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by G. Sax

I've been doing some speaking to REALTORS® about marketing and personal brand, and I got to thinking maybe I should reiterate why I'm here. My name is Greg, I work in real estate, I'm a writer, and I live in St. Paul. Decent credentials for this blog.

Depending on who you ask (my kids, my wife, my ego), I'm also a "person of note" in St. Paul. I'm active with annual Winter Carnival activities, I'm the President-Elect of the St. Paul Bouncing Team, and I'm an avid booster of most things "St. Paul" not just in spirit but in action. I get out and live this livable city.

This week, I'm talking about four wonderful places in St. Paul to get drinks and eats. I've chosen them "Mad Libs" style in that they are all going to go "The ____________ ______________" where the first blank is a descriptor and the second is a noun. The first example that came to my mind was "The Slippery Noodle," a blues bar in Indianapolis, Indiana, but let's localize this game.

The Black Dog
This Lowertown spot is equally about coffee, organics, wine, and pizza. I like a Summit Extra Pale Ale with a cheese and sausage plate. The Dog is important to me because when I was a visitor and not a resident in 2005, it's where my wife and I went before heading back to San Francisco and she said, "I could see myself living here." | MENU

The Happy Gnome
I was a big fan of former tenant Chang O'Hara's (please, someone bring back corned beef eggrolls!), so I once held a grudge against The Gnome. But the venue is just too good, and the beer selection is better than good. Hard-to-find favorites often turn up on tap, like Moylan's Kilt Lifter Scotch Style Ale. The menu is not your typical Irish-Catholic fare either. Braised elk tartlet, anyone? | MENU

The Muddy Pig
Down the street from The Gnome is more beer menu joy. Selby and Dale used to have a naughty reputation for drugs and crimes. Now it has a naughty reputation for Belgian ales and kielbasa served with stone ground mustard. Note to management: Your Scrabble game doesn't have any Bs or Ms. | MENU

The Strip Club
No, this isn't The Lamplighter's sister establishment or The Payne Reliever under new management. It's class cuisine in the shadow of Metro State University on St. Paul's East Side. Live large with a Delerium Nocturnum and a Thousand Hills Cattle Co. New York Strip. According to the menu, "Substitutions politely declined and Vegetarians regarded with benevolent amusement." | MENU

My trip to the Strip was not so steaky, but I did approach heaven with Ledebuhr's Wild Rice Brat (apples, potatoes, onions, and Dijon; mmmm). My lunch here with Teresa last week served as the launchpad for this post.