Check, Please: University Av. spots with parking

Article by: RICK NELSON
Updated: April 14, 2012 - 1:55 PM

Light-rail construction is turning stretches of University Avenue into a tough-to-navigate dining zone. But persevere.

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Cupcakes from Cupcake

Photo: Tom Wallace, Star Tribune file

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Yes, there's parking available behind On's Kitchen, and once you've dealt with your car, put yourself in the capable hands of chef/owner On Khumchaya, and indulge in her heartfelt, distinctive cooking: lettuce wraps filled with dried shrimp and Thai chiles, whole steamed tilapia in a pool of sour-hot broth, garlicky pork sausages, shaved pork neck with cool mint and Thai basil, a whole fried king crab dressed with a yellow curry sauce, delicate shrimp dumplings and more. Much more.

1613 W. University Av., St. Paul
651-644-1444

There are plenty of cupcake choices at Cupcake (and other sweets, as well, starting with a fantastic frosted cinnamon pull-apart), but chef/owner Kevin VanDeraa also puts out a tempting array of panini, salads, soups, small plates and breakfast/brunch items. Two calendar notes: VanDeraa offers a simple three-course dinner every Thursday through Saturday night (the price hovers around $15, a steal), and he's being featured on the April 15 episode of "Cupcake Wars" on the Food Network at 7 p.m. Oh, and three magic words: Parking in rear.

3338 University Av. SE., Mpls
612-378-4818
www.cup-cake.com

Don't worry about parking at JJ Fish & Chicken, because there's a roomy lot. Instead, worry about whether you're going to order the catfish, the ocean perch, the frog legs, the fried chicken, the wings-gizzards combo, the okra, the peach cobbler, the sweet potato pie, or all of the above.