In the year since Crasqui opened, chef and owner Soleil Ramirez has made a few changes.

A black bean and sauteed vegetable arepa at Crasqui on St. Paul’s West Side. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

Tasting menus have come and gone, menu items have come and gone with the seasons, and recently, Ramirez added breakfast and lunch to the docket.

Ramirez, a native of Venezuela, closed her Arepa Bar outpost in Midtown Global Market earlier this year and brought many of those items to the midday menu.

We popped by for a quick lunch recently, trying out some of those enormous, overstuffed arepas and pabellon criollo, considered the national dish of Venezuela.

That pabellon criollo, juicy shredded beef accompanied by sofrito rice and beans, is a robust, filling and flavorful plate that could satisfy even the heartiest of appetites.

Those golden, delicate arepas, though, are my new obsession. You pick the fillings and toppings — from a variety of meats, vegetables and beans.

Flavorful black beans and sauteed vegetables made for a hearty vegetarian dish that the health nut at our table loved, but my favorite filling was the chicken-avocado salad, made from tender shredded chicken and a creamy avocado sauce. It’s a cold salad, so perfect for summer, but honestly, I’d eat it any time.

Pabellon criollo, or shredded beef, at Crasqui restaurant in St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

Ramirez was working on her own during the day, prepping ingredients in between scant orders, which, considering the fantastic atmosphere and delicious food, was surprising. Perhaps people just aren’t aware that Crasqui is serving lunch. Consider yourself informed. It’s a great, quiet lunch meeting spot with plenty of parking, but would make for an amazing takeout option as well.

Crasqui: 84 Wabasha St., St. Paul; 952-600-5578; crasquirestaurant.com

Beer, pizza and hot dogs downtown

The Tighty Whitey pizza at Gambit Brewing Co. in downtown St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

I popped by Gambit Brewing Co., in the former 12welve Eyes space on Fourth Street in downtown St. Paul to meet a friend for happy hour recently and was pleasantly surprised.

Not only is the brewery serving tasty, creative beers, but they also have house-made bar pizza, hot dogs and other snacks.

And on Tuesdays, you can get two pints and a 14-inch pizza for $25, which made the perfect early dinner for us.

We sampled the Tighty Whitey, a special that consisted of thinly sliced potatoes, bits of bacon, a white sauce and a drizzle of Top the Tater. The crust was properly cracker-thin for a tavern pizza, and the sauce was pretty tasty.

We tried a few hazy IPAs, which were as advertised, but the brewery also serves seltzers with house-made syrups for the beer-averse.

The brewery hosts trivia on Sundays, a board game night on Mondays, open mic comedy night on Tuesdays, vinyl night on Thursdays and live music on Saturdays. It’s a great gathering spot for people who live and work downtown, and a comfortable pre-event destination.

Gambit Brewing Co.: 141 E. Fourth St., St. Paul; 651-493-1858; gambitbrewingco.com

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