Yes, another restaurant review!! I’m not sure why I’ve never written one for this place but no time like the present as it’s said. Oh! I’ve got to post an update because I HAVE previously written about it! Here’s a link to my other post.
This is another favorite of ours for dinner. The food is great and we always leave satisfied. It’s on the busy thoroughfare University Avenue which stretches between both Minneapolis and St. Paul. And Caffe Biaggio is on the St. Paul side fairly close to Highway 280. The Green Line goes right by it and the Raymond Avenue Station is close by. There is also a bus stop right in front. So many ways to arrive there! They also have a parking lot with plenty of spaces but get there before the dinner rush to get a spot. The restaurant is in a row of buildings so if you blink, you might miss it.
We’ve mostly eaten dinner at Caffe Biaggio but two summers ago when hubby had a day off he picked me up for lunch and we ate on their patio. It’s nice but a tad noisy due to the busy University Avenue. But it’s fun to see the world go by through the latticework that surrounds the patio for privacy.
Our most recent visit started off with a nice bottle of red wine and deep fried olives. Wait, what? We ordered their fried calamari and the waiter delivered these fabulous olives. We got his attention and he was about to take them away but decided to give us a bonus.
I didn’t realize they had a grilled calamari option until our waiter asked which calamari we would like. It’s been a while since we had the fried calamari and it was even more delicious this time. It’s served with a mayo type sauce which is different than the usual marinara type sauce that we’ve typically had elsewhere. When the waiter removed our empty plate he commented that they had changed the breading. Aha! So it wasn’t our imaginations that it tasted even better than we remembered.
Next came our main entrees. Hubby had one of the specials that night, a lobster tail risotto with langostino and I had their spinach gnocchi in tomato sauce, something new for me. Everything we have had there has been great and this meal was no exception. Here’s a link to their website for more information.
Small fun fact: Hubby worked for a very short time at Breakfast at Mama’s when he previously lived in the cities during the 70s. In the “about us” section of Caffe Biaggio’s website they mention Mama D’s. Mama is the mother of the owner of Caffe Biaggio and she ran both Mama D’s and Breakfast at Mama’s.
If you like Italian food and you’re in St. Paul, do stop by Caffe Biaggio. Great food and great service and several ways to get there.
They adorn their tables with a small vase of fresh flowers. Nice touch!!
travels with toby 