This week’s dining adventures include a mish-mash of places.

I’m still doing my best to support local immigrant-owned restaurants, but I also checked out a cool St. Paul pop-up that might become its own thing if all goes well.

Mr. Mustacheo

Left to right, chicken tinga and al pastor tacos and a citrus salad at Mr. Mustacheo in West St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

On a recent Taco Tuesday, my family decided to check out this little quick-service spot on Robert Street in West St. Paul, in the former Hamburguesas El Gordo space.

The branding is bright and modern, as is the restaurant, which was pretty empty save a couple of clergy members enjoying their tacos.

We ordered a good smattering of the menu, from street tacos to a burger to a burger quesadilla.

Macha wings at Mr. Mustacheo in West St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

But the thing that really intrigued us were the Mexi-wings, which appear to be their signature dish. We got a dozen — and if you do so, you can choose three different flavors, which is pretty cool!

The wings are big and meaty, and there are some seriously fun flavors that we have not seen elsewhere, from macha (a smoky, oily salsa made from dried chile) to pipan (described as a creamy ancestral blend of pumpkin seeds, herbs and chile) to mole, which they were unfortunately out of. We ordered the macha, pipan and limon (lime) pepper dry rub for my youngest, who loves wings but isn’t crazy about getting his hands all saucy.

The pipan was truly a new flavor for me — nutty, spicy, herbaceous — but I honestly think I liked the tangy, zippy dry rub best (the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree there, apparently).

Tacos are a la carte, which I appreciate because it makes it easier to try more than one. My husband and I shared four of them — al pastor, zucchini con queso, asada and tinga. They were all excellent, especially the juicy al pastor and zucchini. And if you have a normal appetite and are getting a side or wings to start, one or two tacos is probably plenty, because they are stuffed to the absolute brim. If you order a combo, you get two tacos and two sizable sides, which include a couple of bright, crunchy salads.

My son devoured his giant burger quesadilla, and the chilaquiles burger (chips, sauce and egg atop a burger patty) was messy, tasty fun.

It took me too long to try Mr. Mustacheo, but I know my family will be asking to go there again soon.

Mr. Mustacheo: 1731 S. Robert St., West St. Paul; 651-313-5099; mrmustacheo.com

Shish

Chicken shawarma at Shish on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

I was craving Middle Eastern food after thinking about late-night shawarma orders from Santana Foods near the University of Minnesota when I was a student there. (It’s now called Mr. Santana, and sadly does not have shawarma on the menu.)

A quick internet search found that Shish, another college mainstay near Macalester, did have it, so my husband and I trekked over.

The counter-service operation has a large menu, which includes gyros, falafel, kebabs, curry and even burgers. I got the shawarma I was craving, in bowl form. Tender, sliced chicken thighs, thick, flavorful tzatziki and fresh lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes fulfilled my craving.

My husband ordered the chicken curry, though, and on that cold, dark night, I have never been so jealous of someone else’s order. Soup-like, deeply spiced and full of chicken and vegetables, this steaming bowl of goodness is served with a side of unnecessary but delicious turmeric-infused rice.

If you haven’t been to Shish, you should go. And get that curry.

Shish: 1668 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-690-2212; shishongrand.com

Steak Frites by Meritage

Steak frites at the Steak Frites by Meritage pop-up in January, 2026. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

Reservations were booked almost the minute this pop-up was announced, so I don’t feel too bad writing about it even though you can’t go.

Chef Russell Klein is trying something new here — serving just a few dishes and doing them well. The concept serves steak frites, but also moules (mussels) frites. Dinners come with warm bread, a salad and bottomless fries for $32 per person. Drinks, which are limited to a red wine, a white and just a few pre-mixed cocktails, are just $11 apiece.

What’s not to love about that? You can also swap the salad for a little crock of the restaurant’s famous-for-a-reason French onion soup for an upcharge, so of course one of us had to do that. The other stuck with the crisp, supper-club-esque salad with a kicky vinaigrette. My husband ordered the mussels and I ordered the steak, which is a great move if you get the chance to go. Meritage has always had some of my favorite mussels, in a tasty white-wine sauce, and the steak is beefy and tender and comes with a rich, salty house-made steak sauce. And those hand-cut, deep-golden, crispy fries? The best I’ve tasted, and that includes nibbling my way through Paris. My only complaint about the whole operation is that they did not serve the fries with the restaurant’s fantastic bearnaise sauce, which is how they usually come.

Considering the popularity of this three-Wednesday stint, my guess is that Klein’s search for a space to run this as an independent restaurant will be swift. Let’s hope it’s in the east metro.

If he decides to run the pop-up again, I’ll be sure to let you know — after I make a reservation.

Meritage: 410 St. Peter St., St. Paul; 651-222-5670; meritage-stpaul.com

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