Can I Eat the Minneapple in St. Paul?

I'm moving. To St. Paul. They have restaurants in St. Paul, right?
I know, I know... I'm over doing it (yes, again - shut up!) Maybe, to generate a little more contentment in my heart as the In-Laws have won and we're going going to their zip code, I should dedicate a post to the other Twin.
Yup... moving across the Miss. The Might Miss. Old Man River. Deeeepppp Riiiiivvver.
Alrighty, friends, let's take a little trip on ova to tha Eastside.
There are, of course, dozens of wonderful restaurants in St. Paul. And certainly many more than the over-rated W.A. Frost (actually, I hate that restaurant, but that's another post.)

Pazzaluna comes to mind. They have a wonderful happy hour, but it only goes until 6:00 p.m. and I can never make it over there before it's over. I remember a brief stint working at the Pioneer Press and meeting my darling downstairs at Pazzaluna. Also, my sister-in-law Patti works there and she's awesome. So, if ever you go and a spunky blond with a cute hair cut named Patti waits on you-- tip big. Their pizzas are wonderful. My favorite is the bolognese with peppers and sausage. Delicious and half price during happy hour-- thank you very much!!! Their gnocchi should be awarded prizes They are creamy and comforting and not in the least gooey or heavy. The risotto is ridiculous, it's so good! I hear they have pasta, too, but I haven't gotten too far on the menu. It's really a little pricey after all the gas I had to buy to get all the way over there.

There's also Moscow on the Hill, which I always forget about for some reason. Which is sad because, really it is one of the best winter date night spots around. Last time I was there with my Mom-in-law (see a pattern, here) and so I couldn't order my usual shot of voddy before the meal. Were it my mother we might be under the table before the food came, but Carol doesn't drink. If you're not dining with my mother-in-law you should definitely start out your meal with a shot of Stoli black and a gherkin-- makes everything taste better. The soup special that I had last time was wonderful, even if the flavors sound odd. It was a rich, meaty broth with veggies and olives and pickles topped with sour cream and dill. I know! Weird! But good. Highly rec commended is the lamb, too. Wonderful.

There's also one of my absolutely favorite restaurants of all time, The Muddy Pig. Their website is down right now, but I could easily quote you the entire menu. First appetizers, the bruchetta is good, skip the rest. There's the sandwiches, my favorites are the spicy chipotle chicken and the gargantuan Cubano. It's easily the best Cubano that I've found in the city and as big as your head. Entrees, all the pastas are good, but my favorite is the Pastalaya. Wait... this is all sounding very familiar to me. (See my Lost on You post below)

St. Paul also has Red's Savoy Inn, for my money, one of the best pizzas in town. My favorite pie, though, because I'm biased and because one of the bartenders is super foxy, is Skinner's Pub on the corner of Milton and Randolph right off of 35E. They have the most perfect pepperoni and sausage pizza for my taste. Thin crust, herby sauce, real Italian spiced sausage. Pete (Skinner) makes the best Reuben I've tasted anywhere in town and at only $6.00, it's nearly criminal. It's huge, built on a foundation of thick, dark rye, freshly cut, wonderfully spiced pastrami, dripping in tangy sauerkraut and and Thousand Island dressing. Pete loves the sandwich so much that, at the request of one of the regulars, he made it into a pizza! I know it sounds weird, but go with me on this because it's really, really good. All the food at Skinner's is outstanding and astonishingly cheap. So's the booze. $2.75?! For a cocktail!? And it's not even happy hour! Sign me up. Even Kathie Jenkins, writer for the Eat section of the PiPress has raved about this neighborhood restaurant/bar. She ran an article that they have the some of best nachos in the city. It's because they fry their own tortillas for the chips and pile them sky high on a pizza tin. Best of all for me is that Skinner's delivers. And blissfully, blissfully soon, I will live a mere six blocks away!