Counter intelligence: Mañana Pupusería y Restaurante worth the drive

The very friendly waitress at the Mañana Pupusería y Restaurante (828 E. 7th St., St. Paul) tried her best to explain what loroco meant, as in, pupusa con loroco y queso, but the language barrier was insurmountable. Turns out it's a flower that grows only in El Salvador and parts of Guatemala.

Last update: January 4, 2006 - 3:54 PM

The flower's buds, reputed to have aphrodisiac powers, are used in pupusas (stuffed cornmeal tortillas) and other Salvadoran dishes. The pupusas with loroco are available only on weekends, but there's lots more on Mañana's menu, including caldo de gallo India (chicken soup), chicken and corn tamales, fried yucca, and fried plantains with cream and cheese.

While you are in the neighborhood, be sure to check out Mi Pueblito, the taco stand and truck in the parking lot around the corner. Mi Pueblito offers an extensive menu of tacos, burritos, tortas (Mexican sandwiches) and caldo 7 mares, a delicious spicy seafood soup. The only seating is at a picnic table, which might be a little too cold for comfort, but everything is available to go.

There's more Mexican food, in warmer surroundings, kitty-corner from Mañana at Taquería Los Paisanos (825 E. 7th St.): a big selection of tacos, burritos, tortas and quesadillas, plus menudo (tripe soup, a legendary hangover cure) and other specials on weekends.

New flavors in town

The Butler Drug at the corner of 26th St. and Nicollet Av. S. in Minneapolis has gone out of business, but that hasn't deterred the White Lily restaurant from opening in the drugstore's lunchroom space, which most recently was home to Le Bambou.

The White Lily offers an extensive list of traditional Vietnamese noodle soups, rice plates, fondues and rice paper entrées, as well as pad Thai, hot-and-sour tom yum soup and other Thai specialties.

JEREMY IGGERS