Lest you think that restaurants are out of the woods because of the decrease in federal troops, I talked to one owner this week who is buying groceries for three employees and hasn’t paid themselves since November.

You don’t have to be particularly good at math to understand that this is not sustainable. And that eatery’s story is repeated throughout the Twin Cities.

So, if you want our fantastic culinary scene to survive, you have an assignment: Go out for a meal. Enjoy yourself. Tip generously. That’s it! Easy, right?

I’m still trying to support immigrant-owned restaurants, but please know that nearly every restaurant owner I have talked to recently is a few bad weeks away from closure. So follow your cravings. It just so happens that many of mine tend to lead me toward global cuisine.

Coconut Thai

Thai Basil stir fry at Coconut Thai on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

It had been a while since I visited this Grand Avenue spot, so some friends and I stopped in on a recent weeknight.

The pretty, modern dining room was only about half full, but a steady stream of people came in to pick up takeout, which is another great way to support restaurants right now.

Like King and I in Mendota Heights, Coconut Thai boasts a matriarchal chef who grew up in Thailand. And like at King and I, the food here is incredibly fresh and flavorful.

We shared a smattering of dishes, from chewy-crisp gyoza and fried tofu to three tasty main dishes.

The drunken noodles, which were described as having a “distinct spiciness,” were not spicy at all, but the deeply umami, slightly sweet sauce sure was tasty. If you like spice, I’d recommend asking for more.

The masaman curry was pretty classic — potatoes and meat bathed in a coconutty red curry. It’s up there with others I’ve tried in the cities and I’d totally order it again.

Finally, we ordered the Thai basil stir fry to add some roughage (my grandma used this word frequently and it cracks me up) to our meal. Turns out, it was the dish we liked the most! Tons of bright, fresh veggies in a mildly spicy, salty and floral sauce kept our forks coming back for more.

A decent wine list made this girlfriend-dinner approved, too.

Coconut Thai: 720 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-348-7250; coconutthaimn.com

Taco n Madre

The Taco n Madre taco at Taco n Madre on St. Paul’s West Side. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

I’m embarrassed to admit I hadn’t been to this Mexican restaurant, in the former Jerabek’s Bakery location on the West Side, until a few weeks ago.

I have friends who live a few blocks away, so I suggested it for a recent dinner. It did not disappoint.

The funniest friend in our group thought it essential that we order the restaurant’s signature taco, the Taco n Madre, described as a 12-inch flour hard-shell taco, with your choice of meat, French fries, cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo and chipotle sauce.

This thing is comically large, so my friend definitely got the laughs he craves, as well as a pretty delicious dinner (and lunch the next day, and maybe dinner again). The crisp, flaky tortilla is fried in-house, and the inside is as described. As entertaining as it was to watch my friend try, picking this thing up and eating it like a regular taco is pretty difficult.

Another friend was very happy with her birria and fish tacos, and we loved that you can order them a la carte, making it easy to try a few kinds.

I’m almost never in a burrito mood, but the Burrito Bandera sounded really good to me. It’s also a giant thing, filled black beans, lettuce, pico, sour cream, cheese, guacamole and meat. It’s topped with white queso, green and red sauce, representing the colors of the Mexican flag, and is adorably served on a heart-shaped plate. I managed to eat about half of it, and that was a feat.

As positive as our experience at Taco n Madre was, there was also a bit of a dark cloud hanging over the whole thing. We had to knock at the locked door to be let in. And beyond the wall of the main dining room, the second dining area has been turned into a giant food pantry, with neighbors bringing everything from toilet paper to beans to ramen to help feed people who are afraid to leave their homes. I hope someday soon I can return and it’ll just be a really great taco place.

Taco n Madre: 63 Winifred St., St. Paul; 651-340-4614; taconmadremn.com

Rosedale Burger Dive

Left to right, the Peppero, Dilla and Ollie martinis at Burger Dive in Rosedale Center. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

Ever since watching the “Parks and Recreation” episode where the ladies on the show celebrate Galentine’s Day, I have wanted to get my gal pals together to raise a glass.

Unfortunately, it never seems to work out for me.

But this year, I happened to see that the new Burger Dive location in Rosedale Center had some briny martini specials, and my martini-loving ladies could not say no!

It was our first time at this Burger Dive, and we were surprised by how huge the space, which has been outfitted with wood paneling and beer signs to look like a dive bar, was. The bar is enormous, too, if you’re the type who likes to belly up, and there’s an old-school pull-tab booth, which was manned (womanned?) by someone named Lucille the night we were there. I mean, it doesn’t get more authentic than that.

Your average ladies might be interested in chocolate martinis or cosmos, but we are dirty martini, extra olives, fans, and these martinis fit the bill. There are three options: the Dilla, made with house pickles and vodka; the Peppero, made with Covalle Tomato Water Gin, vodka, vermouth, brine and Calabrian chili; and the Ollie, a pretty classic dirty martini.

All three of them were excellent, though the clear winner in my eyes was the spicy, umami Peppero, so much so that I’m trying to find that tomato water gin.

Since we were there, we had some burgers for dinner, and they were as delicious as the burgers at their other locations.

If you are in the area, especially to see a movie at the AMC theater that’s just steps away, I recommend a stop for a burger and a martini, or whatever drink floats your boat. The beer selection is great, and there are lots of nonalcoholic options, too.

Rosedale Burger Dive: 1595 Minnesota 36, Roseville; 651-340-2389; burgerdivemn.com

How to help

Looking for a way to help restaurants besides eating out? Some local industry insiders have launched the Salt Cure Restaurant Recovery Fund (thesaltcurefund.org) to help struggling eateries.

The fund helps cover things like payroll and lease payments and prioritizes restaurants that don’t have a digital footprint or access to fundraising support.

It’s administered by the Minneapolis Foundation, which has 110 years of experience in getting resources to those who need it most.

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Today is Thursday, Feb. 26, the 57th day of 2026. There are 308 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot to death in Sanford, Florida, during an altercation with neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who said he acted in self-defense. (Zimmerman was later acquitted of second-degree murder.)

Also on this date:

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile on the island of Elba, sailing back to France in a bid to regain power.

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In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signed an act making the Grand Canyon a national park.

In 1952, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that Britain had developed its own atomic bomb.

In 1987, the Tower Commission, which had probed the Iran-Contra affair, issued its report, which rebuked President Ronald Reagan for failing to control his national security staff.

In 1993, a truck bomb built by Islamic extremists exploded in the parking garage of the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others, mainly due to smoke inhalation. (The bomb failed to topple the north tower into the south tower, as the terrorists had hoped; both towers were destroyed in the 9/11 attack eight years later.)

In 1998, a jury in Amarillo, Texas, rejected an $11 million lawsuit brought by Texas cattlemen who blamed Oprah Winfrey’s talk show for a price fall after a segment on food safety that included a discussion about mad cow disease.

In 2008, the New York Philharmonic performed in North Korea as part of a historic cultural exchange in a feat of musical diplomacy. It was the first American orchestra to ever perform in the isolated communist nation.

In 2013, a hot-air balloon burst into flames during a sunrise flight over the ancient Egyptian city of Luxor and plummeted 1,000 feet to earth, killing 19 tourists.

In 2017, at the Academy Awards, “Moonlight” won three Oscars, including best picture of 2016; in a startling gaffe, the musical “La La Land” was mistakenly announced as the best picture winner before the error was corrected.

Today’s birthdays:

Singer Mitch Ryder is 81.
Singer Michael Bolton is 73.
Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Mullen is 69.
Actor Greg Germann is 68.
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia is 68.
Singer Erykah Badu (EHR’-ih-kah bah-DOO’) is 55.
Filmmaker Sean Baker is 55.
Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk is 53.
Olympic swimming gold medalist Jenny Thompson is 53.
Singer Corinne Bailey Rae is 47.
Tennis Hall of Famer Li Na is 44.
Singer Natalia Lafourcade is 42.
Actor Teresa Palmer is 40.
Actor Taylor Dooley is 33.
Rapper Yeat is 26.

Hill-Murray has one of the most tradition-rich boys hockey teams in the state, a regular at the state tournament with four championships in its school’s history.

Gentry Academy is a young program, which earned its own championship — in Class A — in its lone state appearance in 2021.

Count one for the upstart.

Gentry Academy, seeded fifth, beat top-seed Hill-Murray 4-2 in the Class 2A, Section 4 semifinals on Wednesday at Aldrich Arena in Maplewood.

Third-seed White Bear Lake beat No. 2-seed Stillwater 2-1 in overtime in the section’s other semifinal. The Bears trailed 1-0 in the final minute of regulation, but Rian Marquardt tied the contest with 56 ticks remaining after White Bear Lake pulled its goalie.

Then Nash Roed scored the winner less than a minute into the extra session.

The two winners will face off for the section title at 7 p.m. Friday at Aldrich Arena.

Gentry Academy kept its upset run in the section tournament going after a minor 6-3 upset of No. 4-seed East Ridge to open the tournament. The Stars then took control early Wednesday against Hill-Murray.

Braden Bois scored 4:48 into the first period for Gentry Academy, before Caden Zasada evened the game just over a minute late for the Pioneers. Collin Hennes scored before the end of the first for the Stars, who pulled out to a 4-1 advantage midway through the second period. Everett Nelson and Brekken Zabrok scored in the second for Gentry Academy.

Tristan Will closed the scoring for Hill-Murray, which outshot the Stars 36-25. The Pioneers won’t play in a section final for the first time since 2005.

Gentry Academy’s Gavin Grose made 34 saves in goal. Grayson Hanggi made 21 saves for the Pioneers.

In the other semifinal, Teague McGlynn opened the scoring in the second for Stillwater, who wasn’t able to make the one goal stand up.

Gavin Bajda made 27 saves in goal for the Ponies. Bears goaltender Riley Helmberger stopped 19 shots.

Section 6AA Championship

Edina won its section title on Wednesday by beating Wayzata 3-1 at Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus. Bode McConnell had a hat trick for the second-seeded Hornets, who also got 28 saves from Chase Bjorgaard.

Fourth-seed Wayzata couldn’t keep it’s run going after upsetting No. 1-seed Rogers 5-2 in the semifinals. Eli Molde scored to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead over Edina in the first. Ryan Pellinger stopped 25 shots in goal for Wayzata.

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Recognizing a looming eviction crisis following Operation Metro Surge, the St. Paul City Council voted Wednesday to redirect more than $1.42 million from various housing funds toward the city’s recently-revived emergency rent help program.

The seven-member council, first meeting as the St. Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority and then as the full council, approved an amendment to the Planning and Economic Development budget, dipping into unused Housing Trust Fund money for $926,000 to support the city’s recently-expanded Emergency Rental Assistance program. That funding will help pay for two additional staff positions this year, as well as staffing for future years.

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her directed another $500,000 to the program from Local Affordable Housing Aid dollars by administrative order, bringing the total amount of money in the rent assistance program to $3.8 million.

The program was established in 2020 to support renters in response to the pandemic, and revived in 2025 at the urging of Ward 7 Council Member Cheniqua Johnson, whose East Side ward has among the highest number of evictions in the state. Working with Planning and Economic Development, the council has adjusted and expanded eligibility guidelines.

The program launched in mid-November with an initial $1 million in funding, offering a one-time payment of up to $2,500 for late rent and associated fees, paid directly to the landlord. By early December, it had paused applications as a result of overwhelming demand. Council members said they expected it to reopen soon.

Statewide, residential eviction filings were already flirting with state records by the end of last year.

“Even before recent federal actions and economic disruption, too many neighbors were already at risk of displacement, and those pressures have only intensified,” said Johnson, in a written statement issued Wednesday night.

The council this month called on Gov. Tim Walz and state lawmakers to direct the state’s Public Utility Commission to enact an energy and gas shutoff moratorium, and previously voted Jan. 21 to ask the governor and state leaders for a temporary eviction moratorium, with the goal of protecting workers impacted by Operation Metro Surge from losing their housing.

Her, who was also quoted in the written statement, said the city is “pulling every lever we can at the local level to respond to the crisis Trump unnecessarily brought to St. Paul” and said “we need more buy-in from the state and federal government to help our communities bounce back.”