This week’s dining adventures include a mish-mash of places.

I’m still doing my best to support local immigrant-owned restaurants, but I also checked out a cool St. Paul pop-up that might become its own thing if all goes well.

Mr. Mustacheo

Left to right, chicken tinga and al pastor tacos and a citrus salad at Mr. Mustacheo in West St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

On a recent Taco Tuesday, my family decided to check out this little quick-service spot on Robert Street in West St. Paul, in the former Hamburguesas El Gordo space.

The branding is bright and modern, as is the restaurant, which was pretty empty save a couple of clergy members enjoying their tacos.

We ordered a good smattering of the menu, from street tacos to a burger to a burger quesadilla.

Macha wings at Mr. Mustacheo in West St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

But the thing that really intrigued us were the Mexi-wings, which appear to be their signature dish. We got a dozen — and if you do so, you can choose three different flavors, which is pretty cool!

The wings are big and meaty, and there are some seriously fun flavors that we have not seen elsewhere, from macha (a smoky, oily salsa made from dried chile) to pipan (described as a creamy ancestral blend of pumpkin seeds, herbs and chile) to mole, which they were unfortunately out of. We ordered the macha, pipan and limon (lime) pepper dry rub for my youngest, who loves wings but isn’t crazy about getting his hands all saucy.

The pipan was truly a new flavor for me — nutty, spicy, herbaceous — but I honestly think I liked the tangy, zippy dry rub best (the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree there, apparently).

Tacos are a la carte, which I appreciate because it makes it easier to try more than one. My husband and I shared four of them — al pastor, zucchini con queso, asada and tinga. They were all excellent, especially the juicy al pastor and zucchini. And if you have a normal appetite and are getting a side or wings to start, one or two tacos is probably plenty, because they are stuffed to the absolute brim. If you order a combo, you get two tacos and two sizable sides, which include a couple of bright, crunchy salads.

My son devoured his giant burger quesadilla, and the chilaquiles burger (chips, sauce and egg atop a burger patty) was messy, tasty fun.

It took me too long to try Mr. Mustacheo, but I know my family will be asking to go there again soon.

Mr. Mustacheo: 1731 S. Robert St., West St. Paul; 651-313-5099; mrmustacheo.com

Shish

Chicken shawarma at Shish on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

I was craving Middle Eastern food after thinking about late-night shawarma orders from Santana Foods near the University of Minnesota when I was a student there. (It’s now called Mr. Santana, and sadly does not have shawarma on the menu.)

A quick internet search found that Shish, another college mainstay near Macalester, did have it, so my husband and I trekked over.

The counter-service operation has a large menu, which includes gyros, falafel, kebabs, curry and even burgers. I got the shawarma I was craving, in bowl form. Tender, sliced chicken thighs, thick, flavorful tzatziki and fresh lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes fulfilled my craving.

My husband ordered the chicken curry, though, and on that cold, dark night, I have never been so jealous of someone else’s order. Soup-like, deeply spiced and full of chicken and vegetables, this steaming bowl of goodness is served with a side of unnecessary but delicious turmeric-infused rice.

If you haven’t been to Shish, you should go. And get that curry.

Shish: 1668 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-690-2212; shishongrand.com

Steak Frites by Meritage

Steak frites at the Steak Frites by Meritage pop-up in January, 2026. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

Reservations were booked almost the minute this pop-up was announced, so I don’t feel too bad writing about it even though you can’t go.

Chef Russell Klein is trying something new here — serving just a few dishes and doing them well. The concept serves steak frites, but also moules (mussels) frites. Dinners come with warm bread, a salad and bottomless fries for $32 per person. Drinks, which are limited to a red wine, a white and just a few pre-mixed cocktails, are just $11 apiece.

What’s not to love about that? You can also swap the salad for a little crock of the restaurant’s famous-for-a-reason French onion soup for an upcharge, so of course one of us had to do that. The other stuck with the crisp, supper-club-esque salad with a kicky vinaigrette. My husband ordered the mussels and I ordered the steak, which is a great move if you get the chance to go. Meritage has always had some of my favorite mussels, in a tasty white-wine sauce, and the steak is beefy and tender and comes with a rich, salty house-made steak sauce. And those hand-cut, deep-golden, crispy fries? The best I’ve tasted, and that includes nibbling my way through Paris. My only complaint about the whole operation is that they did not serve the fries with the restaurant’s fantastic bearnaise sauce, which is how they usually come.

Considering the popularity of this three-Wednesday stint, my guess is that Klein’s search for a space to run this as an independent restaurant will be swift. Let’s hope it’s in the east metro.

If he decides to run the pop-up again, I’ll be sure to let you know — after I make a reservation.

Meritage: 410 St. Peter St., St. Paul; 651-222-5670; meritage-stpaul.com

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Today is Thursday, Feb. 5, the 36th day of 2026. There are 329 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 5, 1994, white separatist Byron De La Beckwith was convicted in Jackson, Mississippi, of murdering civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963 and was sentenced to life in prison.

Also on this date:

In 1917, the U.S. Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1917 over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto, an act that severely curtailed Asian immigration and mandated immigrant literacy testing.

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In 1918, more than 200 people were killed during World War I when the Cunard liner SS Tuscania, which was transporting over 2,000 American troops to Europe, was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland.

In 1971, Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell stepped onto the moon’s surface in the first of two lunar excursions.

In 1973, services were held at Arlington National Cemetery for U.S. Army Col. William B. Nolde, the last official American combat casualty in the Vietnam War before a ceasefire took effect.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act, granting workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family emergencies.

In 2008, an outbreak of 87 tornadoes fired up across nine states, killing 57 people in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama during a span of 12 hours. One Arkansas twister left a 122-mile path of damage along the ground.

In 2017, Tom Brady led one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history, highlighted by a spectacular Julian Edelman catch that helped lift New England from a 25-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons to the Patriots’ fifth Super Bowl victory, 34-28; it was the first Super Bowl to end in overtime.

In 2020, the Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump in his first impeachment trial. Most senators expressed unease with Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine that prompted the impeachment, but just one Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, broke party ranks and voted to convict. In 2021, the Senate acquitted Trump in a second trial for allegedly inciting the violent Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol.

In 2023, Beyoncé won her 32nd Grammy to become the most decorated artist in the history of the award.

Today’s birthdays:

Tony-winning playwright John Guare is 88.
Football Hall of Famer Roger Staubach is 84.
Film director Michael Mann is 83.
Racing Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip is 79.
Actor Barbara Hershey is 78.
Actor-comedian Tim Meadows is 65.
Actor Jennifer Jason Leigh is 64.
Rock musician Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses) is 62.
Golf Hall of Famer Jose Maria Olazabal is 60.
Actor-comedian Chris Parnell is 59.
Actor Michael Sheen is 57.
Country singer Sara Evans is 55.
Actor-singer Darren Criss is 39.
Actor Henry Golding is 39.
Soccer star Neymar is 34.

In a game filled with crazy swings in momentum, the final one swung the Minnesota Wild’s way.

When it was all over, Jared Spurgeon scored in overtime, lifting the Wild to a 6-5 win over the Nashville Predators after both teams led and trailed at various points.

The Wild got a first-period hat trick from Matt Boldy, who set up the overtime winner, along with 30 saves from goalie Filip Gustavsson to head to the Olympic break with a 34-14-10 record. They have gone 8-1-1 in their past 10 games.

It was the third game between these Central Division rivals this season, and the third time they have needed overtime to reach a decision.

Predators coaches Andrew Brunette and Darby Hendrickson —  well-known for their on-ice work in Minnesota two decades ago — likely spent considerable time with their team going over detailed tactics on how to slow down the red-hot Wild.

Boldy needed less than 13 minutes to leave those plans in shambles with his 30th, 31st and 32nd goals, tying him for the team lead.

He completed the fastest hat trick from the start of a game in Wild franchise history, helping the visitors to 2-0 and 3-1 leads in the opening period. But a pair of power-play goals by the Predators, and a bank shot off the arm of Gustavsson by former Gophers standout Erik Haula had the teams knotted 3-all after the initial 20 minutes.

Nashville scored to take the lead, and hit the post, within the opening minute of the middle frame, pushing the Wild back on their heels and getting the raucous crowd back in the game. But the second period would end tied as well, when Yakov Trenin chipped in a loose puck from the top of the crease for his fifth goal of the season.

After Vladimir Tarasenko gave the Wild a late lead, banking a long-range shot off a Nashville defender and over the line, the Predators answered 34 seconds later on a similar play, when a cross-ice puck deflected off a skate and into the net. Minnesota had 19 shots in the third but could not get another go-ahead goal until the 3-on-3 extra session.

Juuse Saros had 38 saves for the Predators, who are back in the hunt for the playoffs after a rough start to the season. It was Minnesota’s NHL-leading 23rd game of the season that has required overtime.

The Wild’s next game is Thursday, Feb. 26 at Colorado.

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By IAN HARRISON

TORONTO (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, Bones Hyland had 20 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors 128-126 on Wednesday.

Minnesota won in Toronto for the first time since Jan. 21, 2004. The Timberwolves’ previous road win in the series came Feb. 14, 2021, when the Raptors were playing in Tampa because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jaden McDaniels scored 19 points, Naz Reid and Julius Randle each had 17 and Donte DiVincenzo added 15 as the Timberwolves won for the fifth time in six games.

Rudy Gobert had 10 points and 12 rebounds as the Timberwolves improved to 14-5 against Eastern Conference opponents.

Brandon Ingram scored 25 points, Immanuel Quickley had 23 and Scottie Barnes had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors.

Ingram hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but Toronto lost for the fourth time in its past five home games.

Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 14 points for Toronto. RJ Barrett and Collin Murray-Boyles each had 13.

Minnesota trailed 77-59 after the Raptors scored five straight points to start the third quarter. Toronto led 104-94 after three.

Edwards’ driving layup with 2:26 left in the fourth gave the Timberwolves a one-point edge, 118-117, their first lead since early in the second.

Edwards finished 1 for 8 from 3-point range but made 10 of 15 attempts from inside the arc and shot 7 for 10 at the free throw line.

Toronto made seven of its 13 turnovers in the final period, leading to 11 points for the Timberwolves.

Guard Ochai Agbaji was not with the Raptors on Wednesday in the final game before Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline.

Up next

Timberwolves: Host New Orleans on Friday.

Raptors: Host Chicago on Thursday.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba