Downtown St Paul Restaurants?Abundant bland food in metro (Minneapolis: neighborhood, university)

[kurls]

Two part question. What are some good restaurants in St Paul’s downtown? This would be during the Jazz festival in mid-June, and part of a romantic evening. I found WA Frost, Forepaugh’s, and St Paul Bar and Grill. I will pass on Kincade’s as we were very unimpressed with them in the past. The menu’s just seem rather boring at Frost and Forepaugh but they are supposed to be very romantic. Any suggestions would be useful.

Also, I have noticed a lack of good dining options for soul food, southern inspired, Caribbean or Cajun type cuisine. It seems that most restaurants are just serving bland “MN” type food. Are there any restaurants out there with these types of fare? We used to love Big E’s and Copeland’s but they are long gone. It seems that asian-themed restaurants are the only option for anything beside Americanized bland options.

[Slig]

This is a great resource guide for finding a new restaurant to try out. You can search by price, neighborhood or type of food.

Minneapolis Restaurants and Reviews - Minneapolis Dining Guide - MN Restaurants

[StPaulEastSider]

Originally Posted by kurls

T
Also, I have noticed a lack of good dining options for soul food, southern inspired, Caribbean or Cajun type cuisine. It seems that most restaurants are just serving bland “MN” type food. Are there any restaurants out there with these types of fare? We used to love Big E’s and Copeland’s but they are long gone. It seems that asian-themed restaurants are the only option for anything beside Americanized bland options.

Not soul food, southern-inspired [unless you count South America], Caribbean or Cajun, but also not Asian....

a great, ethnic, restaurant, if you don't mind slumming it a bit, is Manana Restuarant: Mexican restaurant, burritos, tacos - Saint Paul, Minnesota - Home

[That link is to their website, they do have "mexican" fare, but the owners are El Salvadorian and it's their El Salvadorian Pupusa's which I really love!}

Here is an article featuring Manana Restaurant: On the Trail of the Perfect Pupusa « The Heavy Table

Manana Restaurant - 828 7th Street E, Saint Paul, MN 55106-4516 Apparently they have a second location in Burnsville ?

Manana is one of my favorite restaurants, it's a hole-in-the-wall, for sure... but the food is AWESOME.

Be sure to try their Pupusas Pupusa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

+++++

Emily's Lebanese Delicatessen
641 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN

Small place, no fancy decor... really good food, a friend of mine who grew up with her Lebanese grandmother says the food is authentic.

++++++

Rudolph's BBQ - corner of Franklin & Lyndale in Minneapolis, great ribs & coleslaw, neighborhood favorite.

http://www.rudolphsribs.com/

We lived around the corner from Rudolphs for 6 years and my GA born & raised husband loved going to Rudolphs often, we still get over there a couple times a year....

that being said, my husband maintains the Twin Cities just doe not have REAL southern soul food

++++++

Dixie's on Grand in St. Paul... advertises southern comfort food, smooth jazz music - We personally have never been there... perhaps I should take my husband there and let him review it?

Dixies on Grand

+++++

920 East Lake Street, Minneapolis
Welcome to West Indies Soul food~Minneapolis, USA

[jazzymentality]

Which place is the soul food

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by StPaulEastSider

Not soul food, southern-inspired [unless you count South America], Caribbean or Cajun, but also not Asian....

a great, ethnic, restaurant, if you don't mind slumming it a bit, is Manana Restuarant: Mexican restaurant, burritos, tacos - Saint Paul, Minnesota - Home

[That link is to their website, they do have "mexican" fare, but the owners are El Salvadorian and it's their El Salvadorian Pupusa's which I really love!}

Here is an article featuring Manana Restaurant: On the Trail of the Perfect Pupusa « The Heavy Table

Manana Restaurant - 828 7th Street E, Saint Paul, MN 55106-4516 Apparently they have a second location in Burnsville ?

Manana is one of my favorite restaurants, it's a hole-in-the-wall, for sure... but the food is AWESOME.

Be sure to try their Pupusas Pupusa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

+++++

Emily's Lebanese Delicatessen
641 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN

Small place, no fancy decor... really good food, a friend of mine who grew up with her Lebanese grandmother says the food is authentic.

++++++

Rudolph's BBQ - corner of Franklin & Lyndale in Minneapolis, great ribs & coleslaw, neighborhood favorite.

Rudolphs

We lived around the corner from Rudolphs for 6 years and my GA born & raised husband loved going to Rudolphs often, we still get over there a couple times a year....

that being said, my husband maintains the Twin Cities just doe not have REAL southern soul food

++++++

Dixie's on Grand in St. Paul... advertises southern comfort food, smooth jazz music - We personally have never been there... perhaps I should take my husband there and let him review it?

Dixies on Grand

+++++

920 East Lake Street, Minneapolis
Welcome to West Indies Soul food~Minneapolis, USA

I've travelled in the South extensively and love Southern food. IMHO, Dixie's is pretty authentic. Take your husband, then post his comments here. I'd be interested in hearing them.

PS: OP, Dixie's isn't downtown, but its very close to it.

[Slig]

Here is a list of soulfood restaurants I found from doing a seach on citypages:

-Brasa 600 E.Hennepin Ave. Latin American, Soul Food, Southern - University
-Arnellia's 1183 University Ave. W Soul Food, Southern - Midway/ Frogtown
-Bayou Cajon Cuisine 555 Nicollet Mall American, Soul Food, Southern - Downtown Minneapolis
-Betty Jean's Chicken 'n Waffles 319 1st Ave. N American, Soul Food, Southern - Downtown Minneapolis
-Big C's Wing Stop 2117 W Broadway Ave. Soul Food, Southern - Near North
-Charly's Polleria 2851 Central Ave. NE Mexican, Soul Food, Southern - Northeast
-Chelly's Cafe 3758 Nicollet Ave. S Soul Food, Southern - Kingfield
-Cora's Best Chicken Wings 1554 University Ave. W Soul Food, Southern - Midway/Frogtown
-Cora's Best Chicken Wings 168 Cesar Chavez St. Soul Food - West Side
-Favor Cafe 913 W Lake St. Soul Food, Southern - Uptown/ Eat Street
-Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers 7501 150th St. W Soul Food, Southern - Apple Valley
-West Indies Soul Food 920 E. Lake St. Caribbean, Soul Food, Southern - Powderhorn

[Ben Around]

Can anyone recommend Pazzaluna to the OP? I've been there for drinks & appetizers, but haven't had a meal there. Right in the heart of downtown.

[MplsTodd]

Its not in St Paul, but another suggestion is Harry Sinng's Carribean Cafe in the 26XX block of Nicollet Avenue (Eat Street). I ate lunch there recently and had his jerk chicken roti--very spicy and tasty, plus he has his own hot sauce if you need more spice. Harry is a real friendly guy (originally from Trinidad, I think) and he cooks everything himself.

[golfgal]

There is a good Caribbean place in Hudson, WI too.

Raising Caine's qualifies as Soul Food??

[kuan]

Originally Posted by Slig

Here is a list of soulfood restaurants I found from doing a seach on citypages:

-Brasa 600 E.Hennepin Ave. Latin American, Soul Food, Southern - University
-Arnellia's 1183 University Ave. W Soul Food, Southern - Midway/ Frogtown
-Bayou Cajon Cuisine 555 Nicollet Mall American, Soul Food, Southern - Downtown Minneapolis
-Betty Jean's Chicken 'n Waffles 319 1st Ave. N American, Soul Food, Southern - Downtown Minneapolis
-Big C's Wing Stop 2117 W Broadway Ave. Soul Food, Southern - Near North
-Charly's Polleria 2851 Central Ave. NE Mexican, Soul Food, Southern - Northeast
-Chelly's Cafe 3758 Nicollet Ave. S Soul Food, Southern - Kingfield
-Cora's Best Chicken Wings 1554 University Ave. W Soul Food, Southern - Midway/Frogtown
-Cora's Best Chicken Wings 168 Cesar Chavez St. Soul Food - West Side
-Favor Cafe 913 W Lake St. Soul Food, Southern - Uptown/ Eat Street
-Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers 7501 150th St. W Soul Food, Southern - Apple Valley
-West Indies Soul Food 920 E. Lake St. Caribbean, Soul Food, Southern - Powderhorn

I had no idea?!?