SAINT PAUL
     
 

THINGS TO DO IN SAINT PAUL
by Karen Frank

When Daphne asked me to write a short things-to-do in-St. Paul-article, I said, “Sure, that sounds like fun,” without really thinking about it. Then I started to think about it…and got a little worried. See, I live in Minneapolis. And while the rest of the United States thinks of the area as “Minneapolis-St. Paul,” a.k.a. the “Twin Cities,” in truth, Minneapolis and St. Paul aren’t twins. St. Paul is a great city, but the thing is, there’s so much going on in Minneapolis, that I don’t go into St. Paul all that often, and when I do go, it’s usually one of those drive-to-St.-Paul,-swear-about-the-complete-lack-of-parking,-go-to-a-concert,-and-go-home, kinds of nights. So, disclaimer warning: I’m not a St. Paul expert.

That being the case, when I started writing this, I consulted experts (translation: sent an email to some of my friends and officemates, asking them what they thought were great things to do in St. Paul ). What follows comes from this highly scientific survey of tourist highlights, so to speak (skipping mention of the Mall of America, because everyone already knows it’s there, and ditto, on the Winter Carnival), divided into two sections. Section one is a review of places in the immediate vicinity of the Xcel Energy Center . Section two is a list of other restaurants and points of interest in the metropolitan area, but you’ll need to drive or take a cab to get there.

Section One - Food:

Relatively inexpensive eats. . .

  • One of the best places to eat that’s within walking distance of the arena is Cossetta’s Italian Market ( 211 7th St ). It’s a cafeteria-style restaurant serving pizza and Italian food at reasonable prices. It does tend to get very busy during peak hours though, so if you run out during a Zamboni break, you might find yourself first waiting in a long line to get your baked ziti, and then circling the two floors of the restaurant for an empty table, while your food cools on the tray (basically, you’d be doing a zitiboni break). If you get there while it’s less crowded, you’ll be able to enjoy great food at a reasonable price.
  • Also near the Xcel is The Liffey Irish Pub ( 175 7th St ). The Liffey spreads across several rooms and has plenty of seating, but it still manages to convey a cozy atmosphere. I’ve only eaten there a couple of times (usually when I’m in that part of town I head for Cossetta’s), and my experience has been that their appetizers are better than their entrees.
  • If you see a place on 7 th that looks like a train car has been plopped onto the side of the road, well, that’s Mickey’s Diner ( 36 7th St ), and yes, it really is a train car. The great thing about Mickey’s (aside from the burgers & fries and the personal juke boxes in the booths) is that it’s open 24 hours and may be one of the few places you can grab a late night bite (or an early breakfast if you plan to get up at six to watch the novice pairs warm-up). Mickey’s is not a place to bring a large group, unless you don’t mind sitting at separate tables – it only has maybe four booths and a few seats at the counter.

If you are looking for a more leisurely meal and want to splurge . . .

  • I highly recommend the St. Paul Grill, which is located in the St. Paul Hotel ( 350 Market St ). It’s on the expensive side (by Midwest standards), but I’ve never had a bad meal there. If you go, make sure that you try their Au Gratin Potatoes, and/or the Wild Rice soup. In terms of regional food specialties, Wild Rice Soup is Minnesota’s positive contribution (the negative contribution is Lutefisk – if someone offers you Lutefisk, I suggest you decline, unless you have a taste for cod that has been marinated in lye – if you stare at it long enough, it will digest itself on the plate. The St. Paul Grill intelligently does not serve Lutefisk).
  • On the far side of the hotel from the arena, is Pazzaluna( 360 St. Peter St ). I’ve only been there for dessert –chocolate soufflé, yum, but their entrees smelled good. (When doesn’t Italian food smell good?) Per their website, they were voted best Martini in the area.
  • Another popular eatery in this price range is the Downtowner Woodfire Grill (253 W 7 th), which has won all kinds of restaurant awards in the cities when it first opened about five years ago (though I have not yet managed to eat there myself). Of my survey participants who have eaten there, one person recommend their kebab-style entrees and one other stated that while the food was good, it was not as good as the St. Paul Grill.
  • The foodie on my survey list also highly recommends Fuji Ya (corner of 7 th and Wabasha) for sushi. “I believe they have a teppenyaki grill there, too, if folks aren't down with the raw fish thing,” she added. I’m not into fish (raw or cooked) but I will take her word for it.

Hidden gems . . .

  • The St. Paul Public Library ( 90 W 4 th St ). Yes, I’m still talking food. Just inside the entrance of the library is a small café that serves soup, coffee, and pastries. They’re only open until 2 or 3 in the afternoon (and not at all on Sundays … probably also not on Martin Luther King Day), but it’s a great place for fast, cheap, tasty food, or to escape with a newspaper and a cup of coffee.
  • You might also notice when you are inside Xcel Center itself, a sweet doughy smell. That’s the mini-donut stand (not open for all events at the Xcel, but probably will at least be open during the finals). Do not discount the power of the mini-donut (especially fresh out of the machine). Once you’ve eaten arena mini-donuts, you might find yourself awake at 4 a.m. , one night, with a mini-donut craving.
Non-food type attractions…
  • Right across the way from the arena is the Science Museum of Minnesota ( 120 Kellogg Blvd W ). Whether you’re into dinosaurs, weather patterns, or Omnitheater, the Science Museum will have something to catch your interest. Many of the exhibits are interactive, and it’s a great place to lose yourself for an hour or four.
  • Traveling with kids? Or simply young at heart? The Children’s Museum ( 10 West Seventh Street ) comes highly recommended with my focus group (none of whom have kids, so that would be the young at heart group).
  • However, if you’ve only got enough time to take in one tourist site, the unanimous vote from my survey group is the Wabasha Caves and St. Paul Gangster Tour. During Prohibition, St. Paul was a haven for organized crime, thanks to a mayor who actually invited the mafia to come live here! All they had to do was register with the police when they got off the train, and promise not to commit any crime within the St. Paul city limits. The Wabasha Caves were turned into a speakeasy, supposedly with escape routes through the sewer system of St. Paul . The bus tour is a fascinating history of St. Paul ’s gangster past. Even if you opt out of the bus tour, take time to visit the caves ( 215 Wabasha St S , on the other side of the river from the Xcel).

Section Two:

Once you’ve exhausted the area immediately around the Xcel, you might feel adventurous enough to drive further away. Here’s a quick list of places worth the trip.

  • Summit Avenue, Grand Avenue, and Café Latte (St. Paul, about 5 minutes away) – Just west of the Xcel, starting from the Cathedral of St. Paul, lies Summit Avenue, a five mile stretch of Victorian Homes, including the Governor’s Mansion and the James J. Hill House (which is open for tours). The houses on Summit also occasionally have snow sculpture competitions; however, I’m not sure if that’s going to coincide with Nationals. One block south of Summit is Grand Avenue , which is filled with boutiques, galleries, and restaurants. My advice is to drive slowly west along Summit to admire the architecture; then go south to Grand, park where you can, and enjoy some shopping. Finish the excursion at Café Latte ( 850 Grand Avenue ), a cafeteria-style bistro with great soup, pizza, and the best dessert bar in town (I would have listed Café Latte anyway, but it also got several mentions in my survey).
  • Chatterbox Pub – Highland Park (10-15 minutes). The Chatterbox is the place to go if you want to hang out for a long time and linger over an enormous amount of food and a game of Trivial Pursuit. In fact, the restaurant so much encourages lingering that they have a stock of board games they will rent to you for an hour or so. For those of you with delusions of American Idol fame, they also have Sunday and Thursday night karaoke.
  • The Good Earth – Two locations, one in Roseville , one in Edina (both about 20 minutes from St. Paul , Roseville is to the North, Edina is Southwest). Got a large group of people with completely conflicting appetites? Even if one person wants nachos, another wants pasta, another wants vegetarian, and you want Thai, The Good Earth will be able to satisfy all tastes. Their vast menu specializes in organic entrees, with monthly specials that feature seasonal ingredients. While some of their dinner entrees can be pricey, you can also get sandwiches, salads, and burgers for under ten dollars. Hint: buy a box of their Vanilla Chai Tea to take back to the hotel with you – it’s a great warm-up for cold nights.
  • Nicollet Avenue ; Mary Tyler Moore Statue ( Minneapolis , 20-30 minutes, depending on traffic). Nicollet Avenue in downtown Minneapolis is a pedestrian shopper’s paradise. Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue , and Neiman Marcus anchor several corners, but the real bonus is that Nicollet is for busses and cabs only – no personal cars allowed. That cuts down on the traffic substantially, and with the skyways always available, Nicollet Avenue can be a great place to spend a morning, even during bad weather. Don’t forget to visit the statue of Mary Tyler Moore in front of Macy’s and toss your hat up in the air. Just past the prime shopping area on Nicollet is a series of ethnic restaurants that has earned this part of town the nickname “ Eat Street .” In decent weather, it’s a nice walk from the shopping end of Nicollet (starting around 5 th street) through the restaurant district (ending around 15 th street), but you probably wouldn’t feel comfortable walking any further (it’s not a horrible neighborhood – I lived around there for twelve years - but it can be kind of iffy after dark, and it’s not the best idea to explore the side streets).
  • Walker Art Center and Sculpture Garden ; Uptown and Lake Calhoun ( Hennepin Avenue , Minneapolis , 20-30 minutes, depending on traffic). If you’ve seen the postcard of a cherry sitting on a spoon, with the skyline of Minneapolis in the background, that’s our infamous Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture (by Claes Oldenburg), the anchor of the sculpture garden. The garden is free and open every day from 6 a.m. until midnight . It’s a fun wander, even in cold weather. To warm up, head into the Walker Art Center to check out their modern art collections and special installations. There’s always something fascinating at the Walker , but it’s pretty unpredictable. A couple miles south of the Walker is the area of Minneapolis known as “Uptown.” Anchored by Calhoun Square, a mini-mall full of boutiques and trendy restaurants, Uptown runs three shop-and-coffeehouse-covered blocks to Lake Calhoun . It’s three miles to walk around, something not recommended when the temperature gets below 10. (I can tell you that from experience).
  • Minneapolis Institute of Art ( 2400 Third Avenue South , Minneapolis , 20 – 30 minutes, depending on traffic). If historical art is more to your taste than modern (it is mine), skip the Walker and check out the “MIA.” Though the MIA doesn’t specialize in any one historical period, it does display a smattering of examples from ancient art through the twenty-first century. The coolest part of the museum is the third floor, which includes a history of decorative arts displayed in “period rooms” that showcase furniture and design from the 1600s to 1900. Also, the museum café is run by D’Amico & Sons, who have several good eateries (specializing in gourmet pizza and pasta) throughout the cities.

If you’re not flying back home until Tuesday, you might consider one of the following places as good idea for a “day trip.”

  • Minnesota Landscape Arboretum ( Chaska , MN , about 40 minutes south of Minneapolis ). Run by the University of Minnesota , this is 1000 acres of gardens and trails, and a beautiful place to walk in any season. At this time of year, they’ll be showcasing winter gardens and their snowshoe trails.
  • Stillwater, MN (about 40 minutes east of St. Paul ). On the banks of the St. Croix River , Stillwater is known as the place to find antique stores in the Metropolitan area (although I will note that most people also consider the antique stores in Stillwater to be overpriced). Aside from the antique stores, Stillwater is a picturesque place for walking and window shopping (the non-antique stores also generally aim for the shopper with lots of money to burn), and if the weather is good, a walk along the St. Croix . If you do go to Stillwater , eat at the Dock Café, which wins both in atmosphere (the café overlooks the St. Croix ) and food (the shitake encrusted chicken is fantastic).

Here are some additional comments from my survey group. In general, these are places/restaurants I have no personal experience with, but they got high marks in the email survey:

  • “It's about a mile from the arena, but Trattoria Da Vinci is a fabulous Italian joint with a pasta bar.”
  • “Moscow on the Hill is about 2 miles away but has delicious food and a swank atmosphere. And a billion different kinds of vodka, (not that I know anything about that).”
  • “Dixie's on Grand is American with a Southern flair. Sunday Champagne Brunch is particularly great.”
  • “I actually just ate at a great Mexican place not too far afield from downtown -- Boca Chica, which is across the river, a little ways down from Harriet Island .”
  • “On our end of town (by the Fairgrounds) I would HIGHLY recommend the Gingko Coffee Shop (great local music, good coffee, soup and Italian sodas) and the Black Sea Restaurant (Turkish - run by one of the nicest couples around --- inexpensive and amazing food).” [Note: this is about 15 minutes from the Xcel]

Oh and one final note. . . you may be wondering what I mean by “decent weather,” or “not too cold.” Basically, it’s too cold if you walk outside and the snot instantly freezes in your nose. (Yes, it’s happens – usually when it gets below 0.) If you want to monitor a long range forecast for St. Paul , the Weather Channel’s ten day prediction can be found here.

Arboretum photos are by Michelle Wojdyla while on a photo shoot with Karen in October 2004.