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Salty Tart heads to St. Paul
Fans of Midtown Global Market bakery Salty Tart can now grab some of the bakery’s goods across the river at Golden Fig Fine Foods. Salty Tart is helmed by five-star pastry chef Michelle Gayer, who also does pastries for La Belle Vie and Solera. Look for their fresh-fruit tarts, take-and-bake brownies, and fabulous focaccia bread. (790 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-602-0144.)

Restaurant Week in Roseville
This week, the St. Paul suburb of Roseville kicks off its Restaurant Week. Visit any participating Roseville restaurant and enjoy a three-course meal for just $25 (excluding beverages, tax and gratuity). Participating restaurants include Rosedale eateries Green Mill, Flame, Granite City and Big Bowl, as well as Roseville restaurants Axel’s Charhouse, Charley’s on Centre Pointe, Chianti Grill, Good Earth, Joe Senser’s Sports Theater, Old Chicago, and TGI Friday’s. In addition to this week’s dining deals, take $5 off a general admission ticket to the Roseville Winter Jazz Blast evening concert featuring JazzMN Big Band and guest vocalist Debbie Duncan on Saturday, January 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Maranatha Hall on the Northwestern College campus. Visit www.visitroseville.com for more info.

Kathie Jenkins of the St. Paul Pioneer Press listed her Top 10 dishes in the Twin Cities, and a few of St. Paul’s finest make the list:

Black Dog cuban

1. Cuban Sandwich
BLACK DOG COFFEE AND WINE BAR
Whenever I’m at Black Dog in St. Paul’s Lowertown, I check to see if the Cuban sandwich is on the specials menu. A twist on the traditional Cubano — forget the roast pork and Cuban bread — this sandwich is made with lots of lean pulled pork and served on ciabatta bread along with the usual ham, cheese, mustard and pickle. A 12-year-old neighborhood gem, Black Dog also serves a great cup of coffee and damn fine brownies. (308 E. Prince St., St. Paul; 651-228-9274; blackdogstpaul.com)
(Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

Shrimp Salad at Cheeky Monkey

4. Shrimp Salad
CHEEKY MONKEY DELI
Shrimp salad is pretty much a lazy person’s meal, an easy way of ordering without having to pay any attention to the menu. So, imagine my surprise after taking a bite of the shrimp salad at Cheeky Monkey Deli. Chef/owner Matt McArthur actually put some thought into the mix — chickpeas, cucumber, crisp greens and plenty of shrimp that still have a snap when you bite into them. I was tempted to also list the amazing coconut cream pie as a best dish of 2009. If you can score a slice, go for it. (525 Selby Ave., St. Paul; 651-224-6066; cheekymonkeydeli.com)
(Pioneer Press: Richard Marshall)

French fries at Cherokee Tavern

5. French Fries
CHEROKEE TAVERN
KFC has its 11 secret herbs and spices. At Cherokee Tavern, it’s all about Tony’s 5-Step Fries. Hot, crisp and greaseless, with plenty of salt, parmesan and potato flavor, these are seriously great fries. Cherokee also serves ugly but delicious hand-battered onion rings. Order both along with one of the Tavern’s juicy burgers — just don’t tell your doctor or your personal trainer. (886 S. Smith Ave., West St. Paul; 651-457-2729)
(Pioneer Press: Richard Marshall)

Brasa's collard greens

9. Collard Greens and Corn Bread
BRASA ROTISSERIE
This Grand Avenue outpost is just as crowded as the day it opened almost a year ago, and that’s because the food is so good. It’s almost all local and organic. I love the juicy pulled pork tossed with citrus, olive oil and garlic sauce; the cornmeal-dusted crunchy tilapia; the slow-cooked braised beef; and the lacquerlike rotisserie chicken. No matter what I get, my order always includes a side of collard greens. Cooked but not mushy and studded with tender smoked turkey, they’re the best greens I’ve ever had. The flavorful and not overly sweet corn bread is another must-have. (777 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-224-1302; brasa.us)
(Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

St. Paul Cheese Shop's fennel sandwich

10. Fennel Salami Sandwich
ST. PAUL CHEESE SHOP
The salami sandwich at the tiny St. Paul Cheese Shop looks fairly ordinary — until you take a bite. While not gargantuan, the handheld feast stacks up nicely with fennel-flavored Tuscan salami and cheddar on ciabatta bread slathered with sweet, creamy garlic confit. While you’re waiting for your sandwich to go, you’ll find it hard to resist the shop’s eye-popping array of cheese, olive oils, vinegars, handcrafted pastas, sea salts and chocolates. (1573 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-698-3391; stpaulcheeseshop.com)
(Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)

When I met Jeff, the man who would later become my husband, I was living in the South (where I’m originally from) and we did the long distance dating dance, pining over each other and trying to figure out how to live in the same city. St. Paul got the hard sell, and I was game for a new adventure.

As a born-and-raised Floridian I never would have imagined living in Minnesota. The only time I visited St. Paul prior to moving here was during a snow-filled December weekend. Love is a powerful thing.

It didn’t take long for this city to warm my heart. By the time I moved here—three years ago Memorial Day weekend—St. Paul’s outdoor festivals, downtown farmer’s market, restaurant patio seating, and summer weather perfection were in full bloom. I quickly began exploring, and adoring, this new city of mine.

My now-husband was perhaps (and still is) St. Paul’s biggest cheerleader. He has lived here for 18 years or so, knows all those back roads that confuse everyone else, and is a loyal patron of his tried and true local haunts. His affection has rubbed off on me, though it’s me, with my fresh eyes and non-native status that gets us out to try new restaurants, new hiking trails, and more.

This summer I’m taking my St. Paul exploration to a new level. I have a Google doc going of fun things to do that I regularly add to. Jeff and I plan to spend as much time outside as possible with our 1-year-old son in tow. (Note to self: get to the Roseville REI and buy one of those baby backpack carriers—ASAP!) I’ve got my Minnesota bird and tree naturalist guides in hand and my kitchen ready to make use of our fantastic local produce. Maybe we’ll have the chance to meet at the St. Paul Farmer’s Market sometime.

As the outdoors and healthy living blogger for STAYcation, I’ll be checking out biking and hiking trails, the best spots to take a dip on hot summer days, healthy cooking classes, local farms, ways to get to know our lovely stretch of the mighty Mississippi River, and much, much more. I’ve got my eye on a few yoga and pilates classes I’ve been wanting to try, too, along with some spa treatments I can’t wait to indulge in. I’m also looking forward to trying a few outdoor adventures for the first time—specifically geo-caching and disc golf.

Meanwhile, I’d love to hear about your favorite around-town spots. Where in St. Paul do you go when you need a nature fix, a healthy meal, want to catch a fish, or to take a meditation class to recharge your spirit? And if you hear of a fantastic event I should check out, please let me know!