Worth It podcast: Hidden gems for eating out in downtown St. Paul

Each week we share the happenings around Minnesota worth your time, money and attention.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
June 13, 2025 at 11:00AM
(From left) "Worth It" cohost Aaron Brown, host Nicole Norfleet, Joy Summers, Trey Mewes and Emma Nelson. (Matt Gillmer)

(Listen here on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music)

Our food expert shares her insider’s guide to the best food in downtown St. Paul – morning, noon and night. The job market is hard for everyone right now, but especially for recent college grads. We’ll get the full picture of what’s going on. Plus, we’ll tell you about a new place in southern Minnesota that uncovers a fascinating piece of Dakota history.

On this week’s episode

This week’s guests

This week our guests are food and drink reporter Joy Summers, economic reporter Emma Nelson and Rochester reporter Trey Mewes.

Hosted by Nicole Norfleet and Aaron Brown, “Worth It” is a collaboration between the Minnesota Star Tribune and Lemonada Media. The production team includes Melissa Townsend, Tiffany Bui, Kryssy Pease, Zoë Jackson, Casey Darnell, Steve Nelson and Jenni Pinkley.

about the writers

about the writers

Nicole Norfleet

Night Editor

Nicole is one of the team leaders of the Today desk and typically works as the night editor. Previously, she worked as a business reporter covering beats like the retail industry and commercial real estate. In 2022, she and Jeffrey Meitrodt were named Pulitzer Prize investigative reporting finalists for their "Unsettled" series.

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Aaron Brown

Editorial Columnist

Aaron Brown is a columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune Editorial Board. He’s based on the Iron Range but focuses on the affairs of the entire state.

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