St. Paul's long West Seventh corridor. Cossetta's, Cafe Astoria, Mucci's, plus the historic Schmidt Brewery complex.
The Italian sub at the deli counter inside Cossetta’s is what every other Italian sub in the metro is reaching for. Cured meats, sharp provolone, oil and vinegar, the right bread. Order at the deli, take it upstairs to the cafe, do not overthink it.
A small West Seventh Italian-American restaurant whose lunch sandwiches deserve more attention than they get. Meatball subs, Italian beef, and a roasted-pepper-and-mortadella that is one of the best sandwiches in St. Paul on any given Tuesday.
A St. Paul institution that has been on West Seventh since 1911. The cafeteria-style slices are big and a little sweet and exactly the right thing on a winter Saturday. The market upstairs is a separate small joy.
Sunday brunch at Mucci’s reads like a love letter to your nonna. Fried calzones, breakfast pizzas with farm eggs, Bloody Marys that should come with their own zip code. The patio is one of West Seventh’s best.
A modern Mexican restaurant from the team at Tongue in Cheek. Heritage corn for tortillas, a sharp tequila and mezcal program, and a brunch program that puts most brunch programs on notice. Worth a Saturday in St. Paul.
St. Paul’s first proper ramen-ya, working entirely without pork. The chicken-based broths are the point, and the small room means a wait is normal on weekends.
The pastry and gelato side of the Cossetta complex, with an imported Tuscan marble bar and a rotation of about a dozen gelato flavors. Pair it with an espresso and one of the big plate cookies.
The piano-bar happy hour at the upper bar is a uniquely St. Paul kind of evening. Half-price antipasti, the city’s most generous pour of red wine for the money, and a bartender who has been there longer than you have lived in town.