#payneave

East Saint Paul is on the move! Next time you’re cruising down 94 and are craving a burger you should take the nearest exit to find Ward 6. Within the last few years several restaurants have popped up along Payne Ave & Arcade with only more on the rise for the future. Ward 6 was the first to open its doors and it doesn’t appear they’ll be closing its doors anytime soon. Especially since this year they were chosen at City Pages Best Neighborhood Bar of Saint Paul 2015!

Stepping inside you’re greeted with a smile by the staff. The restaurant is an open concept with small tables for 2-4, boothsscattered about and a bar that extends ½ the length of the space. The environment is a combination of local neighbors from Dayton’s Bluff to diners that have driven into the city to try. The menu was a mix and match of classic favorites with an east side touch. The food is sourced locally from sustainable farms whenever possible At W6 they keep it simple with a twist. Hand Cut Fries are accompanied by accoutrements (beer cheese, blue cheese, harissa hollandaise, harissa paste, malt vinegar, mayo, ranch, spicy tomato jam) To start our eating adventure we ordered the Spumoni Lemonade (Fresh Squeezed Sparkling Lemonade, Absolut Citron & Midori) these were the perfect refreshment for a hot summer day and they were so delicious we had to order two more. The Cocktail Menu is a menu is a representation of the diversity in the Twin Cities while giving a nod to the past and to the present. I take my cheese curds VERY VERY seriously! Years of training at the State Fair has set my expectations high. The dish W6 sent out with anything but flavorless string cheese wrapped in a faux batter. The plate of Fresh Faribault Dairy Cheese Curds was incredible! I’ve never had a cheese so smooth & creamy, maybe it was the light tempura batter or maybe it was the use of local cheese; either way these were amazing! If you’re a cheese curd devotee like myself, these are a must try! If you’re looking for something a little richer, the Poutine is for you, hand cut fries dancing with those tasty cheese curds, #instayum. We opted for an order of Health Food. Yes, this includes veggies but it’s not just a round plate piled with cuts of broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. Ward 6 tastes all the healthy stuff (Mushrooms, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Sweet Potato), coated in a light tempura batter and fried to a perfect shade of golden brown. After we finished are starters, we were happily satisfied and full. Yet, we still found room to split a burger. This was one of the best burgers I’ve had. Nothing fancy or unpretentious, no onion rings, bacon strips or fried eggs. For $11 you can get a Peterson Limousin Farms grass-fed ground beef burger with Tillamook white cheddar cheese. Each bite got better than the last; as a matter of fact it was so good that I forgot to take a photo! W6 has one of a kind recipe. The Fatty Melt ($15) brings you back to childhood of a burger and grilled cheese, the Veggie Burger (9) is a house made black bean burger with Cajun seasoning. The Grilled Cheese ($9) is a party of camembert, apple butter, spinach and walnuts on multigrain bread. The Entrees were unique plates which included; Beef (Red wine braised short rib, yams, mushrooms and Ambalu cheese), Chicken( Wild Acres buttermilk fried, wild rice porridge, squash puree, spicy maple syrup and crushed walnuts) and Pork( Fischer Farms Pork Chops, truffle parsnip puree. Brussel sprouts, bacon, fennel and apple) Dinners. If you still have room, top of your meal with an Adult Milkshake, yep that’s right! Irish SweepShakes, The Hipshaker (Gosling Rum & Kahlua) Strawberry Dreamshake (amaretto and strawberries) is a berry nice dream, Key Lime Pie, Rum Raisin, Salted Carmel Nutroll & the Candy Cane. Who knew, such a gem was hidden on Payne Avenue! If I was you I’d make a date to check it out very soon!

Happy Eating 🍴 - girleatscitymn