New to St. Paul: Suggestions for cool food/cooking shops?

[jillbcooks]

I just moved here and am looking to visit and try interesting food shops. I made my way to an Italian shop in downtown--it was fantastic. Someone told me about a butcher shop in St. Paul, which I can't seem to find online. I am looking for anyplace that sells artisan foods or ethnic foods. Suggestions, for either of the Twin Cities?

Thanks in advance--I have loved reading past posts, as they have been very informative.

[reggie1465]

A few of my Minneapolis favorites:

Broder's Cucina Italiana - Italian deli, pastas, sauces, etc. - W 50th St & Penn Av S
Bill's Imported Foods - Greek/Mediterranean market - W Lake St & Aldrich Av S
Shuang Her - Asian supermarket - Nicollet & 26th St
Clancy's - Butcher featuring natural meats - W 43rd St & Upton Av S

There's also an Penzey's in Uptown at Lake & Hennepin...

[JimGrinsfelder]

In St. Paul, Widmers is an old-fashioned neighborhood meat market on the west side (Prior & St. Clair).

I live near it and I generally do not shop for meat there because it's about service, selection and low price. If you don't care if your beef is feedlot vs. grass fed and want locker-aged beef cuts at a good price, go to Widmer's. If you want factory farmed pork at $1.79 / lb for shoulder cuts instead of organic for $3.79 or direct from farmer heirloom breeds at $3.79, then go to Widmer's.

I tend to prefer the meat at St. Paul farmer's market and Whole Foods. And if I'm in the mood for really expensive, inconvenient, but great local meat, I'll drive across town to Clancy's (if it's still open?).

[rp1760]

Ingebretsen's on Lake Street in Minneapolis - very authentic Scandanavian food.

[St Paul Susie]

Buon Giorno - in Lilydale - another Italian market which also serves meals etc.

The original location is also attached.

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Buon Giorno Express
335 University Ave E, Saint Paul, MN 55130

I Nonni
981 sibley memorial hwy, Lilydale, MN 55118

[St Paul Susie]

Welcome to St Paul.

I adore Coastal Seafood - just south of the intersection of Snelling and Grand.

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Coastal Seafoods
74 Snelling Ave S, St Paul, MN 55105

[Brad Ballinger]

For butchers (albeit in Minneapolis), I like Johnson Brothers Meats at 18th and Nicollet. They service many restaurants, but have a small retail counter. Another meat counter in St. Paul that some people like is at Widmer Grocery (St. Clair and Prior).

You have to experience Chocolat Celeste (SE corner of 280 and University on the border of Minneapolis and St. Paul) for artisanal chocolates. www.chocolatceleste.com

Kramarczuk's Deli (Hennepin and University in Minneapolis) for ethnic Eastern European foods. And across University is Surdyk's Liquors -- go to the cheese shop.

El Burrito Mercado (Robert and Cesar Chavez in St. Paul) for Mexican/Latino.

You'll find many references to Izzy's Ice Cream (Marshall and cleveland in St. Paul) on this site.

And let me also mention Franklin Street Bakery (11th and Franklin in Minnespolis).

[soupkitten]

all great recs, but johnson brothers meats has been out of business for several years now. otherwise we'd still get our meat from them, they were fantastic.

[crissyfi]

I second Chocolat Celeste! In the past, they have done a 1/2 price gift card deal with KS95.

El Burrito is great too. Eat in the restaurant and then shop in the grocery. Further south on Robert Street is the Little Beruit restaurant, where you can pick up good homemade hummus and pita.

Penzy's Spices is in Apple Valley - its a chain and you can order on line, but the aroma in the store is worth the drive south.

[KTFoley]

Don't drive all the way out to Apple Valley -- there is a Penzey's in St. Paul on Grand Avenue between Dale and Victoria.

Also on Grand Avenue is Golden Fig (mentioned elsewhere).

Go a few more blocks west to find Cooks of Crocus Hill -- a treasure trove of cookbooks as well as gadgets/ingredients you never knew you couldn't live without. A great array of classes, too, plus some cool CSAs.

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Cooks of Crocus Hill
877 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105

[soupkitten]

i think you were at cossetta's downtown (the italian shop/deli)?

check out golden fig on grand ave (and grand ave in general) for local artisan products.
a good, small butcher is mike's on robert street. do not miss the fantastic st paul farmer's market on sat-sunday!

here is another current thread about gourmet shops:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/534573

there are some awesome asian grocery stores on university ave/area: shuang hur, united noodle, dragonstar. central ave in ne minneapolis has some great indian and middle eastern grocery stores (bombay, patels, holy land). east lake street minneapolis has great latino grocery stores & restaurants, and you can go to midtown global market, with a variety of small vendors, food shops and restaurant spaces. if you have specific things you're looking for, let us know!

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Chocolate Fig
790 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105

St Paul Farmers Market
275 4th St E, St Paul, MN 55101

Mike's Butcher Shop
1104 Robert St S, West St Paul, MN 55118