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TAVERN ON THE AVENUE PLEASANT SURPRISE
KATHIE JENKINS, Restaurant Critics
Have you heard about Tavern on the Avenue? I hadn't, either, until a reader left a message last week telling me about the place. Tucked into St. Paul's West Seventh Street neighborhood near Victoria Street and Interstate 35E, it's a part of town I never knew existed.
Formerly Spanky's, it was sold a year ago, but the new owners didn't change the name orthe menu until recently. Now, Tavern on the Avenue has every kind of bar food you can think of and more.
I would go back just for the fried chicken salad, the hand-formed juicy black Angus burgers and the walleye tacos with lots of hand-breaded fish folded neatly into lightly fried corn tortillas. And I love that they have daily specials like 50-cent wings on Monday and $13.95 prime rib on Saturday night.
Sure, there are no gastronomic surprises here, but a friendly neighborhood bar that cooks from scratch warrants a trip no matter where you live.
Tavern on the Avenue, 825 Jefferson Ave., St. Paul; 651-227-6315. Open for lunch and dinner daily. Prices, $4 to $14.
MATT LONG
Nancy Ngo, Pioneer Press
Occupation: Co-owner (with Tom Williams) of Tavern on the Avenue (825 Jefferson Ave., St. Paul; 651-227-6315).
How did you pick your current location? I used to come here when it was Spanky's. I toldthe owner I was interested if he ever wanted to sell it. A couple of years later, he decided he wanted out of the business. West Seventh is a great neighborhood.
How did you wind up in the restaurant business? After I graduated from college, I started working at the Wild Onion in St. Paul. That's where I met my business partner, Tom Williams, who was a general manager at the time. I found out I really liked the fast pace of restaurants.
What's the dish you are most proud of? Our hamburger is a top seller, but our most popular dish is our Chicago sandwich. It has roast beef, cheese and peppers.
Any "off the menu" dishes we should know about? We do a steak special every Thursday night. It's a 16-ounce New York strip steak with potato for $11.95.
What's your favorite restaurant? Ike's Food and Cocktails in Minneapolis. I think they do it right -- the food, service and atmosphere. My favorite thing to order is the cheeseburger.
What's the weirdest food you've ever eaten? Jellyfish. It was being served at a Vietnamese wedding. It tasted like a rubber band.
What's your favorite junk food? Haagen Dazs coffee ice cream.
What food trend do you wish would die? Small plates. Small portions are just made to look pretty. They're not worth the money.
What's next on the horizon? I just always want to get better at what I'm doing.