Check, please: University Avenue construction dining

It's easy to get to Cheng Heng; there's a parking lot conveniently located just to the west of the front door. One of St. Paul's unsung culinary treasures, this modest but hugely appealing restaurant brings Cambodia's vivid and colorful flavors to life, at affordable prices. Truly, not to be missed.

Gene "Big Daddy" Sampson may not be the official mayor of Frogtown, but I'd nominate him -- and his well-seasoned pit masters -- for the title. Their nose-tickling Big Daddy's BBQ is certainly the neighborhood's soul, boasting first-rate hickory-smoked meats and poultry that transcend any and all driving headaches. The Thursday and Friday lunch specials are a bargain.

The unapologetically fiery fare at Little Szechuan is decidedly un-Minnesotan, reason enough to become a regular. Another? The expansive and adventurous menu, reasonable prices and attractive setting.