Spy Twin Cities

STOPPING TO PICK UP Summit Pale or a nice Shiraz at Thomas Liquors on the St. Paul corner of Grand and Prior, you’d never guess the tidy brick shop bedecked with a grape-vine mural once played a role in one of the most notorious crimes of the 20th … More >

MOST OF US who’ve frequented St. Paul’s W.A. Frost restaurant over the years know that its digs in the grand Dacotah Building, at Selby and Western avenues, originally housed the W. A. Frost & Co. drugstore. Built in 1889—16 years before construction began on the Cathedral of St. … More >

IF YOU MAKE A HABIT of sampling Thai restaurants across Minneapolis and St. Paul, pretty soon people start asking you for recommendations. Consistently at the top of our list is Mango Thai, a St. Paul gem we already crowned as Best TC Thai. As for the other two … More >

THE PALATE OFTEN KNOWS BEST, and many’s the night when only the Roadside Smoky Plate will do. One of the dozen dazzling signature dishes at Rice Paper Contemporary Asian Restaurant, this crispy grilled ginger-rolled tofu creation offers a flavor-and-texture experience unparalleled on any other menu in town. It’s typical … More >

HERE’S A PLACE WE LOVE: First Course. This is an intimate neighborhood dining gem in an unassuming storefront deep in the heart of South Minneapolis. Its highly appealing menu runs to Mediterranean-inflected appetizers, pastas, and fish-or-meat entrees. At First Course, creative cooking rules. We have many faves, including … More >

TO DINE AT BABANI’S on the edge of downtown St. Paul is to enter a surprisingly separate world of tantalizing aroma and flavor. One of few restaurants in the country featuring the cuisine of Kurdistan, Babani’s is an off-the-beaten-track dining treasure, serving up enjoyable Middle Eastern cuisine from … More >

NEWS OF THE IMPENDING DEMISE of Minneapolis’s Burch Pharmacy hit us hard. After a Welsh Properties “for lease” sign was plopped into the store’s window at Franklin & Hennepin in March 2010, we confirmed with owner Cal Mathieson that this longtime southwest Minneapolis mainstay indeed was on the … More >

FOR FLAVORFUL AND AFFORDABLE Italian bistro fare at any hour, Prima of South Minneapolis is always a fantastico choice. Most of Prima’s tasty pasta dishes are $13.95 (there are also meat and fish dishes, panini, and antipasti), the service is swell, and the ambience is warm and convivial … More >

Where: Cochran Park, a small serene triangle at 375 Summit Avenue (Summit & Western Avenues), St. Paul. What: Indian Hunter and His Dog (and four bronze geese), a 1926 work by renowned 20th-century sculptor Paul Manship. Back story: This art deco sculpture graces a small park bequeathed to … More >