ice cream that is seriously delicious and fun.
Grand Ole Creamery: 750 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-293-1655; icecreamstpaulmn.com
Treats Cereal Bar and Boba: 770 Grand Ave., St Paul; treatsmn.com
Q. We live in the Mac-Groveland area. Where can we find good Chinese food nearby?
A. A few places come to mind:
- The new Magic Noodle at University and Hamline avenues is now one of our favorite Chinese restaurants around. The spot specializes in housemade hand-pulled noodles and is spotlighting them in the form of noodle soups and noodle bowls. There’s also a small selection of fried rice, fried noodle and rice bowl offerings too.
- We also find ourselves returning to Peking Garden. Not only does this spot serve a large menu that includes stir-fry rice platters and noodle dishes, Peking Garden has long been a destination for specialties such as Peking duck, live seafood and multi-course offerings.
- IndoChin on Grand Avenue near Macalester College features pan-Asian fare including Chinese-American style dishes. The selection is wide spanning, with categories that include stir-fries, lo mein, fried rice, chow fun, congee, and hotpot. We’re fans of the chicken chow mein, which is served over a bed of bird’s nest-style noodles and comes with a light, not too greasy gravy.
IndoChin: 1702 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-690-2728; indochingrandave.squarespace.com
Magic Noodle: 1337 W. University Ave., St. Paul; 651-369-6688; magicnoodlemn.com
Peking Garden: 1488 W. University Ave., St Paul; 651-644-0888; pekinggardenmn.com
Q. I have heard there are restaurants that offer, to a person dining alone, a table they have set aside for solo diners to share, if they choose. “Shared table”, Communal table”, my terms. Are you aware of this practice in the Twin Cities?
A. Yes! There are many places in the Twin Cities that have communal tables. You’re probably most likely to find them at breweries, where sharing tables is pretty commonplace. Here are some of our favorite places to sidle up to strangers and share a meal:
- At Surly’s Destination Brewery, there are communal tables both inside and in the brewery’s giant beer garden. The food here is fabulous, and we’ve met lots of fellow beer lovers while eating here.
- We also love to eat at the community table at Young Joni, where the atmosphere is as pretty as the wood-fired pizzas and Korean-influenced entrees. Owner Ann Kim saves the table for walk-ins, which is awesome, because it’s often hard to get a reservation here.
- Birch’s Lowertown, a brewpub in Market House Collaborative in Lowertown, has communal tables in a nice, bright room. The restaurant brews its own beer, but also serves wine and cocktails, and has one of our favorite burgers in town.
Birch’s Lowertown: 289 E. 5th St., St. Paul; 651-432-4677; birchslowertown.com
Surly: 520 Malcolm Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; surlybrewing.com
Young Joni: 165 13th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis; 612-345-5719; youngjoni.com
Q. I have some stylish, foodie friends coming into town and I’d like to impress them with a great place for brunch. Any ideas?
A. How about taking them to one of St. Paul’s newest brunch spots? We recently made the rounds to come up with favorite new St. Paul brunch spots. Any on this list are great in our book, with our very top pick being Grand Catch (brunch 10 a.m-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; entrees $8-$17; 1672 Grand Ave, St. Paul; 651-348-8541; grandcatchmn.com).
Q. Where in the north suburbs can we get a good scone? Most of the scones we come across are very dry. We live in Shoreview so go to Taste of Scandinavia or Kowalski’s often and are looking for more options.
A. The Grateful Table in Roseville makes scones that are worth a try. They’re on the less sweet side and wholesome ingredients side, so it depends on if you like them that way or more on the sweet and airy side. You might want to get there early. Scones are made fresh daily and while supplies last. The last time we visited shortly before noon, there were only four left. You can also place a special order in advance, given 24 hours notice. Another place you might want to try is The Bru House in New Brighton, which we hear from a friend with great taste who frequents the spot that they have tasty pastries, including scones.
The Bru House: 1431 Silver Lake Rd NW, New Brighton; 651-631-1112; thebruhouse.com
The Grateful Table: 2804 Fairview Ave. N., Roseville; 651-808-1553; facebook.com/TheGreatfulTable
Q. I’m looking for a place in St. Paul to host a company outing that includes both food and activities for our group. Where should we go?
A. How about these places where you can eat and stay and play for awhile:
- Try mini-golfing alongside the menu of sandwiches and pizzas at Can Can Wonderland. In addition to a mini-golf course that spares nothing when it comes to art and whimsy, the sizeable space also has arcade games and other activities to keep you group immersed.
- Speaking of a place offering food and games, there’s also Ox Cart Arcade and Rooftop in Lowertown. The spot features pinball machines, old school console games and arcade games with an arcade/carnival menu items such as housemade corn dogs and Pop Tarts, pizza poppers and pickle and corned beef roll-ups.
- Rival House Sporting Parlour in the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown St. Paul offers wings, cheese curds, sandwiches, pizzas and more alongside games such as skee-ball, pinball and mini-basketball.
- Outside of downtown, St. Paul Tap Sports Bar & Gaming Co. also features plenty of games from pool tables to an eight-person foosball table to shuffleboard to retro arcade games. The menu includes burgers, pizza and mac and cheese.
Can Can Wonderland: 755 Prior Ave. N., St. Paul; 651.925.2261; cancanwonderland.com
Ox Cart Arcade and Rooftop: 255 E. Sixth St., St. Paul; 651-528-6171; oxcartarcadeandrooftop.com
Rival House Sporting Parlor: 411 Minnesota St., St. Paul; 651-255-0645; rivalhousestpaul.com
St. Paul Tap Sports Bar & Gaming Co.: 825 Jefferson Ave., St. Paul; 651-227-6315; stpaultapmn.com
Q. When at Surly Pizza, what kind should I get? I prefer red sauce.
A. You really can’t go wrong at Surly, which is serving up some of our favorite pizzas in the Twin Cities. One of our favorites just happens to have red sauce, too. It’s called I’m Your Daddy, and it has little pepperoni cups filled with burnt honey, sweet and hot peppers and plenty of cheese. Great, now we’re hungry.
Q. We are trying to find a spot in Stillwater for a grooms dinner for 15 people. Do you have some suggestions?
A. How about a slice of downtown Stillwater’s historic charm via the classy and elegant Lowell Inn? In addition to the main dining room, four private dining room options are available starting with the Mount Vernon room seating up to 20 people. The room charge varies depending on the day of the week, but can start from $30 at lunch and $60 at dinner. The food here is reliable with plenty of classic American food options. For something more contemporary, consider the Hotel Crosby/Matchstick Restaurant, one of the newest hotspots in town. In addition to a semi-private dining area in the first floor restaurant, other options include a space on the third floor off the roof deck that could accommodate your group size. There’s also another space that can take up to 40 if you want to spread out more or if your guest list expands. There are no room fees or food or beverage minimums. There’s also Domacin Wine Bar downtown, which has a private dining room called The Gazette Room seating up to 16 people. While the main menu features small plates, steaks, chops and pastas, staff will work with you to come up with a custom menu. Minimums apply.
Domacin Wine Bar: 102 South 2nd St., Stillwater; 651-439-1352; domacinwinebar.com
Hotel Crosby & Matchstick Restaurant: 232 Main St. N., Stillwater; 651-967-7100; hotelcrosby.com
Lowell Inn: 102 N. Second St.; 888-569-3554; lowellinn.com
Q. Do you know who makes good spring rolls fresh, not deep-fried?
A. Try almost any Thai restaurant — King and I Thai in Mendota Heights has them, as does Bangkok Thai Deli on University. There are also lots of options at the Hmongtown Marketplace off of Como. We have had so many that mostly taste the same that we’re not sure what makes you like one more than the other.
Q. My 30 year-old son and I visit Regions Hospital every day (weekdays) for radiation sessions to address an aggressive brain cancer. We frequently have breaks between sessions and therapies and though he is losing his hair, he is not losing his appetite for fine food. Can you recommend your top ten restaurants for lunch?
A. 10 is a tall order, but there are lots of great places in nearby Lowertown to get a delicious lunch. Here’s a list to get you started:
- Buttered Tin: 237 E. 7th St., St. Paul; 651-224-2300; thebutteredtin.com
- Dark Horse Bar and Eatery: 250 E. 7th St., St. Paul; 651-313-7960; darkhorsebarandeatery.com
- Handsome Hog: 203 E. 6th St., St. Paul; 651-340-7710; handsomehog.com
- Salty Tart: 289 E. 5th St., St. Paul; 651-340-7710; saltytart.com
- Big River Pizza: 280 E. 5th St., St. Paul; 651-683-2186; bigriverpizza.com
- Black Dog Cafe: 308 E. Prince St., St. Paul; 651-228-9274; blackdogstpaul.com
We hope your son gets well and that all the good food helps him feel better.
Q. For the past several years at Christmastime, I have taken my daughters-in law and my three granddaughters to the Bistro at the American Girl Doll Store at the Mall of America for a special, fancy lunch to which they could even bring their dolls! It became quite a loved tradition in our family. However, the AG store closed in March and this option will no longer be available. Do you know if there is any restaurant in the Twin Cities which does a lunch or a special tea time that would be enjoyed by girls 3, 6 and 12? They would probably like something that was a little “frilly” but where the menu options would include things that appeal to a child. The only times when we are all together are the week between Christmas and New Year’s and in mid-June.
A. We haven’t been here, but after doing some research, we’re intrigued! Maudie MacBride’s Tea does private teas in a private home in West St. Paul. Otherwise, I’d recommend the St. Paul Hotel, which serves tea on quite a regular basis. Both are expensive — about $45 a person — but they seem like fun experiences and would make great memories with your granddaughters.
Maudie MacBride’s Tea: 59 W. Wentworth Ave., West St. Paul; 651-200-4460; maudiemacbridestea.com
Saint Paul Hotel: 350 Market St., St. Paul; 651-228-3860; saintpaulhotel.com/happenings/afternoon-tea
