St. Paul restaurant serves an island escape

Hamline University picks a new president [Hamline University picks a new president] [View as webpage]( [Star Tribune]( [Eye on St. Paul]( Also in today's newsletter: Hamline University picks a new president, Biden comments on Israel during Minnesota visit and 30 dogs are seized from a Minnesota animal rescue. Good morning. It is Thursday, Nov. 2. I'm Casey Darnell, filling in for Ashley Miller, and this is Eye on St. Paul. Here's what you need to know. [Review: Crasqui in St. Paul an island escape for diners and the chef behind it:]( Chef Soleil Ramirez’s fine-dining restaurant gives Twin Cities diners a taste of the bold flavors of Venezuela. From restaurant critic Jon Cheng's reivew: "Consider the fresh, creamy, almost saline qualities of coconut with Ramirez’s take on fosforera, a Venezuelan soup native to the island of Margarita. To a bowl of gently cooked seafood, a server pours a bisque — a thin but extravagant distillation of shrimp and the coconut. Over tiny kernels of peppers and potatoes, he pours a variation of the broth (crema de coco), equally fragrant from tomatoes and garlic. These are soups I will think of in the howls of winter." [Read more.]( The Del Caribe Para El Mundo — sea bass with mango chutney and shrimp salad — is a standout at chef Soleil Ramirez’s restaurant Crasqui. Photo by Jeff Wheeler / Star Tribune. [Hamline University selects new president:]( Kathleen Murray, a former professor and administrator at Macalester College who served most recently as a college president in Washington state, has been named the new president of Hamline University. She will succeed Fayneese Miller, who announced in April that she was retiring after eight years at the helm — and months after a controversy over Islamic artwork led faculty members to call for her resignation. [Read more.]( [Biden comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict during his visit to Minnesota:]( Biden spoke to an audience near Northfield as war rages in the Middle East, and his visit drew attention from protesters both at the site and in Minneapolis. A group of protesters holding up "Ceasefire" placards, invoking the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza, stood a short distance from the farm on a gravel road. Biden immediately addressed the conflict in Gaza, acknowledging the safe passage of some wounded Palestinians and foreign nationals, including Americans, from Gaza into Egypt. "This is the result of intense and urgent American diplomacy with our partners in the region," Biden said. "We've all seen the devastating images from Gaza [of] Palestinian children crying out for lost parents." [Read more.]( Biden talks with guests after giving a speech at Dutch Creek Farms in Northfield on Wednesday. Photo by Leila Navidi / Star Tribune. A few more things you should know: - [A 25-year-old goes trick-or-treating for the first time — and loves it]( - [12-year term for man who crashed SUV into car in St. Paul while fleeing police, injuring 3]( - [Minnesota Supreme Court to hear arguments on whether Trump is on 2024 ballot]( - [Metro Transit reports that crime has stabilized, but 'we still have a ways to go']( - [Authorities seize 30 dogs from Minnesota animal rescue after eight others found dead]( - [Celebrate (and taste) the winners of the 2023 Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest]( Continue the conversation Send us your pics. Thanks to Matt Birkholz [@birkography]( for snapping this picture. It sure has been cold this week, but maybe the fall colors are worth it? Tag the [@startribune]( account or use the hashtag #eyeonstpaul to have your photo featured. Correction: In yesterday's newsletter, I accidentally transposed council member Mitra Jalali's first and last name. I apologize for the error. Thanks for reading. Comments or ideas? Email me at [casey.darnell@startribune.com.](mailto:casey.darnell@startribune.com) [Star Tribune star] Local news that matters. [SUBSCRIBE TO THE STAR TRIBUNE]( SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Click here]( to unsubscribe [Manage email preferences]( View our [Privacy Policy](. This email was sent by: Star Tribune, 650 3rd Ave. S. Suite 1300 | Minneapolis, MN 55488 United States © 2023 StarTribune. All rights reserved.