Behave yourself and no lip. West Seventh Street’s newest restaurant is the Pizza Mafia, and if the name’s not intimidating enough, the motto at this Italian-American joint is: “You’ll die for our pie.”
That pizza is old-fashioned — the thin-crusted and cut-into-squares kind — and very good. The hot dago — with zingy pork sausage and fresh-tasting sauce — is even better, perhaps the best in town. The spaghetti is cooked al dente as it should be, and the meatballs could pass for grandma’s. For big appetites, there’s an all-you-can-eat weekday lunch buffet for $5.95 that includes pizza, wings, salad and soup.
The space itself is a dive with a couple of TVs and redcheckered tablecloths covering rickety tables. Instead of removing the fish tank left by the previous tenant, its glass is covered with dusty old LPs featuring Al Martino, Don Ho, Andy Williams and Dean Martin on the front and Goodwill stickers on the back. Not that I’m complaining — don’t want the Pizza Mafia to come after me!
The Pizza Mafia, 2447 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-696-9000. Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, dinner only Sunday. Prices $1.99 to $16.50.
The Orchard sprang up last year in Baldwin, Wis., near Interstate 94 and Wisconsin 63, but this comfortable, affordable spot has yet to be discovered. It’s about a half-hour drive from St. Paul, and the chef is Eddie Chamberlain, formerly of St. Paul Grill, Lake Elmo Inn and the West Wind in River Falls, Wis.
At this place, Chamberlain has come up with such an appealing mix of dishes that it’s hard to choose — Cajun pork chops, almond-crusted walleye, apple-wood-smoked baby-back ribs, coq au vin. There’s even prime rib on weekends. The ground lamb penne pasta with tomatoes and garlic is a winner.
The property was once an apple orchard, and the restaurant is built around a silo. In addition to the dining room, there’s a banquet area, sports bar and arcade. For those who make the drive to dine and want to stay a while, there’s a wood-burning fireplace and checkers and chess tables.
The Orchard, 571 Wisconsin 63, Baldwin, Wis.; 715-688-6666; theorchardonline.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily. Prices $4.95 to $18.95.
