Forty years ago, John Rupp and some partners opened a bar on the site of an old drugstore and called it W.A. Frost and Company.
Today, it’s a Saint Paul establishment that is consistently voted to have the best patio in the city (and the Twin Cities) and is known for its old-school elegance, perfect for special occasions or simply to satisfy a hunger.
Its transition from bar to restaurant wasn’t initially planned, but Rupp had a gut feeling about the place. “Did I think we’d be open in 40 years? I was hopeful,” he says. “I thought there were a number of factors operating in its favor, which suggested to me that it could be around for a long time.”
One of those factors was the building itself. “It’s a beautiful building,” Rupp says. Built in the 1880s, it was a luxury apartment complex with retail business on the main floor. When the bar opened in 1976, the neighborhood “was just beginning a renaissance. At the time it was a high-crime location,” Rupp recalls. “Selby Avenue was largely empty.” But shortly after they opened, investors started buying up the surrounding buildings, and Rupp knew it was only the beginning of a change. “It was clear to me that all the new owners were thinking the way I was thinking,” he says.
Then there was the outdoor plan. “We were in this really key location. I had enough land so I could build a patio,” he says. The southern exposure and tall buildings on the northern side also meant the garden area would be shaded from the hot summer sun and protected from the chilly spring and fall winds. Knowing it was climatically perfect didn’t convince the city of Saint Paul, though.
“At the time, nobody was eating outside, in Saint Paul at least. And the health department wouldn’t allow it because, at the time, they felt it was a health risk,” Rupp says. The patio actually opened without city approval, and the court was considering shutting the restaurant down. One representative of the health department testified that “bugs would get into the food,” Rupp says. “I remember saying, in a good-natured way, to this gentleman, ‘Have you ever been at a picnic?’ ”
Eventually, Saint Paul changed its ruling, and the rest is history. “A lot of people are attracted to [the patio] because we built it in a way that we didn’t think it would be very easy to compete against, at that scale,” Rupp says.
Dan Odell, a bartender who has worked at W. A. Frost since 1998, agrees that the restaurant’s patio definitely has a charm all its own. “It’s a really beautiful setting, in an urban area,” says Odell. “It has great night shade and people really seem to love it.”
According to Odell, there is a new summer drink menu at W. A. Frost featuring options that not only celebrate the season, but also highlight several products from local providers.
“One of our new specialties is called the Selby Cider, which features a syrup made with rhubarb, cherry and agave nectar, mixed with Sociable cider from Sociable Cider Werks in Minneapolis,” he says.
Another refreshing new quaff, called In Bloom, features gin and grapefire bitters, made by Dashfire Bitters, a locally owned company located just around the corner from W. A. Frost.
As for the food on the patio and in the restaurant, seasonal will be the theme, and may include stone fruits and summer fish.
According to Rupp, W. A. Frost has an appeal that transcends the seasons since, not only is the patio a cherished favorite of customers, the interior of the restaurant offers a rich and romantic vibe all its own.
“We built the inside with a number of fireplaces and a certain décor and lighting scheme and artwork and color palette that really appeals to people in the wintertime,” says Rupp, adding that they didn’t just focus on atmosphere. They wanted top-quality food as well.
“Over the years we’ve had a variety of very accomplished chefs,” Rupp says. “Many of these chefs have gone on to be very successful in their own right—so I’m proud of all of them.”
Given that W. A. Frost is celebrating 40 years, the responsibility of that legacy is important to Rupp. The dining area is built for intimacy. “I have a suspicion that of restaurants that are currently open, we may have had more marriage proposals than any of them,” Rupp says. Diners can sit and have conversations without being overheard, and Rupp himself has had many meaningful, important conversations in the dining rooms, he says.
It’s the kind of place that attracts all groups. “We have young couples who are here maybe on a high school prom, and we have people in their 90s who are celebrating,” he says.
“It’s all of those experiences together,” Rupp says. “It’s what I hoped would happen here.”
