The651.com

Photo by Michelle Leon.

As if the perks of entering warmer months weren’t bountiful enough, the arrival of expeditious freshly-prepared fare brought to you via mobile street carts sweetens the season. These days, those part of the street cart dining revolution aren’t content to merely serve traditional vendor food – hot dogs and picnic-esque sides – they’re taking on-the-go eating to a new level using a diverse range of local ingredients to create inventive, budget-friendly gourmet food; and we’re right on board!

We’re especially excited about French Brasserie-inspired restaurant, Meritage’s contribution to curbside cuisine: the Meritage Crepe Stand. Open five days a week, the stands’ chefs make crepe cooking look like a breeze and the result – a fluffy taste of heaven. Named City Pages “Best French Restaurant” of 2010, practically every dish with this French brasserie’s stamp of approval is “si bon.” This year, Meritage boasts a newly imported crepe stand straight from France offering decadent crepes made (as much as possible) with items from the Lowertown Farmer’s Market. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Meritage stand is your ticket to a petit taste of Paris to be enjoyed on your curtailed lunch hour.

For updates on the flavor du jour (one savory, one sweet) follow Meritage’s Twitter account (@meritage_stpaul). Some of the past crepe featured flavors: strawberries with nutella, chicken with ramp pesto and cheese, a traditional French crepe Sucre with melted butter and candied sugar, stuffed morels, melted leeks and chicken veloute…need we go on. We guarantee this mobile crepe stand will have you craving crepes so intensely they’ll start invading your dreams. To quote their website: “urban lunch” meets an “urbane experience,” all in the heart of downtown St. Paul.

Located in front of the restaurant on 7^th Place, Downtown St. Paul

Tuesday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.