We left home on Saturday with the intention of meeting friends for lunch at a new(ish) Lao restaurant in St. Paul. Alas, we arrived to find they were randomly closed that day. To salvage the situation we headed to Hot Grainz, a mere 10 minutes drive away, down the other end of W. 7th St. We arrived to find some sort of art extravaganza in progress in the larger Schmidt’s complex. This meant we had to park quite a bit further away in the complex than we had on our first visit to their new location; but we did find parking easily enough. As we walked up to the restaurant, our hearts sank: there was yellow construction tape across the windows! Were they shut too? Thankfully, no: it turned out to be part of their Halloween decorations. Having been properly frightened we needed some good, hot food to restore us. And so it came to pass. Herewith the details. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Hot Grainz
Hot Grainz III (St. Paul, MN)
We ate at Hot Grainz’s original location in the Sunrise Plaza on University Avenue for the first time early last summer, and I was ready, on the strength of that meal, to proclaim them the best Thai restaurant in the Twin Cities. Our follow-up meals there later in the summer confirmed that evaluation. We didn’t end up getting back there later last year or early this year. But that was because of the seating situation at that location: basically, it was very difficult to find a table in the tiny dining room on weekends; and coming, as we are, from 50 minutes away, takeout was not a great option either. This seemed to become an insurmountable problem when I heard earlier this year that they had moved to a takeout-only option. I hadn’t yet confirmed this for myself when I got the happy news—while we were travelling—that they had moved to a new, larger location on W. 7th Street with ample seating. We’d planned a meal there as our first lunch out after we got back but then ran into another unexpected discovery as we were about to get into the car: they’re not open for lunch on Sundays. We ended up going to Zao Bakery+Cafe instead that day (and had a very nice meal). We finally made it to the new location of Hot Grainz for lunch this past Saturday, and I can confirm that it is indeed, in our family’s opinion, the best Thai restaurant in the Twin Cities. Read on to see what we ate. Continue reading
Hot Grainz II (St. Paul, MN)
Back in early June I posted a quick write-up of lunch eaten with friends at Hot Grainz, the (relatively) new Northern Thai restaurant in the Sunrise Plaza on University Ave. (where else?) in St. Paul. At the end of that review I noted that we’d be back soon. For a change, I am not a liar. We’ve actually been back for lunch twice this summer, most recently late last week. Here is a quick writeup of both meals. Spoiler alert: we loved both of them and I think I am ready to pronounce Hot Grainz the best Thai restaurant in the Twin Cities, even though we just also ate a very good lunch at Bangkok Thai Deli in July. Is this too high praise? Should I wait till we’ve gone back again to On’s and Krungthep Thai? Probably; but I didn’t get where I am today (nowhere) by being temperate. Continue reading
Hot Grainz (St. Paul, MN)
I am simultaneously mystified by the name Hot Grainz and irrationally pleased to see an immigrant restaurant not mark its cultural/national origin in its name. In an area where it seems to be almost required for every Thai restaurant to put either the word “Thai” or at least a Thai word in its name, Hot Grainz is named for…god knows what. I’m sure there’s a good reason for the name—I’m just saying it’s not obviously the name of a Thai restaurant. I wonder if this is why, almost two years since they opened, not too many aficionados of Thai food in the Twin Cities have probably heard of Hot Grainz. The fact that they are hidden away in the back of the Sunrise Plaza on University Ave. (where else?)—with no signage on the exterior indicating that they’re in there—probably does not help. But if you like Thai food and haven’t been there yet, you’d better get there soon. We ate there this past weekend and it was easily the best Thai food we’ve had in the Twin Cities in a while. Here are the details. Continue reading