1. Visit Pastor Hamilton's Barbecue (1150 E. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651- 772-0279) for amazing ribs, wings and collard greens. The place is open Thursday through Saturday, but Friday is the day when the barbecuing preacher is outside manning the big barbecue in front of St. John's Church.

2. Get burgers, brats, hot dogs and corn hot off the patio grill at Java Train Cafe (1341 N. Pascal St., St. Paul; 651-646-9179; javatraincafe.com) from noon to 9 p.m. every other weekend.

3. Order off the sandwich menu at the St. Paul Cheese Shop (1573 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-698-3391; france44.com) and then go to a park for a mini picnic. Made-to-order options include lemon hummus with provolone and pickle, prosciutto with brie and fennel salami with cheddar and garlic confit.

4. Take a trip back in time at the Dari-ette (1440 E. Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul; 651-776-3470). The seasonal drive-in, which opened in 1951, offers an eclectic mix of burgers, fried chicken and spaghetti and meatballs. Just be prepared to wait.

5. Pop in for an ice-cold gin and tonic on the back patio bar at W.A. Frost (374 Selby Ave., St. Paul; 651-224- 5715; wafrost.com). No reservations needed; seating is first come, first served.

6. Hit the downtown St. Paul Farmers' Market (Fifth and Wall streets; 651-227-6856; stpaulfarmersmarket.com) on a weekend morning, pick up produce and have breakfast. Golden's Deli has a stand serving bagel and egg sandwiches and locally roasted Peace coffee.

7. Eat blueberry pie at Lucia's Bakery & Take Home (1428 W. 31st St., Minneapolis; 612- 825-9800). This place has the best pie around - flaky crust, plump and juicy local berries and just enough sugar.

8. Park and eat at Sonic (1960 Suburban Ave., St. Paul; 651-379-9898). At America's beloved drive-in, you can crank up the music and be waited on by rollerskating carhops who put the tray on your window.

9. Pour refreshing Minnesota-made Crispin Brut hard cider over ice and sip it on the patio at Happy Gnome (498 Selby Ave., St. Paul; 651-287-2018; thehappygnome.com) or The Liffey (175 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651- 556-1420; theliffey.com).

10. Make the trek to Harbor View Cafe (314 First St., Pepin, Wis.; 715-442-3893; harborviewpepin.com). Gorgeous views, friendly service and delicious food make this seasonal spot with the changing blackboard menu worth the 90-minute drive from St. Paul. No reservations; no credit cards.

11. Gorge on fish tacos and fresh oysters at Sea Salt Eatery (4825 Minnehaha Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-721-8990; seasalteatery.wordpress.com). The reasonable prices and Minnehaha Falls Park setting add to the appeal of this seasonal spot.

12. Sip house-made pineapple-ginger ale at Brasa (777 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-224-1302; brasa.us). Available by the glass or icy pitcher, it's a true thirst quencher.

13. Stand in line for an ice cream cone at Izzy's (2034 Marshall Ave., St. Paul; 651-603- 1458; izzysicecream.com). It's worth waiting for the town's best ice cream, which comes with an Izzy - an extra mini-scoop on top.

Kathie Jenkins is the restaurant critic for the Pioneer Press.