Tongue in Cheek is a new american restaurant in Saint Paul, Minneapolis.
Editorially verified May 19, 2026 by Elliot Marsh, TableJourney editor. Source.
Why locals love it: Two miles east of downtown Saint Paul on Payne Avenue, Leonard Anderson's casual fine-dining room sits in a Payne-Phalen storefront most visitors never see.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Taste your way through Minneapolis’s North Loop and St. Anthony with 6 delicious dishes, from pizza and pierogies to cheese curds while uncovering the city’s stories, ...
2 hours
Join a hands-on cooking class with a talented chef and learn how to make sushi rolls. Master the art of rolling sushi and create delicious California and spicy salmon rolls.
2 hours
Create your own custom candle in this fun candle making class hosted at a trendy local brewery in Minneapolis. Pour your own candle and learn how to blend fragrance oi...
Address: 989 Payne Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55130, Minneapolis
Mucci's Italian in Saint Paul runs Tim Niver's house-pasta and montanara kitchen on Randolph Avenue, a 2025 James Beard hospitality nominee.
OrderThe pizza montanara, deep-fried then baked, with house-made mozzarella.
Why locals goOn Randolph Avenue a mile west of West Seventh, Tim Niver and Chris Uhrich's house-pasta room reads as a corner cafe, then earns 2025 James Beard hospitality nominations.
TipTuesday through Sunday, dinner only. Reserve via Tock; the 90 to 110 minute table cap means second-seating opens after 8pm.
Hot Hands Pie and Biscuit in Saint Paul bakes scratch pies and buttermilk biscuits on Snelling Avenue, a small Macalester-Groveland counter run from a tight.
OrderChicken pot pie and a side of the buttermilk biscuit with jam.
Why locals goA small Macalester-Groveland counter on Snelling that bakes pies and biscuits from scratch, open only Tuesday to Sunday with savory pot pies often gone by 1pm.
TipTuesday to Saturday 8am to 3pm, Sunday 9am to 2pm, closed Monday. The biscuit sandwiches are the morning pick.
Mucci's Italian in Saint Paul runs Tim Niver's house-pasta and montanara kitchen on Randolph Avenue, a 2025 James Beard hospitality nominee.
OrderThe pizza montanara, deep-fried then baked, with house-made mozzarella.
Why locals goOn Randolph Avenue a mile west of West Seventh, Tim Niver and Chris Uhrich's house-pasta room reads as a corner cafe, then earns 2025 James Beard hospitality nominations.
TipTuesday through Sunday, dinner only. Reserve via Tock; the 90 to 110 minute table cap means second-seating opens after 8pm.
Colita in Minneapolis runs Daniel del Prado's Tex-Oaxacan kitchen on Penn Avenue with smoked barbacoa, mole negro and a deep mezcal program.
OrderThe lamb barbacoa tacos with handmade tortillas and the mole negro.
Why locals goDaniel del Prado's Tex-Oaxacan room sits at the Armatage edge of Linden Hills, six miles south of downtown, with the cocina sending out smoked lamb barbacoa and mole negro.
TipDinner only, 4pm or 5pm start depending on day. The bar pours mezcal flights and is the easiest walk-in seat.
Northbound Smokehouse in Minneapolis runs a Longfellow brewpub on East 38th Street with house-smoked wings, American barbecue and beers brewed.
OrderSmoked wings with house barbecue and a pint of the Honey Wheat.
Why locals goOff the East 38th Street corridor in Longfellow, the smokehouse paired with an in-house brewery rarely shows up on downtown lists yet pours its own beer with smoked wings nightly.
TipKitchen runs to 9:30 weekdays and 10:30 Friday and Saturday. Walk-up tables open after 8pm on weekday evenings.
Hot Hands Pie and Biscuit in Saint Paul bakes scratch pies and buttermilk biscuits on Snelling Avenue, a small Macalester-Groveland counter run from a tight.
OrderChicken pot pie and a side of the buttermilk biscuit with jam.
Why locals goA small Macalester-Groveland counter on Snelling that bakes pies and biscuits from scratch, open only Tuesday to Sunday with savory pot pies often gone by 1pm.
TipTuesday to Saturday 8am to 3pm, Sunday 9am to 2pm, closed Monday. The biscuit sandwiches are the morning pick.
Hola Arepa in Minneapolis runs the city's defining Venezuelan kitchen on Nicollet, with stuffed arepas, plantain bowls and tropical cocktails.
OrderPabellon arepa with shredded beef, black beans and plantain.
Why locals goChristina Nguyen and Birk Grudem's South Minneapolis arepa room sits well off the downtown circuit, three miles south of Loring Park.
TipBrunch lands Saturday and Sunday from 10:00; tropical rum punch is the order with the arepa plate. Book a Resy for Friday night.
Animales Barbeque Co. runs the smoker that defines Minneapolis barbecue, with brisket and ribs from a 12,500 square foot Harrison music hall on Fremont Ave N.
OrderThe brisket plate by the pound with white bread, pickles and onions.
Why locals goAfter a decade as a Bauhaus parking-lot pop-up, the smoker moved into a 12,500 square foot Harrison room with a live music stage in 2025.
TipWednesday to Sunday only; meats sell out by 8pm on busy weekends. Order at the counter, grab a booth, listen for the band.
