City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Address: 750 Grand Ave.
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Address: 2034 Marshall Ave.
63. Just Truffles
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (651) 690-0075
Address: 1326 Grand Ave.
Description: Like its name says, this store carries nothing but truffles: thick, rich, gigantic homemade chocolate truffles kept in a refrigerated glass case until purchase. They are available in dozens of flavors, including Kahlua, raspberry, maple nut, amaretto, and pecan turtle. The edible chocolate boxes are a special and delicious way to send the truffles as a gift. Just Truffles is open Monday through Saturday.
64. Regina’S Candy Shop
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (651) 698-8603
Address: 2073 St. Clair Ave.
Description: Founded in 1926 by a young Greek craftsman and his bride, Regina (pronounced Ruh-GEE-nuh, with a hard G), and passed on to their children and grandchildren, Regina’s uses old-world craftsmanship in making its amazing (and amazingly inexpensive) caramels, chocolates, toffees, and more than 20 flavors of dark chocolate truffles.
65. Sweets Bakeshop
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (651) 340-7138
Address: 2042 Marshall Ave.
Description: Just opened in 2009, Sweets is one of the newest establishments to appear on the “Treat Street” stretch of Marshall Avenue. Sweets is a unique collaboration between artist Ly Lo and pastry chef Krista Steinbach; possibly Minnesota’s only pastry chef who’s also a war veteran, Steinbach was deployed in Iraq with the National Guard. The shop offers baked goods that are beautiful to look at—but not so beautiful that you will have any qualms about popping them into your mouth. Try the cupcakes topped with big heaps of rich buttercream frosting.
66. Bean Factory
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (651) 699-7788
Address: 1518 Randolph Ave.
Description: The Bean Factory clientele are so social, it’s almost awkward—no, actually, it is awkward. Sit down anywhere at the Bean Factory and you could well find yourself party to a conversation about your neighbor’s divorce, international politics, or an ingrown toenail. As the name suggests, the Bean Factory roasts its own; while the relatively low volume of sales means that your beans won’t be as fresh as they are at the nearby Dunn Bros., the Bean Factory lets you try before you buy. You can ask the barista to custom-drip a cup of any of the Bean Factory’s offerings—including, for a little more, the expensive Blue Mountain and Kona varieties—for you right there on the spot. The Bean Factory is also notable for its extra-spicy Mexican mocha, made with chile powder.
67. Dunn Bros. Coffee
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (651) 698-0618
Address: 1569 Grand Ave.
Description: Dunn Bros., founded at this Grand Avenue storefront in 1987, has grown into the largest Minnesota-owned coffee chain. (Caribou was founded in Minnesota but was later sold to out-of-state investors.) As with many other Dunn Bros. locations, all the coffee is roasted on the spot, just a few feet from where it’s brewed and served. Because the shop does such brisk business (it’s one of the few coffee shops in the Twin Cities where you can’t count on finding an open table), you’re probably drinking coffee made from beans roasted just a day or two ago. The espresso, and roasted beans for purchase, may well be the Cities’ best. There’s also regular live music at this location, which is open daily.
68. Ginkgo Coffeehouse
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Address: 721 Snelling Ave. North
Description: By day, Ginkgo is a friendly java joint with mismatched furniture, potted plants, and a few outdoor tables in summer. A couple of nights a week, however, the atmosphere changes, and this coffeehouse on the edge of St. Paul’s Hamline University campus becomes a dimly lit, cozy, acoustic music venue. Ginkgo is open daily.
69. Kopplin’S Coffee
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (651) 698-0457
Address: 490 South Hamline Ave.
Description: Though you wouldn’t suspect the fact based on its address—its neighbors are stolid establishments like the Copper Dome diner, the Nook bar, and Ran-Ham Lanes—Kopplin’s is Minnesota’s mecca for coffee geeks. Andrew Kopplin, its young proprietor, is the metro area’s sole owner of a Clover, a machine whose brewing abilities are legend in the specialty coffee field. Kopplin’s prices are noticeably higher than at most local coffee shops, but there’s only one place in Minnesota that’s on Bon Appétit’s list of America’s top ten boutique coffee shops, and this is it.
70. Lori’S Coffee House
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (651) 647-9007
Address: 1441 Cleveland Ave. North
Description: Lori’s is a nice little corner coffeehouse across the street from the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota. Lori’s makes wonderful homemade soups on site and throws a couple of huge slices of also-homemade bread in for free. There’s coffee and espresso, cookies, muffins, a good selection of bottled juices to pick from, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Lots of college kids hang out here, and there’s definitely room for them—the inside is spacious and airy, and summertime loungers opt to sit outside.
71. Madhatter Coffee Cafe
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (651) 227-2511
Address: 943 Seventh St. West
Description: The Madhatter, it’s said in St. Paul, is like Harry Potter’s Platform 9 3/4: You can find it only if you’ve been there before. It’s owned by Dave Thune, who represents its district in the St. Paul City Council. (A man of many talents, he also plays in a rock band.) It specializes in tea, coffee, and homemade baked goods. Its hours are limited and eccentric—Saturday mornings are your best bet—but when you get in, you’ll find a gallery and framing shop as bonus attractions.
72. Tea Garden
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (651) 690-3495
Address: 1692 Grand Ave.
Description: The Tea Garden is the Twin Cities’ premier purveyor of bubble tea, the Japanese favorite with tapioca pearls loaded into cups of hot or cold tea. Each of the Tea Garden’s five locations is a magical land of sweet tea, upbeat indie rock, and remarkably happy-looking patrons. On weekend nights, when DJs take to the turntables, the Tea Gardens are favorite hangouts for local teens.
73. Tea Source
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (651) 690-9822
Address: 752 Cleveland Ave. South
Description: Owner Bill Waddington personally selects the fine teas he sells to customers of all tastes. Although Tea Source sells loose teas in two- to four-ounce bags, you can also stop in either store and enjoy a cup or pot of your favorite tea. With dozens of options among black, green, oolong, tisanes (herbal teas), and blends, you can pick out a few ounces of your favorite or an adventurous alternative to take home. A detailed guide available in the store helps make sense of the inventory, and Tea Source offers similar information in its catalog and online. Tea Source is open daily.
74. Trotter’S Café And Bakery
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (651) 645-8950
Address: 232 North Cleveland Ave.
Description: Part coffee shop, part bar, part restaurant, all wholesomeness. Trotter’s baked goods—many of which are organic, vegan, or both—are the best reason to patronize the establishment, but it’s also a favorite meeting place and hangout for its Merriam Park neighbors. Some patrons are taken aback by the venue’s prices (those responsibly farmed ingredients don’t come cheap) and DIY ethic, but it was ahead of its time for the up-and-coming intersection of Marshall and Cleveland and has become a local landmark with a very loyal clientele.