“Toronto is very diverse in terms of its food and culture,” says St. Clair, whose own family ties lead back to Trinidad and Scotland. “That was one of my pleasant surprises after moving here: the amount of quality restaurants in the [Twin] Cities…. Even if you don’t come here for the food, it’s something that’ll make you want to come back.” 

It quickly becomes clear over the course of an hour-long Zoom interview that St. Clair isn’t your ordinary diner. He’s the team’s concierge when it comes to culinary matters — a task he takes seriously given how global the team’s roots are. Their current roster includes fan favorites from such national teams as New Zealand (captain Michael Boxall, a.k.a. “Boxy”), South Africa (Bongokuhle Hlongwane), Finland (Robin Lod), South Korea (Jeong Sang-bin) and Canada (Tani Oluwaseyi).  

“Food brings people together,” explains St. Clair. “It’s a nice bridge with some of the international guys here.... When you're moving across the world, that little taste of home can really help you settle in.”  

From Moroccan to the Minnesota State Fair, here are St. Clair’s favorite places to eat around the Twin Cities. He also had this to say about our sunbaked summers: “When I got drafted, everyone was like, ‘Oh, it’s going to be so cold there.’ Everyone thinks about Minnesota’s winters; they don’t realize how beautiful summer is unless they live here. It gets up to 95 degrees with humidity. It gets hot.”  

BAR LA GRASSA

You can never go wrong at Bar La Grassa. The pasta dishes are fantastic, and I appreciate the open kitchen concept, where you can watch the chefs at work. As someone who enjoys cooking, I find that aspect particularly appealing.

EDWARD’S DESSERT KITCHEN 

I love pastries.  Edward’s Dessert Kitchen make a lot of beautiful desserts, and they have simple things like cookies, but it’s not like a regular chocolate chip cookie. They’re putting some kind of extra thing in there to schmooze it up a bit. I even like going there for an espresso and something light. They also have a bunch of ice cream options.  

FHIMA’S  

Fhima’s is mostly healthy Moroccan and Mediterranean food. Their chef (David Fhima) and his son Eli have built a great relationship with the Timberwolves, and some of the guys on our team.  

I feel like I’ve eaten everything on the menu between all the times I’ve been there. The salmon and chickpeas [entrée] is really good, as is their wine selection. I really enjoy wine. It’s something that started a few years ago for me, when I started playing for [Canada’s] national team.  

The wine pairing at Fhima’s was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had here. It was fun to see how the food and wine play off each other and enhance flavors.  

I like how a lot of local restaurants change up their menu seasonally, too. Like we have a couple Spanish guys [on the team] now, so I told them about the paella at Fhima’s. It might not be what they were used to in Valencia, but it’s the closest thing you can get here. It’s very good. 

GALAXY FOODS

Galaxy Foods is in Richfield, not far from the Mall of America. It’s a grocery store where I can find Caribbean spices — ingredients you'd find in Jamaica, Guyana or Trinidad.

I feel really comfortable making those kind of dishes since my dad is from Trinidad. If guys on the team ever say they're craving Caribbean food, I'll tell them to come over for Sunday lunch so we can hang out and get a little bit of an escape. 

I got the snapper — a whole fish — but I really like eating family style at a new restaurant. That way everyone can try a few things and realize, ‘Okay, I really like this. I’d get this again.’ 

MILLY'S WINE BAR & BISTRO

I have an appreciation for all the breweries that are here, but I’m not a big beer guy. I definitely lean more towards wine. There’s a time and a place to enjoy spirits as well. 

Milly's is a wine bar with light bites and things like that. If I have a couple days off, I enjoy relaxing and talking to the other guys there. Much like food, wine is something that enhances conversations.  

Two of my best friends live in Portland, so that’s gotten me into Pinots lately. I was more into Cab Sav before, so it’s been nice to open up my palate and enjoy things for what they are, and how they pair with everything.  

MINNESOTA STATE FAIR  

One of my favorite things is walking by someone who’s struggling with the bucket at Martha’s. Like you know you’re going to drop at least three of those cookies, right? 

Me, I like the pork chop on a stick, the turkey sandwich, and there’s an Asian truck when you walk in that has a good chicken on a stick as well.  

The Pronto Pup is okay. It’s similar to a corn dog — something you’ve got to try at least once. I had the alligator last year, which is not something you eat often. There’s always something new that comes out every year that everyone’s raving about. You know what I mean?  

Part of the enjoyment of the fair is being able to try things that you wouldn't eat on a regular basis. Thank god for the cheese curds, too. That’s a staple.  

ONO HAWAIIAN PLATES  

Ono Hawaiian Plates is a hidden gem at a food hall (North Loop Galley) I feel like a lot of people don’t know about. I hadn’t had Hawaiian food before I came here, but the quality there is very good. 

I usually get the teriyaki chicken and kalbi short ribs combo. When I was growing up, one of my best friends was Filipino. Short ribs were big at his house, so it reminds me a little bit of that as well. 

Maybe it's because of all the family-owned businesses that are here, but I feel like the quality of hospitality is very high at local restaurants like Ono. They're very Minnesota nice.  

PORZANA  

We’re trying to set up a player’s dinner for all the new guys on the team. Boxy was like, ‘Alright, I’m putting it in your hands to find us a restaurant that’ll take 25 guys.’  

We’re still finalizing the details, but I was thinking about Porzana. It’s easily accessible for all the guys who live in and around [Minneapolis], and it’s obviously good food. We have a few Argentinian guys, so there’s that Argentinian steakhouse connection too.  

I wasn’t sure what cut of steak to order there, so I asked the waiter, and he definitely sent me in the right direction. Next time I go there, I’m going to get the same thing. It was the entraña steak. It wasn’t too lean or fatty; it had a nice balance of flavor. Having the chimichurri and different sauces you might not see on every menu brought some freshness to the plate as well.    

I love all of [chef Daniel del Prado’s] restaurants, to be honest. You can’t go wrong.  

I’m not super into coffee, but I even like Café Cerés, his coffee shop [with pastry chef Shawn McKenzie]. It’s got a lot of Middle Eastern flavors to it.  

I’m not the type of person who’s going to get the same thing every single time. If you can do one thing good, I’m going to assume you can do multiple things just as well. It’s very much based on mood. If I have a day off, I know I’m not going to eat as heavy, versus if I had a super hard session, it’ll play into my nutrition.    

RED COW 

What I like about Red Cow is that it has a local vibe while still offering a few different locations, ensuring quality food at each spot. The atmosphere is great, with sports games always playing, making it a fun place to hang out. They also serve a solid brunch, and their burgers are unique — like the Barcelona Burger, which is a standout. 

Red Cow was the first place in Minnesota where I tried cheese curds. They came with a homemade triple berry ketchup, a twist that really stood out to me. 

SANJUSAN

There’s a lot of fusion restaurants here. I think that’s pretty cool. Sanjusan is a Japanese-Italian mix. You wouldn’t think it’d work, but once you get there, it makes sense. 

Their Verdi pizza is excellent. It features unique toppings like pine nuts and miso pesto, which might not be something you'd typically try, but I really enjoyed it. Their creative combinations introduce you to new flavors. If you like Japanese or Italian food, it’s a way of dipping your foot right into another culture.  

I tried Union Hmong Kitchen a few years ago at the food hall Graze. I can’t quite remember what I ordered, but it was interesting to try something new in that setting. 

It’s not a place I might have gone to on my own, but since it was there, I thought, why not? The chef (Yia Vang) was featured on the Netflix show "Iron Chef", which drew some attention to it as well. 

I haven’t been to his main restaurant yet (Vinai), but I remember enjoying his food and would definitely go back. I know they have another location [on Lake Street] now too.

YUM! KITCHEN AND BAKERY  

Since I live near Yum!, I often visit for their fresh food. The bakery is a great spot for lunch, and their lobster roll is also delicious. Overall, I think their freshness and quality, especially in sandwiches and baked goods, really stand out.    

I also like Rōti for lunch. I went to the University of Maryland, so it reminds me of Cava from that region — a Mediterranean Chipotle kind of thing.  

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For more recommendations from our favorite Minnesotans, check out our Stars of the North series.