Last week, I wrote about restaurant closures, which was necessary but sad.
This week, let’s focus on what’s great in St. Paul restaurants — in particular, our three 2025 James Beard semifinalists!
It had been a minute since I had been to any of the three St. Paul restaurants (the greater Twin Cities is celebrating 11 chefs or restaurants on the long list), so I thought it would be fun to grab a bite and see what these dining rooms are like after receiving this exciting recognition.
The James Beard Foundation Awards, considered the Oscars of the U.S. culinary community, have three phases. The first is the naming of semifinalists, also known as the long list, which is where we are at. The shortlist of finalists, or nominees, will be announced April 2. Winners are revealed at a ceremony in Chicago on June 10.
Myriel
Creamed cabbage at Myriel on Cleveland Avenue in St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
Chef/owner Karyn Tomlinson is no stranger to the James Beard Awards — this is the fourth time she’s been a semifinalist. Tomlinson also took home the national crown in the now-defunct whole hog cooking competition Cochon 555 in 2018. This year, like in years past, she’s up for an award in the Best Chef Midwest category.
Since the first time I tasted her food at Corner Table in Minneapolis, I knew Tomlinson was a chef to watch. Her cuisine is stark in its simplicity, allowing the ingredients to speak for themselves.
Our recent dinner at her 45-seat Cleveland Avenue restaurant was as good as ever, and included one dish that I cannot stop thinking about.
We built our own ala carte meal rather than booking a tasting menu, which is listed as a two-and-a-half-hour experience.
Bamboo cocktail at Myriel on St. Paul’s Cleveland Avenue. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
I love the way the bar embraces sherry, which I came to love during trips to Spain. The fortified, often oxidized wine can be an acquired taste, but a cocktail is a great way to bring some of its nutty, rich characteristics to the party without overpowering a new-to-sherry palate. Our favorite was probably the bar’s take on a Bamboo, a mix of amontillado sherry, which has some hazelnut qualities, with a white Japanese vermouth. The complexity of the two-ingredient drink really blew our minds. Because it’s essentially two wines, it’s also low-alcohol, which was great on a weeknight.
Standouts from the food menu included stewed black lentils, cooked to a perfect al dente. Mustard seeds give a pop of flavor, and some bitter cabbage offers further texture and flavor to this dish, some variation of which I have had every time I’ve eaten at Myriel.
But the creamed cabbage, sliced into thin strands before being caramelized slightly and bathed in a rich, yet light sauce, is the taste I’m still craving, more than a week later.
I also adored the fluffy potato dumplings — a great vehicle for caramelized onion, sprightly dill powder and umami-packed alpine cheese, so finely grated it sunk into the dish like melting snow.
After all these great vegetable dishes, meat felt like almost an afterthought, but barley-fed lamb and walleye paired with an heirloom corn porridge were executed perfectly and filled us up nicely.
We finished with a slice of Tomlinson’s legendary apple pie, which consists of diced apples just barely sweetened and enveloped in a flaky, lard-enhanced crust. It reminds me so much of my grandmother’s simple, perfect pies that it never fails to make me tear up.
Myriel: 470 Cleveland Ave. S., St. Paul; 651-340-3568; myrielmn.com
Hyacinth
Fusilli with ragu at Hyacinth restaurant on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
Chef/owner Abraham Gessesse has been at the helm of this 35-seat eatery for just a little more than a year. He took over for the previous chef/owner, Rikki Giambruno, who moved out of state.
That’s a pretty short period of time to impress voters for the Beards, but Gessesse has done just that, scoring a spot on the long list for Best Chef Midwest. I hadn’t been to Hyacinth since Gessesse took over, so it was high time to return.
The menu format is the same — salads and starters, pastas and a few entrees — and the quality and service are just as good.
We started with a few salads, because Hyacinth has always had a way with raw vegetables, and both a Cara Cara orange (with sprightly mint, salty olives and crunchy pistachios) and a celery root (with rich blue cheese, sweet pears and candied walnuts) were great, if a little on the acidic side.
We followed the salads with a springy fusilli with a rich, beefy ragu — the kind of stick-to-your-ribs comfort we were looking for on a frigid evening — and the risotto al salto, a pan-fried version of the ubiquitous Italian rice dish. That risotto was better than previous versions I’ve had at Hyacinth: Crisped but not overly so, and accompanied by a sweet carrot puree, a pungent soft cheese and rich toasted dates.
Panna cotta with Japanese black sugar at Hyacinth on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
Because I had never tried Japanese black sugar, I had to order the panna cotta, which was topped with a thick syrup made from it. The sugar is like an extra-rich, extra-flavorful version of brown sugar with malty, caramelly, saline flavors, and it is incredible with the restaurant’s barely sweet, silky panna cotta. I’d return just for that dessert, and I’m not really a dessert person.
The cocktails here are inventive and tasty, and the wine list is excellent. The cozy atmosphere is perfect any time of year, but it feels especially good when there’s a chill in the air.
And Gessesse is starting to hold pop-ups of another concept, The Injera Circle, that focuses on his Ethiopian heritage. I can’t wait to check it out. Follow that project on Instagram @theinjeracircle for updates.
Hyacinth: 790 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-478-1822; hyacinthstpaul.com
Mucci’s
A mountain of Caesar salad and a loaf of focaccia at Mucci’s in St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
I’m so thrilled for owner Tim Niver. After spending his entire career making diners feel welcome, Niver, who has owned a handful of restaurants in the Twin Cities, has been nominated for a national James Beard award in the Outstanding Hospitality category.
This slip of a restaurant (it seats just 44 people inside) on a nondescript corner of Raymond Avenue is painted black and has no signage, but neighbors and fans from throughout the Twin Cities know how to find it. And they know that a smiling face, often Niver’s, will greet them when they walk through the doors.
The inside of Mucci’s is black, too, which might seem cold in some rooms, but this one is brightened by lots of greenery and made comfortable by considerate sound-absorbing panels allowing for easy conversation between diners.
If Niver’s in the house, he’s bopping from table to table, clearing plates, filling water glasses and checking on customers. He’s talking to the many regulars he’s gotten to know over the years, and making sure the food — mostly pastas and pizzas, is up to standards.
Chicken Marsala at Mucci’s in St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press
My kids love Mucci’s for the tall slices of lasagna, crisp-crusted pizza (the crust is deep-fried before it’s baked) and velvety tiramisu, but I’m always pleasantly surprised by the more sophisticated dishes on the menu, like a lovely chicken marsala on this visit.
We always start with a mountain of Caesar salad, and I also recommend the fantastic little loaves of focaccia for swiping up any extra sauces.
Don’t wait until spring to visit, but keep in mind that the restaurant also added a lovely side patio in recent years, which is perfect for enjoying our too-short summer season.
Mucci’s: 786 Randolph Ave., St. Paul; 651-330-2245; muccisitalian.com
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