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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.

Becky Sturm is owner/founder of StormSister Spatique, a local beauty boutique.  StormSister Spatique has been featured in Mpls. St. Paul Magazine, METRO Magazine, Minnesota Monthly, Star Tribune, Pioneer Press and various blogs.  Once you cross over the Smith Avenue High Bridge, it sits next to Capital View Cafe.   At first glance, you might miss this small storefront located on the West Side of Saint Paul.  Once you step in, you will see why it’s a gem — product junkies beware!  StormSister is filled with comforting products for your skin, body and mind — all products that Becky stands behind.  With warm weather upon us, its time to buff, exfoliate and cleanse.  What are you waiting for?  See below for comments from StormSister owner, Becky Sturm on why she loves Saint Paul and her recommendation for summer products!

Being a small business owner, it very important for me to spend money with other small businesses in my community.

Becky Sturm, Owner of StormSister Spatique

Most of my weekends include: the Saint Paul Farmer’s Market in Lowertown and a stop at my favorite bread bakery, located on the West Side, BC2 Bakery — their sourdough could certainly compete with the original in San Francisco.

I have been a resident of the West Side for 22 years; my husband and I have raised both of our sons here.  I love living so close to the river and to downtown.  It is the perfect community.

My oldest son Brett, recently graduated from College of Visual Arts and my youngest son, Bailey, is a high school student at River’s Edge Academy.

Living on the West Side with its large Hispanic population, has given me the opportunity to enjoy some of the best, authentic Mexican cuisine available in the U.S.  Just head down Cesar Chavez Street and you will find several!  I have a weakness for guacamole, so I always have a hard time deciding between the ones served at Barrio and El Burrito Mercado.

Living just over the river from downtown, it’s a quick five-minute ride to amazing museums, theaters, and one of my favorite dining establishments — Meritage.

Meritage Crepe Stand

A stroll downtown wouldn’t be complete without a stop into Candyland.  Oh Candyland, you and your tantalizing Chicago mix (caramel, cheese, and real buttered popcorn)!

Finally, that beacon of light on West 7th, Mickey’s Diner — the perfect middle-of-the-night cultural experience after much imbibing.

Having grown up in my grandmother’s beauty shop and then spending 23 years in all aspects of the salon/spa industry, it was time to follow my true passion, retail.  So, I took a break and started StormSister Spatique online in 2005.  Then, late in 2006 I had decided I really missed that intimate relationship I had with my clients and opened up StormSister Spatique’s storefront in my neighborhood on the West Side.

What’s the deal with StormSister Spatique and PEZ?  Click here to learn why!

My head-to-toe beauty must-haves for summer include:

Greenbody Greenplanet haircare by local hairdresser, Lorri Weisen.  When you use organic, chemical-free ingredients you not only enhance your own well-being, but the environments!

NONTOXIQUE hand and footcare by local manicurist, Sheila Mossberg.  NONTOXIQUE will help you get your hands and feet looking more youthful and glowing with their age-defying ingredients.

Organic Tinted Lip Balms by Badger.  These shimmer lip balms will keep your pucker moist and colorful during the hot summer days.

I heart Saint Paul!

StormSister Spatique is located at 635 South Smith Avenue in Saint Paul, combines luxury spa products in an artsy boutique setting.

Phone:  612-716-5480

To be from the hardworking, salt of the earth pedigree of St. Paul means many things. It means that that your uncle would be embarrassed if he caught you paying thirty dollars for a steak, that growing your own tomatoes is a matter of course, and that a simple supper of panfish, sweetcorn and an iceberg salad is the best meal in the world. Which is not to say that we don’t appreciate the finer things. However, they’d better indeed be fine. Four not-necessarily cheap dishes, plus a drink, worth skipping Sunday night dinner at grandma’s.

Organic Scottish Salmon en Sous Vide, Meritage
The very cooking term sous vide may be enough to send a value-conscious diner packing; and I’ll admit to suspecting that this particular technique of slow-cooking is just a way for egocentric cooks to congratulate themselves. Until now. Chef Russell Klein of Meritage has not only convinced me that salmon doesn’t have to be a yawn-inducing throwaway menu item, but that sous-vide has a real and true purpose– and this is it. The lushness of this unctuous, spoon tender filet has me going on record that this is the best piece of salmon I have ever eaten, and for that it’s a steal at $28.
Mertiage, 410 St. Peter St., St. Paul; 651-222-5670; meritage-stpaul.com

Poutine, Forepaugh’s
Think $11 is a bit rich for frizzled spuds? No ordinary spuds, these. Poutine, a dish that has its roots as Canadian street food has been appearing on menus all over town. Fries smothered in gravy an then topped with cheese curds, it makes would-be snackers understandably giddy. But Forpaugh’s is the only version that’s delivered. In fact, after a lovely multi-course meal at the recently restored Historic mansion, it’s the poutine that stays with me. Chef Don Saunders’ (who can count at stint at the much-heralded French Laundry as part of his resume) version starts with hand-cut fries, and this is important—the all beef gravy sits at the bottom of the paper cone where it ought to be— a logical place for dippin’. Then come the curds and a piquant flourish of pickled chilies. The whole packaged is sealed with spicy-sweet chili glaze. Unbelievably, it’s all done with glorious restraint, so that if you must, you’ll still be able to tuck into an expensive steak after sharing this as a starter.
Forepaugh’s, 476 Exchange St., St. Paul; 651-224-5606; forepaughs.com

Steak Frites, Ngon
It almost isn’t fair to mention Ngon on a list like this one, as the French/ Vietnamese eatery on University is overall one of the best values in town. However, after recently encountering a $38(!) steak-frites on the other side of the river, I was swooning over the discovery of Ngon’s version for half that. $20 will get you an aged 100% grass fed ribeye with a lemongrass-scented demiglass, sweet potato fries, and even grilled asparagus for a bit of green. It also happens to be the most expensive item on their menu.
Ngon, 799 University Ave., St. Paul; 651-222-3301; ngonbistro.com

Tasting Menu, Heartland
Perhaps the most priceless aspect of Heartland Midwestern Restaurant is chef/ owner Lenny Russo himself, the spooky-smart raconteur who, when not cooking, is almost always good for an earful on the politics of food. Whatever you choose on his menu, you can rest assured that it is impeccably sourced with the utmost attention paid to its lineage and subsequent preparation so that it maintains the integral essence of what the Midwest is. Try a 3-course tasting menu for $40.
Heartland, 1806 St. Clair Ave., St. Paul, 651-699-3536; heartlandrestaurant.com

The St. Paul Grill's Bar

Cocktails, St. Paul Hotel
If you want to turn a regular old day into something extraordinary, simply duck into the dramatic lounge of the St. Paul hotel and order your cocktail of choice. Suddenly, you’ll be transported to a more elegant time and place, where your barman bothers with the classic details of mixology, not to mention liquor pours fit for a man (even if you’re a lady). The smoky mirrors reflecting the zillion bottles of booze barely offer space to glance at your own reflection for a reminder you that you’re not in a fedora seated next to Don Draper.
St. Paul Hotel 350 Market St., St. Paul, 651-292-9292; saintpaulhotel.com

Some of my most memorable dining experiences this year have been in none other than downtown Saint Paul, and a recent trip to French bistro, Meritage, bumped the area to the top of my list of favored culinary destinations. I’ve always been quite charmed with the area near the Ordway; the narrow, cobblestone streets that twine around Rice Park and intersect the Landmark Center and the St. Paul Hotel remind me of a little slice of Europe. Meritage lies just beyond Landmark Plaza on St. Peter Street; its attractive, Parisian cafe-style patio and beautifully designed storefront make the restaurant an architectural landmark. If this isn’t the most romantic place to dine in the city, I honestly don’t know what is.

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There may be no better view of St. Paul than from the deck of a cozy, four-room bed and breakfast docked off Harriet Island. I do not say this lightly. If I could live aboard the Covington Inn I probably would.

For starters, you’re floating on the Mississippi River. Downtown’s buildings are laid out in front of you, with the scenic Wabasha Street Bridge to the north. Rowers and barges drift by. Fish jump. Trains click-clack over tracks on the other side of the river. If you’re lucky enough to catch a sunset from the Covington’s deck with a glass of wine in-hand, well, I just can’t imagine a better way to take in St. Paul’s beauty.

The Covington Inn, docked off Harriet Island. (Photo by Alisa Blackwood.)

My husband and I spent a night earlier this week aboard the restored 1946 towboat, celebrating our wedding anniversary. One night was nowhere near enough.

We stayed in the Master’s Quarters, a spacious room with a fireplace, panoramic views of the Mississippi and downtown, and direct access to the boat’s main deck. Since we were only the people staying that night (lucky us!), the bed and breakfast’s owner, Liz Miller, also allowed us use of the wheel house, which is usually reserved as part of the two-story Pilot House Suite. This living-room style space, with a comfy couch and two chairs, offers stunning views from any direction. Each wall is almost entirely made up of windows. If you want to play captain like my husband did, you’ll love the original brass controls still in place.

What is mind-boggling about this B&B is how few people seem to know it exists. Or they think it is open only seasonally. (Not true—staying when the river is iced over with the fireplace going in your room gives new meaning to winter coziness.)

A stay at the Covington Inn is the quintessential way to experience the Mississippi River. If you want to add to your river staycation experience, hop aboard a Padelford Riverboat cruise (the Covington is permanently docked) or walk or bike the paved trail, heading south, along Harriet Island.

If you’re looking for an urban hike, cross the Wabasha Street Bridge into downtown for dinner at Pazzaluna, Meritage, or the St. Paul Grill. Downtown is just a 10 minute walk (or less) away.

Liz's decadent French toast breakfast aboard the Covington Inn. (Photo by Alisa Blackwood.)

The next morning we woke to a deliciously decadent breakfast of French toast covered in caramel, fresh strawberries, bananas, blueberries, cinnamon and whipped cream. (No, not healthy, but very, very worth it.) Then we returned to the deck with fresh cups of coffee. Reclining on the deck’s cushioned lounge chairs, we watched St. Paul come alive as the sun cast a warm glow over downtown’s buildings. “I feel like I’m falling in love with St. Paul all over again,” my husband said.

Whether you’re already a fan of this city or see it as that place on the other side of the river where you only go for hockey games or the Opera, a night at the Covington Inn is sure to change your view.