The Strip Club Meat & Fish - St. Paul, MN

The monkfish at The Strip Club St. Paul - aka my happy place

I wasn't really sure at first. The unassuming, old-fashioned restaurant facade. The residential neighborhood surrounding the area. Kids playing ball in the street and neighbors gathering on stoops on a warm spring evening. And the quiet. So quiet. This is the right place, right?

And then the fact that I ended up here because of Twitter. Somehow, I ran across a Minnesota dude named JD tweeting all these fantastic dishes: seasonal, local, a very refined take on burly hunter/forager Minnesota fare. Just from his Twitter feed, he seemed like the kind of guy who'd go deer hunting and then, instead of meat and potatoes, would whip up a quick venison bulgogi with some homemade kimchi he had sitting in his fridge, serving it up with a cold beer like it ain't no thing. I don't know if he's done that, but I sure wouldn't put it past him.

I asked JD where to eat in the Cities. He recommended...the restaurant he cooks at. Ah yes. Excellent idea.

So my friend Jess and I are standing at the door of The Strip Club in St. Paul (ahem, "The Strip Club Meat & Fish" is the official name of the restaurant). The curtains are drawn, we can't see inside, and it's...quiet. Then we open the door and are completely blown away.

Conversation and laughter spill out onto the street as we take in this scene of bustling energy, tables filled up, glasses and silverware clanking, bartenders shaking up cocktails, the friendly hostess saying no tables will be available until much later tonight, but there's a full menu at the bar. We belly up and begin the most memorable meal of our Minneapolis/St. Paul visit.

First course: Calamari en bocadillo with pickled onions, sweet peppers, arugula, aioli, sourdough

Main: Monkfish with wild rice, Minnesota asparagus, tomato & tamarind. Yes. This. This is exactly what I want in a meal. Light but fulfilling, beautifully presented, layers of flavor and texture.

And then: Rabbit risotto with fiddleheads & ramps. Perfectly seasonal, creamy, rich, proving that a good risotto is so much more than a plate of rice.

Drinks: Oh man, the drinks. I blame the drinks, but I'm recalling a few glasses off the excellent wine list, a whiskey apple concoction that I will crave again and again come autumn, and the local MN gin with egg white? Shockingly good.

Salad: ah yes, there was a salad in there too. With sunchokes? Forgive me, I was enjoying myself too much to take notes...

I didn't realize this until later, but despite the fact that place was filled to the brim, the staff was so attentive that I hardly noticed. My friend and I were ensconced in our own little delicious world, plates and glasses coming and going, servers whisking in and out, friendly but not intrusive. I gave my new friend, chef JD, a big hug, a sincere Thank You for the wonderful experience, and a promise to return soon. Especially if they can make me another one of those apple whiskey drinks.